Book Review: Immortal Reign (Falling Kingdoms #6)

Release Date: February 6, 2018
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Publisher: Razorbill
Length: 400 pages
Source: Audible Audiobook

As two lethal elemental gods set out to destroy Mytica, sworn enemies must become allies in the final fight to save the kingdoms.

Jonas continues to willfully defy his destiny, but the consequences of plotting his own course are drastic. As the fight for Mytica rages on, he must decide just how much more he's willing to sacrifice.

Lucia knows there's something special about her daughter and she'll do anything to protect her, even if that means facing Kyan alone.

Amara is called back home to Kraeshia. Grandma Cortas has her own plans for Mytica's future. She promises Amara power, revenge, and dominance if she agrees to be part of her scheme.

Magnus and Cleo's love will be put to the ultimate test. Dark magic is causing widespread destruction throughout the kingdom. Enemies across the sea are advancing. And unrest is stirring throughout the land. Is their love strong enough to withstand the outside forces tearing them apart?

    

Review:

Characters: So, I know I’ve said this, probably too many times, before, but these characters have come such a long way since the beginning of this series. It’s almost impossible not to see as you read this book. Magnus, while he still has his contemplative and brooding side, he isn’t the cruel prince who was torn between becoming his father and escaping him. Cleo is no longer the party girl princess whose only weapon was a sharp tongue. I could go on about Lucia no longer being the proper princess she once was and Jonas finding his voice and making the right choices. This book is a testament to how far these characters have come and how they’ve persevered and survived to face this final challenge.

Romance: With this being the sixth and final book in this series, it isn’t like there was a lot blossoming or budding romance in this book. There is a little bit of new romance, and I’m surprised with how okay I am with it and how easily I began to root for that couple. As for the already established romances, each had their trials and tribulations but more than anything they showed just how strong these couples are together and how much stronger they are with each other, rather than apart. I love the romances in this series, as melodramatic and heart wrenching it got at times, I have to say that I really like where each of these couples ends up and how their stories reach their conclusion.

World Building: This is one section I've tried rewriting over and over again. There is so much that's packed tight into this series, so much so that there's a spin-off series that strives to present even more of this world to explore. In this book, there isn't a whole lot of expansion. In fact, for the most part, as long as you're caught up on this world, in all forms, there isn't really anything new introduced and there are plenty of hints and implications toward the Spirits and Thieves series. This story takes everything we know about this world, for the most part, and puts everything to the final test and it's fantastic. I do wish there was more about the world that was explored, but that's most definitely just the part of me that has a voracious curiosity. 

Predictability: This series used to feel very unpredictable to me. I mean, I always felt like my expectations were being blown away with every installment in this series, and while I still love this series, and I love this installment, I've sort of caught on to the rhythm and rhyme of the story and it's not hard to see where things are going in this story. Even though I understood where things were headed, I never felt robbed of the experience to discover things as they happened, plus there was always a shadow of doubt as to whether my predictions would be wrong, not much of a doubt but enough to keep me on my toes.

Ending: How is it that even though I feel that this story is complete and reached a fantastic end, that I still have questions. I mean, I know we're going to get the final Spirits and Thieves book which I'm sure will alleviate some of my questions about this world, but there are definitely a few things that I'm not sure when we'll get answers to. That all being said I really enjoyed the end of this story and the end of this series. While I do believe that the final climax could have been more heart wrenching, how everything turns out, for better or worse, felt right and I can't wait to see what might come next.

Rating:

I did debate about this for quite a bit, but I love this story so much, from beginning to end this series has been everything I love about fantasy; magic, romance, and adventure and how the series wraps up and how it affects the world and the story was unbelievably amazing!

Novella Reviews: Falling Kingdom Stories

Reviewer Note: This is only the second time I've attempted reviews like this. Since there's no bind-up edition of these stories and since they're so short there's not enough substance to do a full review so these reviews will be similar to the anthology and omnibus reviews I've done previously, with the reviews consisting of shorter reviews that aren't in my traditional categorized format. I hope you enjoy! P.S. While I think you can read these stories at any point in the series, for the most part, there are some fairly heavy implications at twists in the series later one, and I would recommend reading Obsidian Blade prior to Immortal Reign, as elements from that story do come into play in that book.

