Review: The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Book Three of The Queen of the Tearling series

Publisher: Harper

Publication Date: November 29, 2016

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Summary (from Goodreads):

The thrilling conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Tearling trilogy.

In less than a year, Kelsea Glynn has transformed from a gawky teenager into a powerful monarch. As she has come into her own as the Queen of the Tearling, the headstrong, visionary leader has also transformed her realm. In her quest to end corruption and restore justice, she has made many enemies—including the evil Red Queen, her fiercest rival, who has set her armies against the Tear. 

To protect her people from a devastating invasion, Kelsea did the unthinkable—she gave herself and her magical sapphires to her enemy—and named the Mace, the trusted head of her personal guards, Regent in her place. But the Mace will not rest until he and his men rescue their sovereign, imprisoned in Mortmesne. 

Now, as the suspenseful endgame begins, the fate of Queen Kelsea—and the Tearling itself—will finally be revealed. 

What I Liked:

Upon finishing this book, the only thing that came to mind was the word "WOW". This book blew me away. I can't say that I absolutely loved the story and will definitely reread the series again, but I enjoyed the trilogy, especially this final novel. So many pieces come together in a surprising, shocking manner. What an end. 

Kelsea Glynn has given herself over to the Red Queen, in a tactful decision to protect her kingdom. Now in the hands of the Red Queen, she will have to fight to get back to her kingdom, with her sapphires. She begins to see more visions, but visions of the past, involving Jonathan Tear (William Tear's son), a girl named Katie, and Rowland Finn. Meanwhile, the Mace is struggling to hold control over the Keep. And then there is Aisa, Andalie's daughter, who is starting to see her purpose in serving the Queen (Kelsea). A guard named Javel and a simple boy named Ewen will play opposing but important roles in the story, in surprising ways. And all will come together but not as you would think. Everything will end in a way that will have you second-guessing everything.

I'm kind of stunned by this novel (if you couldn't tell). At first I had to orient myself in the Tearling world, because I didn't remember much of book two (besides the ending). A lot of names and places were lost on me, at first. But I started to get back into the story quickly. The beginning lagged but I had no trouble in continuing. 

This particular book is told from many third-person POVs besides Kelsea's; Aisa, Javel, Ewen, the Red Queen. There are flashes from the past - visions that Kelsea sees - in the perspective of Katie Rice, a teenager who lived during the time of William Tear. Katie plays a vastly important role in the book, possibly more important than any other character besides Kelsea - and Katie is merely part of a vision from the past (i.e. she isn't an actual character in the present). 

Johansen does a magnificent job of crafting this Tearling world. It's set in a futuristic time, and it's not quite fantasy, since many references are made to this modern time. For example, the Atlantic Ocean is what William Tear crossed (the "Crossing"); America is the old world; certain technologies once existed that no longer do. The world that Johansen has created in this series is intriguing and awe-inspiring. I think I got the best sense of the Tearling world from this particular book.

I didn't really connect with Kelsea as much as I would have liked, in the previous books, but I've always liked her. She is a powerful Queen who is smart and brave. In this book, she isn't an acting Queen, as she is captured the whole time. But this doesn't take away from her strength and intelligence. She is compassionate where other Queens were not, and very clever.

There are so many other stories/subplots in this book, involving so many secondary characters. For example, Javel, a gate guard, whose wife was sent in a Tear shipment to Mort six years ago, struggles with the reality that his wife is not his wife anymore. Aisa, an adolescent who is very good with knives, wants to do something more with her skill. Ewen, a simple boy and guard, wants to do something as well. So many secondary characters that are important, and very fleshed out.

I think my favorite "story", of this book, was Katie's. We get to see long passages of the past that involve Katie, and William Tear and his son Jonathan, and her best friend Rowland Finn. There is so much history that is so important in shaping the present and future. Kelsea sees Katie's story bit by bit, and begins to understand what she needs to do.

A lot of parts and pieces from the previous two books started to fall into place, and a lot of questions are answered. By the end of the book, anything you might have been curious about earlier in the series has been addressed (in my opinion). I love how intricately woven the story is, and becomes, by the end.

There is little to no romance in this book, and series in general. Not for Kelsea, anyway.

The end! Shocking, clever, and bittersweet. That's all I'm going to see. A fitting and powerful ending, a clever and unconventional one, but not a deus ex machina type, and not a "bad" one. 

What I Did Not Like:

I already mentioned this, but the beginning and other parts of the book definitely dragged at times. I wouldn't say that this book was boring (it was quite engaging!), but it was dense. There was a lot to take in, sometimes in a short amount of space.

Also, I really really wish there was an epilogue. 

Would I Recommend It:

If you like adult fiction (specifically, fantasy), then this is a good series to start. This is NOT Young Adult and certainly not appropriate for just any reader. There is plenty of mature content (gruesome, gory, and sexual), so be aware. But it's a very intriguing and enjoyable series, one that I will be thinking about in the future. 

