#falling kingdoms

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The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine (2001)

Twelve-year-old Addie admires her older sister Meryl, who aspires to rid the kingdom of Bamarre of gryphons, specters, and ogres. Addie, on the other hand, is fearful even of spiders and depends on Meryl for courage and protection. Waving her sword Bloodbiter, the older girl declaims in the garden from the heroic epic of Drualt to a thrilled audience of Addie, their governess, and the young sorcerer Rhys. 

But when Meryl falls ill with the dreaded Gray Death, Addie must gather her courage and set off alone on a quest to find the cure and save her beloved sister. Addie takes the seven-league boots and magic spyglass left to her by her mother and the enchanted tablecloth and cloak given to her by Rhys - along with a shy declaration of his love. She prevails in encounters with tricky specters (spiders too) and outwits a wickedly personable dragon in adventures touched with romance and a bittersweet ending.

Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams (1988-1992)

A war fueled by the powers of dark sorcery is about to engulf the peaceful land of Osten Ard—for Prester John, the High King, lies dying. And with his death, the Storm King, the undead ruler of the elf-like Sithi, seizes the chance to regain his lost realm through a pact with the newly ascended king. Knowing the consequences of this bargain, the king’s younger brother joins with a small, scattered group of scholars, the League of the Scroll, to confront the true danger threatening Osten Ard.

Simon, a kitchen boy from the royal castle unknowingly apprenticed to a member of this League, will be sent on a quest that offers the only hope of salvation, a deadly riddle concerning long-lost swords of power. Compelled by fate and perilous magics, he must leave the only home he’s ever known and face enemies more terrifying than Osten Ard has ever seen, even as the land itself begins to die.

Starbound by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (2013-2015)

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone. 

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they're worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help. 

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other's arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder-would they be better off staying here forever? 

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won't be the same people who landed on it.

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy (2004-2024)

Meet the great Skulduggery Pleasant: wise-cracking detective, powerful magician, master of dirty tricks and burglary (in the name of the greater good, of course). Oh yeah. And dead.

Then there's his sidekick, Stephanie. She's… well, she's a twelve-year-old girl. With a pair like this on the case, evil had better watch out…

Stephanie's uncle Gordon is a writer of horror fiction. But when he dies and leaves her his estate, Stephanie learns that while he may have written horror, it certainly wasn't fiction. Pursued by evil forces intent on recovering a mysterious key, Stephanie finds help from an unusual source – the wisecracking skeleton of a dead wizard.

When all hell breaks loose, it's lucky for Skulduggery that he's already dead. Though he's about to discover that being a skeleton doesn't stop you from being tortured, if the torturer is determined enough. And if there's anything Skulduggery hates, it's torture… Will evil win the day? Will Stephanie and Skulduggery stop bickering long enough to stop it? One thing's for sure: evil won't know what's hit it.

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine (2006)

Once upon a time, there was a girl who wanted to be pretty . . .

Aza's singing is the fairest in all the land, and the most unusual. She can throw her voice so it seems to come from anywhere. But singing is only one of the two qualities prized in the Kingdom of Ayortha. Aza doesn't possess the other: beauty. Not even close. She's hidden in the shadows in her parents' inn, but when she becomes lady-in-waiting to the new queen, she has to step into the light--especially when the queen demands a dangerous favor. A magic mirror, a charming prince, a jealous queen, palace intrigue, and an injured king twine into a maze that Aza must penetrate to save herself and her beloved kingdom.

Trickster's Duology by Tamora Pierce (2003-2004)

Alianne is the teenage daughter of the famed Alanna, the first lady knight in Tortall. Young Aly follows in the quieter footsteps of her father, however, delighting in the art of spying. When she is captured and sold as a slave to an exiled royal family in the faraway Copper Islands, it is this skill that makes a difference in a world filled with political intrigue, murderous conspiracy, and warring gods. This is the first of two books featuring Alianne.

Monstress by Marjorie M. Liu (2015-present)

Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900's Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers.

Lockwood & Co by Jonathan Stroud (2013-2017)

When the dead come back to haunt the living, Lockwood & Co. step in . . .

For more than fifty years, the country has been affected by a horrifying epidemic of ghosts. A number of Psychic Investigations Agencies have sprung up to destroy the dangerous apparitions.

