Welcome to the REBEL SPRING blog tour! In honor of the second installment of the Falling Kingdoms series, we’ve asked author Morgan Rhodes to share her thoughts on fantasy, how the characters in REBEL SPRING differ from the modern teen, and more. Keep an eye out this week for all five of Morgan’s posts!
Being Ruthless It’s that moment in that book – that twist that makes you gasp or shatters your heart into a million pieces. A cold-blooded murder, an act of vengeance, a casualty of war, or a freak accident… Your favorite character just died. Oops! Sorry about that! In Rebel Spring (book 2 in the Falling Kingdoms series) I don’t take on-the-page violence lightly. I don’t kill off a character with a song in my heart. (Well, not usually.) For me, these key moments are absolutely necessary to the plot, to help another character see their world differently or shift them onto a new path. To have them explore their own emotions and find out who they are down deep and what they’re willing to do to survive. When I’m writing, I’m in the character’s heads, so I definitely feel their pain. I figure, if I don’t feel something as I’m writing, then it probably isn’t necessary to the plot. When I write, I try to think in terms of movie cameras – it’s all about what you focus on. If the camera stays focused only on the violence itself, the gore (and in books that have themes of war it’s nearly impossible to get away from shedding a little blood) is fairly pointless. But if that camera shifts to show a character’s reaction to this act, whether they’re happy about it, sad, or completely destroyed – that is what draws a reader in. Life and death, it’s a universal theme and a heavy one. In fantasy fiction, I think it’s much easier to explore such things at a safe, fictional distance. Plus, I always think when things seem a bit too ideal and characters are getting too comfortable, it’s a good time to get a few heads rolling to keep things interesting for readers – and for me as the writer!
Heh, I love an author who's comfortable with killing off her own characters, even when it breaks my heart to see their demise. And trust me, no one is safe in the Falling Kingdoms books! =)
About the author:
Morgan Rhodes lives in Ontario, Canada. As a child, she always wanted to be a princess -- the kind that knows how to wield a sharp sword to help save both kingdoms and princes from fire-breathing dragons and dark wizards. Instead, she became a writer, which is just as good and much less dangerous. Along with writing, Morgan enjoys photography, travel, reality TV, and is an extremely picky, yet voracious reader of all kinds of books. Under another pen name, she’s a national bestselling author of many paranormal novels. Falling Kingdoms is her first high fantasy.
Title: Rebel Spring Author: Morgan Rhodes (aka Michelle Rowan) Series: Falling Kingdoms, book #2 Publisher: Razorbill Publication Date: December 3, 2013 Purchase:Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Auranos has fallen and the three kingdoms are now united as one. But still, magic beckons, and with it the chance to rule not just Mytica, but the world...
CLEO is now a prisoner in her own palace, forced to smile idly as the evil King Gaius lies to the people of the newly created Mytica—the country formed through the union of Auranos with Limeros and Paelsia.
MAGNUS stands to eventually inherit the new kingdom, but he’s too busy fawning over his slumbering sister Lucia.
LUCIA is haunted by perpetual dreams ever since the breathtaking display of magic that allowed her father to capture the kingdom and emerge triumphant over Cleo’s people.
JONAS watches at the palace gates, a troop of rebels behind him, waiting for him to tell them how he plans to overtake the king’s guard and create a new Paelsia, one free from tyrannical rule.
When Gaius announces that a road is to be built into the Forbidden Mountains, formally linking all of Mytica together, he sets off a chain of events that will forever change the face of this land. Because Gaius is not just burrowing into a pile of rock. He’s tunneling directly into the Watchers’ Sanctuary. And his actions will have cosmic consequences.
Have you picked up this series yet? If so, what are your thoughts on the deaths of favorite characters from these books?
Title: Rebel Spring Author: Morgan Rhodes (aka Michelle Rowan) Series: Falling Kingdoms, book #2 Publisher: Razorbill Publication Date: December 3, 2013 Source: ARC received from publisher Purchase:Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Love, power, and magic collide with war in the second book of the Falling Kingdoms series.
Auranos has fallen and the three kingdoms—Auranos, Limeros, and Paelsia—are now united as one country called Mytica. But still, magic beckons, and with it the chance to rule not just Mytica, but the world...
When the evil King Gaius announces that a road is to be built into the Forbidden Mountains, formally linking all of Mytica together, he sets off a chain of events that will forever change the face of this land, forcing Cleo the dethroned princess, Magnus the reluctant heir, Lucia the haunted sorceress, and Jonas the desperate rebel to take steps they never could have imagined.
