4 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS

This was definitely a rollercoaster of a novel. The world and surrounding political intrigue involved in the land was intense and interesting, the history much more complex than the average young adult series, and, dear God, Morgan Rhodes was absolutely ruthless with the lives of her characters, whom, even those who were minor, were well written, complex, and built.

Falling Kingdoms follows the story of four key characters: a witch, a prince, a princess and a rebel. With every page, the tangle of webs that entangles the characters together tighten and because of this, these characters grow and blossom into their true identities, no matter how malicious and kind they may be. Also, we are immediately immersed into a world where magic has been forgotten for centuries and the three nations on the continent are on the brink of war due to this unimaginable power struggle that has lasted for years.

I personally thought the plot was thrilling and action-packed and was constantly lost in this world because it felt so gripping and real. I found myself immensely enjoying everything Rhodes created. The constant banter, humor of the characters, narration, and so forth; it all worked. Everything about Falling Kingdoms is sentimentally well pieced together, so anyone will definitely be hooked you from page one to the end.

Rhodes’ writing style is engaging and fun and I honestly couldn’t stop reading. By the time I was at the end, I was absolutely blown away. The world and its characters are is well detailed, easy to visualize and not overdone. She’s the kind of author that will throw you in the right direction and throw her characters into a spiral of absolute chaos, similar to that of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. In addition, the story also has a multiples POV with a brief back-story every now and then, so it brings the plot together and makes it even more compelling.

Overall, Rhodes’ world was a fascinating, her characters were complex and driven individuals often torn between political and moral duty, and the tensions between the lands of this world (Limeros, Paelsia and Auranos) were highly convincing and so amazingly realistic.

Now, with the fourth book, Frozen Tides, coming out on December 15, this fantasy series is definitely one to pick up. There will be no disappointments! I cannot wait to pick up the next volume.