Immortal Reign: Falling Kingdoms, Book 6

Written by Morgan Rhodes

Razorbill

978-1-595-14824-7

391 pp.

Ages 13+

February 2018

I have avoided reading Morgan Rhodes's conclusion to her Falling Kingdoms series ever since I got my autographed copy at the beginning of February. I knew it would be stellar–it was– but, after five books, I wasn't ready to say good-bye to Magnus and Cleo, Jonas and Lucia, Nic and Felix and the rest that live in Mytica and elsewhere and carry Morgan Rhodes's story through every power struggle, magical conflict and romantic interlude. But, the time has come when I have to honour this final book, Book 6 in the series, and share with you the tempest that is Immortal Reign.

When last we visited the worlds of Falling Kingdoms, much deception resulted in the Kindred gods taking over the bodies of mortals to allow them reign: the fire god, Kyan, took over Nic's body; the earth Kindred took over Olivia's; the air Kindred went to Taran; and the water goddess took Cleo as her vessel. Because the ritual was interrupted, Cleo and Taran still have control over their bodies though Kyan is determined to remedy that by coercing Lucia to perform the ritual. But with the recent birth of her daughter, Lyssa, during which Lucia lost most of her magic, the sorceress is determined to do what's right for her daughter, including imprisoning Kyan back in his amber orb and reuniting with her father King Gaius and her brother Magnus. But all is more complicated as Magnus fights for his life after being buried alive, the king is assassinated and Lyssa is kidnapped.

Meanwhile, the Kraeshian empress Amara is set for her Ascension but, as much as she wants to rule, she is realizing that much of what she desires has been directed by her manipulative grandmother Neela. Still Amara has perpetrated far too many atrocities, against her family and others, for anyone to be her true ally so to whom can she turn? She intends to make things right, or somewhat right, but she has a lot of relationships to mend.

"I regret very few decisions I've made these last months, but I deeply regret how I've treated you. I've been horrible to you."
     Ashur gaped at her. "Horrible? You stabbed me in the heart." (pg. 57)

The dialogue is so clever, often draped in mirth, especially the banter involving Magnus, Jonas and Felix. Still the situation with the Kindreds is dire and, while Cleo and Taran fight off the powerful Kindreds attempting to take over their bodies fully, and Magnus, after freeing himself with some powerful dark magic, does all he can to keep Cleo safe, Lucia tries to regain her magic by stripping Jonas of his so that she might continue to fight for her daughter.

There is so much more to tell about Immortal Reign but  trying to condense a review of the book into a few sentences is near impossible. Morgan Rhodes's story telling is bigger than the worlds she has created in Falling Kingdoms. Her tale weaves in and out, backwards and forwards and sometimes sideways, and still creates a tightly-knit story of struggles, love and redemption.

We don't change. We are who we are throughout our lives. We can try other paths, other roads, but it never works. (pg. 294)

Immortal Timotheus believes these words as he says them but Immortal Reign shows us that change is possible for all.  From Book 1 to Book 6, all the characters have changed, becoming more sympathetic, less silly, less violent or self-righteous, more accepting of others and their mistakes, and open to possibilities they would never have accepted previously as viable or desirable.  I have grown to love each and every one of them as they've descended and ascended and transcended into the bountiful characters for whom readers have cheered and booed. (Check out some of the astounding fandom drawings of the characters that readers have shared on the Falling Kingdoms wiki, Tumblr, Pinterest and numerous blogs. These readers love these characters as much as I do.)

Morgan Rhodes could not have written a better ending to her six-part series. It's satisfying with unexpected elements and a frisson of the predictable (hurray for Magnus and Cleo finally getting together). She lead us through widespread rebellions and strife between nations, as well as personal triumphs and tragedies. And we followed. And we would do so again.  With Morgan Rhodes at the writing helm, it's a pleasure to accompany her on the voyage.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

If you haven't read the whole series, do check out my reviews of Books 1 through 5 for a taste of what you've missed and the order to follow to get caught up. You'll definitely want to do so.

