Review: Rebel Spring (Falling Kingdoms #2) by Morgan Rhodes

Title: Rebel Spring

Series: Falling Kingdoms #2
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: November 27, 2013
Pages: 401
Genres: Young adult, Fantasy
Source: Ebook

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The road to power... is paved with blood and magic.

Cleo is now a prisoner in her own palace, forced to be an ambassador for Mytica as the evil King Gaius lies to her people.
Magnus stands to eventually inherit the new kingdom but is still obsessed with his feelings for his adopted sister, Lucia.
Lucia is haunted by the outcome of the breathtaking display of magic that allowed her father to capture the kingdoms.
Jonas watched at the palace gates a troop of rebels behind him, waiting for him to tell them how he plans to overtake King Gaius.

After a bloody siege, Auranos has been defeated, its young queen orphaned and dethroned. The three kingdoms—Auranos, Limeros, and Paelsia—are now unwillingly united as one country called Mytica. But the allure of ancient, dangerous magic beckons still, and with it the chance to rule not just Mytica, but the whole world over...

At the heart of the fray are four brave young people grappling for that magic and the power it promises. For Cleo, the magic would enable her to reclaim her royal seat. In Jonas's hands, it frees his nation, and in Lucia's, it fulfills the ancient prophecy of her destiny. And if the magic were Magnus's, he would finally prove his worth in the eyes of his cruel and scheming father, King Gaius, who rules Mytica with a punishing hand.

When Gaius begins to build a road into the Forbidden Mountains to physically link all of Mytica, he sparks a long-smoking fire in the hearts of the people that will forever change the face of this land. For Gaius's road is paved with blood, and its construction will have cosmic consequences.

MY REVIEW

This review MAY contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

I could not put this book down! I was totally invested in the story from the first page! This is the second book by Morgan Rhodes that I have had the pleasure of reading. The one thing that I can say about her writing is that she can keep the reader's attention and keep the reader wanting more. 

The absolute best thing about this series is the elaborate plot. The plot really runs deep in this series. There are many characters at play and they all have their own agendas. There is conflict, intrigue, secrets, and so much drama! It is literally the best! I am itching to start on the third book in the series as I am typing this review. The story is that damn good. For real.

The characters are incredible. There are quite a few of them to keep track of, but the writing is so fluid that you don't have a hard time of it. You definitely get a feel for each of the characters right off the bat, and it helps differentiate them all quite easily. And the more characters there are, the more relationships occur throughout the book. This makes for a very exciting read since you never know who is hiding secrets, who is allied with whom, which characters are going to fall in love or lust, and the list could go on. There is just so much intrigue regarding the characters. There are so many options for so many different outcomes. It is so tantalizing! The characters themselves are very relatable and written beautifully. I have grown quite attached to them all already, and when an author can form those bonds with the reader it is really something special.

The world building is still wonderful. It is very atmospheric. I can feel myself in the terrain experiencing things right along with the characters. It was really well done in the first book, and the second is no different.

I loved the small LGBT+ representation and I hope that it expands in the next book!

The only thing that I would change about the book would be the inclusion of more romance. So far the relationships are building so there isn't much romance to be had. I am not a fiend by any means, but I like to spice things up with some romance (or lust) once in a while. It feels few and far between in this book, as it did with the first book. I do have to add that the small amount of romance does not make me dislike the book AT ALL. M five star rating still holds firm, even without more romance. The book is that good!

Overall, this series really is something special. I am so eager to finish this series. These characters have become so special to me over a mere handful of hours of reading. If you are a fan of young adult epic fantasy, then this series was made for you. Go get it. Read it. Love it. And when you're done come back here so we can fangirl (or fanboy) together!

This series contains some of my all-time favorite book covers. How often do you judge a book by its cover?