I will definitely be rereading this book again soon. I feel as thought I may have read it to fast. That’s a new feeling for me. I love the premise. It’s very original and the characterizations make this story so compelling. The world building is lush and the pacing is perfect. There is so much diversity in this book! Something so rare! This is a book that has a little bit of everything.  If you want something new, fresh, and diverse, this is a great read!

I love the concept of necromancy, so I knew I had to read this book! (The bisexuality rep was an excellent bonus!)

Reign of the Fallen follows Odessa, one of Karthia’s top necromancers on a dangerous journey. The Necromancers retrieve the souls of the dead from a shadow world called the Deadlands and raise them, so yeah… we got living/deadly things heh 😅.

The only reason why I don’t read a lot of fantasy is because the world building and all the new things we are introduced on in that FIRST book of a series, tends to confuse me or bores me. BUT THIS WAS NOT THE CASE! The story intrigued me right from the start! We get a glimpse of how intense (and dangerous) necromancy is, and we see badass, smart, and strong women! The heroine is pure awesome, the world building is PHENOMENAL, aaaand there’s death, dark monsters and soooo many more amazing fantasy elements! 🙌🏽

Skip this part if you don’t want any “romance” spoilery things… but… WOWOWOWOW! I never expected to be okay with a character having a crush on their *recently dead partner*’s sister but YUP! The romance is THAT interesting. Omg, did I just say that the romance is interesting in a fantasy book? This book is definitely different! 😱

eign of the Fallen was one of my most anticipated 2018 reads. Necromancers have always been a point of fascination for me, and the mention of a bisexual main character as well as other representation of the LGBTQIA community piqued my excitement.

Right from the start, the world of Karthia is nuanced with different ways of honoring the dead. Flowers used in ceremonies in different parts of the world are mentioned here. The Deadlands, a world that exists side by side with Karthia, are a beautiful yet surreal place. Its landscape always changes and, while a place for the spirits to live, is a midway point to some other realm beyond. The book is a beautiful acknowledgement of death. In some cultures, death is feared because it's the unknown. The dead are buried and sometimes forgotten. In Karthia, the mystical city in the book, the dead are raised and live side by side with the living. There's no fear or prejudice to those who are dead. I loved this.

The world is one I want to explore, but I also felt like the world building wasn't as strong as it could be. It seemed that for every new detail, another would come in to take its place, and another right after that without giving the previous items time to evolve. A new character would be introduced with their back story, followed by another new character right after that. It makes the plot thin with all that set up in a short span of time. Meanwhile, someone is turning the dead into monsters called Shades. The necromancers are left reeling after tragedy finds them. The book could have stood tall if it had stayed on track with these two plots. 

Odessa has a romance with a fellow necromancer named Evander; I couldn't buy them as a couple. I never got to know them well to become emotionally invested. But here's also another love interest for her as well. I am all for bisexual romance--this one, however, is uncomfortable because of who it was with. It made me wonder if Odessa just liked the person because they reminded Odessa of someone else.

While Reign of the Fallen is not what I thought it would be, I enjoyed it enough to want to read the next one.

This book is nothing like I expected. I received an e-ARC thanks to the publisher via Netgalley. And that does not change my review in any way.

3.5/5

The concept to this story was very interesting, Odessa is a necromancer, her job is to kill the island's dead as they begin to show signs of becoming a shade and return them to their bodies, or to just bring a newly dead individual back to life. In order to do so she must go to the Deadlands. The Deadlands were the most interesting part for me, however I felt they needed to be expanded upon. We learn how they're constantly changing and about the flowers and the water, but not a whole lot else. The island they live on hasn't changed hundreds of years because the dead don't like change, which I imagine would be true, but hey you have to keep your entire body covered at all times unless you'd like to become a Shade, so move over and let change happen. 😂

Another really cool concept was that your eye color determined what type of magic you'd be capable of. For example blue eyes people are necromancers, Green eyed people are Beast Masters, and etc. Which had me thinking, I have eyes that depending on who you as range from blue to grey to green depending on the lighting and who you ask. Because of this would I be incapable of magic or would I have an aptitude for all three possible forms of magic? And does everyone have a gift and some just choose to ignore it or do only some people have magical gifts? I feel like this may have been hastily explained, but I'm not 100% sure. The concept was still really interesting to me.

