Book: Falling Kingdom (Book
1)
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Edition: Kindle Edition
Genre: High Fantasy YA
Apparently this book is called the Game of Thrones of YA. Now I learned
that after reading the book and I have no idea where that notion came from. Never
once did this remind me of Martin’s series and would ever put it on the same
level it. While the storyline intrigued me, the cookie cut characters and
sub-plots deflated the spark the story gave.
It began with character stereotypes but I figured it would change as
the story went. Yet it did not. I predicted certain events for characters based
on their stereotype. While some parts surprised me and others left me baffled
due to the lack of concrete ties between the characters. Already I can foresee the future action of the
characters depending on the path they choose in the next book.
The worldbuilding is not told but seen through the eyes of the
characters. This part I enjoyed completely. I dislike long description of
worlds. I want to learn through the character itself. Rhodes does this very
well compared to her character development.
Overall if you are looking for high fantasy in the YA genre, then this
is the book for you. A more seasoned
high fantasy reader may not enjoy the characters and the pacing of the story.
Especially if you are used to reading authors like Robert Jordan or George R.R.
Martin. It is around 400 pages based on my Kindle so it isn’t long to read but I
avoided finishing the book because it no longer held my attention during the
last quarter of the book.
My rating is 3 out of 5 stars. It pulled me in from the beginning and
then it became a drag to read. Nevertheless I plan on reading the second book
just to see if the characters improve or if they continue down the path I imagine
in my head. The added story element at the end also is intriguing and gives me
more reason to continue through the second book.
2 comments:
I agree. This was a disappointing book. It felt as if the author just applied the tropes of paranormal romance/urban fantasy to an epic setting while just sticking in things that "sounded" like GRRM. It sounds as if this was a marketing thing. The book was hurt by the comparison to GRRM and that's a shame for someone like me that wrote a book with a similar concept (YA Game of Thrones). It also didn't help that I'd just finished the amazing "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas, which was an amazingly awesome fantasy book.
From what I hear, the author is writing under a pseudonym and she writes paranormal novels under her real name. And that explains the portrayal of the certain elements in the book.
I'll add "Throne of Glass" to my read list. Thanks!
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