Rating:

4 stars. This is a conclusion novel worthy of the series. And this is an author worthy of all the hype and praise. Seriously, the writing of the series is so stunning. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author. Also, I am still going to hope for an epilogue!

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Waiting on Wednesday (#179): The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm featuring:

The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Book Three of The Queen of the Tearling series

Publisher: Harper

Publication Date: November 29, 2016

Summary (from Goodreads):

The thrilling conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Tearling trilogy.

In less than a year, Kelsea Glynn has transformed from a gawky teenager into a powerful monarch. As she has come into her own as the Queen of the Tearling, the headstrong, visionary leader has also transformed her realm. In her quest to end corruption and restore justice, she has made many enemies—including the evil Red Queen, her fiercest rival, who has set her armies against the Tear. 

To protect her people from a devastating invasion, Kelsea did the unthinkable—she gave herself and her magical sapphires to her enemy—and named the Mace, the trusted head of her personal guards, Regent in her place. But the Mace will not rest until he and his men rescue their sovereign, imprisoned in Mortmesne. 

Now, as the suspenseful endgame begins, the fate of Queen Kelsea—and the Tearling itself—will finally be revealed.

Author Goodreads | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

The Queen of the Tearling | The Invasion of the Tearling

I can't wait to see how it all ends!

Review: The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Book Two of The Queen of the Tearling series

Publisher: Harper

Publication Date: June 9, 2015

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***

Summary (from Goodreads):

With each passing day, Kelsea Glynn is growing into her new responsibilities as Queen of the Tearling. By stopping the shipments of slaves to the neighboring kingdom of Mortmesne, she crossed the Red Queen, a brutal ruler whose power derives from dark magic, who is sending her fearsome army into the Tearling to take what is hers. And nothing can stop the invasion.

But as the Mort army draws ever closer, Kelsea develops a mysterious connection to a time before the Crossing, and she finds herself relying on a strange and possibly dangerous ally: a woman named Lily, fighting for her life in a world where being female can feel like a crime. The fate of the Tearling —and that of Kelsea’s own soul—may rest with Lily and her story, but Kelsea may not have enough time to find out.

What I Liked:

Woah. I'm not quite sure what to think of this one yet. It was very thorough and very long, an engrossing and complex story. I added my usual Adult Novel Warning above because, like The Queen of the Tearling (book one), this book is very graphic, in a blood-and-violence, language, war, rape, etc. type of way. Really graphic, but we're obviously not talking about an adult romance novel. This is an adult fantasy fiction novel with all of the awful aspects of a war and wartime in a kingdom. This book was interesting, and WEIRD. I think I like what Johansen is doing with the series, but I must say, it has taken a strange turn.

This book picks up where the last one left off - Kelsea is trying (and failing) to come up with ways to defeat the Mort army. So far, she has successfully slowed their march to conquer the Tearling kingdom. But a strange and evil power is disturbing Kelsea, one that has full hold on the Red Queen. Meanwhile, Kelsea has been having visions of a young woman, Lily Mayhew, of the time before the Crossing. Kelsea is fighting for her kingdom, for control over herself, for her adulthood and her humanity, and for the right thing to do. But in the end, there is no easy solution to any of her problems, and sacrifices must be made.

Like I said before, this book takes a strange turn. Pretty quickly into the story, Lily Mayhew is introduced. Kelsea is having visions of the time before the Crossing, through the eyes of Lily Mayhew (really, as a bystander of Lily's life). Lily is the wife of a very important man in the Department of Defense (year 2046 or something like that). She is physically abused, because he gets angry sometimes. She takes pills to not get pregnant, because she doesn't want to bring a child into the world. In pre-Crossing times, women were property and only good for having children. Lily is rich and polished, but she's a prisoner in her miserable life.

It isn't clear why Lily is important to the overall story, why Kelsea is seeing visions of this particular woman. So when I first started reading through the chapters featuring Lily, I was confused. Sure, I was intrigued by what I was reading (terrified and sad for Lily, but I couldn't stop reading), but I wanted to know how things connected. The two story lines intersect towards the end of the book - towards the end, we see why Lily is so important to Kelsea's time.

So I definitely enjoyed the new story line, despite being confused at first and wary of the strange turn of the story. Basically, Johansen is introducing a "modern" aspect to this story, whereas we all know this book is a fantasy novel. It's cool to see the two worlds collide. A queen and a rich woman from times similar to (but not the same as) our time today. Obviously our women's rights and policies on pregnancy and marriage are not like they are in pre-Crossing times. It just took me by surprise, to see this almost modern story running parallel to the fantasy one. Weird but intriguing!