This book does have a good amount of diversity in it, although that was not a huge deciding factor in requesting an ARC of this book for me. The idea of magic being used to bring the dead back to life and the main character being a necromancer was what brought me in. The book also touches on addiction as the main character eventually develops an addiction after some trauma. However, I feel like the addiction was a little glazed over, but at the same time if it were expanded upon it may end up a touch boring. There was a lot of action in the beginning and end, but it became a little slow through the middle. Yet somehow I couldn't put this book down even though I needed to work in the morning. 

The love interests of Odessa, I think that was what bugged me the most. She started SO much in love with Evander. Despite how much in love they were, she switches to a new love interest incredibly quickly. I was incredibly happy to have a protagonist who was already in a relationship. I'm kind of bored with reading about a protagonist falling in love with multiple characters in a single novel. Unfortunately I should have seen that happiness of mine being thrown away. The relationship the protagonist ends with just does not seem healthy to me. Yea, they love each other but who they are and what started their relationship just felt too soon and unbelievable as well. I don't want to spoil it for people plan on reading it.

I felt so much in the first half of this book. This book made me feel I feel happy and excited in the beginning, then I became scared. And then omg the heartbreak I felt for the protagonist and what she was going through.

We learned so much about the main characters: Odessa, Evander, Jax, Simeon, Meredy, Valoria, and etc. And I knew what most of them looked or smelled like. However, I could not for the life of me conjure a great image of a Shade. I kinda imagined them looking like a tall, large Smeagol, only more scary to be honest. This was another thing that could have been explained better.

Overall it was a fast paced, easy read for me, and if you're looking for a quick and interesting concept I definitely recommend it. Since I read an ARC it's quite possible some of the things that irked me have changed for the finished copy.

3.5 stars

The Dead King and his Dead court reign eternally, kept moving and alive by their necromancer magicians. The Dead and the living exist peacefully side by side, except that one glance of Dead skin by a living person could turn the Dead into a Shade—vicious, hungry and terrifying. When their former master is murdered by a Shade before their eyes, necromancers Odessa and her boyfriend Evander are determined to bring the creature down. Yet murder and deception lurk in every corner and could bring more heartbreak than Odessa ever imagined.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book, particularly the idea of the Dead and living coexisting peacefully, with a system of ruling and governance and gods—with the only exception being that change was outlawed. I loved it so much that I wanted to see more of it described in the book, and really, there is a lack of worldbuilding in this that made disappointing, in spite of the quick plot, multiple friendships and fascinating world. I wanted more. More examination of what made the world the way it was, more on the study of different eye colors granting different gifts—and prices for those gifts. More personality to the characters, who were diverse and fascinating but frustratingly one-dimensional.

Despite my wanting more, more,more, this is a fascinating book that reminded me a bit of Sabriel and something else that I'm forgetting at the moment—and I'm looking forward to the sequel!

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Sarah Glenn Marsh's Reign of the Fallen has to be one of the most talked about releases of 2018. The more I heard the larger my expectations became, and I couldn't wait to dive in and see what all the hype was about. 

As it turns out Reign of the Fallen deserves all the buzz and hype it has obtained because this book is GOOD! The premise was fresh and exciting; the characters were lovable; and the action, deceit, and sabotage made this book unputdownable. 

Reign of the Fallen introduces a large cast of characters. At first I was worried that it would be hard to keep track of everyone; however, Sarah does a fantastic job of making each not only well developed but also memorable. Odessa, the lead, was my favorite. She was confident and had a sass to her step that made it easy to respect and admire her. Shortly into the book, however, Odessa experiences a loss that makes her question each and every aspect of her life. Suddenly, she's wondering if her job is worth it and if she'll ever be happy again...Her downfall broke my heart; however, I think Sarah Glenn Marsh did a great job of making authentic as well as believable. As the saying goes: sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to be whole again... 

