Gathering Darkness: A Falling Kingdoms Novel

A week after the disaster at the end of the last book, Jonas is trying to figure out if any rebel made it out alive, even if it was by king Gaius's guards' hands. But as he is interrogating a guard more show up around them. Jonas is close to either being dead or captured to be tortured and killed when a new player, Felix, walks into the scene. He simply asks Jonas if he wants them to help each other, and since Jonas would rather trust a stranger than die he says yes. With his help, Jonas manages to get the information he wanted, that 4 of his rebels are locked up waiting execution, before Felix kills the man. He kind of reminds me of Nicokai, from the Grisha series, with his easy smiles and love/penchant for danger. He gives Jonas hope and a stronger will to fight, now that he has no one else and it was his fault... King Gaius doesn't trust Ashur and Amara, thinks they want to steal from him but he has no idea that a person closer to him wants that too, hates him after finding out he was the one to have orquestrated his mother's murder. Magnus has to do his best to control his hate, even when his father praises him, and so he leaves to a corner where he thinks he can be alone with his thoughts. But Cleo is there too, and asks some questions about Aron, that hateful bastard, who is thankfully dead thanks to Magnus. Cleo can glimpse, at least, his lies but the fact that he says Aron died in battle and then fumbled a little with his hate didn't help. Amara is terrible in many ways and both princesses dislike her and mistrust her. She's rude to Lucia and Cleo saying the things that come to her mind in the breeziest tone as if they weren't absolutely wrong to say aloud to them. And she's playing a game with Magnus, trying to coax him to her side, since her brother alienated Magnus already. But Magnus is smart enough to understand that she's playing a game with him when she kisses him. Even though Lucia is reticent about Cleo's intentions she invites the princess to be her guide to the city. Lucia has her father's poor advice about taking what she wants no matter who stands in her way in her head and her thoughts are very entitled, especially when she talks about the extravance of the city and how her father owns it. And I'll be honest it's a little annoying. Meanwhile, in the Sanctuary, Alexius is suffering with Melenia since she spelled him to loyalty and he can't even think about betraying her that he experiences agonizing pain! And even when she kills a member of the council, who let's be honest was greedy and stupid, he can't say anything against her. He can't speak to Lucia because of her, can barely do anything the woman does not approve of! Poor Alexius... Even though he got himself into this mess because he was only thinking about helping Lucia. Nic hates his life at the palace and he wants to leave. But as soon as he sees Cleo and she hugs him and apologizes, his will to leave fades. Cleo tells him all about the things she knows, the prophecy, Lucia, all of it. And Nic thinks it would be wise to form an alliance with Ashur and Amara. And then he tells her about the kiss. Cleo is very practical thinking that's the reason behind Ashur not having married yet and that they can use it to get information on him and restore her throne. As many misgivings and doubts as Nic has he helps Cleo no matter what. While Cleo is walking the palace corridors she comes across the king and Magnus, and stops to eavesdrop on their conversation about the "mad man" who attacked her and Magnus on their wedding tour saying he was acting according to a Watcher's will, and who is still alive even though he should have been executed long ago. But as she turns to leave a guard is there and he throws her inside a dark room, causing her a mild panic attack. And then in comes Magnus, not letting her leave, not dismissing her but taking her for the threat she can actually be. After complaining so much, to herself, about how Magnus wasn't speaking to her, Lucia sure was a b**** when he finally came to talk to her! Like a proper older brother, he is worried about Cleo's intentions toward his sister but Lucia doesn't want nor like it so they end up arguing. Magnus is called by the king to assist to the questioning of Lysandra's brother, Gregor. At first the man says nothing but as soon as his sister is brought into the room he relents and tells the king all he knows. He even tries to bargain for his and his sister's lives! But to no avail. The king has his head cut off right then and there. Lysandra's pain is unbearable... When the king says he had to do it, Magnus loses his mind and starts attacking him, letting slip what he knows about his mother's murder. And then his father tells him something so shocking Magnus it leaves reeling and with no reaction, in the end... While the rebels are waiting for a meeting Nerissa comes with a note from Cleo about the king and the Kindred and news that two of his friends died trying to escape the prison while the other two are going to be executed. Nic was on his