Release Date: August 12, 2016
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Publisher: Razorbill
Length: 21 pages
Source: FREE Kindle Book

Crimson Dagger is the story Falling Kingdoms fans have been waiting for!

In this prequel short story, set before the events of Falling Kingdoms, Prince Magnus is awoken by an unexpected visitor—in his bed. One look into her fierce, hateful eyes, and Magnus knows exactly who it is: Kara Stolo.

Ten years ago, as a scared little boy, he told a lie that irreparably changed Kara’s life. As a result, her father was wrongfully imprisoned, chained in the dark dungeon underneath the palace, where he was to remain until his death. Now, Kara is back to avenge her father's punishment, and there's more. Kara believes he's still alive, and she needs Magnus to help free him . . . or else.

    

Review:

So, in all honesty, while we do see some of where Magnus's character development over the course of the Falling Kingdoms series originated in this short story, it doesn't really have much of an impact, if any to be honest, on the core series. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed this story, while short I felt it really showed a full and well-written story with a beginning, middle, and end, whereas some other short stories I've read for series, see my reviews of the Wrath and the Dawn short stories, felt more like deleted chapters than actual stories. In this story, we see Magnus and how the choices he made when he was younger affected him when he grows up. There's not a lot that connects this and the main series, and as far as I know, and can remember, this incident isn't brought up at all in the main series, but it's still a fun and exciting story that fleshes out Magnus's character even more.

Rating:

I didn't need this to have a huge tie to the rest of the series, nor did I go into it thinking there would be, and since it does tell a complete and new story it was a lot of fun to read and I wish Rhodes would write more short stories set in this world than the two that she did.


Release Date: November 15, 2016
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Publisher: Razorbill
Length: 54 pages
Source: Kindle Book

Magnus from Falling Kingdoms and Maddox from A Book of Spirits and Thieves are on an epic quest through time in this series-bridging novella.

In a garden of ancient ruins on the cliffs of Limeros, Prince Magnus comes face-to-face with a witch. The old woman incapacitates him with a spell, presses a single object into his hand—an obsidian blade—and tells him to bring it to a woman named Samara before the sun sets and his portal home closes forever.

A flash of dark magic transports Magnus back in time to a Mytica he’s only heard about in storybooks. Lost in this foreign land, Magnus sets out to find Samara. But a chance encounter with the rumored Witch Boy derails his journey. Magnus saves Maddox from a beating, but the cruel Livius is now on their tail. The sun is starting to set. Time is running out. Both boys must fight for their lives.

Follow legendary bad boy Magnus and the enigmatic Maddox as their worlds collide in this high-stakes adventure.

    

Review:

This story is much more substantial than the last. In this tale, Magnus is sent on a journey against his will by a mysterious witch, who sends him back in time to when Mytica is ruled by two goddesses and Maddox Corso is in the employ of his guardian Livius. When I first heard of this story, a little over a year ago, I thought it was just going to be a fairly insignificant story where you get to see Magnus and Maddox meet and interact, and in a lot of ways it is. However, when I began reading Immortal Reign, I discovered that this story has much more of an impact on the main series than I thought as the titular Obsidian Blade appears in the prologue of Immortal Reign. Much like with Crimson Dagger, the main aspects of the story don't have a huge impact on the main series as both Magnus and the people he comes across in the past will forget their encounters, but there's a lot of little call outs, implications, and easter eggs in this story that relates both to the Falling Kingdoms series and the Spirits and Thieves trilogy.

Rating:

Again, this was a very enjoyable story, even though it doesn't hold TOO much of a bearing on the main series. It reads almost like a side quest to the main series where it was fun, exciting, and full of a lot of the things I love about both series, but short and for the most part fairly irrelevant, still I would highly recommend it for any Falling Kingdoms fan.

Book Review: Crystal Storm (Falling Kingdoms #5)

Release Date: December 13, 2016
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Publisher: Razorbill
Length: 379 pages
Source: Purchased Book

The ruthless Empress Amara of Kraeshia has taken the Mytican throne, and now uncertainty looms over the three kingdoms. Since Lucia unleashed the fire Kindred, wreaking havoc throughout the land, Myticans have been looking for someone—anyone—they can trust. They believe in Amara, not knowing her grand promises are built on lies.