In addition to Odessa, I enjoyed reading about her friends. Valoria, the princess, was nothing like what I had expected. I thought she would be docile; however, she was anything but that! She was smart, caring, and sassy. I enjoyed hearing about her inventions, but I loved reading about her friendship with Odessa even more! Evander, Odessa's longterm boyfriend, warmed my heart from the start. He was slightly arrogant but he kept me laughing. Simeon and Jax, the other two necromancers, were a dynamic duo. Their little spats were hilarious, and I loved how their personalities were so different! Meredy, Evander's sister, was a surprise, and at first I didn't like her. She seemed hostile and even a tad foolish; however, as the story continued, I started to like her more and more. 

The premise is what originally drew me, and I thought the execution was well done. Anything involving necromancers is always an instant sell for me, and I loved seeing Sarah develop their role within Karthia. At first, they seem to have a straightforward job - bring the dead back to life; however, there's much more to it than that. There's politics, drama, and risk involved, and as the story continued a sabotage related mystery appeared. The mystery kept me on my toes, and while I was able to predict some of it, some aspects still managed to surprise me. Additionally, the royals brought an interesting dynamic to the book. They rule with no change - they think everything is great the way it is. At first, I thought Karthia was the perfect. I mean, a land where death isn't forever and parties are a constant thing? That sounded great, but nothing can be truly perfect... 

There was one aspect, however, that brought Reign of the Fallen down a star: pacing. In the beginning, Reign of the Fallen moves at rapid speed; however, as I approached the middle everything started to slow down. I wanted more action and more excitement - the spark that the first part had. 

In all, Reign of the Fallen is an exciting new addition to YA fantasy. While I enjoyed the ending Reign of The Fallen provided, I look forward to seeing what the next book brings. 

*This review was published on Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf on Thursday, January 18, 2018. It has already been shared on Goodreads and will be posted on Amazon and Barnes and Noble on the release date.*

WARNING: SPOILERS

       First, just a quick word of caution: DO NOT be fooled by the cover of this book. It is not a “happy” book and it covers real “unhappy” topics such as death and addiction.

       I only have a couple issues with this book, one of which is that the beginning was very slow; it didn’t pick up pace until about 25-30% in and I contemplated dropping the book because of this. However, I decided to continue reading and am very happy with my choice. 
       This book made me laugh and it also made me (not quite, but close) cry. I found myself very invested in the characters and was on the edge of my seat whenever any of them were in danger. I thought the ways the characters chose to grieve were very believable. I think my favorite part of this book was the magic system. Each person’s eye color decides what kind of magic they have, which is just so cool! I have never read about anything similar so it was quite interesting. 
       The only other thing I really didn’t like about the book and that was the main character’s (Odessa) romantic relationship with her deceased boyfriend’s sister (Meredy). Maybe the author meant for it to feel wrong, but it seemed strange to me that Odessa chose to pursue a romantic relationship with Meredy mere weeks after losing her boyfriend (whom she had intentions of being with forever). Meredy had also just lost her girlfriend in an accident, so maybe they were drawn together because of their mutual pain, but it still felt wrong. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book and would be interested in reading more works by Sarah Glenn Marsh.

Oh my goodness did I love this book! I just finished my e-ARC this morning and am so excited about the fact that I have already completed one book this year that is an early contender for 'my favorite book of 2018'! Reign follows the story of a strong, independent female protagonist named Odessa who is a master necromancer in the kingdom of Karthia. This books starts out quickly and in my opinion really never lets up. I read it so fast, racing to the conclusion - throughout the course of the story my pulse was raised many times, my heart crushed and my spirits soared over a full range of emotions. The magic system is very cool - I loved the necromancers, healers, beast masters, royals, etc. - and the world creation was vivid and believable. The characters were very likable (I have a few different faves) and the Shades (the monsters of our tale) scary enough to keep you glued to the pages. I would recommend this book all day long to anyone who loves YA fantasy and look forward to seeing what new horizons will await us in Book 2!!! A huge thank you to the publisher for giving me the opportunity to experience this book early - I am excited to hear what other readers think!

I was super excited for Reign of the Fallen from the moment I heard about it. I high fantasy novel featuring necromancers, royalty, and a bisexual heroine? Yes please! In this world, change and progress are forbidden. Royals are brought back from the dead by trained necromancers, but if anyone sees them outside their specially made shroud, the royals will turn into monsters. To make matters worse, this seems to be happening more frequently.

