Falling Kingdoms Audiobook By Morgan Rhodes cover art

Falling Kingdoms

Falling Kingdoms, Book 1

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Falling Kingdoms

By: Morgan Rhodes
Narrated by: Fred Berman
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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 Classics Fantasy Fiction Royalty Destiny Magic Heartfelt Witches & Wizards

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)

Complex Characters • Intriguing Plot • Political Intrigue • Fantasy World-building • Authentic Performance
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What made the experience of listening to Falling Kingdoms the most enjoyable?

The story, love, betrayal, witches, cruelty of kings, all the good stuff!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Lucia. I feel like she has so much more to explore and she had a kind but strong-willed heart.

What didn’t you like about Fred Berman’s performance?

I don't understand why he read every characters lines with such staccato! Mostly what you hear is him taking a deep breath before every line. Then each line is delivered in a hurried rush of words. His narration of the book outside of characters lines is normal but when he speaks in character its harsh, short and gives no life to the character. I didn't connect with his performance at all, which was sad because I LOVED reading this book.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I liked the scenes between Cleo and Jonas. I think they both surprised each other. I also like Lucia's scenes because that's where you see her come into her powers.

Any additional comments?

I just wish there was a different narrator. I just purchased the second book to read on my own but I don't think I'll be purchasing the audio book.

Loved the book! Disenchanted by the narrator :(

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What did you love best about Falling Kingdoms?

I enjoyed every minute. The narrator did a superb job.

What did you like best about this story?

Different POV and moral ambiguity of the characters.

What does Fred Berman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Passion. He was able to make me believe he "was" the characters.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Both.

Any additional comments?

Must read!

Very intriguing and fast paced

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My review is honestly more so about the series then the first book together. If I am being 100% honest, this book requires fighting to get through. The characters aren't developed at all, you will hear about a fairly minor plot point described 100 times in the exact same way, and will want to give up on the book. The romance is extremely forced between characters in the first two books, and one of those romances (which isn't a slow burn by any means) will continue to be brought up until the end of the series at this point.

That being said, don't give up. The first and second books almost lost me as a reader due to the problems stated above, but I had extra credits and needed something to listen to while driving, so I kept going. When you get to the later books the characters begin to have so much more to them and it really feels like Morgan Rhodes becomes much more comfortable in her writing style. This honestly becomes a strong series, and I would highly recommend this series to anyone, but again YOU WILL NEED TO FIGHT THROUGH THE FIRST BOOK AND A HALF MINIMUM before you really enjoy it.

A struggle

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It by far met my expectations! Such a thrilling fantasy. In the beginning I had trouble figuring out who was who between the kingdoms and characters but the story was so intriguing that I quickly caught on. I'll be diving in to book two straight away.

Fabulous

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The story is decent, character development seems okay, I liked it overall. the narrator was awful absolutely garbage, I rather read the book then waste my time listening to his trash voice. His girl to guy voice all sounded the same and hard to tell who was talking.

Meh

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I liked a couple of the characters a lot, most of them enough.

I liked that important characters died--I wasn't expecting most the deaths.

I liked the more or less unique take on elemental magic.

And I liked how I have no idea who is going to end up with whom, though I do have strong suspicions.

It wasn't my favorite, and I imagine I'd have taken forever to finish it if I hadn't gotten it on audio, but I did already order the second book--so four stars it deserves.

The narrator was quite often confusing to listen to. I think it was partly because there were so few he said/she saids, so conversations were hard to follow even between a girl and a boy.

I don't know. I just didn't like the narrator.

"I'm not caught, but I'm biting"

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Any additional comments?

This book was slow to develop with all the plot building and character development, but it was an interesting journey, none the less. It's kind of funny, though, because even after all that development, I felt the story and characters were somewhat shallow. There was also a lot of angst, and this is always my gripe with books in this genre, as I don't think so much angst is necessary to create tension and keep things interesting. However, I did still enjoy this story and I would like to see where it's headed. It held my interest and kept me wanting to know more. The narrator is definitely annoying, though! His women's voices are all ghastly and the men all sound somewhat ridiculous.

Entertaining, if a bit shallow

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the story was good,a little hard to follow sometimes.the narrator was really good,making the book come alive.

good story

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an amazing story for anyone who loves midevil, magic, adventure, or some combination. a greatly well written story, and the readers did an amazing job. I can not wait to continue into the series, and maybe one day see these characters on the big screen.

#teammagnus

perfect

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The story and characters were great I even liked the narrator but it seemed to cut off parts of words which drove me crazy.

Really enjoyed but the narration seems to cut off parts frequently

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