Gathering Darkness
ISBN-13: 9781595147066
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date: 11/24/2015
Series: Falling Kingdoms Series #3
Pages: 448
Author: Morgan Rhodes
It starts out right after the attack on the camp in Paelsia, Jonas is being captured by Limerian guards when a man named Felix comes to his rescue. Jonas and Felix form a bond of friendship and try to come up with a plan to free his fellow rebels.
In Auranos, Prince Ashur is joined by his sister Amara to help find the Kindred for themselves. The king grows weary of their presence in his kingdom. Cleo and Lucia are becoming friends even though Lucia is not so sure about Cleos sudden need to be friends. Lucia still find comfort in Cleo being near her for reasons she is not quite sure of. She tells Cleo about the watcher who visited her in her sleep, and how she wonders if she will ever see him again. Alexius has been kept in the sanctuary due to Melenia’s draining powers, and her obedience spell. Nic tells Cleo of the kiss that Ashur placed upon him and is freaking out about its meaning. Cleo urges him to try and get more information from them. Nerissa, Cleo new handmaiden and Jonas’ rebel intell on the inside of the castle, has been passing messages back and forth for Cleo and Jonas. Cleo and Jonas meet at the temple and they come to a very unpleasant agreement.
King Gaius has started to question Gregor about his dream with the watcher who visited him, while Magnus watches. The king feels he is holding back information so he brings in Lysandra, Gregor’s sister and a rebel member who was captured after the raid in Paelsia, the king threatens to kill her. Gregor, fearing for his sister’s life, spills everything the watcher told him. The king finds that he is no longer useful and decides to have him executed right in front of Lysandra. Once broken they carry Lysandra back to the dungeon without any fight. Magnus tells the king that he does not approve of the way he handled the situation and that his way is not always right, just like he had the queen killed. The King comes clean to Magnus and flips his whole world upside down.
Lysandra and Tarus, the last remaining rebels in the dungeon, are sent to the courtyard to be publicly executed. But before any heads are chopped, an explosion happens and fire erupts from every where. People run screaming and that is when Jonas and Felix run to the rescue and get Lysandra ad Tarus out of harm’s way, but with the help of a very nice guard. When the explosion struct Lucia was knocked off from the balcony her and her family was standing on watching. She was lost in the screaming crowd. On the way back to the castle she sees the boy of her dreams, none other than Alexius. He tells her he has exiled himself for her.
Once back at the castle Lucia and Alexius are brought before the king and Magnus, who freaks out and is instantly jealous of Alenius. Alexius tells the king he was sent here by Melenia and the king welcomes him with open arms as Lucia magic teacher. Once by in Lucia’s room Cleo is introduced to Alexius, who notices the ring she wears is Eva’s ring. Lucia starts to question their friendship and whether or not she knew about the truth of the ring. Once Cleo gives her the ring they all watch as she awakens 3 of the 4 Kindred crystals, before Alexius forces her to stop. Lucia, Cleo, and Alexius set out to find the first crystal located at the Temple of Cleiona, Magnus follows them but does not make it too far before being caught by them and joining them in the search. When they get to the temple they find that the stone has already been taken. They return to the castle and later on Alexius tells Lucia that Melenia had watcher watch the temple and knows who took the crystal.
Cleo comes to Lucia’s room to see how she is doing, but to find out she is not welcome after being almost killed. She flees the room and starts to run for her own just to be captured by the guards and taken to the dungeon. Lucia seeks out Alexius to comfort her and he comes up with the idea for them to run away and get married at the Temple of Valoria. The king tells Magnus that a lord had seen Cleo speaking with Jonas at the Temple of Cleiona and demands that he question her himself then for Cornus, the kings head guard who always carries out the king’s order no matter what. Magnus is on his way to the dungeon when he receives a letter saying Lucia and Alexius have eloped and not to worry about her. Cleo pretends she has done nothing wrong and tells Magnus that she does not trust Alexius and knows where they ran off to. Magnus fights their way out and they take off after Lucia and Alexius. Nic who is on guard at a party the king is throwing sees Ashur and Amara and overhears that they are leaving the party, he also notices a bunch of the guards have left also. He catches word that the Princess and Prince have come up missing along with Cleo and that the guards are to capture Ashur and Amara and take them to the king. Nic sneaks out and heads straight for the home that Ashur and Amara are staying at to warn them.Once there he learns a dark secret about the twins and see a whole new side of them and he does not like it.
