Falling Kingdoms

Falling Kingdoms, Book 1

By: Morgan Rhodes

Narrated by: Fred Berman

Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power - brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:

Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished - and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past - and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword....

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

©2012 Morgan Rhodes (P)2012 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Morgan Rhodes has created a rich, living fantasy world and characters that immediately draw the reader in. This is one of those series you can't help but be obsessed with. I can't wait to see what happens next!" (Richelle Mead, number-one New York Times best-selling author of the Vampire Academy and The Glittering Court)

"An otherworldly epic...evocative and intricate.” (Publishers Weekly)

"From an opening dripping with blood, magic, and betrayal through complex interweaving plots detailing treachery, deceit, and forbidden love, this novel is the first in a projected series that will immediately engage readers and keep them intrigued.” "(Booklist)

awsome

i loved the book i bought it on paperback. but havnt had the time to read the series because i drive. a semi all day. so i got the audio versions.
guy did amazing trying to changr gis voice for each character. so it wasnt blann..
loved the book. cant wait to get into book 2.

Very interesting story was fantastic

Was great for all the twists and turns. Wide character development. Each character you could tell had a side you could associate with.

Excellent Book

Can't wait to listen too the next one!!!! Awesome job to the Author and the Narrator!!!

pretty good

I liked the story. it was easy to listen to and held my interest. it was somewhat predictable. the narrator takes a deep audible breath at the beginning of most sentences which was annoying but his reading was good. It was good enough that I want to listen to the next one.

so so

I expected a little more from this book. I might give the rest a chance.

Meh

Not my kind of fantasy. Nothing much happens. And I guess it's not epic enough for my taste.

Good sorry, But..

Overall the story is good, but too much teenage girl drama. “I love my enemy who I should hate,” runs through every chapter.
The reader makes no effort to differentiate voices, so it can get a little confusing in the begging until you learn the characters.

Hmmm?

I have to say the story was very hard to get into, I almost gave up several times. The magic system was a very long process to explain, and the plot was really bogged down. It did get better as it went on. I still don't know if I really liked it and if I'm going to continue to the next book.

Great Book - Not a fan of the Narrator

What made the experience of listening to Falling Kingdoms the most enjoyable?

The storyline is interesting and I enjoyed the overall plot as well as the interaction between the characters. I liked that the main characters were independant and seemed to stray from the usual sterotypes.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The Narrator for this book was extremely hard for me to listen to. He speaks in a raspy sort of voice that got on my nerves after the first few chapters. His adaptation of the character's voices make them all sound pretentious and bratty and I started to hate even the main character after awhile. I ended up just reading the book rather than listen to the audiobook. I highly suggest if you are interested buying, listen closely to a clip and make sure you can handle his reading.

Amazing book!

If you like magic, then you'll love this book like I did! . This is such an amazing book and I'm really excited to read the next one!