1. Falling Kingdoms (2012)
2. Rebel Spring (2013)
3. Gathering Darkness (2014)
4. Frozen Tides (2015) 
5. Crystal Storm (2016)

Crystal Storm: Falling Kingdoms, Book 5

Written by Morgan Rhodes

Razorbill

978-1-59514-822-3

379 pp.

Ages 12+

2016

At the conclusion of Book 4, Frozen Tides, the four Kindred, stone orbs possessing elemental magic, had been retrieved and possessed by four different entities.   Now Princess Cleiona has the earth Kindred, King Gaius possesses the air Kindred and Empress Amara has the aquamarine that is the water Kindred, while Kyan the fire god has already been released from the amber orb that is the fire Kindred. And everyone wants to possess all four so that they may unlock the power of the full Kindred.  But things are not that straightforward, as there are still power struggles for control, alliances made for breaking and allegiances in flux.

Now married to the Empress Amara, who killed off her whole family to reign the Kraeshian Empire, King Gaius has survived a fall that should have killed him but didn’t because of a potion for strength he’d been given years earlier by his mother.  He is determined apparently to right some wrongs and that includes defeating Amara, reclaiming the kingdom of Mytica and getting the Kindred, all by joining forces with his son Prince Magnus and his wife, Princess Cleiona, and seeking his sorceress daughter Lucia.  Though reluctant to join forces with him, Magnus and Cleiona have their own reasons to do so, including getting help to break a curse that would kill Cleo should she become pregnant.  With the help of  King Gaius’ mother, Selia, the King and entourage head to Paelsia.

Meanwhile, Lucia is looking to redeem herself after the role she played in aiding Kyan whose wrath led to the destruction of a Paelsian community.  She enters the Sanctuary of the immortals to learn that it is up to her to find and imprison Kyan and locate the other Kindred to return them to save the Sanctuary.  How she will do this with all of Paelsia seeing her as a dark witch who unleashed evil on their land and with her pregnancy progressing exponentially?

Yet another contingent is made up of the Paelsian rebel Jonas; Cleo’s childhood friend Nic; Felix Gaebras, the former assassin of King Gaius and recent victim of Amara; Taran Ranus, twin brother of the Paelsian killed by Magnus; and the newly-resurrected brother of Amara and love interest of Nic, Prince Ashur Cortas.

Everyone is heading to Paelsia, looking for Lucia and the Kindred.  That is, if they don’t all kill each other first.  But death seems to be an elusive state for many in Crystal Storm.  There are those who were killed or almost so who are seemingly resurrected by potion or magic.  Then there are others whose deaths were announced too hastily.  Staying alive is a lot harder when everyone is harbouring secrets and resentment and seeking retribution or justice or even power, determined not to let anything or anyone stand in their way.

Some may have thought this series was going to be a trilogy but thankfully it is not.  Falling Kingdoms continues to flourish under Morgan Rhodes' mastery of time and place and story, bringing characters to and from death and fighting for control in this fifth book in the series.  And if I’ve learned anything, it’s that every character is dynamic and ever-changing.  For me, Magnus has become a character for whom I will continue to cheer (and when you read the ending, you’ll understand why).  He has always been driven, initially by ego, having killed Cleo’s love interest in Falling Kingdoms (Book 1), but now by love and a desire to make things right.  Cleo, on the other hand, has become fickle, choosing whom to trust and whom to distrust seeming at whim.  She’s very quick to chastize some, especially Magnus, and forgive others, like Nic, but never recognize her role in the antagonisms she helps perpetuate between men like Magnus, Jonas and Nic.  I almost wished to be done with Cleo except for what she means to Magnus.  Of course, Morgan Rhodes could change everything in Book 6 (Immortal Reign, due out February 2018) and she probably will.

Thankfully the story is still being told. Long live Auranos and Limeros and Paelsia and the Kraeshian Empire and all the realms of the Falling Kingdoms.

Falling Kingdoms (2012)

Rebel Spring (2013)

Gathering Darkness (2014)

Frozen Tides (2015)

Crystal Storm (2016)

Immortal Reign (for release 2018)

The Darkest Magic: A Book of Spirits and Thieves, Book 2

by Morgan Rhodes

Razorbill

978-1-59514-761-5

426 pp.