I went into Rebel Spring with rather subdued expectations thanks to my experience with Falling Kingdoms. I like the overall premise of the series, and I can appreciate that it lives up to being called the "Game of Thrones of YA". (Seriously...do not get attached to anyone.) But the world, the three kingdoms, haven't coalesced enough for me to fully enjoy the story yet.
As with another of my recent fantasy reads, this story appears to just hover on the surface of the pages. I need to be thrust into the thick of things when it comes to fantasy, to discover all the hidden depths and secrets of the world right along with the characters. And with this series, I feel like everything I "learned" in this sequel, I'd already figured out halfway through the first book. There really just wasn't all that much plot advancement in this novel, aside from what I'd already predicted would happen based on Falling Kingdoms. I do not like my fantasy to be predictable...that's what makes it so fantastic! Take the mystery out of the story and I'm just bored, bored, bored.
And I still can't connect with any of these characters. As I've said before, I don't need to empathize with the characters or feel like we're kindred spirits, but I should at least like them. The only character I really like so far is Jonas, and he's the most radical, impulsive one of the lot. Normally, his character would annoy me to no end, but considering the rest of the cast, and considering what he's survived already, he's the one I see making it to the finish line, so to speak, and my money's on him.
I will admit that the characters themselves are all very unique, with their hidden agendas and motivations, even if I don't really like them all that much. The multiple perspectives is probably partly to blame for that, though. This particular method of storytelling just offers up too much information for me, leading to a lot of conjecture and theorizing on my part. That's all well and good when I'm thrown for a loop time and again, but even I don't like to be right all the time.
Suffice it to say, I'm not having as much fun with this series as I'd initially hoped. The books both have some seriously awesome covers, and on that basis alone, I'd probably find it necessary to add them to my collection. But if we're strictly speaking about what's between the covers, I'd have to say these are the kind of books that I'd probably borrow instead. They're definitely worth a read -- and probably a re-read before you pick up each subsequent installment -- but they're not the books that would immediately come to mind if I was jonesin' for a fantasy fix.
GIF it to me straight:
The only thing even remotely shocking was the death toll.
About the author:
Morgan Rhodes lives in Ontario, Canada. As a child, she always wanted to be a princess -- the kind that knows how to wield a sharp sword to help save both kingdoms and princes from fire-breathing dragons and dark wizards. Instead, she became a writer, which is just as good and much less dangerous. Along with writing, Morgan enjoys photography, travel, reality TV, and is an extremely picky, yet voracious reader of all kinds of books. Under another pen name, she’s a national bestselling author of many paranormal novels. Falling Kingdoms is her first high fantasy.
Title: Falling Kingdoms Author: Morgan Rhodes Series: Falling Kingdoms, book 1 Publisher: Razorbill Publication Date: December 11, 2012 Source: ARC, thanks to the ladies at Good Choice Reading Purchase:Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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?
Falling Kingdoms was is one of those books that I seriously coveted, almost to the point that I would beg, borrow, or steal to get it. I actually did beg...a little. When I did score an ARC, I made myself hold off reading it until a little closer to the release date, just to build up my anticipation even further. Was that a mistake? Maybe. Yes....no. No, it wasn't a mistake because I did like the book. It was fun and fueled by murder and betrayal and everything else a great book should be filled with, but I just didn't love it like I wanted to.
I've never read anything by Michelle Rowen prior to this book, which is written under her pseudonym. But I know plenty who have and absolutely love her writing. The writing wasn't a problem for me. It wasn't stellar, by any means, but it wasn't poorly written or anything. It's just...this is supposed to be a fantasy, right? I expected some epicness, but all I got was fantasy-lite. And the story wasn't nearly as cohesive as I would like because quite a bit of the story happens behind the scenes, most often when a switch in narrator has occurred.
Though there are technically four different narrators in Falling Kingdoms, all in third-person, I felt like Cleo kind of owned this novel. It started with Cleo and it ended with her, and it's obvious that her presence will continue to be very strong throughout the series. I didn't love any of the characters, but I also didn't hate them. They all had their strengths and weaknesses, and I can appreciate that.
There were some religious undertones in this book, but there was also plenty of magic to offset those. It was interesting to see what part each played in this world and how each of the three kingdoms viewed religion versus magic. It seemed as though they went hand in hand long before the kingdoms existed, and one would not exist without the other, but somewhere along the way, it appears as if it was decided that the two could not coexist. Hence, the falling kingdoms.
