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Rebirth of the Fallen #1
Citadel of the Fallen
A group of teenage students, while exploring deep within the rainforest, barely survive an encounter with a wild and surprisingly magical boar. In doing so, they discover that events that threaten to destroy their entire civilization have already been set into motion.
The Black Tide, the annual rampage of millions of giant ants through the rainforest, has been coerced by the Demon Queen to take a path that will send it tearing through the farmlands that support the Citadel, their home.
While the adults frantically race to prepare for the coming disaster, one of the teenagers who survived the boar attack, Malcolm, begins to experience violent visions of the past. He learns that he’s no longer alone in his own body. His revelations lead the group of teenagers to discover that many of the leaders within the Citadel are similarly possessed.
The Black Tide, the annual rampage of millions of giant ants through the rainforest, has been coerced by the Demon Queen to take a path that will send it tearing through the farmlands that support the Citadel, their home.
While the adults frantically race to prepare for the coming disaster, one of the teenagers who survived the boar attack, Malcolm, begins to experience violent visions of the past. He learns that he’s no longer alone in his own body. His revelations lead the group of teenagers to discover that many of the leaders within the Citadel are similarly possessed.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2020
62 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 3, 2020
I was super excited to read this book, and while it was good, it did fall a bit short of my expectations. I loved the way it was told, and being able to read from a multitude of different perspectives kept this entertaining. My only real problem with this was the plot, and how long it took to get going.
The Citadel of the Fallen follows a group of students who discover their home is no longer as safe as they thought. The heavily protected citadel, one of the last havens of humanity, is being threatened by the Black Tide. A deadly flow of giant ants are on their way, and more is to come.
Ok, it’s totally on me that I couldn’t get with the plot. Notice how ants are mentioned in the blurb? Yah... I guess I just totally ignored that. I really struggled to picture a civilization being threatened by ants. If it were bears, or even rabbits maybe, but not ants.
I also felt like the plot moved super slow. The Black Tide isn’t even mentioned for the first 25% and are barely confronted until about 50%. I get that this was because characters were being introduced, but it was just a bit slow for my tastes.
Speaking of characters, I really liked all of them. Because we got to read from inside their minds, I really feel like I got to know them. While Malcolm is definitely not my favorite, I think him, and the others have a lot of potential for development.
I feel like this is a fairly innovative fantasy, and that the next book has a lot of potential!
Thanks to Netgalley and JR Konkol for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review
The Citadel of the Fallen follows a group of students who discover their home is no longer as safe as they thought. The heavily protected citadel, one of the last havens of humanity, is being threatened by the Black Tide. A deadly flow of giant ants are on their way, and more is to come.
Ok, it’s totally on me that I couldn’t get with the plot. Notice how ants are mentioned in the blurb? Yah... I guess I just totally ignored that. I really struggled to picture a civilization being threatened by ants. If it were bears, or even rabbits maybe, but not ants.
I also felt like the plot moved super slow. The Black Tide isn’t even mentioned for the first 25% and are barely confronted until about 50%. I get that this was because characters were being introduced, but it was just a bit slow for my tastes.
Speaking of characters, I really liked all of them. Because we got to read from inside their minds, I really feel like I got to know them. While Malcolm is definitely not my favorite, I think him, and the others have a lot of potential for development.
I feel like this is a fairly innovative fantasy, and that the next book has a lot of potential!
Thanks to Netgalley and JR Konkol for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review
November 5, 2020
This book does not hold back on the action. We're dropped in to the story and almost immediately the characters are in danger and we see a character death. This sets the tone for the rest of the story. The characters we follow are in combat almost all the time, fighting for their lives and to save their city against demons and other creatures. There are also a lot of character deaths, so don't get too attached to anyone.
It's nice to have action, but it's almost too much. It doesn't leave a lot of room for character development, relationships, or worldbuilding. I don't really understand the demons or why the Citadel is the only place with free humans instead of slaves. I'd also like to see some strong friendships and maybe a romantic relationship.
I am interested in reading a sequel, hopefully we'll get more depth to the story and learn more about our main characters.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
It's nice to have action, but it's almost too much. It doesn't leave a lot of room for character development, relationships, or worldbuilding. I don't really understand the demons or why the Citadel is the only place with free humans instead of slaves. I'd also like to see some strong friendships and maybe a romantic relationship.