Ages 12+

June 2016

When Morgan Rhodes began this series as a spin-off of her Falling Kingdoms fantasy, I had no idea that it would be even more complicated that that award-winning series. (Read the first four books in that series – Falling Kingdoms, A Rebel Spring, Gathering Darkness, and  Frozen Tides  – and experience the fullness of the high fantasy of Mytica and beyond.) In the first book in this new series, A Book of Spirits and Thieves (Razorbill, 2015), Morgan Rhodes took readers beyond that Falling Kingdoms world and juxtaposed it with our modern one, by creating a complicated story that fused the very best elements of fantasy and parallel worlds.  Well, hold on to your hats (or your cloak's hood) because The Darkest Magic takes the reader into darker worlds in which secrets revealed just beget more secrets and everyone is chasing after something or someone.

In Mytica, Maddox has learned that he is the son of the mortal Barnabas and the immortal Eva, though he’d always been raised to believe Damaris, who is revealed to be Barnabas’s sister, was his mother. After Goran, the henchman of the goddess Valoria, murders Damaris, they are more determined to seek out Valoria’s scribe to learn of her weaknesses.  Unfortunately, Maddox and company arrive just as the scribe, Alsander Verus, is executed by Valoria for treason. Unthwarted, the trio rescue his head which Maddox brings back to life, getting the torso-less scribe to help them by agreeing to reunite his head with his body. Together, Maddox, Barnabas, the witch Liana and Al head (no pun intended) first to central Mytica to seek help from Princess Cassia who lost her inherited throne to the murderous Valoria and then to southern Mytica where Valoria’s sister and nemesis, the immortal goddess Cleiona, regins.

Meanwhile, in modern-day Toronto, Becca Hatcher, who still dreams of her time with Maddox in Mytica, and older sister Crys are hiding out with their mother Julia Hatcher, aunt Jackie Kendall and professor Dr. Uriah Vega at the Yorkville penthouse of Angus Balthazar, magic expert and friend of their aunt Jackie’s.  The group is working to try to decipher the Codex, the book that Valoria calls the Book of the Immortals, in an attempt to foil Markus King’s evil machinations to restore his full magic and ensure his immortality as a death god.  Wait, it gets more complicated.  They realize that Becca, who learns soon enough that she is actually the daughter of Jackie and Markus, is inexplicably linked to the book, painfully wounded when Jackie tries to destroy it. Worse yet, Markus, who ensures obedience from members of the secret Hawkspear Society, is once again exerting control over Crys’s mom as well as upping his influence over rich bad boy Farrell Grayson–weirdly romantically involved with Crys–and putting Crys in more danger.

I haven’t even mentioned the surprising arrival of Damen Winter whose evil intents surpass Markus’s and whose appearance has mortals and immortals clamouring to action in both Toronto and Mytica.

Keeping track of Morgan Rhodes’s characters in Mytica, in Crys’s and Farrell’s worlds, as well as their storylines, is a daunting feat but readers worthy of the challenge will be justly rewarded. As Farrell’s dead brother, Connor, suggests to him, "The higher the price, the better the reward." (pg. 278) So it is with keeping the multitude of plots, relationships and secrets clearly separated whilst they start converging.  The Darkest Magic is a skein of magical plots that occasionally get knotted together but will ultimately be unravelled in true Morgan Rhodes’s fashion.  There is insight and humour,

     Farrell’s not a killer, she reminded herself over and over, like some sort of twisted mantra.  “He’s an asshole, a misogynist, and a spoiled brat,” she allowed out loud, “but he’s not a killer.”
     “Aw, come on.”  The front door clicked shut behind her.  “You shouldn’t give me so many compliments,” Farrell said. “They’re going to go to my head.” (pg. 331)

and lessons to learn about family and trust and obedience.

You are the master of your destiny.  No one else. (pg. 61)

The Darkest Magic is a full package, a very full package, and one that Morgan Rhodes delivers with poise and skillfulness and imagination. And there’s still Book 3 to come. Perfect.

