"I believe we make our own destinies, every last one of us."
--Morgan Rhodes, Rebel Spring
Genre: YA Fantasy
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 416
Publication Date: December 3rd, 2013
Source: Bought
Previous Books in Series: Falling Kingdoms
Goodreads Description
Love, power, and magic collide with war in the second book of the Falling Kingdoms series
Auranos has fallen and the three kingdoms—Auranos, Limeros, and Paelsia—are now united as one country called Mytica. But still, magic beckons, and with it the chance to rule not just Mytica, but the world...
When the evil King Gaius announces that a road is to be built into the Forbidden Mountains, formally linking all of Mytica together, he sets off a chain of events that will forever change the face of this land, forcing Cleo the dethroned princess, Magnus the reluctant heir, Lucia the haunted sorceress, and Jonas the desperate rebel to take steps they never could have imagined.
Love, power, and magic collide with war in the second book of the Falling Kingdoms series
Auranos has fallen and the three kingdoms—Auranos, Limeros, and Paelsia—are now united as one country called Mytica. But still, magic beckons, and with it the chance to rule not just Mytica, but the world...
When the evil King Gaius announces that a road is to be built into the Forbidden Mountains, formally linking all of Mytica together, he sets off a chain of events that will forever change the face of this land, forcing Cleo the dethroned princess, Magnus the reluctant heir, Lucia the haunted sorceress, and Jonas the desperate rebel to take steps they never could have imagined.
The Story I loved where the plot takes us in this installment. The world of Mytica continues to explore the elementia magic that is legend to be extinct. Stories of children, they all say. When in reality, they almost all believe the stories. I loved this. Struggling with the harsh realities of the ugly world as an adult but also clinging to tales of magic in order to help ease some of the pain of the brutality going on around them. I think a lot was added to the plot and where the story continues I am eagerly awaiting.
Magnus I think Magnus is one of the most complex and interesting characters ever. He wears this mask of cold indifference during the day and fights so hard to make that mask a reality when in all actuality he is anything but cold. I LOVED his POV and was foaming at the mouth every time his name appeared at the top of a chapter. He is finally coming into his own and realizing where his loyalties lie, what HE wants in this life, and where his heart might lead him. His struggle with his romantic feelings breaks my heart and I want more than ANYTHING for a lady to come along and thaw that cold heart and make him realize he never really loved who he thinks he does. Of any character in this book, I think I want him to have a happy ending more than anyone.
Cleo I loved Cleo in Falling Kingdoms and I only think she grows more in this book. She does make some irritating decisions at times and her inability to vocalize where her heart lies is frustrating but hey, she's 16 years old. I'm just a kissing junkie and want some romantic action to happen. Sue me. I do love that she is coming into her own and fighting for what is hers. I think a very interesting alliance could be made that would really shake the book up so I am DYING to have the next book!
Magnus I think Magnus is one of the most complex and interesting characters ever. He wears this mask of cold indifference during the day and fights so hard to make that mask a reality when in all actuality he is anything but cold. I LOVED his POV and was foaming at the mouth every time his name appeared at the top of a chapter. He is finally coming into his own and realizing where his loyalties lie, what HE wants in this life, and where his heart might lead him. His struggle with his romantic feelings breaks my heart and I want more than ANYTHING for a lady to come along and thaw that cold heart and make him realize he never really loved who he thinks he does. Of any character in this book, I think I want him to have a happy ending more than anyone.
Cleo I loved Cleo in Falling Kingdoms and I only think she grows more in this book. She does make some irritating decisions at times and her inability to vocalize where her heart lies is frustrating but hey, she's 16 years old. I'm just a kissing junkie and want some romantic action to happen. Sue me. I do love that she is coming into her own and fighting for what is hers. I think a very interesting alliance could be made that would really shake the book up so I am DYING to have the next book!
Character Development I think the plot of this book is fantastic and well-paced but I really think the character development lacked in this book. I felt like I really got to know the four main characters in Falling Kingdoms but not so much in this one. I felt like the emotions were very superficial and nothing was really developed further. I think I saw glimpses of emotional connections between characters but the gap was never really closed and I think it hurt the overall book. I wanted more emotions and feelings (and kissing). Again, sue me. For reals though, the character development felt too surface for me and really hope more is developed in the next two books.
Reserved Seating
The plot progression is informative with a lot of mysteries still to be unraveled. Lack of character developed held this book back from being more than about 4 stars but other than that a very solid and worthwhile read.
I am loving this series! I agree there was a bit of middle book syndrome in this sequel but I felt like I did get to know the characters better. I too just LOVE Magnus; I find him so interesting. I can't wait for Gathering Darkness!!
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