I am interested in reading a sequel, hopefully we'll get more depth to the story and learn more about our main characters.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
October 31, 2020
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Citadel of the Fallen was a book that started off a bit slow for me. Luckily for me, after a handful of chapters I was getting a bit more intrigued in everything that was happening. In it, you will meet a group of students who are about to face their biggest challenge yet.
Giant ants are coming to town to destroy everything in their path. Yep, you heard me right - Giant. Ants. Now there's always a hint that something else is going to come their way but I'm just dead set on Giant Ants. For some reason, I kept picturing 'Honey, I shrunk the Kids' kind of situation and that's why these ants were going to destroy everything.
Other than that, the characters were pretty likable. Even if I didn't like some in the beginning, they grew on me. I'm also wondering what's going to happen in the next book because of what went down in this one. Hope it's entertaining.
Citadel of the Fallen was a book that started off a bit slow for me. Luckily for me, after a handful of chapters I was getting a bit more intrigued in everything that was happening. In it, you will meet a group of students who are about to face their biggest challenge yet.
Giant ants are coming to town to destroy everything in their path. Yep, you heard me right - Giant. Ants. Now there's always a hint that something else is going to come their way but I'm just dead set on Giant Ants. For some reason, I kept picturing 'Honey, I shrunk the Kids' kind of situation and that's why these ants were going to destroy everything.
Other than that, the characters were pretty likable. Even if I didn't like some in the beginning, they grew on me. I'm also wondering what's going to happen in the next book because of what went down in this one. Hope it's entertaining.
October 1, 2020
What happens when you pick up a book? Sometimes you fall into the world inside that book. This is one of those books that will paint a world you see when you close your eyes. The imagery is clear and sharp. You start feeling like you're part of this adventure. You're sure you felt that white mist go right through you too...
If you've ever played a good old fashion pen and paper role-playing game you understand what it's like to feel like you're part of the story. While you are not making decisions for the group or achieving your own goals you're still left feeling like you are these characters. You're part of their world. This book is written from the perspective of many different characters. As you experience their story through each of their own contexts you get to know them in a way that a narrator can't explain. The threats that present problems in this novel feel serious in a way many fantasy novels miss. The danger seems tangible, but not keep you awake at night scary. I love that.
I'll conclude by saying my oldest (age 14) also read the book and really enjoyed it. He thought it had a familiar feel that he couldn't put his finger on. When I asked if it felt at all like how someone might tell a story from the best adventure his party has had in DND or Pathfinder the lightbulb clicked and he thought that made it even cooler. He did also point out there was some foul language and some of his younger brothers shouldn't read it yet. I'll agree with him on that though the language isn't excessive and the 12-year-old will likely start reading it as soon as he finishes the other book series he's on.
I would overall recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy. I would especially recommend it for anyone that's played pen and paper RPGs but if you never have that's entirely okay you won't miss a thing.
If you've ever played a good old fashion pen and paper role-playing game you understand what it's like to feel like you're part of the story. While you are not making decisions for the group or achieving your own goals you're still left feeling like you are these characters. You're part of their world. This book is written from the perspective of many different characters. As you experience their story through each of their own contexts you get to know them in a way that a narrator can't explain. The threats that present problems in this novel feel serious in a way many fantasy novels miss. The danger seems tangible, but not keep you awake at night scary. I love that.
I'll conclude by saying my oldest (age 14) also read the book and really enjoyed it. He thought it had a familiar feel that he couldn't put his finger on. When I asked if it felt at all like how someone might tell a story from the best adventure his party has had in DND or Pathfinder the lightbulb clicked and he thought that made it even cooler. He did also point out there was some foul language and some of his younger brothers shouldn't read it yet. I'll agree with him on that though the language isn't excessive and the 12-year-old will likely start reading it as soon as he finishes the other book series he's on.
I would overall recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy. I would especially recommend it for anyone that's played pen and paper RPGs but if you never have that's entirely okay you won't miss a thing.
October 11, 2020
Thanks to the publisher for providing a DRC of Citadel of the Fallen in exchange for an honest review.