Frozen Tides: Falling Kingdoms, Book 4

Written by Morgan Rhodes

Razorbill

978-1-59514-707-3

413 pp.

Ages 12+

December 2015

Forget everything you’ve read in Books 1 through 3 of Morgan Rhodes’ Falling Kingdoms series (Falling Kingdoms, 2012; Rebel Spring, 2013; Gathering Darkness, 2014) because Frozen Tides demonstrates that not everything is as it appears.  From the frozen, seemingly desolate landscape of Limeros to the projected demure contenances of Lucia and Amara (hah!), Morgan Rhodes takes the reader into worlds that seem ever-changing in spirit, motive and magic.  (And if you haven’t been fortunate enough to read the first three books, stop reading this review posthaste, and read Books 1-3 promptly.  This is one series that demands to be read from the beginning and in order.  You have been advised.)

When last we visited the land of Mytica, Princess Cleo–and just about everyone else too–was attempting to locate and reawaken the four crystals of the Kindred: amber for fire magic; moonstone for air; aquamarine for water; and obsidian for earth.  But the four Kindred have been found and ended up in different hands: Amara, daughter of Emperor Cortas of the Kraeshian Empire, has the aquamarine; Jonas, Paelsian rebel, has the obsidian; Felix, former ally of Jonas but assassin for King Gaius, has the moonstone; and Lucia, the budding sorceress who was brought up as King Gaius’ daughter and Magnus’ sister, has the amber.  But the possession of the Kindred is as fluid as the plot of Frozen Tides.

Lucia, betrayed by Alexis who was manipulated by Watcher Melenia, has released the fire god, Kyan, from his prison in the amber, and the two are on a pilgrimage to learn more about Lucia’s true family and to find a portal into the Sanctuary so that Kyan might assassinate Timotheus, the remaining Watcher, for imprisoning him.

Magnus, having disobeyed his father and saved Cleo from death, demands she and her friend Nic go into exile while he returns to his birthplace of Limeros and attempts to find Lucia and ultimately to claim the throne for himself. Cleo, with whom Magnus had shown uncharacteristic intimacy in words and actions, refuses, accompanying him to Limeros with Nic in tow.  Nic, still reeling from the murder of Prince Ashur, takes every opportunity to badmouth Magnus to Cleo who continues to need to remind herself how much she should hate Magnus and consider him her enemy.

Meanwhile, Felix has convinced himself he is a reprehensible young man and returns to the employ of King Gaius, giving up the moonstone and accompanying the King to Kraeshia to stem the occupation of Mytica by the Emperor and instead enter into a partnership. There Felix becomes involved with Amara who has her own agenda.

And, if that isn’t plot enough for you, Jonas who almost died while retrieving a Kindred is now focused on assassinating King Gaius, with fellow rebel Lysandra, his secret love-interest, and witch Olivia accompanying him.

There is so much pain and calamity overriding a frisson of romance, as character after character strives to possess the Kindred and the magic within while attempting to stem the tide of emotions that struggle to engulf them.  Felix sees himself as a lost cause yet will take the trouble to save a kitten.  Cleo keeps reminding herself that Magnus is her enemy and has destroyed her family and Auranian life, but continues to be drawn to him and what he truly is, not as he believes he is i.e., the evil son of the King of Blood.  And Lucia, wielding so much pain and power, seems willing to take down everyone and everything in her wake, but is appalled by Kyan’s ravages of land and people.  The tides of emotions and actions swell and recede in all of Morgan Rhodes’ characters and their inability to see these changes make them all the more poignant.

"You are in so deep you don’t even know you’re drowning," (pg. 189) Lucia is told by Timotheus who recognizes the extent of her pain better than she does.