In Paelsia, Magnus and Cleo reluctantly follow King Gaius to the home of his exiled mother, Selia. Selia is a powerful witch and claims she can help unlock the magic of the Kindred—if the visitors agree to her terms. When Jonas arrives from Kraeshia, he is shocked to find that his rebel army now includes his sworn enemies. Along with Nic, Felix, and the mysteriously resurrected Ashur, the contentious group agrees to cast aside old grudges—for now—and united against their common enemy: Amara.

Meanwhile, bearing the child of a Watcher and feared by all, Princess Lucia travels across Mytica to find her family. But time is running out. The impending storm signals the dark prophecy Timotheus warned her about. Her fate is written, and it includes none other than the rebel Jonas. When their paths collied, Jonas and Lucia must decide between blindly following their destiny or fighting for their own free will.

The battle for power culminates at the Paelsian palace, where Amara resides. Rain pours. Blood spills. And soon all will discover that the darkest magic comes at an even darker price.

    

Review:

Characters: With Kraeshia ruling over Mytica, all hope seems lost for those who wish for its freedom. Cleo and Magnus end up following a seemingly changed, and not as dead as he should be, Gaius in hopes of finding Lucia and freeing Mytica from the hold of Amara. However, the young couple's journey is not without its challenges. Gaius tries to break them up at every chance he can get, telling Magnus that romantic love is a weakness that will keep him from power. Cleo wants to believe that Magnus is not the same cold and calculating man that murdered her first love in cold blood, but when they are joined by Jonas and the rest of the Rebellion that's come back from Kraeshia, Magnus's cold self returns. Is it all an act, or is Magnus just showing his true colors? Jonas and a pregnant Lucia end up crossing paths and end up joining each other, much to their mutual aggravation. Along the way, both must confront their destinies and find out what their places in this world are. Okay, I know that last part was really short, but the section was getting long and I needed to start the wrap-up. Overall, I still love these characters. What I find most interesting though are how the core four characters feel about each other. When I first started reading this series, I expected them to all team up and at the very least hold mutual respect for each other, if not like them, but there are still characters that even after all their faults I consider "good" that aren't on good terms with other "good" characters which make for an incredibly tense and wonderful to read dynamic.

Romance: Another misconception I had when first starting this series was how the romance might go. I don't think I ever went into this series expecting romance, at least not to the point we've got, but once it became clear that there was a romantic aspect between quite a few characters I thought I knew where things were headed. First off I expected Jonas and Cleo to get together, and granted maybe even the author did too, but honestly, I'm glad they didn't. While I did enjoy their chemistry, the tension and romantic connection between the dark and brooding Magnus, and the formerly pompous but recently hardened Cleo, was an unexpected and completely obsession-worthy match. There are of course other romances in this book, including a certain annoying red-haired boy and a recently resurrected prince. One of the things I love best about this series is how the author doesn't put romance at the forefront of the story to drive it, nor does she hide it in the background. With this many characters of adolescent age, there's bound to be romance and it's handled very well. Sometimes romance needs to drive the plot to new places but it never takes over or overshadows the main plot. There is a bit of romantic drama in this book, some misunderstandings or characters blowing things out of proportion, but still it never distracts from the main plot.

World Building: First off, let me say that if you haven't read or kept up with the Spirits and Thieves spin-off series you really should. It's not needed to fully understand or appreciate the added world building of this installment, however, there are a few things that are casually mentioned and introduced in this book that may seem jarring to those haven't had the right context for those revelations. Though, like I said, on the whole, they shouldn't affect the series that much so it's more of an optional thing, though I still recommend doing it. Now on to the real juicy stuff. Most of this book takes place in Paelsia and so there isn't really all that much additional world to explore, at least not physically, but there is a great deal more to learn about the Kindred, about the King of Blood's past, and about the prophecies concerning key members of our core four characters. This book isn't exactly long, but there's still a great deal of information and adventure packed into here. One of the most interesting parts of this whole book to me was seeing how civilians thought of our core four heroes. I mean, logically if everything turns out okay in the end, Magnus and Cleo will probably end up ruling all of Mytica, however, their subjects or at least the Paelsian people since that's mostly who we see, hate them. They barely know who Jonas is, and most that do think he's dead or hate him too, and all anyone knows about Lucia is that she's a vengeful witch who's burnt down countless Paelsian villages. I'm very interested to see how public opinion is of them once the series has concluded.