The book starts out with a bang, and just keeps exploding until the final page. That said, it is a dark book wrapped in a pretty pink cover. The book deals with the topics of death, grief, revenge, and more. It’s not always an easy read, but it is a good one. I highly recommend this for readers who are a fan of high fantasy books that are okay with it being a little gritty.

I really liked the main character, Odessa. I could really see her journey over the course of the book, and I can’t wait to see more of her. At different points, I shipped her with various different characters as well. I don’t know what that means, maybe just that she’d be good with anyone. After everything she goes through in Reign of the Fallen, I just want Odessa to be happy, but I fear it might be a while yet.

I tried really hard to finish this book. I trudged through 32%, so about 120 pages, and I felt so disconnected with plot and characters, and everything. I had no idea what was happening. When people started getting introduced it went in one ear and out the other. Nothing memorable stood out about these characters. Even Odessa, the main character, didn't do anything for me.

From what I grasped from what I read, people have magic abilities based on their eye color (???) and people with blue eyes can see spiritgates that bring them into the Deadlands where they can resurrect people. But if you look at the face of a dead person they turn into a deadly zombie, so all the dead people have to shroud their faces (???) and also no one can leave the city because change is outlawed (???). I don't know, I'm already hella confused and that was all in the first two chapters.

I heard plenty of great things about this book, but when reading a story feel like walking through mud in a rainstorm, I need to cut the rope at some point. And I guess when I didn't feel any empathy when people started dying nor cared for Odessa's grief was a good time to close the book and just not even try anymore.

So, yes. Not a fan of this. I hate being a black sheep, but I just don't have time for books that can't hold my interest anymore.

I really enjoyed this story. A very interesting look at death and change. I enjoyed the message that being stuck in the past can inhibit change and thus prevent dreams of the future.

Great characters. I think the realistic portrayal of grief is needed in today's society. I highly recommend!!!

I was incredibly impressed and pleasantly surprised by this novel. It can be difficult to find young adult fantasy novels that are noticeably distinct from many of the others out there. And for me, this was one of those fantasy novels that separated itself from all the rest. A truly unique and diverse narrative of strength and courage plays out against a glittering and exquisitely depicted backdrop of a kingdom falling into the hands of deception. Reign of the Fallen is one of those novels that captivates you from page one, and sweeps you into a darkly alluring world of magic and intrigue, where nothing is as it seems and friendship, family, and love are victorious.

In this novel, we follow Odessa, a young master necromancer who attends to the Dead that rule the kingdom of Karthia. With her rare abilities of sight and sense, she has served in a key role of her society, traveling into an enchanting and treacherous world called the Deadlands. Here, the spirts of those who have recently died roam until they pass on to their final resting place. Odessa and her partner carry out the ritual of returning spirits from the Deadlands back to their bodies, and their families. 

However, those who are raised have a dangerous price to pay—they must remain entirely shrouded, hidden from the eyes of the living, or risk turning into a deadly creature called a Shade. Shade’s stalk the shadows of the Deadlands, feeding on both spirits—and any humans who enter this world—in order to gain size and power. Through a series of devastating losses, Odessa and the other necromancers in her community realize that something about their two worlds has shifted. Shrouded people are disappearing, Shades are materializing in Karthia, and these Shades seem to be trained to attack.

This is Sarah Glenn Marsh’s second published work, and she is already clearly displaying a remarkable amount of talent and creativity. She skillfully paints a picture of this mysterious and sinisterly magical world and the people that dwell within it. Her world building is top-notch and her character creation is solid. While not wholly unpredictable, the plot is exciting and original, and it travels at a fast pace that captures the reader’s attention. The tone of the narrative, the evolution of the characters, and the textual illustration of the setting seamlessly work together to give this story a realistic and almost tangible quality.

Both love and death have a crucial role in the way this novel’s plot unfolds. Death is a theme that shapes the society and lives of the Karthians, and is what kicks off the actions of our main characters. However, the strong love that resides in the connections between both lovers and friends is shown to contain the most power. Through pain, tragedy, and hopelessness, this is where the true strength can be found. No matter how hard death tries to reign supreme, love will always triumph. This is the message that resounds throughout the novel, and this is the true beauty that emanates from every page. 

