Crystal Storm (Falling Kingdoms #5) by Morgan Rhodes

This series has gotten better and better with each book!

Crystal Storm by Morgan Rhodes is the fifth book in my #readfallingkingdoms read-a-thon.

This review contains a lot of SPOILERS!

“The ruthless Empress Amara of Kraeshia has taken the Mytican throne, and now uncertainty looms over the three kingdoms. Since Lucia unleashed the fire Kindred, wreaking havoc throughout the land, Myticans have been looking for someone—anyone—they can trust. They believe in Amara, not knowing her grand promises are built on lies.

In Paelsia, Magnus and Cleo reluctantly follow King Gaius to the home of his exiled mother, Selia. Selia is a powerful witch and claims she can help unlock the magic of the Kindred—if the visitors agree to her terms. When Jonas arrives from Kraeshia, he is shocked to find that his rebel army now includes his sworn enemies. Along with Nic, Felix, and the mysteriously resurrected Ashur, the contentious group agrees to cast aside old grudges—for now—and united against their common enemy: Amara.

Meanwhile, bearing the child of a Watcher and feared by all, Princess Lucia travels across Mytica to find her family. But time is running out. The impending storm signals the dark prophecy Timotheus warned her about. Her fate is written, and it includes none other than the rebel Jonas. When their paths collied, Jonas and Lucia must decide between blindly following their destiny or fighting for their own free will.

The battle for power culminates at the Paelsian palace, where Amara resides. Rain pours. Blood spills. And soon all will discover that the darkest magic comes at an even darker price.“

Is it just me, or is this series beginning to pull a bunch of mind games? King Gaius is now teaming with the good guys?? Or is he…

I feel like every turn of the page brings a new twist to this already intricate story. And I think the biggest change is in King Gaius. We learn a little more about his past and the steps that he took to conquering his love for Cleo’s mom. And this is after we find out that he’s not already dead!

And his lovely mother. Can we honestly blame him for being a little crazy with that woman telling him what to do?

And of course, nothing is as it seems, and everyone can’t be trusted. This is the book that brings up a TON of new questions for the final book. I have maybe twenty different questions in my bookish notes that I am dying to hear the answers to. A few of them get answered throughout this installment, but I think it sets the stage for Immortal Reign.

But the most epic question of all comes from the last page, He buried Magnus alive?!?

When I read that ending, I knew crap hit the fan real quick. After closing the book, I immediately had a mini book hangover, and didn’t dare open the final book until I was able to process all of that.

One, somewhat less stressful, thing that I enjoyed with this one was the relationship between Magnus and Cleo. If you’ve read my other reviews, you already know that they were my top SHIP in this series. Their chemistry makes you want to skip ahead just to see what fights and makeups they will have next.

So what other epic twists happened in this book?

For one, Jonas has some crazy magic now and his situation with Lucia is getting super heated. I’m not a huge fan of the Sanctuary scenes, they somewhat confuse me in that these characters have the power to see the future, but these visions are not set in stone. So when the two uncover the prophecy of the unborn child, I was really shocked to find out that the exact opposite happened.

Just like with the other books, Crystal Storm is no different when it comes to random deaths and gory torture. And what’s with poison being the favorite choice? Thankfully, Cleo didn’t actually follow through with Selia’s plan, but still. If it were me in Mytica, I would stay clear of all wine, no matter how heavenly it supposedly taste.

The last fifty pages of the book are jam-packed with craziness such as the ritual that goes a little haywire, the birth of Lucia’s child, and Magnus’s fate that brought me into a complete eye-bugging moment.

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. I still think Frozen Tides is my favorite installment of the series so far, but I have a bittersweet feeling about what is going to happen next. I always think I have an idea of what’s going to happen, but am still completely shocked when things take that sharp turn for the worst.

Highly recommend this series if you love YA Fantasy, epic twists, and just an all-round, engulfing series.

Discussion Questions:

Did you feel like this book brought up a lot of questions?
What are your thoughts on Selia?
How did you feel about that ending?
Did you always see Magnus and Cleo together?
What do you think about Lucia and Jonas?

Published: 13 December 2016

Publisher: Razorbill

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Pages: 379

How I Read It: Library Hardcover

I am currently finished reading the series, so stay tuned for my final review of the series with, Immortal Reign!

Make sure you post your progress using #readfallingkingdoms.

In case you missed it, here are the prior reviews in the series:

If you enjoyed reading along with me, feel free to leave your comments below! What were your favorite parts of this book?

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