Predictability: One of my favorite things about Rhodes's writing, especially with this series, is that you never quite know who or what to trust. This series has so far gone in so many unexpected places. I mean when this series started the main villain was King Gaius, but over the course of the series we've seen far worse enemies at play. Power hungry gods, disingenuous Watchers, and a princess who had a good idea, but because of the influence of others has taken it too far and now threatens all of Mytica, and probably the world as well. Since there's a lot that goes on in this story, there's a lot that can be twisted and happen in ways you wouldn't expect or even believe. I can't tell you how many theories I had for this book that turned out not quite as I had expected them too. There were, of course, things that I did guess that were fairly easy to, but while that never detracted from my enjoyment of the twists, it was obviously the things that caught me off guard that I enjoyed the most.

Ending: *Throws book at the wall* Yeah, I've seen a lot of that going around when it comes to the end of this book, and while I did not physically throw my book against the wall, I understand and agree with the sentiment. When I first saw that this book had an excruciating cliffhanger I began to expect the worst, I actually had three theories as to what might happen at the end of this book, none of which was even close to right. There is actually more than one cliffhanger for this book and while the first two might be rather intense, one even leading me to shed a few tears, it's what happens in the last chapter, on the last page that has me counting the days until the final installment in this series. (At least, I would count the days if we had a definitive release date.) The way this installment ended as a whole really set up that this next book will be the final battle. Things get really intense and I'm excited to see how our heroes manage to (hopefully) save the day.

Rating:

Once again I'm blown away by this world, these characters, and how this story unfolds. I swear, each time I start one of these books I'm afraid that this will be the time I'm disappointed or that this installment won't measure up, but every. single. time. the story exceeds my every expectation. I can't wait to find out how this series ends, and at the same time, I don't want it to end.

Top 10 Books of 2016!

It's time once again for the obligatory Top Books of the year. This year I decided to stick with a Top 10 since I felt like 16 best books of the year was too much. The rules are pretty much the same as last year. All of these books I read, reviewed and were released in the year 2016. All of these books I gave 5 stars, to be as fair as possible only one book per author, and since it was really hard to rate them in a particular order, THESE BOOKS ARE IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER. Now, without further ado on to my Top 10 Books of 2016! (As always you can click on the book covers to read my full reviews of these books!)

1. The Darkest Magic (Spirits and Thieves #2) by Morgan Rhodes

Starting off this list is a book that either I don't think a lot of people have heard of or were turned off by because of the first book in this series. I'll be the first to say that while I enjoyed A Book of Spirits and Thieves immensely, I was pretty annoyed with the fact that most of it takes place in modern day Toronto and not in Ancient Mytica, which was pretty much the stronger storyline anyway. That being said, this second book more than makes up for it. It brings together the two plot lines wonderfully as well as gives a much more expansive look into the Ancient Mytican storyline. While I'm saddened to hear that book 3 has been postponed so the author can finish writing the Falling Kingdoms series, I'm still waiting with bated breath to find out what happens next.

2. Ghostly Echoes (Jackaby #3) by William Ritter

When I first heard that the third Jackaby book would be delving into one of the more anticipated mysteries of the series, the death of Jenny Cavanaugh, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it, and this was before Beastly Bones was even released. So when I got my hands on a sneak peek of the first six chapters or so I thought I'd be taken with it right away, however, I became concerned when I wasn't swept away by the free preview I got. I shouldn't have worried though because once I got the full book in my hands it became my favorite Jackaby mystery yet, I'm both highly anticipated and secretly mourning the release of the final book in this series, however after this series is complete I can't wait to see what Ritter will come up with next.

