"Even in the darkest and most cruel person, there is still a kernel of good. And within the most perfect champion, there is also darkness. The question is, will one give in to the dark or the light? It's something we decide with every choice we make, every day that we exist." 
 Falling Kingdoms is about 3 kingdoms on the brink of war, pushed over the edge by a man from Auranos who kills in the name of privilege and leaves a kingdom and a brother mourning the loss of an innocent man. The rest of the book spirals into a fight for land, freedom, love, and vengeance for those lost. 
 While this book was really interesting and I really liked the plot, I still didn't feel attached to many of the characters, especially at the beginning. However, the character development that occurred within the first book, especially with Cleo, Jonas, and Lucia, has me really excited to read the rest of the books in the series, which I hear only gets better. 
 Overall, I thought the characters were a little spontaneous and some of the scenes were a little confusing, but I found that a lot of the plot twists worked well and successfully set up the series for Rebel Spring. I especially liked the overlaps between characters from the three kingdoms and that even small interactions were hinted to evolve into something greater in the future. There was action, devastation, power struggles, shifting family dynamics, sparking relationships, and magic. What's not to like?