way to Ashur and Amara's villa when two horrible guards intercept him and beat the crap out of him, having every intention of ending his life! But they are interrupted by the Kraeshians, who take him to their new house. And immediately start asking questions. Just when I think I'm going to start warming up to them, especially Amara (who I find extremely rude and annoying), she completely derails that train by passing her father's wishes (better read as full on demands) of taking two of the magical crystals for themselves as well as Limeros and Paelsia while allowing Cleo her kingdom and the other two crystals! And Amara says this as if it's the most logical thing on earth and not threatening at all! Bragging, because that's basically what she did, that her father's armada could take Mytica from Gaius easily but not without heavy bloodshed is a horrible way of convincing someone to make an alliance with you! So Nic leaves determined to set Cleo against the Kraeshians, at least for the time being. After her brother's death Lysandra is completely dead inside, wishing for her death, glad to have her life ending so she doesn't have to live with this pain is the absolute hardest thing I've ever read... But when the king starts his speech her fire starts igniting. And then things start to explode and panic ensues! Jonas and Felix, with a little help from Nic who gave them uniforms, rescue Lysandra and Tarus. Her fire starts burning as bright as before again! Lucia falls from the dais into the crowd and her family and guards don't notice it. She is dragged by the crowd to the city outside the palace walls and loses her way until she suddenly finds Amara (queue the eye roll). Lucia finds the arsonist behind the attack and follows him, with Amara, since there is no guard in sight. Amara knows she's magic and Lucia thinks she can instill fear in emperator Cortas with her display. But Amara is delighted at that! Happy to have found another part of the puzzle. And when Lucia gets answers about who the boy was helping but can't kill him, because her suddenly bad thoughts wake her to reality, and so Amara kills him for her. But more surprising than that is that Lucia finds Alexius on the street. He's exiled himself on Melenia's orders and even killed Xantus for killing Phaedra. Lucia walks with him to the palace and the king receives him with open arms, since he says he was sent by Melenia, and is now her new tutor. Magnus hates that and gets drunk so the captain of the guard, Cronus, has to go get him. On their way back they pass by a temple where Cleo is and Magnus walks in. He tries to rile her up but she has a conversation with him about how they could work together to defeat his father and all that. He starts to spill secrets, how Lucia is adopted, how the rumors about his feelings for her are true, how he dreams of Cleo... But Magnus has a moment of cruelty, since he's made himself so vulnerable already and Cleo made him realize that he has been protecting her, and they walk away. Lucia is so childish sometimes and so damn annoying! For example, Alexius says she doesn't know how strong she is and her answer is that she's strong. That is not what he said, woman! Honestly! It's getting really annoying to interact with her, and especially to read her chapters! And she's so focused on her destiny and how she's been prophesied and will save the world and blah blah blah that she doesn't even pause for a moment to think things through! She has a very high and mighty opinion of herself and it's not pleasant anymore. Hell, she gets a tad upset with Cleo for interrupting her "Alexius time". And speaking of Cleo, I agreed with her when she said the best way to protect the ring was to hide it in plain sight, but it had been bringing so much attention and trouble to Cleo lately that maybe it was the wrong choice. Because now Alexius told the truth about the ring to Lucia and Cleo, how it is the key to finding and awakening the Kindred, and Cleo has no other choice but to pretend not to know and to give Lucia the ring so she can complete her destiny and exaust herself while doing it because she refuses to heed Alexius's warnings. Cleo, Lucia and Alexius make up a lie and go to the temple, and since Magnus doesn't trust his sister's companions, he follows them. When Alexius tries to summon the Kindred, nothing happens. That's when Magnus notices the earth symbol already drawn on the ground. Have I said that I dislike Lucia? Because I dislike her so much. Alexius tells Lucia that only three people knew the location of the crystals thus putting the blame all on Cleo, and yeah he's not wrong, but Lucia nearly kills Cleo because of it and it's freaking terrifying! Besides, the good sorceress decides that she will try the locating spell all by her lonesome and it's too much, things get out of control. And then she's falling into what I'm going to call a fever dream. She dreams of Melenia, Cleiona, Valoria and Eva. Melenia drained Eva’s magic so she couldn't escape and ordered the other two to take the crystals. That was her mistake because the crystals hurt and embedded themselves in Cleiona and Valoria, leaving Melenia with nothing. I've never felt so close to skipping a character's POV than after Lucia and Alexius share a bed! I feel like I'm going to throw up! And the stupid immortal asks her to run away with him and marry him, and she says yes! She's a child in so many ways! sSe's running away to Limeros to be married at the temple and claim the crystal. That's not a rash decision or anything. The king suggests to Magnus that he marry Amara to suspend the impending attack from her kingdom so that Gaius can get the Kindred and extinguish them. Magnus laughs in his face! And he's the rational one, saying that is putting a band-aid over the problem, that the emperor would have laughed too because of various reasons. Besides, there's Cleo to deal with,but his father has a solution to that. Cleo was seen by someone interacting with Jonas and that's why he locked her in the dungeon. He wants Magnus to interrogate her after which she's to be executed. I don't think Magnus would have allowed that even if Cleo hadn't mentioned that she knew where Lucia and Alexius might have eloped to. Also he very vehemently dislikes his father's captain of the guard, Cronus, so he kills him just before he can kill Cleo, and also kills the other guard, running with Cleo away from the palace and towards Limeros. Magnus doesn't talk to Cleo during their trip north, but after she accepts the shelter of a nice Lady and they are alone in their room, she confronts him at last. About why he saved her when his life would be easier if she were out of the picture. And Magnus says the most beautiful thing he could in that moment, basically saying she's the only light in the darkness that is his life! And they end up kissing!!! But then are interrupted by stupid Amara, who found them and brought guards, her brother and Nic. They want the Kindred and since Nic's life is on the line Cleo can't help but blurt where the water one is... Jonas gets the earth and air crystals but not the fire one, because that one is now a person, while the other three are still in crystal form. He also receives news that Cleo and Magnus are gone and that Felix works for the king. Except the story that he told was true and Jonas should have first asked him about it instead of assuming the worse and going straight for the kill. Maybe if he had he'd still have both crystals and his friend! Think for a minute before you act, Jonas! Well, Alexius stabs Lucia thanks to Melenia's spell but he stalls iit for as long as he can and tells her that her blood is the key to release Melenia from her prison so she can claim the Kindred for herself. Lucia refuses to kill him so he stabs himself and tells her what's to come before he dies... When Ashur, Amara, Cleo and Magnus get to the Temple of Valoria, neither Lucia nor Alexius are there. The Kindred is summoned but nothing happens. And then Magnus notices the mark on the floor and Nic comes out of nowhere with the crystal and the backing of Ashur! Even though this book made me doubt him a lot, and thinking back it was mostly when he was with his sister that hateful b****!, I like him a lot. And I hate her even more for deceiving her brother, making him think she regretted the things she'd done so she'd get close to him and stab him and twist the knife! Then she ordered Cleo, Nic and Magnus dead and escapes with the crystal Nic dropped in shock. Magnus fights the guards after they denied his negotiation attempt and was on the verge of being killed with Cleo killed the last guard. And then there was the sweet, sweet realization that Magnus came to: he is in love with Cleo. At first I felt like this came out of nowhere but in truth he had been obsessing over Cleo since the beginning! Her actions, the way she thought, what she could be schemming. Lucia goes to the Limerian palace and summons the fire God. The one Melenia was in love with and who so coldly rejects her when she sees him there with Lucia. This strong and powerful woman was reduced to nothing in his presence! And Lucia took her magic, killed her, and aligned with the fire God to watch the world burn. I sincerely missed this world and characters! It had been too long since I read this series and coming back to it felt wonderful! The plot developed beautifully, the characters were (mostly) amazing and it keeps on having great twists! I absolutely loved it!

Same as the first two books in the series, this one was full of twists and turns I did not expect, and I loved it. I care for most of these characters so deeply, and I am grateful that I am able to experience this journey with them. I love the plot, I love the characters. Looking back to the first book, I never would have imagined how this story is going to develop. I love it when a book surprises me, and when I can't predict what is going to happen, and that is defnitely the case with this series. These characters never cease to amaze me. The fourth book in the series is already ordered. I can't wait to jump back into this story! It was fantastic. 5/5 stars