3. The Head of Medusa (Elementals #3) by Michelle Madow

When I first began the Elementals series by Michelle Madow, I thought it was a fun, almost guilty pleasure-like series. However, as the story developed I really grew attached to the world and it's characters and by the time I got to this third book, The Head of Medusa, I was fully invested in what was going on. I was so excited to find that I genuinely loved this installment, the pacing is a bit weird, with almost two parts to the story, but that's really easy to get over and this makes for one of, if not the most, intense installments in this series.

4. Traveler (World of Warcraft: Traveler #1) by Greg Weisman

If you told me at the beginning of 2016 that I'd give a spot on my Top Books list to a branded book like World of Warcraft: Traveler, I would have said you were crazy. It's not that branded books can't be good, it's just that usually they aren't. However, earlier this year my cousin, who's a big WoW nerd, found out about this series and asked me to read it. It's written by a producer and writer of one of our favorite shows, Young Justice, and so I decided to give it a try. While I would say some remedial knowledge of Warcraft lore is preferable, this book does do a lot to make sure you understand what's going on without holding your hand through it. The story is completely engrossing and I'm bummed that more people aren't reading it because it's truly phenomenal. I can't wait until the next installment comes out.

5. The Inquisition (Summoner #2) by Taran Matharu

Even though the beginning of this book made me sick with disgust at how the villains of this series behaved as they ganged up on our hero, in a way that perfectly showed off what bigoted and spiteful demons they truly are, I can't fault this book for that. In fact, I commend this author for not holding back on the trials and tribulations that our "good" main characters have to go through. After the extreme trials Fletcher has to go through, in the beginning, we see this world open up so much more than we got to see in book one, and led to one of the best cliffhanger endings I've ever read.

6. Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1) by Cassandra Clare

Going into 2016 I wasn't as excited for Lady Midnight as most of my friends were. Granted I hadn't read City of Heavenly Fire yet and I barely remembered the plotline of City of Lost Souls, however after getting those two books read this year my curiosity was piqued for this first book in a new Shadowhunters series. I was not let down when I started this book and I ended up devouring it in just a couple of days. I can't wait to continue this series in Lord of Shadows, and while it's still a bit more than a year away, I'm greatly looking forward to the start of the Last Hours series. 

7. The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo #1) by Rick Riordan

After a slightly disappointing, although still thoroughly entertaining, start to the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series, I was pretty apprehensive thinking that if a new series was far too reminiscent of Percy Jackson for my liking that a new Camp Half-Blood series might just be too much. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I loved nearly every minute of this adventure. Apollo is a hysterical narrator and I was excited to find that Riordan didn't lean too much on old characters, but instead seem to be using them as cameos and guest appearances as necessary which leave the series still feeling new and fresh.

8. Simon Thorn and the Wolf's Den (Simon Thorn #1)

I picked up a copy of Simon Thorn and the Wolf's Den at BEA 2015 and because I'd read some of Carter's previous works I thought I'd try her first foray into the world of Middle-Grade lit. I was not fully prepared for what I read. This book has a remarkably similar feeling to a Percy Jackson adventure, but instead with shapeshifting animals instead of Greek demigods. The world building of the series is phenomenal and I didn't expect a Middle-Grade book to keep me on my toes as much as this one did, but there were twists that shocked me to my core in this adventure. I can't wait for the sequel and in fact, I'll be reading it here shortly but first I want to give this installment a quick reread!

9. Dawn of Ash (Imdalind #6) by Rebecca Ethington

There were two Imdalind books that came out in 2016, this one, Dawn of Ash, and the conclusion to the entire series, Crown of Cinders, why I chose to include this one, other than simply enjoying it more, is how much was packed into it and how much it impacted the entire series. There are things that go down in this installment that I would never have expected. This book definitely derails the series in a fantastic way and if you haven't begun the Imdalind series by now you really should it's inexplicably amazing.

10. Burning Shadows (The Order of the Krigers #2) by Jennifer Anne Davis

Much like the Imdalind series, there were two Order of the Krigers books published this year, though both met the criteria to be included on this list. In fact, if I wasn't able to finish Burning Shadows by the end of the year, or if I didn't like it as much, the first book, Rise, would have taken its place on this list. Without giving away the plot of Rise I have to say that this installment takes this series to a whole new level. There were a few things I was worried about going into this installment, and yet I shouldn't have feared, Davis does and expert job and manipulating her characters and their predicaments to feel relatable and entertaining. I'm chomping at the bit to find out what happens at the end of this trilogy.