The reader is immediately thrust into the thick of things with the prologue, which very adequately sets the pace for the rest of the story. Also, there is SO. MUCH. DEATH. I'm serious...try not to get too attached to any one character. I was slack-jawed and bug-eyed for a good majority of this novel, which is fun in its own respect.
The book was fun. I'm probably the only person who isn't gushing over this thing, and that's really probably only because I am a hard-core fantasy lover and I just need more world-building than I was presented with in Falling Kingdoms. And that's not to say it doesn't totally deserve some gushing...I'm just not the one to do it. I will, however, be picking up future installments. Now that everyone's path is on the cusp of convergence, I must see it through to the end.
Favorite quote:
“Even in the darkest and most cruel person, there is still a kernel of good. And within the most perfect champion, there is darkness. The question is, will one give in to the dark or the light? It's something we decide with every choice we make, every day that we exist. What might not be evil to you could be evil to someone else. Knowing this makes us powerful even without magic.”
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
This week's teaser comes from the following book:
Title: Falling Kingdoms Author: Morgan Rhodes Series: Falling Kingdoms, book 1 Publisher: Razorbill Publication Date: December 11, 2012 Source: ARC, thanks to the ladies at Good Choice Reading Purchase:Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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?
My teaser:
Emilia's gaze grew harsh. "Sharp tongue, Cleo. You should watch where you point it or you might hurt someone." -- p. 80 of ARC
Indeed! =D This book promises to be full of surprises. I'm a little worried that there are what looks to be like four separate points-of-view, but I've got high hopes for this fantasy novel.
What are you teasing us with this week? Share in the comments or leave me a link so I can stop by!
I work with numbers by day, and I'm a mommy and avid reader by night. I'm a self-proclaimed Spreadsheet Queen, and I'll read anything you put in front of me. I seriously love all the books! And I adore audiobooks, too!
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
{Blog Tour} Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes: Guest Post on Being Ruthless
Being Ruthless
It’s that moment in that book – that twist that makes you gasp or shatters your heart into a million pieces. A cold-blooded murder, an act of vengeance, a casualty of war, or a freak accident…
Your favorite character just died. Oops! Sorry about that!
In Rebel Spring (book 2 in the Falling Kingdoms series) I don’t take on-the-page violence lightly. I don’t kill off a character with a song in my heart. (Well, not usually.) For me, these key moments are absolutely necessary to the plot, to help another character see their world differently or shift them onto a new path. To have them explore their own emotions and find out who they are down deep and what they’re willing to do to survive. When I’m writing, I’m in the character’s heads, so I definitely feel their pain. I figure, if I don’t feel something as I’m writing, then it probably isn’t necessary to the plot.
When I write, I try to think in terms of movie cameras – it’s all about what you focus on. If the camera stays focused only on the violence itself, the gore (and in books that have themes of war it’s nearly impossible to get away from shedding a little blood) is fairly pointless. But if that camera shifts to show a character’s reaction to this act, whether they’re happy about it, sad, or completely destroyed – that is what draws a reader in. Life and death, it’s a universal theme and a heavy one. In fantasy fiction, I think it’s much easier to explore such things at a safe, fictional distance.
Plus, I always think when things seem a bit too ideal and characters are getting too comfortable, it’s a good time to get a few heads rolling to keep things interesting for readers – and for me as the writer!
Heh, I love an author who's comfortable with killing off her own characters, even when it breaks my heart to see their demise. And trust me, no one is safe in the Falling Kingdoms books! =)
Author: Morgan Rhodes (aka Michelle Rowan)
Series: Falling Kingdoms, book #2
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: December 3, 2013
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Review: Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes
Author: Morgan Rhodes (aka Michelle Rowan)
Series: Falling Kingdoms, book #2
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: December 3, 2013
Source: ARC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
I went into Rebel Spring with rather subdued expectations thanks to my experience with Falling Kingdoms. I like the overall premise of the series, and I can appreciate that it lives up to being called the "Game of Thrones of YA". (Seriously...do not get attached to anyone.) But the world, the three kingdoms, haven't coalesced enough for me to fully enjoy the story yet.
As with another of my recent fantasy reads, this story appears to just hover on the surface of the pages. I need to be thrust into the thick of things when it comes to fantasy, to discover all the hidden depths and secrets of the world right along with the characters. And with this series, I feel like everything I "learned" in this sequel, I'd already figured out halfway through the first book. There really just wasn't all that much plot advancement in this novel, aside from what I'd already predicted would happen based on Falling Kingdoms. I do not like my fantasy to be predictable...that's what makes it so fantastic! Take the mystery out of the story and I'm just bored, bored, bored.