You are filled with so much anger and pain and grief.  Yet instead of letting those emotions run through you and make you stronger, you choose to unleash them on the rest of the world so that others might feel your pain as well. (pg. 187)

As paradoxical as frozen tides, as a phenomenon, may be, so too are Morgan Rhodes’ characters who are both fragile and powerful.  But it is this irreconciliability that propels the plot of Frozen Tides.  And though I may be able to share the details of the plot of Frozen Tides with you, I can't come close to sharing the depth of Morgan Rhodes' writing.  Morgan Rhodes doesn't just tell a story.  She immerses the reader in worlds so rich in passions–good and ugly–that you begin to wonder how valid your own emotions and allegiances can be.  How can you hope for happiness for Cleo and Magnus when Magnus is the son of the King of Blood and seems to be following in his father's evil tread? What of Jonas and Cleo?  Should I wish for that sweetness again? And is there more to Lysandra and Lucia than previously revealed?  I don’t doubt that Morgan Rhodes knows exactly where she is taking readers as she plans to unleash those frozen tides of emotions and conflicts and take us to new worlds in Book 5 of her Falling Kingdoms series, set for a 2016 release date. In the mean while, read Frozen Tides very slowly, relishing every detail and nuance of plot, setting and character that make Morgan Rhodes' writing so prodigious.

A Book of Spirits and Thieves

by Morgan Rhodes

Razorbill

978-1-59514-759-2

358 pp.

Ages 12+

June 2015

For lovers of Morgan Rhodes’ high-fantasy series Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms, 2012;  Rebel Spring, 2013; and Gathering Darkness, 2014) The Book of Spirits and Thieves will be especially welcome, melding the world of Mytica with contemporary Toronto and bringing together teen sisters and a book, a rich bad boy and a secret society, and a Mytican young man who wields death magic.  The Book of Spirits and Thieves is an intense multi-layered story that fuses the very best elements of fantasy and parallel worlds to make something even more enchanted and enchanting.

When seventeen-year-old Crys Hatcher opens a package from her vagabond aunt Jackie, her sister Becca touches the book within and falls into a coma.  Crys learns that the book had been stolen from Markus King,  and it was part of Jackie and Crys' mom’s payback plan for what he’d stolen from them, including Crys’ dad, Daniel.  Now Crys needs to learn all she can about that book and Markus King if she is to help her sister.  And that could mean reconnecting with her errant father.

Markus King, an enigmatic but powerful man, runs the secret club known as the Hawkspear Society that doles out murderous justice.  When nineteen-year-old Farrell Grayson whose seriously wealthy family belongs to the Society is recruited to Markus’ inner circle, he is tasked with becoming acquainted with Crys.  But society bad boy Farrell has other issues with which to deal, including his confused younger brother Adam and the suspicious suicide of his older brother Connor, a former inner cirle member.

Meanwhile in Year 15 of the Goddess Valoria’s Reign in Mytica, a young man named Maddox, gifted with the magic to communicate with spirits, is being exploited by his guardian/slave master Livius. They are both seized by Valoria who demands Maddox locate a specific young woman who possesses the magic the Goddess needs to retrieve a golden dagger stolen from her.  Though Maddox is unconvinced that he can control his magic abilities, a spirit named Becca (yes, Crys’ sister) assures him that he can do it, as well as help her get back home.

With Becca’s spiritual presence in Mytica and her physical body in a Toronto hospital, the contemporary world of Crys and Farrell is linked with the magical world of Maddox and Valoria.  How the two will converge is up to the skillful story-telling of high fantasy writer Morgan Rhodes.  In other words, there's a great story being revealed.  Within each world, young people are dealing with self-expression and understanding, trying to learn what strengths and weaknesses they possess, while navigating the treacherous waters of family and friendship and secrets.  It's pretty hard to develop complete understanding when secrets are being kept and deceit is the norm.  And questions about who has stolen what from whom abound!

Told in the voices of Crys, Farrell and Maddox, A Book of Spirits and Thieves provides no respite from action and complex plotting that are the trademark of Morgan Rhodes' writing.  There's a reason her books are repeatedly on New York Times best seller lists.  Look for this one there too.


*********************
BTW, a different cover of A Book of Spirits and Thieves is available in the U.S., if you see it and are confused by the difference.  Still beautiful, this second cover is more in keeping with the Falling Kingdoms covers, though I prefer the one that illustrates the melding of the contemporary world with that of ancient Mytica.