I can see how Kelsea has grown, from cover to cover of this book. Kelsea is not the same person that left Carlin's cottage at the beginning of The Queen of the Tearling. She has hardened, and become brutal and exacting in punishment. She is not kind or soft. She is strong and decisive, but she is rash and impulsive, with a temper and a trail of mistakes that cost her kingdom dearly. She doesn't really realize it, but she's becoming more like the Mort Queen in certain ways. In other ways, she's entirely her own. 

One aspect of Kelsea's character that was explored (and I really liked this) was the question of her sexual curiosity. She's a nineteen-year-old virgin and she's looking for... something. And she gets what she wants, and what she is looking for. Remember how I said in my review of The Queen of the Tearling, that there wasn't much romance? There still isn't, but there is this physical relationship between Kelsea and another character that is rapidly spinning into something else. But that sort of thing isn't really allowed because Kelsea is the Queen and the other person is... not a king or prince or nobleman of a sort.

Just like in book one, the world-building is very solid and easy to read and get into the story! This story is filled with gruesome, unpleasant happenings, such as maiming and rape and abuse and assault. Definitely things that come with a war, or an uncivilized brute of a man (no matter the time period), so I wasn't surprised to see this content in this book. Just be warned.

I love the secondary characters in this series, and I really like how we get to know more about many of them personally in this particular book. We see an entirely different side to Mace, as well as Father Tyler, and even minor characters such as Andalie's little girl Aisa. The Mort Queen is also featured. This book is written in third person limited, so we get a lot of insight of characters other than Kelsea. 

The introduction of the new story line definitely helps further the overall series plot. The Mort army has reached the Tearling, and Kelsea must somehow figure out what to do to defeat the Mort Queen. Everything is linked together, and Kelsea has to decide how to use what she knows and has found out about the Mort Queen. The third book will definitely prove to be quite the showdown, especially given the ending of this book! Slightly cliffhanger-like!

What I Did Not Like:

Hopefully we get answers about Kelsea's father in book three. I expect that, because hints have been dropping left and right in The Queen of the Tearling and this book. I also hope that some romance pans out because I am quietly shipping Kelsea and someone... I have theories about the ending of this series and I really hope Kelsea finds love by the end! I know this is an adult fiction novel, but I still want some sort of romance!

Just like in the first book, this one had slow pacing... I'm struggling to remember the immediate beginning of this book. But there are so many parts and scenes of this book that you will NOT forget. Gruesome and horrifying, those scenes will be burned into your brain. Good job with that, Johansen. But dang, this book was LONG!

Overall, I didn't have too many complaints though. My heart kept breaking for so many characters because literally EVERYONE suffered/suffers. I'm holding on to the hope that there will be a nice ending for most of the characters. An innocent hope, I imagine.

Would I Recommend It:

I liked this book! It's gruesome and raw and horrifying, but definitely enjoyable and interesting. But I can't say I'd recommend it to just anyone, given the content. If you're sensitive to things like maiming, torture, rape, abuse, assault, etc., then maybe this isn't for you! Johansen really captures fantasy wartime at its worst. But if you're an adult fiction fan with a penchant for fantasy, then definitely check out this book (and series). NOT for children though! I hesitate to recommend this to even young adults. ADULT BOOK, EVERYONE!

Rating:

4 stars. Definitely a great sequel! I'm slightly scared of reading the third book. I NEED to know what will happen! But I'm also very afraid of what will happen! This series better be a trilogy and nothing more... I don't think my heart could take more!

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Review: The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Book One of The Queen of the Tearling series

Publisher: Harper

Publication Date: July 8, 2014

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Summary (from Goodreads):

On her nineteenth birthday, Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn, raised in exile, sets out on a perilous journey back to the castle of her birth to ascend her rightful throne. Plain and serious, a girl who loves books and learning, Kelsea bears little resemblance to her mother, the vain and frivolous Queen Elyssa. But though she may be inexperienced and sheltered, Kelsea is not defenseless: Around her neck hangs the Tearling sapphire, a jewel of immense magical power; and accompanying her is the Queen’s Guard, a cadre of brave knights led by the enigmatic and dedicated Lazarus. Kelsea will need them all to survive a cabal of enemies who will use every weapon—from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic—to prevent her from wearing the crown.

Despite her royal blood, Kelsea feels like nothing so much as an insecure girl, a child called upon to lead a people and a kingdom about which she knows almost nothing. But what she discovers in the capital will change everything, confronting her with horrors she never imagined. An act of singular daring will throw Kelsea’s kingdom into tumult, unleashing the vengeance of the tyrannical ruler of neighboring Mortmesne: the Red Queen, a sorceress possessed of the darkest magic. Now Kelsea will begin to discover whom among the servants, aristocracy, and her own guard she can trust.

But the quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun—a wondrous journey of self-discovery and a trial by fire that will make her a legend…if she can survive.

