This is a spoiler free review!
Rebel Spring
Written by Morgan Rhodes
Genre: Young Adult/High Fantasy
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: December 3, 2013
Pages: 401
Source: Bought
Recommended Age: 13 and up! Or rather the age when you can handle the blood, gore and death.
Summary:
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.
Review:
So much blood, gore and betrayal. It was bloody fantastic! [see what I did there?]. This book was so good that I am having trouble reading another book. The Falling Kingdoms series is recommended for fans of Game of Thrones and from what I've heard about that show, I believe this book would fit right into that world. Apparently it is practically Game of Thrones for Young Adults, minus the explicit sex scenes. Which I am glad of, by the way. But this series is fantastic and a new favorite!
COVER
This is one of the only series where I would like a cover change. Not because the covers don't fit the book. No, because I am confused by the covers. I am being dead serious here. I have no idea who is on each cover. Tell me if you know.
WORLD-BUILDING
The world-building just gets better and better with each book. We get to know tad bits of information in each book and we have to put the puzzle pieces together and try to figure out what each character is going to do with it. Ugh, it's like reading a mystery, but there is no detective in the book and anyone could be doing whatever.
Then there are the characters.
CLEO
"Think of me what you will. But I swear to the goddess I will have my throne back-and King Gaius will pay for his crimes."
That's my girl! I love Cleo so so much. Cleo still happens to be overly confident and doesn't seem to think things through before they happen. She is also naive and doesn't always know what is really at stake. Sometimes, she gets other people into trouble or killed without really realizing it. Despite all this, I expect great things from her in the future. She is slowly coming into her own. She knows that King Gaius has to be stopped but yet, she doesn't know who to align herself with. I have a feeling that when they do stop him, she will be the one to end his life.
MAGNUS
"Father and I-we're very much the same. We'll do whatever it takes to get what we want, and we'll hurt whoever gets in our way, no mater who they are. Without conscience or remorse."
Okay, Magnus sweetie, we both know that isn't quite true. Magnus has come a long way from the beginning of Falling Kingdoms to the end of Rebel Spring. He still has to do many things to earn atonement and forgiveness from Cleo and from me but I feel like he is already on his way. At first, he seems to be Gaius' little puppet but he is coming into his own and struggling to figure out if Gaius is really doing the right thing. He has some moments of humanity that show that his heart isn't really all covered in ice like we thought. I have a feeling that he will become one of my favorite characters.
LUCIA
"They tell me it's not evil. It doesn't feel evil, really. But there is a darkness taking hold, as if the night itself wraps me in an embrace that grows tighter every moment."
Ah, Lucia. I think she is really becoming a crazy, young woman. I adored Lucia in the first book but now, I distrust her and really am beginning to dislike her. Lucia seems like she doesn't really care for her brother anymore. She also doesn't show much compassion anymore. There is a scene that truly scared me and scarred me which shows how I distrust her now. She has become so heartless and distant, so much like her father. And the worst thing is that she sometimes accepts that darkness that is trying to take hold of her. She welcomes it with open arms.
JONAS
"Believe me, if I were here to end your life, you'd already be dead."
I love Jonas so so much! He is a strong male character. He knows that what King Gaius is doing is wrong and he is determined to end him. Jonas acts like he doesn't like Cleo at all but he has a soft spot for her which could mean his undoing. Jonas is kind of the opposite of Magnus. He knows what he wants and knows how to make it happen. I feel like there is a lot more of him to come and I welcome it because Jonas is my new bae.
GAIUS
"Then many will die....my queen. As many as it takes."
This guy is crazy, let's just put it out there. I'm not sure what his point is. He is a total villain that we all hate because he is so bad. There isn't a sliver in him that makes me seem like he is worthy of redemption which is interesting because for many villains, there is goodness in them. Gaius just really needs to be over throned and gotten rid of because the more that he is in power, the more the people will start to believe him.
FRIENDSHIP/FAMILY
Family is a concept often questioned in this book. For example, King Gaius seems to want his family to be happy and yet he does things that get them hurt. Family doesn't seem to be important in this book. However, friendship and being allies is different.
PLOT
Rebel Spring took us a step deeper into the world that Morgan Rhodes created in Falling Kingdoms. We are also one step further to unraveling the secrets and figuring out the prophecies. The King of Blood is now ruling in Mytica. He is a ruthless ruler who keeps his people loyal to him by lying and kills anyone who steps one toe out of line.
Morgan Rhodes has yet again, not failed to surprise me. I am still shocked by the plot twists. This book is plot twist after plot twist. It is chilling and the number of unexpected deaths kept piling up that I soon lost track of who had died and who was still in the land of the living. Sometimes, I had to flip back a few chapters and read someone's death scene in order to confirm that it truly did happen. When everything seemed peaceful and calm, I was slapped by another plot twist. Yep, this book was a roller coaster of emotions.
ROMANCE
This book feels like it has a freaking love octagon. I'm not going to give anything away because of spoilers but it seriously seems like everyone is secretly hiding feelings for someone else.
As far as Cleo is concerned, I am Team Magnus all the way. I mean Nic is cute but I feel like he is kind of hiding in the closet. Jonas is bae but to be honest, I think he would redeem Lucia.
But two things happened in this book that made me squeal with excitement and joy and I can't wait for more.
WRITING
The writing was gorgeous and so flowy. I love how there are multiple point of views because it helps you see what each character really thinks and how they feel.
Final Thoughts:
Go read this book! It is so amazing. The characters are three dimensional and fantastic. The writing is beautiful and the romance is existent but not over done. This is one of my new favorite series and I will continue to make my way through the books.
This gif sums up my thoughts about Magnus and Jonas:
Quotes from the Book:
“Sometimes, to regain sanity, one had to acknowledge and embrace the madness.”
“Evil is a choice one makes, not a natural state of being.”
“I believe we make our own destinies, every last one of us.”
“But she didn't fall. Someone was there, reaching an arm around her waist to steady her. She looked up expecting to see Nic, but it was Magnus.
His dark brows were drawn tightly together. "Problem, princess?”
“There was no hope in death, only an end.”
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Crowns
THIS BOOK IN THREE GIFS