Marsh’s characters are, by far, my favorite part of this novel. She did a brilliant job of making each and every one of them memorable and three-dimensional—easy to imagine and to connect with. I became invested in these characters from the page that they entered the narrative on, and they have stuck with me long after finishing the novel. This is also where much of the diversity of this novel lies. No one is judged on appearance or gender; sexuality is not a point of contention. These topics are not dwelled on, they just are. Aside from some barriers due to position in the society of the kingdom, everyone is generally free to love and live in the way they wish.

I completely and utterly adore Odessa. In short, she is one of the most badass heroines I’ve ever come across in all my years of reading. She is a fighter in every sense of the word. One of my favorite parts of the way Marsh depicts Odessa is that she does not shy away from displaying Odessa’s flaws. This makes Odessa even more realistic and relatable; she is not at all a perfect heroine. She makes many mistakes and bad choices. She goes through extreme struggles and trials, fighting both outer and inner demons such as addiction as a source of mental pain relief—and yet, nothing manages to stop her. Odessa’s strength always pushes her to do the right thing, to save the people she cares about as well as herself.

The biggest surprise of this novel for me was how much I actually liked the romantic aspects of the plot. I’m not someone who often tends to enjoy stories that focus too heavily on romance, and romance is a massive part of this particular book. However, it has an incredibly pivotal role in the direction of the narrative, and therefore is very necessary for many of the events that play out. 

Romance is by no means a trivial aspect of the plot or a distraction from the most important events. This is what brings our main characters together and gives them the courage and determination to fight back and protect the people of Karthia. Marsh creates very sweet and beautiful romances, as tangible as her characters themselves, and very fitting to the plot.

Overall, I found this novel to be refreshingly unique and compelling. There is so much creativity and detail put into the creation of both Karthia and the Deadlands, making it exceptionally easy to enter in your mind. The main characters are lovable, and Marsh crafts them in a way that makes the reader come to be deeply invested in their lives and their fates. Very well-written, carefully crafted and paced, this story has remained with me and grown on me more and more as I’ve thought about it. I have very high hopes for the future of this series, and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes in further installments.

Teenage necromancer Odessa (AKA Sparrow) and her boyfriend/partner Ivander raise the dead.

The opening sentence is a real grabber, leading us slowly into a sometimes-confusing but strange world in which the raised Dead still have existence, others remain in the Deadlands, whence the Dead were brought back. Necromancers give up the possibility of coming back. 

Then there are Shades, which are lot like ninja-attack zombies.

Less unusual was eye color tied to talents, but Marsh doesn't make too a big deal of it in this book. Later in the book there's even some promising hints about more talents, but before we get to it, there is a lot of tense action and death, including major characters, which causes Odessa to go into a tailspin of addiction in a believable way. I thought Marsh did a harrowingly terrific job of tracking the course of teenage love and grief.

But meanwhile trouble is brewing, and Odessa, involved in her tailspin, causes damage. When she comes out of it and begins putting clues together, the long-time reader is ahead of her in spotting the bad guys and the ending, but readers newer to fantasy will be racing along with Odessa to solve the growing threat of Shades in a land that has been ruled by a beloved king (who hates change) for a very long time.

There were parts where the worldbuilding verged on confusing, and Odessa veers between courageous and foolhardy (view spoiler), promising much room for growth in her further adventures.

I enjoyed the secondary characters, especially Meledy, about whom Odessa is both conflicted and attracted. At times I wished the book were about Meledy, in fact. I loved her talent and her personality, and I wanted badly to follow her adventures.

To sum up, high energy, unusual world, LGBT-friendly, diverse fantasy, opening lots of possibilities for a series.