A Book of Spirits and Thieves: Book Launch (Toronto)

Join

 publisher

in presenting

New York Times bestselling author

Morgan Rhodes

author of the Falling Kingdoms series

as she launches

a new Falling Kingdoms spin-off series

with Book 1

A Book of Spirits and Thieves

by Morgan Rhodes

Razorbill

978-1-59514-759-2

358 pp.

Ages 12+

June 2015

on Tuesday, June 23, 2015

6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

at 

Bakka Phoenix Books

84 Harbord Street

Toronto, ON

Gathering Darkness: Falling Kingdoms, Book 3

by Morgan Rhodes

Razorbill

978-1-59514-705-9

432 pp.

Ages 12+

For release December 9, 2014

(1) Map of Mytica

I am so glad that Falling Kingdoms is not a trilogy, for three books would not be sufficient to house the complexity of the relationships within and between the three kingdoms of Mytica–Auranos, Limeros and Paelsia– and their people, given the richness and depth that Morgan Rhodes has woven into the plot.

When Falling Kingdoms, Book 1 (Razorbill, 2012) ended, King Gaius of Limeros had violently and successfully seized the castle and throne of Auranos, with some magical help from his daughter Lucia who is a powerful, albeit novice, sorceress.  Princess Cleiona, the only remaining Auranian royal, is determined to regain her family's rightful place, perhaps with the help of Jonas Agallon, the rebel who wants to take down the King of Blood.

But, in the second book of the series, Rebel Spring, (Razorbill, 2013), the rebels and Cleo have accomplished seemingly little to halt King Gaius’s plans.  Gaius is having a road constructed to link the three kingdoms of Mytica, through the Wildlands and Forbidden Mountains, destroying much of Paelsia while enslaving its people.  He has also arranged for the marriage of his son, Magnus, to Cleiona, which takes place regardless of an attack arranged by Cleo and Jonas to prevent it.

Now Gathering Darkness returns the story to Auranos where King Gaius continues to rule with fear, hopeful of securing the Kindred, the four crystals that hold the elemental magic: amber for fire, moonstone for air, aquamarine for water, and obsidian for earth.  But the Kindred is a very desirable commodity, and not everyone understands its significance or danger.

In addition to Magnus and Cleo, who have returned from their wedding tour, more perplexed about their feelings for each other, there are others who have appeared in Auranos whose motives are probably linked to securing the Kindred for themselves.  Alexius, the immortal Watcher from Sanctuary who had discovered Lucia’s power as a sorceress, has been banished to the mortal realm, ostensibly to be with Lucia, but claiming the Kindred must be returned to Sanctuary to help save the world from destruction.  And Prince Ashur and his sister Princess Amara from the far-off kingdom of Kraeshia have maneuvered themselves into honoured guests of King Gaius, easily manipulating everyone to their wishes, inevitably to garner the Kindred for their father, Emperor Cortas.

It is essentially a race to find the Kindred.  Many are willing to have others find the crystals and then steal them, but Cleo is more proactive, becoming a cherished friend to Lucia, who is frightened by her erratic powers and helping her, with Alexius’ guidance, to focus her magic, hopefully to locate and claim the Kindred.  And, through a secret messenger within the castle, Cleo is able to share this information with Jonas.

Meanwhile, Jonas has been joined by another rebel, the charismatic Felix, and is determined to save Lysandra and the other rebels who are being held in the King's dungeons and awaiting execution.  But what are Felix’s motivations?  Even Jonas’ motives are less transparent, especially as he is confused by his feelings for Cleo and Lysandra.

As in the earlier books in the series, Gathering Darkness is both plot- and character-driven, relentless in its ability to startle, to gratify, and to crush, engulfing the reader in more emotions than the heart can normally endure within a scant 432 pages.  The elemental disasters–fire, tornado, earthquake–are nothing compared to the cataclysmic breaches in the essential relationships within Gathering Darkness: between Magnus and Cleo, Cleo and Jonas, Jonas and Lysandra, Nick and Ashur, Amara and Ashur, Felix and Jonas, Lucia and Alexius, and everyone in between.

