Title: Rebel Spring
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Series: Falling Kingdoms #2
Release Date: December 3, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 416 pages
Publisher: Razorbill Canada
Source: ARC received from publisher in exchange for honest review

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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.


Fantasy has quickly become one of my favorite genres to read, especially in YA, because there is such a spectrum to chose from. Morgan Rhodes was an author I was familiar only because of her pen name; Michelle Rowen. I loved Michelle's writing, but when I saw that she was writing a new series under a new name, I was very intrigued. And I am so glad I started it because Falling Kingdoms, which came out last year, was one of my favorite fantasies of that year. You can read my review here.

Rebel spring opens right where Falling Kingdoms leaves off. And I will admit that I had forgotten most of what happened in the first book because I read it so long ago, but I will tell you this, Morgan Rhodes does a great job of slowly revealing what happened before, without info-dumping. This is something i always look for in sequels because I think it is very important, especially to someone who does remember most of what happened. You don't want to bore them right off the bat.

This second installment was fantastic for many reasons, because it is told from many different perspectives (like Falling Kingdoms) but I thought that this time around there was so much more substance to each character. Especially Magnus, who I seriously hated in the first book, but grew to like in this one. He is such a complicated character and you that in this book. You discover what he has to deal with internally and with the expectations of his heartless father.

Celia was another character who I loved in this novel, not because her and Magnus were so connected in this book, but because she grew so much, and we her having to deal with feelings she never thought she would have to feel. It was great to see the evolution of her relationship with Magnus, because it goes from one spectrum to the other over the coarse of the book, and i loved that.

Rebel Spring doesn't leave anything to be desired as far as death and mystery are concerned. We get plenty of both in this sequel. And seeing how shocked I was with certain deaths in Falling Kingdoms, she does the same with Rebel Spring. I don't think any character is safe from her, and I am scared of what will happened in the next book! But I still cannot wait. This series is filled with romance, mystery and so much betrayal that you will no be able to put it down. I guarantee it.