Review: Falling Kingdoms

Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms #1)
by Morgan Rhodes
Published December 11th 2012
by Razorbill

Summary from Goodreads: 

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?

Thoughts:
Falling Kingdoms is one of the most anticipated book of the year and I'm so glad that it does not disappoint. It has been touted as the young adult version of Game of Thrones and that description fits quite nicely with its myriad of characters all hungry for power.

In the heart of the story are four unlikeliest characters who are quite different from one another. And since I'm always drawn to strong female characters, I am glad that both Lucia and Cleo are characters I can certainly care for. Although both of them are princesses in their own kingdoms, they are very different.

Cleo; a princess in the rich and opulent kingdom of Auranos is forced to marry the arrogant noble Aron while naive Lucia; a princess from Limeros is unaware of the deception and betrayal that her own family has done over the years. It is interesting to see both of the characters' development through the story and while I was hoping that the princesses will kick some serious ass eventually I had to settle for a little magical action courtesy of Lucia. Perhaps Cleo will wield a sword in the next book? I'm seriously hoping for that.

What I didn't like however is the predictable instant love between Cleo and her bodyguard Theon. It feels unnecessary and awkward. The story also tends to jump from one character to the next without much explanation. The pacing can also be very uneven with periods of slow inner monologues from Cleo and Magnus point and vicious action scenes involving Jonas.

But I must say compared this to another book which was also deemed as Game of Thrones for teens, Falling Kingdoms is certainly much better! I'm eager to find out more of the princesses and their battle for supremacy in the next book. I'm sure there will be more epic battle scenes and legendary romance for the readers to indulge in but with far less violence and sexual tensions of the George R.R. Martin series.

Verdict: 5 stars.
In my Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge 
Available on: Amazon