Falling Kingdoms

"Even paradise could become a prison if one had time to take notice of the walls."

4 STARS This book was highly entertaining. Though there were some flaws, the majority of the book was highly interesting, especially with the political intrigue between Limeros, Paelsia, and Auranos, but also with the depth of the characters Rhodes presents to the reader. The story revolves around four main characters: Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus. One of the best things about the novel, and what made it the most convincing for me to fall into, was that each of these characters held a different voice, a novel take on what was happening, and even if you didn't agree with them, you could understand their motives. The world was beautifully tangled in a web of conflict, the writing elevated but still easily approachable, and the plot was a fun journey, though I wish we got to spend more time with some characters rather than others. But, on the other hand, you get to see characters in different ways depending on whose perspective you are viewing them from. Cleo sees herself as a morally upstanding princess who is intelligent and wishes to help those who cannot help themselves, but from Jonas you see her as someone who refuses to act out on a wrongdoing for fear of social misconduct. Likewise, Jonas sees himself as someone who will fight for what is right, even if blood is spilled or he needs to kidnap a princess or two, but Cleo sees him as someone who disregards other people's points of view and can't accept any help from anyone. Magnus only wants to be allowed to love and to gain approval from a father who seems incapable of it, but as soon as something goes wrong, his morals and heart are crushed. The only one who seems reliable is Lucia, but I think this may be because we viewed so little of her perspective and only saw her from Magnus' view. Though the plot was intriguing, I worry that it was a little cookie-cutter. Don't get me wrong, it was still a really, really entertaining read and I finished it in a few days, but when comparing it to any number of other high fantasy novels it doesn't appeal as much: War-torn country? Check. Multiple points of view? Check. A magician who has to keep his/her powers hidden for fear of persecution? Check. And a thousand other similarities. But, I found that this book elevated itself past its plot through the compelling nature of its characters. Each held an individual voice, and when reading I could truly picture everyone and everything that was going on around them, because even being in such a high fantasy setting, I could easily grasp onto the world and it wouldn't let me go until after the battle was over and the war had begun, leaving the chips where they lay. Overall, I think that Rhodes tackled some very interesting concepts, ranging from incestuous (or maybe not?) relationships to a king who could care for nothing more than the blood beneath his feet on the battlefield, and I thoroughly enjoyed the read! Looking forward to the next installment! Share your thoughts!