Falling Kingdoms

Falling Kingdoms was intense.  There are so many ups and downs, you don't know who is a friend and who is an enemy.  Your friend can become your enemy in a blink and the enemy of your enemy can become your friend.  Morgan Rhodes creates interesting characters, full of depth, who change over the course of the novel.  You think you're going to love or hate someone, but by the end you change your mind.  Can I wonder about some characters out loud?  Are Lucia and Cleo going to end up like Valoria and Cleiona? Are they going to realize they're related (because I think they're related)?  Will they end up finding the Kindred themselves?  Will Jonas and Cleo team up and save the world?  Will Magnus be good or bad?  What will Alexius do?  I have so many questions.  I can't believe I have to wait until December for Rebel Spring!

It was easy to forget that this was a Young Adult novel.  The relationships were so complex, there were multiple story lines going on, all interwoven, coming together in the end.  The things that happen to these characters are very adult, you forget that none of the main characters have yet to turn 18.  They're so young, but you don't really notice.  Only that first scene with Cleo, Mira and Aron, do they really show their age.  Otherwise, for the most part, I forgot that this was a book directed towards that teen audience.  I think any lover of fantasy will enjoy this novel.  I've seen it called Game of Thrones for teens.  I haven't actually read Game of Thrones (I'm sure I'd enjoy it, but...), but from what I've heard, I can see the comparisons.  It's about the search for power; in this case the ones searching are a bit young.  I really can't wait to see what the rest of this series brings.