Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes - BLOG TOUR

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
Release Date – December 11, 2012
Publisher Website - Razorbill
Publisher Social Media -  Twitter
Pages - 412 pages
My Rating- 4/5
**Received from publisher for review via BEA**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power--brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined: 

Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct. 

Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished--and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making. 

Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past--and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield. 

Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword... 

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

Are you a fantasy newbie? If so Falling Kingdoms may just be a great starting point. A novel filled with war, violence, sweeping landscapes, and magic. It offers a little something for everyone, and does so against a fantastically built world, with enough back story to keep the pages turning. The title is accurate as each Kingdom is crumbling in different ways, and as they fall it creates an atmosphere made for war, rebellion and political agendas.

The setting is described in intricate detail. Each of the kingdoms are vastly different, and easy to visualize. Along with this, the author keeps the pacing tightly controlled. She drops reveals, and hints when she needs to. This detail, along with the ability to weave each of the three kingdom plot points together believably, is something that really stood out in the novel.

There are a lot of characters in this story. Each Kingdom has a central cast and I thought at first it was going to get complicated. Luckily, we follow a core few through their stories, and the author allows us to get to know each of them enough to become invested in each. The focus is less on the characters, and more on the plot. It’s character development comes from events impact them, and what those outcomes mean for their futures.

With a plentiful cast the author has leeway to have casualties. This novel is filled with violence, war, and fights. People die. Lots of them. Maybe even characters wouldn't expect. This kept me ‘on my toes’ so to speak, because it solidified the fact that nobody is safe in this series. There are enough characters that it is a real possibility for one (or more) of the main characters to be killed. It leaves an element of suspense that otherwise might not be there.

I am most intrigued by Magnus. The prince of . A enigma whose motivations are laced with longing for someone he can’t have. A hardening of his heart makes him lethal, but his true nature is still being unveiled. A character who you want to spend more time with, you can’t help but long for more of him.

A epic fantasy in the truest sense, Falling Kingdoms has a little something for everyone. Romance, war, fight scenes, and political agendas leading up to a fantastic starting point for the sequel. Overall, it was a novel that surprised me. I enjoyed it much more than I expected to, and am looking forward to more.