Honorable Mentions:

      

            

Final Bits: Much like last year I've left decided to keep the Honorable Mentions category for books that I read this year that probably would have made the main list had they been published in 2016. Each of these books was special in their own way, and each of the had a rather large impact on my year. I loved the messages about the consequences of spreading rumors and the power of lies seen in The Truth About Alice. Hidden Huntress led to some of the most intense world building I've read all year. The Exiled Queen led to a tipping point and compelled me to binge read the rest of the Seven Realms series as soon as I could. Finally, All In was one of the most shocking and unpredictable books I've ever read. Anyway, those are my top books that I read and reviewed over the last year. What books made your list? Leave a comment or link to your list below! Happy New Year everyone!

Book Review: The Darkest Magic (Spirits and Thieves #2)

Release Date: June 28, 2016
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Publisher: Razorbill
Length: 448 pages
Source: Library e-Book

In the second installment of New York Times bestselling author Morgan Rhodes's highly acclaimed Falling Kingdoms spin-off series, danger looms and the mystery deepens as two warring evils vie for possession of one elusive, powerful book.

Modern-day Toronto: Sisters Crystal and Becca Hatcher are reunited after reclaiming the Bronze Codex and narrowly escaping death. They have no one to trust but each other, and the only thing keeping them safe is the book that sent Becca's spirit to Ancient Mytica--the same book that their enemies would kill them for. 

Ancient Mytica: Maddox grapples to keep his newly discovered powers under control, while the ruthless goddess Valoria hunts him down. 

Modern-day Toronto: Farrell embraces his dark side as he unwittingly falls further under the spell of Markus, the mastermind leader of the nefarious Hawkspear Society, who will stop at nothing to find Crys and Becca--and the remarkable book in their possession. 

New York Times bestselling author Morgan Rhodes takes readers into exhilarating new high-fantasy territory with volume two of the Book of Spirits and Thieves series, an epic contemporary saga perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander.

    

Review:

Characters: After the terrifying showdown with Markus Crystal and her sister (cousin?) Becca have escaped with their lives and a chance to regroup before trying to take him down. However there are still secrets to be uncovered and new enemies to face along with the old. Maddox does his best to try and forget Becca as he formulates with his newly discovered father Barnabas how to take down, and take revenge on, Valoria the dark and sinister goddess of Northern Mytica. Along the way they meet new friends and even cross paths with some particularly interesting characters. Farrell Grayson has pretty much gone crazy after falling under the three marks of Markus. He feels superhuman, yet emotionless. However it's not long before he crosses paths with Crystal Hatcher again, the girl who seems to be the only one that can stir up and real emotion within him. I have to say, all of these characters are really interesting. Their journeys in this story allow them to grow more and develop into stronger and more well defined characters. What's even better though is their interactions with each other. Granted Maddox on his far away and trans-dimensional continent of Mytica doesn't really do a lot of interacting, the others are very well done. From Becca and Crys's bond as sisters, their making up for lost time while they discover more secrets of the Hawkspear society and it's dark ruler Markus King. Becca's contept for Farrell and his stalking of Crystal to provide intel to Markus. Finally Crys and Farrell dance of death with their strange mixture of hatred and attraction. All of these characters are well written and strong, even if sometimes I have the urge to throttle them sometimes.

Romance: Much like the previous book in this series there wasn't too much romance. Maddox and Becca are separated at the beginning of this book so it's not like they got in a lot of one on one romantic times, and as far as I could tell there wasn't anything going on with characters from their own world either. So luckily no love triangle. Then there's Crys and Farrell. This couple is just weird in this book. A good weird, but given Farrell's almost undying devotion and compulsion to Markus, plus the fact that, you know, Farrell killed Crys's father, and the whole stalkery dishonesty thing on the part of Farrell, well they don't get along too well. Still an attraction remains, and honestly I don't know if I want these two together. Farrell is really messed up in this book, in that I've suddenly gotten very evil kind of way, and while part of me wants to say it's all Markus's compulsion, and I believe a lot of it is, it's still kind of creepy at times.