Lucy Carlyle, a talented young agent, arrives in London hoping for a notable career. Instead she finds herself joining the smallest, most ramshackle agency in the city, run by the charismatic Anthony Lockwood. When one of their cases goes horribly wrong, Lockwood & Co. have one last chance of redemption. Unfortunately this involves spending the night in one of the most haunted houses in England, and trying to escape alive.

Protector of the Small by Tamora Pierce (1999-2002)

Keladry of Mindelan is the first girl who dares to take advantage of a new rule in Tortall—one that allows females to train for knighthood. After years in the Yamani Islands, she knows that women can be warriors, and now that she’s returned home, Kel is determined to achieve her goal. She believes she is ready for the traditional hazing and grueling schedule of a page. But standing in Kel’s way is Lord Wyldon. The training master is dead set against girls becoming knights. He says she must pass a one-year trial that no male page has ever had to endure. It’s just one more way to separate Kel from her fellow trainees. But she is not to be underestimated. She will fight to succeed, even when the test is unfair.

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes (2012-2018)

Princess Cleo of Mytica confronts violence for the first time in her life when a shocking murder sets her kingdom on a path to collapse. Once a privileged royal, Cleo must now summon the strength to survive in this new world and fight for her rightful place as Queen. 

 The King of Limeros's son, Magnus, must plan each footstep with shrewd, sharp guile if he is to earn his powerful father's trust, while his sister, Lucia, discovers a terrifying secret about her heritage that will change everything. 

 Rebellious Jonas lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished--and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making. 

 Witches, if found, are put to death, and Watchers, immortal beings who take the shape of hawks to visit the human world, have been almost entirely forgotten. A vicious power struggle quickly escalates to war, and these four young people collide against each other and the rise of elementia, the magic that can topple kingdoms and crown a ruler in the same day.

[thedrunkelf]

Here's some shit about me (?):

I'm 14, she/her, I'm bisexual and asexual, I'm ambiverted (?), and canadian.

Media Interests (shows, tv, books, etc.):

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman (books and show)

Timekeeper by Tara Sim

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

The Walten Files (analog horror)

Percy Jackson (show and books)

Stranger Things

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Random other facts:

My favourite colours are purple, yellow, and blue.

My favourite season is fall/autumn

I like reading, knitting, listening to music, playing the sims 4, playing Roblox, contemplating life, writing, poetry, etc.

Some bands/musicians I like are:

Mother Mother

Taylor Swift

The Aubrey's

Good Kid

Chappell Roan

Conan Gray

Cavetown

Radiohead

DM me if you're really bored... I don't really know what else to say.

[gwyns]

cleo bellos was gaslighting, gatekeeping and girlbossing before it was mainstream. truly a visionary

[feelingtheaster99]

Azula and Octavia and Lucia all have the same energy—younger sister of a main character big brother that goes a little mad-with-power as the series goes on and who has to learn to fight their own tendency towards bloodlust and violence

[slaughter-books]

Day 8: JOMPBPC: Worst Book In A Series You Liked

I didn't like the first two books in this series, but I ended up loving the third book and the rest of the series too! 💕

[ridhistory21]

Aemond 🤝 Magnus

hate bastards until it benifits only them

Wearing dark and black outfits with dagger/swords all time

Being good swordsman

Having secret crush on your sister who's having magical abilities

Having a long face scar due to a childhood incident.

being 18 but tallest among family members

Scaring the enemy to hell but having regret after killing same person they hate later cry about it

Like being scary, intimidating, creepy to others but in real they little meow meow inside and never show it to world.

Don't like if anyone touches or dances with his sister

one killed Luc( gonna be husband of Rhaena) N other killed lover of Cleo. I ship both of them with Rhaena n Cleo. While both magnus n Aemond killed their partners😭

Both have emo bad guy reputation 😆who were good ambitious child but grown up to be dangerous because of circumstances

Only difference is that one guy got redemption arc and other will not get any. Cleo N magnus literally fucked😭 when will Aemond and Rhaena ? I think only in my dreams

[libertyreads]

December 2023 Wrap Up--

December was yet another insane reading month. It's good I threw my goal to read fewer books out the window back in July because otherwise we'd be in some real trouble this month. I ended up reading 3,543 pages across 15 works this month. Let's get to the list.

Comics/Graphic Novels- 1. On A Sunbeam by Tillie Walden (library)--3.25 stars.

