Book Review: When Kingdoms Fall by Callie Dahl

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy
Length: 473 pages
Author: Callie Dahl
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: May 13th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Men feared monsters. Yet fear made men do monstrous things.

The gods are gone, leaving three races divided, broken, and without balance.
All that remains is a curse.
One to haunt and devour the mortals for their unholy betrayal.

A Mortal Girl. . .

Traifton has two rules: Never leave the safety of the walls and never enter the Wylan Woods. Those who enter never return.
Willa Thesalor is left with an impossible choice. Be killed by the monsters hiding beneath pretty lies and faces, or enter the woods and face its woes.

An Elf Prince. . .

Kauis Sylpetor is a prince with no kingdom to rule. He can feel his immortality and magic slipping slowly from his grasp. When the royal elf finds himself back in the cursed land of Kalandrae, he discovers something more addicting than his plans for retribution. Power. But to attain it, he must make a bargain and risk sacrificing all he has ever known and loved in the process.

A Fae Prince. . .

Sorean Valkian is a troubled prince with rare and unruly magic. He is days away from becoming the king of a hidden realm. Before taking the crown, Sorean must confirm the whispers about the worsening Wylan Woods. And why his mother has kept their kingdom off of the maps for centuries. But heavy is the bearer of a secret crown once Sorean uncovers more questions than answers within the god’s tainted lands.

When Kingdoms Fall is a New Adult Fantasy series intended for audiences 18+ and older. This is book 1 in a series

IMPRESSED.

Took a chance on this fantasy debut and I am HOOKED. I enjoyed this one so much!! It was interesting, had a romance set-up that I love and a story line I’m very curious about.

For the romance, I actually love (especially in a series) when there isn’t a rush to adding steam. It’s a very slow burn here, frankly I don’t know quite where it’s going and that’s my favorite part!! I’m getting to know the characters and dynamics and it makes my attachment level deeper. I can’t wait to see where this goes.

The plot kept me engaged and this seems to set-up the series really well. I liked the multiple points of view. I liked the conflicting sides of humans vs. elves vs. fae. The world building was spaced out well and the magic system connects well too. My only little ‘eh’ thing was the first half of the book I thought the chapters felt a little choppy. Each new chapter jumped kind of oddly and it took me a bit to get the groove. I do think this went away in the later half of the book.

I’m excited for book two and think this was a fantastic debut. I hope this review convinces you to take a chance too!

Overall audience notes:

Fantasy
Language: some strong
Romance: two super brief scenes
Violence: high
Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of life, kidnapping, creature attacks, near death experiences, physical and magical altercations