Morgan Rhodes wastes neither words nor characters, definitively giving everything and everyone substance.  The words she gives her characters are prophetic and powerful.  For example, Felix tells Jonas that,

“There are no guarantees in this life, only strong possibilities.” (pg.16) 

whereas Cleo reassures Lucia to

“believe in things other people think are impossible, and it makes you strong enough to face whatever comes next.” (pg. 76)

Forgive me for not sharing the gut-wrenching words of spellbound lovers or cutting comments by the wicked. Those are all there too. But, after the intense read that is Gathering Darkness (and that darkness is certainly gathering), I need to hold onto the crystals of tenderness that Morgan Rhodes embeds, helping us to see that it’s not all darkness. In fact, I must thank her for seven simple words on page 397 that carried me through the wickedness revealed in the last chapter and forward to await the next Falling Kingdoms book.  Thank you, Morgan Rhodes, for that gift and for taking Gathering Darkness into new realms of wickedly magical splendour.

(1) Map of Mytica: Retrieved from http://www.fallingkingdoms.com/extras.html on January 16, 2014.

Rebel Spring

by Morgan Rhodes

A Falling Kingdoms Book, Book 2

Razorbill

978-1-59514-593-2

400 pp.

Ages 12+

December, 2013

Warning: 

If you have not read Falling Kingdoms, the first book in this series, don't deny yourself that pleasure and the full story needed to appreciate Rebel Spring better. Moreover, some details in my review of Rebel Spring will undoubtedly be spoilers to your reading of Falling Kingdoms. So, stop, read Falling Kingdoms, then come back and read this review before your own reading of Rebel Spring. But not any sooner.

Morgan Rhodes (author of Falling Kingdoms and Rebel Spring) and Maureen Fergus (author of A Gypsy King and A Fool's Errand) must have both attended the elevate-your-readers-with-staggering-plots-but-knock-them-down-with-shocking-endings school of writing (though I suspect both have inherent talent that schooling could not supplant). Here I had been so smug about finishing Falling Kingdoms (reviewing it here just three days ago) knowing that Rebel Spring was patiently waiting on my desk to be read and appease me of any unsettled feelings I had with its prequel's startling ending. Yeah, right. More rich story lines, another unforeseen ending.

With King Corvin and Chief Basilius now dead, King Gaius has taken over the golden palace in Auranos as his primary residence and the base for ruling over the reunited kingdom of Mytica (once Auranos, Paelsia, and Limeros). To further his domination over the land and his subjects, Gaius is publicly executing captured rebels and making plans to build a road from the temple of Cleiona in Auranos, through the Wildlands into Paelsia, through the Forbidden Mountains and finally across Limeros to end at the temple of their goddess Valoria. Unbeknownst to most, however, King Gaius is attacking Paelsian villages, murdering many and enslaving the hardier men to work on the road. Paelsian teens Lysandra and her brother Gregor witness such an attack on their own village. Lysandra escapes and joins Jonas Agallon and Brion Radenos's rebel group, determined to make things right. Though Brion is smitten with Lysandra, Jonas has issues with her passionate, demanding nature.

To further his plans, King Gaius announces the betrothal of his son, Magnus, to the true heir to the Auranian throne, Princess Cleiona. But Jonas kidnaps Cleiona, hoping to force the King's hand; instead Cleiona and Jonas hatch a plan for a rebel attack at her scheduled wedding to Magnus.

Surprisingly, the true object of Magnus' affection, his "sister" Lucia, has been unconscious since the attack on the palace in Falling Kingdoms. In this state, she occasionally enters a dreamscape where she meets with Alexius, the Watcher, and learns more about the magic and the role she will play in recovering it. Unlike his wife, King Gaius sees Lucia as the great sorceress she is prophesized to be and now, with the covert intervention and advice of the powerful Watcher elder Melenia, Gaius anticipates ruling well beyond the borders of Mytica.