2. Freshman Year by Sarah Mai (NetGalley)--3.5 stars.

3. Nimona by N.D. Stevenson (library)--4.25 stars.

Novellas/Short Stories- 1. A Rare Gift by Jaci Burton (library)--2 stars.

2. Mistletoe & Margaritas by Shannon Stacey (library)--2.75 stars.

3. This Time Next Year by Alison Kent (library)--3.5 stars.

4. Unexpected Gifts by Elena Aitken (library)--2.75 stars.

5. Hidden Gifts by Elena Aitken (library)--1.5 stars.

6. Unexpected Endings by Elena Aitken (library)--1.75 stars.

7. The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson (library)--3.5 stars.

8. Mistaken Gifts by Elena Aitken (library)--1.25 stars.

Novels- 1. The Ex-Mas Holidays by Zoe Allison (library)--2.75 stars.

2. Defiant by Brandon sanderson--3.5 stars.

3. Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes--3.5 stars.

4. The Ruined by Renee Ahdieh--3 stars.

This gives the month an average rating of 2.85 stars. That feels very low for me, but I was trying to read from a TBR while allowing myself to read any holiday book or novella that came under my nose during the month. Which probably wasn't the best idea. I realized I need to be more selective with my romance novels/novellas.

[cassnottiel]

When I remember cleos story started with her being driven by the love she has for her family and her need to save her sister and how alone she felt and how she was so angry and sad because because she hated Aron but she was trapped im betrothal to him and his actions started a war, and the story went on, her father and sister died, mira was killed, and she was forced into marrying Magnus. All the loss she suffered and turmoil she went through with losing almost every part of her home,

Cleos story ended with her pregnant at 17/18 and happily married to a guy who wanted to fuck his sister.

[hhhemberhhh]

guys two of the squishmallows I got today are named after book characters 💀💀

you have Lucia, the red (or pink) lemur, named after Lucia Damora from the Falling Kingdoms series by Morgan Rhodes

and then you have Tobias, the blue pastel looking seal, named after Tobias Eaton (or Four), from the Divergent series by Veronica Roth

well played squishmallows, well played

[slowburnreader]

Stars: ★★★★★

This book was so well-balanced that it’s terrific. It felt like that time when I followed a recipe correctly and my dinner tasted soooo good. I felt good after reading it. Satisfied.

Read the full review here: https://slowburnreaderblog.wordpress.com/review-of-falling-kingdoms-1/

Have you read this book?

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Ohhh me too me too me too

I love you, op.

That being said, could you add the works below to the list, please ? :

The Supernaturalist (Eoin Colfer)

Skylark (Meagan Spooner)

The Once and Future King (T.H. White)

Once & Future (Kieron Gillen)

The Checquy Files (Daniel O'Malley)

Circe (Madeline Miller)

Monk & Robot (Becky Chambers)

Legacy of Orisha (Tomi Adeyemi)

Villains (V.E. Schwab)

Falling Kingdoms (Morgan Rhodes)

Chivalry (Neil Gaiman)

The Sleeper and the Spindle (Neil Gaiman)

The Many Deaths of Laila Starr (Ram V)

The Unwritten (Mike Carey)

The Left-Handed Book Sellers of London (Garth Nyx)

Die (Kieron Gillen)

The Wicked + the Divine (Kieron Gillen)

I added most of these, but like some other Neil Gaiman titles, Chivalry and The Sleeper and the Spindle are short stories, not technically novels (even in graphic format)

[sixela0221]

I've given up on Falling Kingdoms. I just don't like it anymore.

[gwyns]

cleiona bellos is a manipulative liar yes but have you ever considered that she's also beautiful and i love her very much

[codazura]

“It was her favorite dream.” - Immortal Reign, Morgan Rhodes

[sweettoothnerd]

Good fortune will find those with pure hearts, even when all seems lost.

[ridhistory21]

"But he was not a seven-year-old boy anymore. He was seventeen, almost eighteen. Just as tall as his father was. And just as strong. He didn’t want to be afraid any longer

This boy didn’t look at all like one who would cry over a little blood. In fact, the cold way he studied her made her feel as if it she’d been touched by ice. Some might find him very handsome, but she did not. There was a cruel and unpleasant edge to his appearance. He made her immediately uneasy

But dealing with unpleasant people was part of her duty as the king’s daughter."

No one can convince me this not Rhaena's pov about Aemond 😭. Now this guy just kills her lover next moment. Cleo and Magnus are so Rhaena and Aemond in other au