Author: Morgan Rhodes
Release
Date: December 15, 2015
Publisher: Razorbill
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
Rebels, royals, and monsters wage war over the Mytican throne in the shocking fourth book of the Falling Kingdoms series, from New York Times bestselling author Morgan Rhodes.
CLEO: Reeling after a bloody showdown in Limeros ending with Amara’s abduction of the water crystal, and a vacancy in the Mytican throne, Princess Cleo must cast aside her feelings and look toward her kingdom with the eyes of a Queen.
MAGNUS: With the kingdom in chaos, Princess Lucia still missing and quite possibly in danger, and a shocking realization about Cleo, the steely prince is once again torn between love and duty, leaving him wondering whether he’s strong enough to rule his people.
LUCIA: The young sorcercess has had her vengeance after the cruel death of her first and only love. Heartbroken and unable to trust anyone, she allies with the awoken Fire god, who also seeks revenge.
JONAS: After escaping death by the skin of his teeth, the defeated rebel—along with a mysterious stranger–leader reunites with Princess Cleo, only to find himself a mere pawn in a dangerous hunt for the elusive Kindred.
KING GAIUS: Abandoned by Melenia and betrayed by his own children, Gaius flees Mytica and sails to Kraeshia, where he attempts to ally with the famously brutal emperor across the Silver Sea.
Now on to the post!
The Magic of Falling Kingdoms
When I was originally working on the worldbuilding for the Falling Kingdoms series, I had to decide what kind of magic would be found in Mytica. It didn’t take long before I realized that elemental magic was the right way to go. In a world that was going to be inspired by traditional high fantasy with a Roman-Greco flavor, including massive marble temples ode to goddesses, castles and villas, rebels and royals…the elements seemed to be ripe for the picking when it came to the hocus-pocus.
Still, I wanted the magic to be subtle, especially in the beginning. I wanted the books to have the gritty feel of a fantasy like Game of Thrones, but the thought of having super-powered witches and wizards flying around and battling each other felt far more…paranormal to me. So it seemed obvious that this magic – called “elementia” – had faded over the years…so much so that few believed it even existed outside of legend, apart from a few women accused of witchcraft, a crime that would have her thrown in the dungeon or executed. Many woman in our own world who have stood trial for witchcraft over the centuries, accused of dark deeds without any proof other than accusations. These women were definitely an inspiration for those in Mytica who were touched by magic but couldn’t summon enough of it to save their own necks.
I also felt that there needed to be That Thing that everybody wanted. And That Thing needed to be super powerful and would give whomever found it ultimate power – something worth fighting for, killing for, and maybe even dying for. And so the Kindred were created – four crystal orbs containing the purest essence of elemental magic: air, water, earth and fire. I always knew there would be a big twist to do with those crystals, but I wasn’t sure exactly what it would be in the beginning. Were they only a myth? Would they backfire on whomever tried to claim them? Or…were they much different than anyone would ever have believed them to be? Hopefully the Kindred twist (which I won’t reveal here since it’s definitely a spoiler for Gathering Darkness and beyond!) successfully surprised readers.
Another element of the magic and myth in Falling Kingdoms are the Watchers, immortal beings who “watch over” the mortal world and once guarded the Kindred, but now can only enter Mytica in the form of hawks. These Watchers have searched for the missing Kindred for a millennium without any success. Without these crystals, they claim, their world and all the worlds beyond will fade away, since without elemental magic, there is no life. I definitely wanted the immortals to be able to blend in with mortals, but also stand apart, so my inspiration for them was originally sparked by the elves of Rivendell in Lord of the Rings.
To bring it all together – the Kindred, the Watchers, and all the legends whispered about in Mytica – is the prophesy of the sorceress reborn, a mortal girl who will command all four parts of elementia as only the original sorceress was able to do a thousand years ago. This girl is said to be the one to find the Kindred. It’s her destiny. And it’s a destiny that King Gaius, also known to his subjects as the “King of Blood,” was fully aware of when he had Lucia stolen from her cradle as a baby and raised as his daughter.
Going into book four of Falling Kingdoms, FROZEN TIDES, Princess Lucia is well aware of this prophecy and her supposed destiny, and well aware of how she came to live in the king’s palace. And to say she’s not too thrilled about being lied to and manipulated for sixteen years would be a rather huge understatement.
Now the question is: will Lucia wield her unruly and unpredictable elemental magic for good or evil?
The answer to that is: keep reading! ;)
Happy reading!