These are just a few of the subplots that diverge and coalesce into richer roads leading to the finding of the Kindred, the source of the four elements of magic. With different parties seeking its power and few knowing the details of its provenance and dangers, the Kindred is both a charm and an atrocity, and how its nature will manifest itself remains in Morgan Rhodes' pen. In the meanwhile, her many characters, good and evil and in-between, carry the story as their motivations and passions change with new knowledge and experiences (OK, not King Gaius–he’s just evil). As the three kingdoms transform into a Mytica destined to be united by a road, so do the characters transform Rebel Spring from “just” a sequel to Falling Kingdoms into a book with its own bounty.

†††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††
The title and cover of Book 3 in the Falling Kingdom series have yet to be revealed although its release has been scheduled for December 9, 2014.  The Falling Kingdoms' Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/FallingKingdoms) by Morgan Rhodes hints that the title, cover and blurb will be released in February.

Falling Kingdoms

by Morgan Rhodes

Razorbill

978-1-59514-584-0

412 pp.

Ages 12+

2012

Map of Mytica (1)

The kingdoms of Auranos, Paelsia and Limeros were once united but now the three are distinctly advantaged or disadvantaged, though they live in a state of relative tolerance.  Auranos is a rich land of beautiful landscapes whose hedonistic inhabitants enjoy excessive living with luxurious homes, food and all amenities.  In the golden palace lives King Corvin Bellos with his two daughters, Emilia, his heir, and Cleiona, 16.  Auranos' neighbour, Paelsia, is considered by the Auranians as an impoverished land with savages whose only worth is in their lone commodity, wine.  Lead by their Chief Basilius, the people are ever hopeful that the magic will return and improve their lives.  The cold, frozen land of Limeros is ruled by King Gaius Damora, called the King of Blood for his penchant for killing those who challenge or disappoint him, using fear and violence to keep his subjects in line.  Surprisingly, King Gaius insists that his Queen Althea, two children, Magnus, almost 18, and Lucia, 16, and all the people of Limeros abide by the virtues of strength, faith (in the goddess Valoria) and wisdom.

When Princess Cleiona and her friend Mira accompany the arrogant Lord Aron Lagaris to Paelsia to purchase its highly intoxicating wine, the drunken Aron stabs a young man, Tomas Agallon, in front of his father, sister and younger brother, Jonas.  That single incident has Jonas and his friend Brion Radenos searching out Chief Bacilius to demand that Paelsia rise against its oppressor, Auranos, and avenge Tomas' death. Chief Bacilius and King Gaius have already agreed to approach King Corvin to demand the lands of Auranos be divided between their own two kingdoms.  If he refuses, they will take Auranos by force.  With Princess Cleiona taken hostage and her life threatened, and Jonas desperate for revenge and Magnus desperate to prove himself worthy of being his father's heir, the fall of the Auranian throne would seem imminent.

In true high fantasy style, Falling Kingdoms is a dense weave of subplots, each based within the kingdoms, between kingdoms and even in a world beyond the kingdoms, notably Sanctuary, the realm of the Watchers.  I haven't even mentioned the magic; the race to locate the Kindred; the romantic interests of Cleiona, Jonas, and Magnus; the kidnapping of a child sixteen years earlier; the prophecy; exiled Watchers; Emilia's devastating illness; and the deceptive leader of the Paelsians.  And readers will never predict in which direction the tale could turn. At 412 pages, Falling Kingdoms may appear to be a big read but there is no way that Morgan Rhodes could have managed to squeeze everything in that she did in fewer pages.  After all, it took George R. R. Martin over 800 pages to tell the story of A Game of Thrones (Bantam, 1996), a book to which Falling Kingdoms is regularly compared (though I personally find Falling Kingdoms a much more approachable read, never trying to impress the reader with its epic proportions).  As such, Morgan Rhodes effectively packs a lot into her text, without being verbose or excessive.  If she hadn't, I wouldn't have been so eager to jump directly into the sequel to Falling Kingdoms, Rebel Spring (Razorbill, 2013), which I will review in my next post.

(1) Map of Mytica: Retrieved from http://www.fallingkingdoms.com/extras.html on January 16, 2014.

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If you haven't enjoyed Morgan Rhodes' Falling Kingdoms yet, and my review here is insufficient to grab your attention, perhaps visiting the website for the series at http://www.fallingkingdoms.com/ or its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/FallingKingdoms will spark your interest.