FROZEN TIDES by Morgan Rhodes
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.
Title: FROZEN TIDES
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Series: Falling Kingdoms #4
Source: Christmas Present (I think from Costco but ??)
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: December 15, 2015
Rating: 5/5 stars
Purchase:
This is book four in a series! There will be spoilers for books 1-3. You can see my NON-SPOILER REVIEW of the Falling Kingdoms series here!
I have zero thoughts right now except OH MY GOSH WHAT JUST HAPPENED. Packed with great twists and turns, FROZEN TIDES will not disappoint. It has deception, political intrigue, and badass ladies.
I don't want to spoil anything about this book, so I will be giving you a lowdown about why this series is good. One of the best parts of the FALLING KINGDOMS series is that every action has a consequence. If you do something, whether it be good or evil, it will bite you in the ass. And that is awesome because no one is safe. Even people you think "ah nah, Rhodes can't kill them" die. EVERYONE DIES. And it's great! And while, yes, female characters die to cause pain for men, male characters die to cause pain for females! Again, NO ONE IS SAFE. When it is compared to the A Song of Ice and Fire series, it isn't lying in that respect. Don't get attached because they will probably die in the next chapter.
The characters are all really well developed. Everyone has the right amount of inner conflict about who to trust and why that it makes them so real and lifelike. But the characters are all in this with eyes wide open and really starting to understand that anything they do could end up with them or people they love killed. This makes their choices even more terrifying and tense because you see that whatever path they take could literally end in someone's death. And this makes it so tense and difficult for us as readers because we know that these characters realize that their choices are going to cause them pain and we don't want any of them to be in pain.
Cleo is getting to be a stronger character with each book. It is really clear to me (and I would assume the other readers) that Cleo has the strongest story arc because she can influence so much. She has the most control and I think she is finally starting to realize it. I loved that she is really becoming her own woman. I think one of the twists at the end is going to crush her in the next couple of books, but I am really excited to see where it leads her. I think she would be a great ruler, especially with Magnus at her side.
I think we are finally seeing Magnus's full potential. Or at least what it could be once he gets his act together. He had so much inner conflict at the beginning of this book, but I am so glad he finally figured it out at the end. I liked seeing him in a ruling position because it gave him the confidence he needed to be true to his heart. Freeing Cleo in the last book might have been the hardest decision of his life, but I think he is enjoying the benefits, if you know what I mean. I know I am sure enjoying the benefits.
I really like the turn of events for Lucia because it showed us how absolute power can corrupt people. But it also showed how compassion can change someone's heart, even when they have it set in one direction. I am not sure how I feel about her current story line however. I feel like it was a little rushed and is just a bit awkward because it makes sense but it also doesn't at the same time. It was also clear it was going to happen after her one dream/encounter in dream world.
However, Jonas feels like he is lacking a bit of purpose right now. I feel like he is just bringing us from place to place to connect the dots without really adding anything himself. He keeps showing up places after the conflict and story is over in that section to tell us that this particular story and conflict is over. I want more out of him, but I think he is finally in the heart of things now with this little ship ride he's taking.
I thought that a lot of what was revealed during the course of the book made sense and wasn't just thrown in there out of nowhere. It is clear to me that Rhodes has this story plotted out to the last detail and is subtly trying to show us where she is headed. One of the things I liked about GATHERING DARKNESS was that it didn't feel like the conclusion of a trilogy and the bridge to the "next" trilogy, but rather it added more to the story. And again FROZEN TIDES continues the story and pushes the reader deeper into the world of Mytica without feeling as though it drags us along at a slow pace. Everything has a purpose in this story and isn't thrown in haphazardly.
The last ten pages had twist after twist and I'm still taking some time to process them, but I think I have some things semi-figured out. There are some things that could go one way or another, but I am hoping it goes the way I want it to. I think the next book will be very interesting with the coming together of a couple characters and SOME GHOSTS HAVE COME BACK FROM THE PAST. I am just REALLY EXCITED FOR THE NEXT BOOK. I am repeating myself over and over again, but if you haven't started this series, do it now.
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