Morgan
The Magic of Falling Kingdoms
When I was originally working on the worldbuilding for the Falling Kingdoms series, I had to decide what kind of magic would be found in Mytica. It didn’t take long before I realized that elemental magic was the right way to go. In a world that was going to be inspired by traditional high fantasy with a Roman-Greco flavor, including massive marble temples ode to goddesses, castles and villas, rebels and royals…the elements seemed to be ripe for the picking when it came to the hocus-pocus.
Still, I wanted the magic to be subtle, especially in the beginning. I wanted the books to have the gritty feel of a fantasy like Game of Thrones, but the thought of having super-powered witches and wizards flying around and battling each other felt far more…paranormal to me. So it seemed obvious that this magic – called “elementia” – had faded over the years…so much so that few believed it even existed outside of legend, apart from a few women accused of witchcraft, a crime that would have her thrown in the dungeon or executed. Many woman in our own world who have stood trial for witchcraft over the centuries, accused of dark deeds without any proof other than accusations. These women were definitely an inspiration for those in Mytica who were touched by magic but couldn’t summon enough of it to save their own necks.
I also felt that there needed to be That Thing that everybody wanted. And That Thing needed to be super powerful and would give whomever found it ultimate power – something worth fighting for, killing for, and maybe even dying for. And so the Kindred were created – four crystal orbs containing the purest essence of elemental magic: air, water, earth and fire. I always knew there would be a big twist to do with those crystals, but I wasn’t sure exactly what it would be in the beginning. Were they only a myth? Would they backfire on whomever tried to claim them? Or…were they much different than anyone would ever have believed them to be? Hopefully the Kindred twist (which I won’t reveal here since it’s definitely a spoiler for Gathering Darkness and beyond!) successfully surprised readers.
Another element of the magic and myth in Falling Kingdoms are the Watchers, immortal beings who “watch over” the mortal world and once guarded the Kindred, but now can only enter Mytica in the form of hawks. These Watchers have searched for the missing Kindred for a millennium without any success. Without these crystals, they claim, their world and all the worlds beyond will fade away, since without elemental magic, there is no life. I definitely wanted the immortals to be able to blend in with mortals, but also stand apart, so my inspiration for them was originally sparked by the elves of Rivendell in Lord of the Rings.
To bring it all together – the Kindred, the Watchers, and all the legends whispered about in Mytica – is the prophesy of the sorceress reborn, a mortal girl who will command all four parts of elementia as only the original sorceress was able to do a thousand years ago. This girl is said to be the one to find the Kindred. It’s her destiny. And it’s a destiny that King Gaius, also known to his subjects as the “King of Blood,” was fully aware of when he had Lucia stolen from her cradle as a baby and raised as his daughter.
Going into book four of Falling Kingdoms, FROZEN TIDES, Princess Lucia is well aware of this prophecy and her supposed destiny, and well aware of how she came to live in the king’s palace. And to say she’s not too thrilled about being lied to and manipulated for sixteen years would be a rather huge understatement.
Now the question is: will Lucia wield her unruly and unpredictable elemental magic for good or evil?
The answer to that is: keep reading! ;)
Happy reading!
Morgan
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| photo credit Shanon Fujioka |
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This is at the top of my TBR! I need Magnus and am counting down the days
ReplyDeleteCannot wait to read this!!! ADORE this series!
ReplyDeleteI love this series!!! It is my book crack!!!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait!! Gathering Darkness was the best book in the series so far, and I'm sure this one will be even more amazing. Plus, I NEED a poster of this cover. Or a mural. lol
ReplyDeleteI must start this series! wow! It sounds so exciting.
ReplyDeleteThis series sounds so amazing! I can't wait to read all of it!
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the book I'm looking forward to reading in 2016.
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ReplyDeleteI am so keen to read these books. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteGreat post I heard nothing but raving reviews about this book series, and I've been wanted to get my hands on them for a long time now! Because they looks and sounds utterly fantastic and amazing! Thank you for the awesome post.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds really good! Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteAhhhh I'm so excited! I need this book :D
ReplyDeleteGah! I've read the first three books in the Falling Kingdoms series (so good), but I haven't read A Book of Spirits and Thieves yet. It WILL happen. Maybe as soon as I read Frozen Tides. :)
ReplyDelete*Rachelle*
I have heard so many fantastic things about the Falling Kingdoms series and I can't wait to read the books!
ReplyDelete