World Building: By far the best part of this series is taking a look at Ancient Mytica. I mean seriously, not only getting to see this country during the times of the mythos of this series, the time where the legends, goddesses, and religion of these various areas came from but also to see key moments in the forming of the three separate countries, having characters so closely tied to the mythology of this series and the powerful players of this world is just completely awesome. There's so much more of Mytica that we see in this book and it's still not enough. I mean, I actually do enjoy the whole modern day secret society aspect of the story, but it hardly can hold a candle next to all the amazing things we learn about Mytica. Still there's a lot from Mytica that influences the Modern Day story line. It's not just Markus anymore, there's more to this story and more that ties these two plot lines together. As this series heads towards it's swan song it looks as though Mytica will finally get the representation that it deserves.

Predictability: I'm a bit split here. There were definitely times where I could easily call things, not necessarily in the way they were revealed, but the point was there. These things weren't even easily foreshadowed, for the most part I had to go by my gut instincts to be able to interpret the foreshadowing. Then there are times I was completely lost, at least in terms of where the foreshadowing was going to go. Once a twist was revealed it would make sense, and sometimes leave me in a near catatonic state of shock. This author isn't afraid to go to new and exciting places at the sacrifice of things we as readers love and while some might thrive on similar tropes and formulas tying a story together (myself included) sometimes it's better to through caution to the wind and do something crazy.

Ending: With two distinct story lines, no matter how much they begin to tie together, there are two distinct endings. First let's talk about the Modern day one, since that came first. There are quite a few shocks going into the finale of this particular story line, lots of drama and tension and then a shocking revelation. It's actually really well done, mixing things I predicted with things that seem to come out of nowhere to deliver a gut punch of an end to that story line. Then there's Ancient Mytica, something that takes up much of the end of this book. This is where the final climax comes into play and it's a doozy. I have to say there were some extremely shocking moments, but nothing, nothing, compares to the cliffhanger for this book. It's something that literally made me utter the words "What the fuck did I just read?" I'm not kidding and I'm extremely interested to not only see how it'll play into the final book of this prequel trilogy, but also how and if it'll feature into the main Falling Kingdom series.

Rating:

Dear Lord this series is good. Part of me feels it'd be better if the sole focus was on Ancient Mytica, but regardless it's an addicting companion series the the Falling Kingdom series and I'm both anxious and excited to see if and how the new revelations made in this installment will play a role in either Crystal Storm or the final novel in the FK series.

Crystal Storm (Falling Kingdoms #5) by Morgan Rhodes (WOW #17)

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that everyone’s excited about!

An epic clash between gods and mortals threatens to tear Mytica apart... and prove that not even the purest of love stands a chance against the strongest of magic.

MAGNUS and CLEO are forced to test the strength of their love when Gaius returns to Mytica claiming he's no longer the King of Blood but a changed man seeking redemption.

LUCIA, pregnant with the child of a Watcher, has escaped the clutches of the unhinged fire god. Her powers are dwindling as she goes forth to fulfill a prophecy that will keep her baby safe . . . but could mean her demise. 

JONAS treks back to Mytica with a plan to overtake Amara, but fate takes hold when he runs into the beautiful Princess Lucia and joins her on her perilous journey.

AMARA has taken the Mytican throne, but with no way to unleash the water magic trapped within her stolen crystal, she'll never be able to seize glory and get sweet revenge.

And what kind of darkness will descend--and who will be safe--after Prince Ashur reveals the dangerous price he paid to cheat death?

Crystal Storm releases on December 13, 2016 from Razorbill

Gah! This is pretty much my all time favorite series! Every single book is better than the last, and I can't wait to see what's to come in this series. I love all of these characters, minus maybe Amara and Gaius... and Nic (sometimes.) These characters have endured so much since the first installment in this series, and with it so close to wrapping up I can't wait to see what happens.

So, what are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Book Review: Frozen Tides (Falling Kingdoms #4)

Release Date: December 15, 2016
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Publisher: Razorbill
Length: 400 pages
Source: Purchased Book

Rebels, royals, and monsters wage war over the Mytican throne in the shocking fourth book of the Falling Kingdoms series, from New York Times bestselling author Morgan Rhodes.