This book's biggest weakness is it's attempt to throw you right into the action. Don't get me wrong, normally that's a good idea. Normally you want to start off with emotions and stakes heightened to hook your audience. But when you start like that, you need to provide enough context for readers to buy into those stakes and that never really happens. This is also a multi-perspective book that jumps POVs every few pages and it really adds to the confusion. I stopped partway through to triple check that this wasn't a book in the middle of a series because I was just so, so lost the whole time. It's not exactly that there's too much going on, but more like there are too many things going on that are left too vague for the reader to fully understand. The world and characters never felt fully developed because of a lack of build up and explanation the persisted through the majority of the book and it ruined the reading experience for me.
This book's biggest weakness is it's attempt to throw you right into the action. Don't get me wrong, normally that's a good idea. Normally you want to start off with emotions and stakes heightened to hook your audience. But when you start like that, you need to provide enough context for readers to buy into those stakes and that never really happens. This is also a multi-perspective book that jumps POVs every few pages and it really adds to the confusion. I stopped partway through to triple check that this wasn't a book in the middle of a series because I was just so, so lost the whole time. It's not exactly that there's too much going on, but more like there are too many things going on that are left too vague for the reader to fully understand. The world and characters never felt fully developed because of a lack of build up and explanation the persisted through the majority of the book and it ruined the reading experience for me.
June 22, 2022
I'm officially giving this a 4.5 as it was a nice break from a rather thick read recently. It was very easy to get through. I thought the character development, world building and pace were all spot on for my style.
Initially I began reading Citadel of the Fallen because I received an eARC of book two from this series. It only made sense for me to read the first before digging into that one. So I went ahead and took the chance and bought it. I wasn't disappointed and felt the purchase was more than worth it for the first book alone. If I continue to enjoy the series it will solidify that move even more.
I shared a few notes on the world build from highlighted lines in the first half of the book. I thought they were great examples of how the author was describing physical elements of the world as well as the politics/government. I thought these were done quickly but well which was a nice change of pace for me coming from authors recently that tend to spend half a page or more describing what a tree looks like. Don't get me wrong, I can enjoy both styles equally but I need a break from one extreme to the other at times.
This very much had a feel of a Dungeons & Dragons world in it not unlike some of my favorite novels of my youth. But the major difference to me is the sense of urgency and risk in this one. The author is NOT afraid to kill characters off as the story progresses.
I plan to get to the second book in this series in July if all goes well.
Initially I began reading Citadel of the Fallen because I received an eARC of book two from this series. It only made sense for me to read the first before digging into that one. So I went ahead and took the chance and bought it. I wasn't disappointed and felt the purchase was more than worth it for the first book alone. If I continue to enjoy the series it will solidify that move even more.
I shared a few notes on the world build from highlighted lines in the first half of the book. I thought they were great examples of how the author was describing physical elements of the world as well as the politics/government. I thought these were done quickly but well which was a nice change of pace for me coming from authors recently that tend to spend half a page or more describing what a tree looks like. Don't get me wrong, I can enjoy both styles equally but I need a break from one extreme to the other at times.
This very much had a feel of a Dungeons & Dragons world in it not unlike some of my favorite novels of my youth. But the major difference to me is the sense of urgency and risk in this one. The author is NOT afraid to kill characters off as the story progresses.
I plan to get to the second book in this series in July if all goes well.
October 30, 2024
Citadel of the Fallen is an ambitious series opener centered around the eponymous citadel, a fortress protecting humans from the many threats around them. The citadel is located deep within a rainforest environment, which is inhabited by giant ants, spiders, and even a giant mammal or two. Every year the 'Black Tide' of ants makes their way through the rainforest, causing indescribable destruction and chaos. Faced with insurmountable odds, the people have nonetheless been trained to face terrible foes since birth - through magic, through protection runes, through physical training, and, in some cases, even through a little necromancy. The structure of the society is fascinating, with every capable young person trained in their own strengths. Despite the incredible foresight, it will still take a miracle to stop the chaos unleashed by the puppet master behind the scenes. Action-packed from start to finish, with visceral and extremely complex battle sequences, battle magic, and swordplay, there is not a moment to catch your breath. The characters are clearly drawn, sympathetic, and you will be rooting for them until the end. An original and compelling start to what promises to be a fascinating series.
October 12, 2020
This is not a book I would usually read, but since it was an ARC, I thought I'd give it a try.
I expected Citadel of the Fallen to be exciting and well-written. I was wrong. The writing was amateur, and the author fell into too many common traps. Just because this is YA doesn't mean it should be downright sloppy. In addition, the story sounded like it was being told from the same 50-year-old's perspective, not the perspectives of teenagers with different personalities (or at least who should have different personalities, not the exact same personality).
