War brought them together. Love will tear them apart.
Auranos has been conquered and the three kingdoms—Auranos,
Limeros, and Paelsia—are now unwillingly united as one country
called Mytica. But alluring, dangerous magic still beckons, and
with it the chance to rule not just Mytica, but the world. . . .
* CLEO is now a prisoner in her own palace, forced to be an
ambassador for Mytica as the evil King Gaius lies to her people
* MAGNUS stands to eventually inherit the new kingdom but is
still obsessed with his feelings for his adopted sister, Lucia
* LUCIA is haunted by the deadly outcome of her breathtaking
display of magic that allowed her her to capture the kingdoms
* JONAS watches at the palace gates, a troop of rebels behind
him, waiting for him to tell them how he plans to overtake King
Gaius
When Gaius announces that a road is to be built into the
Forbidden ains, formally linking all of Mytica together, he
sets off a chain of cataclysmic events that will forever change
the face of this land.
Praise for Falling Kingdoms
“From an opening dripping with blood, magic, and betrayal through
complex interweaving plots detailing treachery, deceit, and
forbidden love, this novel . . . will immediately engage readers
and keep them intrigued.”—Booklist
“[It] will gut you emotionally . . . make you ache, cry, and beg
for the sequel as you turn the last page. I absolutely loved
it.”—Julie Kagawa, New York Times bestselling author of The Iron
Queen
“This triple-layered tale of bloodshed, heartbreak, and tangled
court intrigue kept me turning pages very late into the
night.”—Lesley Livingston, author of Wondrous Strange and
Starling
Richelle Mead, bestselling author of the Vampire Academy and
Bloodlines series, sits down with Morgan Rhodes to talk
about Rebel Spring, the much-anticipated second book in her
bestselling Falling Kingdoms series.
Richelle Mead: Morgan Rhodes (aka Michelle Rowen) has been my
friend for a number of years. We've hung out together at
conferences and swooned over each other's books. When she was
able to work on Vampire Academy: The Ultimate Guide, I couldn't
believe how lucky I was to have someone who was already a fan of
the VA world and whose writing I personally loved. I'm just as
excited about her Falling Kingdoms series and couldn't resist
this chance to ask her some questions about Rebel Spring, the
next book in the series!
Morgan Rhodes: I was thrilled for the chance to write the VA
Ultimate Guide! I remember Richelle telling me there were plans
for the book and I piped up with: “I totally want to write that!”
And what fun it was to delve back into a series that I loved (and
am still in love with thanks to the wonderful Bloodlines
spinoff). I’m counting down the days for the VA movie! Richelle
is not only a friend, but one of my very favorite authors, so
it’s a real honor to be interviewed by her about Rebel Spring.
RM: So without further ado, let’s start talking about the new
book. The world of Falling Kingdoms is so vivid and detail-rich.
When it comes to world-building for these novels, where do you
get your inspiration?
MR: I get my inspiration from pretty much everywhere, although
I’m visually inspired by some of my favorite TV shows and movies,
which run the gamut from Lord of the Rings to The Princess
Bride to Game of Thrones, to name just a few.
RM: At the end of Falling Kingdoms, things are looking pretty
bleak in Mytica. Is it fair to say that Rebel Spring will be
quite a bit darker than book 1?
MR: The stakes have been raised and sharpened, for sure. Blood
will spill and lives will be lost. But I don’t think I would ever
want to write a book that was unrelentingly bleak from beginning
to end. I can promise that Rebel Spring contains plenty of comic
and romance to counterbalance the darker bits.
RM: The Falling Kingdoms books are written from multiple POVs,
and each of your narrators has such a unique voice and
perspective. How does your experience vary from POV to POV? Are
there some characters that are more difficult than others? Do you
have a favorite?
MR: It’s been a wonderful and exciting challenge to write in
multiple points of view from my diverse cast. I will admit, some
POVs are always a joy to write and others prove to be a
challenge. I try to put myself in the head of that character and
see the world from their eyes, no matter who they are or what
their goals are. I get into the heads of a couple different
characters in Rebel Spring, including a villain who definitely
sees things from a darker angle than anything I’ve written before
– which was fun. The characters whose scenes I most look forward
to writing since they are very specific personalities and
basically take over and make things easier for me are Cleo and
Magnus. They tend to surprise me while the other characters
usually stick to the outline!
RM: Let’s talk body count. You’re very good at making me fall in
love with your characters, but you’re also very good at killing
them off when I least expect it. How do you decide the who, how,
when, and why when it comes to killing off your characters?
MR: I never knew how much I enjoyed killing characters until I
started writing this series. *evil grin* However! I like to think
those who get the ax (sometimes, um, literally) are necessary
deaths. It’s all for a purpose, to change another character in
the face of their shock and grief, to lead them down a path they
never would have taken before, and to spark a desire for
revolution and vengeance in the hearts of those who might
previously have been passive and peaceful. Plus, I always think
when things seem a bit too ideal and characters are getting too
comfortable, it’s a good time to get a few heads rolling to keep
things interesting for readers – and for me as the writer!
RM: What’s going on with Magnus? He seems like kind of a jerk
in Falling Kingdoms, but I get the sense he’s got a soft spot.
MR: With a her like King Gaius, whose nickname is the “King of
Blood,” it would be pretty hard for a prince to grow up as a nice
dude with a sunny disposition! Magnus really came alive on the
page for me, more so than any other character in the cast.
Initially, he was supposed to be a jerk through and through, but
he’s really more of a lost soul whose entire life has been
devoted to attempting to gain his cruel and driven her’s love
and respect. However, Magnus has be to learn that he might
have a different set of morals than the king, even though he
knows following in Daddy’s footsteps would make life easier for
him. This isn’t to say that Magnus hasn’t made (and will make)
some rather dreadful decisions that will certainly cast a shadow
over his future relationships and experiences.
RM: Jonas has a lot of axes to grind by the end of book 1. What
can we expect from him in Rebel Spring?
MR: I think the main thing with Jonas is that beneath his thirst
for vengeance (focused on both the murderer of his brother Aron
and King Gaius) is that he really does mean well. He cares about
the people of downtrodden Paelsia, and he’s someone, unlike his
fellow countrymen, who doesn’t believe his future is ruled by
uncontrollable e. In Rebel Spring, Jonas has been thrust into
the position of rebel leader, which will be a challenge for him
on many levels.
RM: Okay, ultimate personality test: Are you a Cleo or a Lucia?
MR: Both are princesses from vastly different kingdoms and
upbringings – Cleo is a girl who has favored parties and
frivolity in the past, while Lucia prefers learning and solitude.
Cleo is stubborn and sometimes reckless, and Lucia is more
measured and controlled, but may be considered naïve in many
ways. I wouldn’t say I’m much like either princess, really,
although I am blond like Cleo and I love books like Lucia. :)
RM: Lastly, can you talk a little bit about your writing
process?
MR: It would be next to impossible to undertake a large tapestry
of a series like Falling Kingdoms if I didn’t plan a lot of it
ahead of time. I work from a detailed outline and out
character goals and conflicts and relationship arcs, but I’m
still surprised by some of the things my characters say and do
that can take me in a direction different from what was
meticulously planned. So far, it’s been a lot of fun to explore
these unexpected paths to see where they lead.