CLEO: Reeling after a bloody showdown in Limeros ending with Amara’s abduction of the water crystal, and a vacancy in the Mytican throne, Princess Cleo must cast aside her feelings and look toward her kingdom with the eyes of a Queen.

MAGNUS: With the kingdom in chaos, Princess Lucia still missing and quite possibly in danger, and a shocking realization about Cleo, the steely prince is once again torn between love and duty, leaving him wondering whether he’s strong enough to rule his people.

LUCIA: The young sorceress has had her vengeance after the cruel death of her first and only love. Heartbroken and unable to trust anyone, she allies with the awoken Fire god, who also seeks revenge.

JONAS: After escaping death by the skin of his teeth, the defeated rebel—along with a mysterious stranger–leader reunites with Princess Cleo, only to find himself a mere pawn in a dangerous hunt for the elusive Kindred.

KING GAIUS: Abandoned by Melenia and betrayed by his own children, Gaius flees Mytica and sails to Kraeshia, where he attempts to ally with the famously brutal emperor across the Silver Sea.

    

Review:

Characters: I love all of the characters in this book, more or less, the more villainous characters I love to hate, but you get the drift. I think it's generally accepted by now that at the very least our protagonists are Magnus, Cleo, and Jonas, Lucia however is the wild card in this book, and that's not just an expression, after the death of Alexius, Lucia isn't dealing with her grief very well and has become cold, manipulative, and seeks the destruction of the world with the being who used to be inside the Fire Kindred crystal. Magnus, Cleo, and Jonas form a tentative alliance, full of mistrust and secret agendas that are likely to crumble if they don't stop trying to undermine each other and actually work together like they say. These characters are so rich and deeply developed. It's very easy to get a good sense of who these characters are and their growth in this book is fantastically told.

Romance: I was actually surprised at how subtle a lot of the romance in this book was. I mean it's there and a lot of it is amazing. Though, not every romance is one that will end in happily ever after. There are just as many romantically dark moments as there are moments of pure bliss and joy with a certain pairing. I do have to say though, that when I first began reading this series, I had far different expectations as to where the romance would go, and there are two books left, maybe the romances will pair out like I originally thought, but at this point I surely hope not. Sorry I couldn't say much more but I felt as if I did I would have given away too much.

World-Building: I know it shouldn't surprise me anymore how an author can keep building a world a certain amount of books in, but I have to say it surprises me every time. Aside from getting a good look at at the sprawling empire of Kraeshia, I didn't expect much more building of the physical world in this book, but we also get to see a Mytican landmark late in the book, that I don't think we've seen before, one that holds significant meaning to the lore of this series. Aside from that we learn more about the characters in this book, where they come from and what shaped them into becoming who they are today. With two books left, four if you count the spin-off trilogy, which did get a couple world-building mentions in this book, there's still a great many things I'm sure we'll learn about this vast and wonderful world.

Predictability: Morgan Rhodes is evil, there I said it. I mean she writes good books, don't get me wrong, but people who say this series is a teen Game of Thrones don't even know the half of it! It's hard to know who's safe and who's the next to go, and in an effort not to stay on this particular topic too long that's all I'll say about the deaths in this book. As for the general unpredictability of this book, well, like the other books in this series it's very hard to see exactly what's coming but sometimes, and really only scarcely sometimes, I could pick up on some foreshadowing and get a vague clue as to what was going to happen at some point, and sometimes I didn't see the foreshadowing until it's too late.

Ending: I totally called the end of this book, or well, I called the cliffhanger. Though I have to say the foreshadowing was pretty heavy handed and if it didn't happen in this book it'd most likely happen in the next. The final climax of this book was pure gold. Since it's not that hard to get a read on these characters I knew how things were most likely going to play out and I loved and relished every minute of it. I need the next book in this series so bad right now, I'm kind of happy I didn't get an early copy of this book now because you have no idea, or maybe you do, how crazy this ending has made me!

Rating:

So I think it's pretty safe to say this, it being nearly the end of the year and everything, but this is most definitely my favorite book I read in 2015 as well as my favorite of this series so far, though I feel like I've said that with every book, so I'm sure when Book 5 comes out I'll end up saying that's my favorite book!