And I still can't connect with any of these characters. As I've said before, I don't need to empathize with the characters or feel like we're kindred spirits, but I should at least like them. The only character I really like so far is Jonas, and he's the most radical, impulsive one of the lot. Normally, his character would annoy me to no end, but considering the rest of the cast, and considering what he's survived already, he's the one I see making it to the finish line, so to speak, and my money's on him.
I will admit that the characters themselves are all very unique, with their hidden agendas and motivations, even if I don't really like them all that much. The multiple perspectives is probably partly to blame for that, though. This particular method of storytelling just offers up too much information for me, leading to a lot of conjecture and theorizing on my part. That's all well and good when I'm thrown for a loop time and again, but even I don't like to be right all the time.
Suffice it to say, I'm not having as much fun with this series as I'd initially hoped. The books both have some seriously awesome covers, and on that basis alone, I'd probably find it necessary to add them to my collection. But if we're strictly speaking about what's between the covers, I'd have to say these are the kind of books that I'd probably borrow instead. They're definitely worth a read -- and probably a re-read before you pick up each subsequent installment -- but they're not the books that would immediately come to mind if I was jonesin' for a fantasy fix.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Review: Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Series: Falling Kingdoms, book 1
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: December 11, 2012
Source: ARC, thanks to the ladies at Good Choice Reading
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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?
Falling Kingdoms was is one of those books that I seriously coveted, almost to the point that I would beg, borrow, or steal to get it. I actually did beg...a little. When I did score an ARC, I made myself hold off reading it until a little closer to the release date, just to build up my anticipation even further. Was that a mistake? Maybe. Yes....no. No, it wasn't a mistake because I did like the book. It was fun and fueled by murder and betrayal and everything else a great book should be filled with, but I just didn't love it like I wanted to.
I've never read anything by Michelle Rowen prior to this book, which is written under her pseudonym. But I know plenty who have and absolutely love her writing. The writing wasn't a problem for me. It wasn't stellar, by any means, but it wasn't poorly written or anything. It's just...this is supposed to be a fantasy, right? I expected some epicness, but all I got was fantasy-lite. And the story wasn't nearly as cohesive as I would like because quite a bit of the story happens behind the scenes, most often when a switch in narrator has occurred.
Though there are technically four different narrators in Falling Kingdoms, all in third-person, I felt like Cleo kind of owned this novel. It started with Cleo and it ended with her, and it's obvious that her presence will continue to be very strong throughout the series. I didn't love any of the characters, but I also didn't hate them. They all had their strengths and weaknesses, and I can appreciate that.
There were some religious undertones in this book, but there was also plenty of magic to offset those. It was interesting to see what part each played in this world and how each of the three kingdoms viewed religion versus magic. It seemed as though they went hand in hand long before the kingdoms existed, and one would not exist without the other, but somewhere along the way, it appears as if it was decided that the two could not coexist. Hence, the falling kingdoms.
The reader is immediately thrust into the thick of things with the prologue, which very adequately sets the pace for the rest of the story. Also, there is SO. MUCH. DEATH. I'm serious...try not to get too attached to any one character. I was slack-jawed and bug-eyed for a good majority of this novel, which is fun in its own respect.
The book was fun. I'm probably the only person who isn't gushing over this thing, and that's really probably only because I am a hard-core fantasy lover and I just need more world-building than I was presented with in Falling Kingdoms. And that's not to say it doesn't totally deserve some gushing...I'm just not the one to do it. I will, however, be picking up future installments. Now that everyone's path is on the cusp of convergence, I must see it through to the end.
Favorite quote:
“Even in the darkest and most cruel person, there is still a kernel of good. And within the most perfect champion, there is darkness. The question is, will one give in to the dark or the light? It's something we decide with every choice we make, every day that we exist. What might not be evil to you could be evil to someone else. Knowing this makes us powerful even without magic.”
Rating:
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Teaser Tuesday #33: Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
This week's teaser comes from the following book:
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Series: Falling Kingdoms, book 1
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: December 11, 2012
Source: ARC, thanks to the ladies at Good Choice Reading
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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?
My teaser:
Indeed! =D This book promises to be full of surprises. I'm a little worried that there are what looks to be like four separate points-of-view, but I've got high hopes for this fantasy novel.
What are you teasing us with this week? Share in the comments or leave me a link so I can stop by!
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starryeyedjen
- I work with numbers by day, and I'm a mommy and avid reader by night. I'm a self-proclaimed Spreadsheet Queen, and I'll read anything you put in front of me. I seriously love all the books! And I adore audiobooks, too!
View my complete profile