Authors these days. (Shaking my head and sighing). I've seen this same exact pattern, these exact gigantic amateur pitfalls, so many times. They think they can just waltz into the land of YA high on dreams of success and glory, without even knowing how to write in the genre. You can't just apply the same general writing skills you learned in college (or not, if you didn't go to college) from decades ago, with your only reading experience being in totally different genres, and then expect your new YA novel to be successful!
I expected Citadel of the Fallen to be exciting and well-written. I was wrong. The writing was amateur, and the author fell into too many common traps. Just because this is YA doesn't mean it should be downright sloppy. In addition, the story sounded like it was being told from the same 50-year-old's perspective, not the perspectives of teenagers with different personalities (or at least who should have different personalities, not the exact same personality).
Authors these days. (Shaking my head and sighing). I've seen this same exact pattern, these exact gigantic amateur pitfalls, so many times. They think they can just waltz into the land of YA high on dreams of success and glory, without even knowing how to write in the genre. You can't just apply the same general writing skills you learned in college (or not, if you didn't go to college) from decades ago, with your only reading experience being in totally different genres, and then expect your new YA novel to be successful!
April 3, 2021
Citadel of the Fallen
Not your typical YA; it’s better
I must say before I give this review that I was done with the YA fantasy trope. It bores me to tears. However, Citadel of the Fallen has reawakened what I used to love about YA and enlightened me to a mature YA fantasy that has all the wonderful machinations of YA and some new insights into what a good fantasy story can be.
The characters are well developed in their relationships with each other and how they deal with the conflict and situation at hand. J.R. Konkol sucks the reader into his world right away, starting with the first chapter, and then explores the other characters in the following chapters leading to the introduction of the Black Tide.
This is a well-written story with lots of action and adventure. I would recommend it to any reader who enjoys any type of fantasy: YA, Adult, High Fantasy, Epic, Sword and Sorcery, maybe even Urban Fantasy.
I look forward to the next book in the series. Thank you, J.R. Konkol, for returning me to a great YA fantasy series.
Not your typical YA; it’s better
I must say before I give this review that I was done with the YA fantasy trope. It bores me to tears. However, Citadel of the Fallen has reawakened what I used to love about YA and enlightened me to a mature YA fantasy that has all the wonderful machinations of YA and some new insights into what a good fantasy story can be.
The characters are well developed in their relationships with each other and how they deal with the conflict and situation at hand. J.R. Konkol sucks the reader into his world right away, starting with the first chapter, and then explores the other characters in the following chapters leading to the introduction of the Black Tide.
This is a well-written story with lots of action and adventure. I would recommend it to any reader who enjoys any type of fantasy: YA, Adult, High Fantasy, Epic, Sword and Sorcery, maybe even Urban Fantasy.
I look forward to the next book in the series. Thank you, J.R. Konkol, for returning me to a great YA fantasy series.
November 16, 2020
Long story short, I'm not a fantasy-reader, but I loved this book. I devoured it. The writing was excellent and the plot moved at a breakneck pace. It took a bit for me to get in the groove of things, with all the character names and the inner-workings of this fantasy world, but I'm glad I stuck it out. Once I was settled in, everything was a blast to read. The shifting POVs and multiple characters really worked, with differing psychologies and motivations coming into play. When the action kicks into high gear, all the character-work really pays off. Seeing all their different personalities, knowledge, and abilities coming together in the final battles truly felt epic. I'm excited for book two!
October 10, 2020
I instantly fall in love with the plot of the Citadel of the Fallen, that’s the reason I requested this book on Librarything. The topic was really promising and I didn’t get disappointed, however for my liking it was a bit slow paced read.
Talking about the characters and the scenes of the book I liked them all. This novel has the power to pull in the reader and make them be part of it.
In my opinion the series’ next book will have lot of posibilites and chance to get even more readers hooked to it.
Thank you Librarything for the free copy.
Talking about the characters and the scenes of the book I liked them all. This novel has the power to pull in the reader and make them be part of it.
In my opinion the series’ next book will have lot of posibilites and chance to get even more readers hooked to it.
Thank you Librarything for the free copy.
October 22, 2020
The world surrounding the Citadel abounds in texture, imagery, and danger.
