Falling Kingdoms tells the story of the three kingdoms of Mytica, a continent that was once filled with magic and wonder until the two goddesses destroyed one another and that magic was lost for good. The citizens of this continent relied on that magic to provide for their needs and maintain a high quality of life. As the magic continues to fade and the centuries pass by, the fight to survive becomes more desperate and difficult. The relationship between these three kingdoms—and their unequal access to power and resources—is what drives the narrative of the book, as seen through the lives of various characters: Cleo, the pampered princess named after an ancient goddess; Jonas, the fiery rebel seeking to put an end to injustice; Lucia, the royal daughter, raised in ignorance of her true nature; and Magnus, the crown prince with a sharp tongue and a cold heart.
Paelsia, the middle kingdom, was once known for its
fertile soil and fine wine but years of over-farming have ruined the land and
left the citizens impoverished and suffering under the rule of a barbarian king
who supposedly possesses magical abilities—though no one has ever seen proof of
this. In the northern kingdom of Limeros citizens have enough food to get by
but a vicious king has created a world devoid of any passion, banning all forms
of art due to its extravagance and prizing academics above all else. Auranos, the
fair southern kingdom, has seen decades of good harvest and is ruled by a king
who is adored but amidst this prosperity not everything is as it seems and when
a cocky Auranian noble murders a Paelsian peasant it unleashes a political
storm that has been brewing for years. Tensions boil over, alliances are formed, and kingdoms fall.
Rhodes uses four main characters to tell her story,
along with a wide cast of supporting figures. Predictably, each kingdom
produces at least one of the central characters but given the novel’s premise
this distribution is essential to giving the nations an identity and culture of
their own, and she does a fantastic job of merging these storylines in a way
that is natural rather than forcing events. Rhodes has a wonderful grasp of
human nature which enables her to give characters the basic foundation of a
personality and allows that persona to grow and bloom in a way that is organic.
Most importantly, she gives her characters free rein to behave in the manner
that their personality dictates and this brings them to life. As a reader I
felt their emotions, I became invested in their desires, and I became attached to
(or hated) them just as I would with my own friends and enemies.
The narrative is fast-paced, with chapters ending on
the cliffhangers and “I can’t believe that just happened” moments that are
typical of teen fiction. In a world of instant gratification and electronic
saturation those moments are necessary to keep the average reader’s attention,
and the story itself is strong enough to withstand the occasional rush. Some
critics have compared the novel’s tone to that of George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series but I
disagree. There are many points in SOIAF where
it seems that blood is shed for no reason and the violence comes across as
shock value rather that gritty and realistic. In Rhode’s world characters take
the risks and choose the paths that come naturally to them, and (spoiler!!!) occasionally
those actions have fatal consequences. This is not a criticism of Martin’s work
but simply a stylistic difference, I felt that this novel portrayed the harsh
reality of conflict without making me too distraught and afraid to turn the
page.
Overall, this novel is a great success. I’m a big
fantasy fan but sometimes the writing quality is sacrificed in order to focus
on the concept; Rhodes manages to tell a unique story with prose that is better
than the average fare, even if it isn’t brilliant. I would recommend it for
anyone who enjoyed the aforementioned Song
of Ice and Fire, Terry Goodkind’s Sword
of Truth series, or even fans of historical fiction in the vein of Bernard
Cornwell.