Cleo and Magnus arrive in Limeros and meet a friendly face who tells them there is a storm coming and they can stay with her. Once there Cleo and Magnus get into an intense moment but not to far into the moment they are disturbed by a knock on the door, and to their surprise it is none other than Ashur and Amara. They threaten the life of Nic and Cleo spills the truth about the crystal and where to find it. They make a birgan that if they take them to the temple and give them the crystal Nic will be set free. Once at the temple, after taking a long long ride to get there. They notice dead bodies all around the outside of the temple huge shards of ice cover the ground. On the inside of the temple two huge pools of blood cover the floor. Cleo tells Amara that they have to search for the crystal and it could take a while. Amara already knows about the blood circle and orders a guard to slit Cleo’s arm and perform the ritual. They wait for something to happen, but then Magnus see it, another circle already drawn. Nic appears at the door holding the crystal and hands it to Ashur. Ashur demands the guards not to listen to his sister any more and is to only take orders from him. He does not like this side of her and has been plotting with Nic to stop her rampage for power. Amara seems to understand and apologises to her brother and goes to give him a huge. Once in the warm embrace Amara pulls out a dagger and sinks it deep into her brother. She then takes the crystal and tells them that she will let her father know how Magnus killed her dear brother. She then leaves demanding the last two guards to kill them all.
Nic still stuck in a state of shock hold Ashur as he dies in his arms. Magnus starts to fight his way out, and Cleo tries to make the first move and end up getting shoved off and hits her head on the marble table. The guards laugh as her body lies on the floor Magnus becomes distracted by her lifeless body, his arm gets broken and while the guard is telling him how he will take pleasure in his death. He does not notice a dagger that is plunged through his back straight to his heart. Magnus looks to see his hero Cleo standing there staring at him eyes wide. They must now leave, Nic once again begs Cleo to come with him but she cannot leave her people. Instead she tells Nic to go find his own path and repair his broken heart.
Once at the castle Magnus claims his throne and gets a note about his father’s whereabouts, for he is no longer in the land of Mytica. Once at the castle we learn the reason for the blood pools in the Temple and the dead bodies that now lay around it. We learn the true message of the Kindred and the last words of someone who will no longer be seen again. We get ready to watch the world burn!
ReviewCan I just start by saying that my faith has been restored. It’s like everything in the last book that I thought was complete trash was taken straight out of the book. It has moved away from the “Game of Thrones” path and has started its own story. I am holding on to every word as I read now. I am listen intently and dieing to make it to the next page. No more boring dialog, except for the first like 50 pages. No more wasting away while reading the entire book. Now there is actual drama and major plot points that evolve actual action not just boring conversation after boring conversation. I was very happy with reading this book, so much different than the second and first book. It like Morgan just completely had a mid life crisis and was like I need to change everything.
In this book the bond between Magnus and Cleo get so intense and I am just like dieing here. Morgan is so being a major tease here. She lets them kiss and shows that they both care for each other, but they refuse to admit it to each other. I just want them to be together so bad and yet i’m here still waiting, still reading. It keeps you so sucked in before you know it you’re just here waiting every chapter for it to happen. Lucia you are waiting to see what becomes of her darkness and what Alexius is truly hiding from her. You feel bad for her you do, but another part of you hates her and hope she gets what is coming to her. I like her but hate her a the same time.
Morgan Rhodes has done justice in this book and has brought me happy enjoyment reading this book. I can give this book a hot 4.3/5! I loved the action, the drama, the plot, the characters. I just loved it. I cannot give the whole 5/5 because it still does need something. It just feels like the climax is not fully there. Like I get hyped about waiting for the next book and am dieing to read the rest of the story but another part of me is just like cool okay. It is very hard to explain sorry if it sounds confusing, but once you read this book I think you will understand
Advertisements Spread the Madness- More