Konkol's debut in the Rebirth of the Fallen series delivers a high stakes dystopia of monsters and wonders, while introducing readers to characters they won't soon forget.
I found myself glued to the pages of this book out of the sheer fact that my heart beat hard along with the characters'.
Looking forward to book 2.
Konkol's debut in the Rebirth of the Fallen series delivers a high stakes dystopia of monsters and wonders, while introducing readers to characters they won't soon forget.
I found myself glued to the pages of this book out of the sheer fact that my heart beat hard along with the characters'.
Looking forward to book 2.
December 17, 2020
The first line of the book was a great hook. I’ve always enjoyed a story when the actions starts from the first words of the story and this one was great. Usually when I read a book with as many characters that come alive, they can be distracting, but JK did an excellent job of moving the story forward without diluting his characters. I’ve always enjoyed great story and this is no exception. I’d recommend Citadel of the Fallen for Fantasy lovers and anyone looking for a good read.
June 24, 2022
This was a fun and very fast-paced YA read. It is a creative, ecologically based fantasy, with some deeply spooky elements. The characterization was relatively shallow, but that's okay in a book like this--mostly, it's about the story and the world. Although not all the worldbuilding questions were answered for me, I loved what we saw of this world. Perfect for anyone who is hoping for an engaging fantasy adventure.
October 30, 2022
Great Start to A Series
Not your typical fantasy series. The characters are incredibly well developed and you get to join them in their struggles both as adolescents and as budding heroes. Ancient demonic powers seek to conquer the lands but in their way are a group of six teens who have been chosen to bear the burden of defending the realm. Just how they are chosen is why those who like swords and magic need to read book one of Rebirth of the Fallen.
Not your typical fantasy series. The characters are incredibly well developed and you get to join them in their struggles both as adolescents and as budding heroes. Ancient demonic powers seek to conquer the lands but in their way are a group of six teens who have been chosen to bear the burden of defending the realm. Just how they are chosen is why those who like swords and magic need to read book one of Rebirth of the Fallen.
October 19, 2020
I really enjoyed this book and found the characters, trials and situations to be compelling and interesting! It did take me a bit of reading to get used to the shifting focus from one character to the next, but it kept my attention and I found that I thoroughly enjoyed it! Hoping to have the opportunity to read a follow on story set in the same world!
November 17, 2020
A different look.
I struggled to keep reading this, not to say it wasn't interesting ,it just wasn't my kind of book. I enjoyed the various characters after I understood what was going on. I think others would enjoy this. It's just not my thing.
I struggled to keep reading this, not to say it wasn't interesting ,it just wasn't my kind of book. I enjoyed the various characters after I understood what was going on. I think others would enjoy this. It's just not my thing.
December 13, 2020
Great fantasy/adventure with many characters that are well developed and easy to like. It is the first in a series that is based on a real life RPG fantasy board game. I enjoyed it very much and hope you do too.
September 17, 2021
Enjoyable YA fantasy that draws you in from the beginning. I loved the perspective from different characters throughout. World building was very well written.
Looking forward to reading more of the series.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Looking forward to reading more of the series.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 29, 2022
This was a multi POV story with lots of action and an epic battle and strangely enough giant ants that attack civilization.
It definitely got my attention and made me interested to see where the story could progress into another book.
It definitely got my attention and made me interested to see where the story could progress into another book.
Read
May 13, 2023DNF.
April 5, 2024
For anyone who plays D&D or other fantasy RPG's, this is the book for you.
December 20, 2022
A Great Introduction!
Having no more exposure to fantasy adventures & role-playing than my children's involvement as youngsters 40 years ago, I was thoroughly captured by the character development and "world-building" style of JR Konkol!
Systematically constructed, this was a great introduction, with its captivating descriptions by Konkol of this world, battles (awesome), and innermost thoughts of his characters.
This book engaged my imagination and drew me in to read on as the storyline continued & developed... On to Book II - "The Gathering of The Fallen" and more!
Having no more exposure to fantasy adventures & role-playing than my children's involvement as youngsters 40 years ago, I was thoroughly captured by the character development and "world-building" style of JR Konkol!
Systematically constructed, this was a great introduction, with its captivating descriptions by Konkol of this world, battles (awesome), and innermost thoughts of his characters.
This book engaged my imagination and drew me in to read on as the storyline continued & developed... On to Book II - "The Gathering of The Fallen" and more!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews