Maaaan! What is there not to like about this book?
There are so many things to say about this book I really don't know where to start. I guess I'll just start anywhere.
Falling Kingdoms was excellent from start to finish. I don't remember reading any book that held me in suspense and intrigue from start to finish except the HP and PJ books. There was no specific climax. The entire book was a climax! It's like the last few minutes of a UCL final with the two teams deadlocked heading into, say, 3 minutes of extra time. It was that intense.
The characters were marvelous! Darn real, considering the fact that they were mostly in their mid to late teens. My favorite was Magnus. Unlucky to be born into such a family, he was much a victim of circumstance as much as any of the other main characters.
Despite having his father's streak of cruelty, I think he still has the potential for a lot of good. The character of Magnus is a lesson for life. It depicts how much influence an upbringing can have on the forming of a person's character. Abused by a cruel father and neglected by a weak-willed mother, he grew up a loner whose only love in life was his sister.
The book shows just how much a person can grow hard without love in his life.
Lucia is also an interesting character. Her role is that of a tool of destruction. If only she had the strong will of Cleo.
Cleo was also a character I enjoyed very much. Just as hotheaded, erratic, volatile, and irrational as any 16 year old, especially in matters of love. Jonas, Theon, Kings Corvin, and Gaius I all enjoyed.
Great read, this was. Faultless, in my opinion.