First things first.... I have to admit I wanted to read this so bad because of the beautiful cover. But then I read the synopsis and found out what would be on the inside, I really wanted it. This book has been on my TBR for a while, so it's no surprise that I got to it as soon as I could.
     In this world, the Dead never really die if they choose not to. They are covered with a shroud to be raised by the Necromancer before they can become a monster that no one likes, a Shade. But suddenly, to say no one likes them, there is an abundance of Shades attacking Karthia. Odessa must find out what's happening and save Karthia before it's too late.
    I really loved Odessa. I loved her kick ass attitude and how she was able to meet everything head on. She made it through some of the toughest times and I thought it made her into a stronger heroine. I also really loved the supporting characters and all they brought to the story. It made it into a better story because of them. Especially Meredy and her "pet." I loved them and I am already thinking about what animal I would use if I had that power. 
     What I didn't care for about this book was the plot. My goodness the very first chapter of this book had me hooked. And then nothing happened until the climax at the end. The middle was literally her getting over something. (You'll understand when you read it.) I do think that part of the book was needed, however I don't feel it needed that much time spent on it. I also thought the plot was entirely too predictable. I literally called every plot twist with the exception of one. Maybe it's just me, I read alot, so I know where I would put these twists, but I was hoping for something that would throw me for a loop. 
   I also wasn't completely sold on the world-building. I wanted so much to know more about Karthia and the way they can see the Gates to the Deadlands and just... I needed more. I liked what she gave us, but there was no explanation of the different powers and just simple things like that. I wanted more. 
     As someone who's not really a fantasy reader, I'm glad I took a chance on this one. It had great characters, a great romance, and a great type of magic. Although I wanted more, I still feel it had a great story with a great heroine!

The story premise is fascinating and I’m looking forward to reading the sequel. Also I’d like to see more of Meredy and her bear, Lysander, to know more about their connection. Some chapters from their point of view would be fun.

3.5 stars

Plot: Reign of the Fallen took place in a world where individuals were blessed with powers based on their god. There were necromancers, beast masters, and those who didn't have any special powers. The necromancers were most sought out because they had the power to bring the world of the living - of course for a price. 

Unsurprisingly, Reign of the Fallen was nonstop action which made it hard for me to put down. The pacing was just right and left just enough open to be explored in the next installment(s). While that's all good, I found the plot to be extremely predictable. I guessed the conspiracy and waited impatiently for Odessa to catch up with the rest of us. Once the conspiracy came to light, it was too easy for Odessa to piece the puzzle together, from a few choice interactions in the past. 

Characters: I enjoyed Odessa because she was flawed and emotional. Her responses weren't always logical, but they made her human and I loved that she wasn't afraid to be vulnerable. I was; however, expecting more from the secondary characters. I was expecting a crew as tight as the Dregs, but unfortunately, I found all of the other characters to be non-existent. In all of their interactions, Marsh would make reference to how close their relationships were, but I never saw how close they were in present interactions, and that was the most disappointing. 

There was a romance, and it was great how sexually open how all of the characters were. I wanted to love the romance, but it was too obvious too quickly. There were moments of intense blushing and long stares and that doesn't sell a romance for me. 

Worldbuilding: Karthia was a fascinating world, I mean the motto was that change was bad! I wanted to learn so much more about the world than was actually given. I'm happy that there is plenty of potential for future books, but all of this open-endedness just made the book feel incomplete. 

Short N Sweet: Reign of the Fallen will be a hit for many action-oriented readers, I just wanted more.

I always feel bad when I DNF a book, but this is my third of the year. I don't have time to waste on books that can't hold my interest. I usually always try to pick them up again to make sure it wasn't just my mood at the time. I'll try this book again later on. But for now, I DNF'd this at 20%.

I was pretty confused reading this from the get-go. I felt like the thoughts jumped around, the characters didn't reflect the emotions I felt they should, and some of the writing stylistically did not work for me.

There is a jump scene in chapter two (I think? It didn't read like a flashback, but it was a completely different scene from what had gone on a second ago.) and it bothered me immensely. I don't know enough about the characters to feel anything for them in a flashback.

A lot (and nothing at all, really) happened in the first 5 chapters. I felt it didn't bode well for the story. I, personally, felt like it was a false start - it would have worked better as a scene BEFORE the book, or further into the story.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2201139133?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

I enjoyed reading Reign of the Fallen. The action was well-paced, the storyline was great and I think the characters were very well developed. I did see the plot-twist coming but I think the hints were laid out to the reader more than the characters. I appreciated the grief process that Odessa goes through, that is not done very much in other books and I think approximately one-fourth of the book was based on Odessa’s loss and journey through the grief process.  I would recommend this for fantasy readers and those who like magic, mystery and slow burn romance. This book has LGBT+ romances in it - bisexual, lesbian, gay.  If you enjoyed reading Sabriel and necromantic magic, you would enjoy this story.