The Queen of the Tearling introduces readers to a world as fully imagined and terrifying as that of The Hunger Games, with characters as vivid and intriguing as those of The Game of Thrones, and a wholly original heroine. Combining thrilling action and twisting plot turns, it is a magnificent debut from the talented Erika Johansen.

What I Liked:

First, publishers, you need to learn how to get rid of the attitude that comparing everything and anything to The Hunger Games is a good idea. Because it's not a good idea. In fact, for someone like me, seeing a book or series compared to a huge franchise like The Hunger Games will turn me off. And in this book's case, I couldn't find a single similarity between The Hunger Games and this book. This book was a thousand times better than that series. As for The Game of Thrones comparison, I can't speak for that one, but I wish everyone would give that comparison a rest as well.

Anyway. I LOVED THIS BOOK! I was pleasantly surprised by how well-written this book, how well-constructed the story was, and how much I liked it. Granted, I LOVE high fantasy novels, but I don't read too many adult high fantasy novels. Yup, this book is adult fiction. Check out the price - it's nearly ten dollars (USD) more than a YA hardcover. That's how you know! Also, Harper is publishing this one (versus HarperTeen, Katherine Tegen, Balzer + Bray, etc. 

That being said, I should warn everyone about the "adult themes", or whatever. This book isn't tagged as YA for a reason - it's about a Young Adult, but that's about where the "YA" part might have started and ended (if it existed in this book). There is rape, mutilation, violence, murder, swearing, abuse, and other "adult" topics in this book. Just a warning, for the younger readers, or anyone who is sensitive to those topics.

So. Kelsea is the exiled princess of the Tearling. Exiled meaning in hiding. She was brought in seclusion, by foster parents, far away from the dirty taint of politics and civilization. But when she turns nineteen, she goes back to the Tear, to claim her throne. Once there, she becomes aware of many, many problems that the whole world was familiar with, except her (because of her seclusion). One decision, to stop sending humans to Mortmesne (violating a treaty with the Red Queen), will start a chain of events that Kelsea cannot undo. 

There are so many wonderful things about this book, I don't even know where to start! I guarantee you, I will forget things. I won't be able to do this book justice. The story was terrific. The characters, so well-shaped. The fantasy, the world-building, ahhh!

I really like Kelsea. She is described as "plain", not gorgeous like her mother. She is also a bit "heavy", which is a problem when she tries to take up sword-fighting to protect herself. I love that she isn't a beautiful, naughty, naturally-cliche-princessy princess. She breaks into her role as queen both slowly and quickly, and develops her backbone and her regal stance. I loved watching her character grow - this book is long, the pace slow, and so we really get to see both the characters and the story progress.

This book is written in third person limited, so we get to read from the third-person perspectives of several characters. I like this! I like seeing what other characters think of others, especially of Kelsea. My favorite characters didn't have their own perspectives featured (Mace, the Fetch), but I really like the characters that were featured. With the exception of Thomas, he's a pig.

The Fetch. I hope we see more of him in future books. I'm confused as to who he is, what he is, what his role is. I want more page-time with him! I want to know more about him, his personality, his past. I have a feeling that he is a very complicated person, so that task is not as simple as it sounds. But he is probably my favorite character of the book. Sorry, Kelsea. I'm sure she'd agree with me.

As I said, this book is really long, so we get to see the nuts and bolts of every scene. Every scene, every character, every description - everything is so WELL-WRITTEN. It wasn't that this author had a defining writing style, a unique or lyrical or distinctive one - no, but this story was really well-written. We get to see the real ins-and-outs of the politics of a high fantasy world. Oftentimes, especially in YA books, the politics and real governing of a kingdom are watered down. In this book, Johansen holds nothing back, especially with those adult themes. That's a good way to know that this one is adult fiction.

As I've mentioned the story itself is really well-crafted. I wanted to know what would happen next, with the broken treaty, the traitor, the spies, the Red Queen - what was she doing with all of the humans sent from the Tear?! I had many questions while reading, and I still have questions, but they're not plot-hole questions. I'm not necessarily confused about anything - it's more like I want to know more, but not because I'm frustrated with the story, or I don't understand something because things aren't clear enough. No, Johansen has an excellent balance of information given and omitted in this book.

Think epic, action-packed, blood-soaked, betrayal-ridden, constant, ever-present fear. This is such an excellent example of how I like my high fantasy novels (but with a little more romance). Seriously, the scheming and plotting and planning was madness and ecstasy, brilliance and folly. So much love!

The world-building was probably one of my favorite aspects of this book. This book is so epic fantasy wonderful! Technically, this book takes place in the wayyyyy future, because there are mentions of the Americas and technology and "The Crossing" (I have a good idea of what that is, but I feel like Johansen will explore that part of Tear history in future books). However, this book is high fantasy. And what a fantasy world it is! I love how Johansen created this world, and what she created.

The romance - you might be surprised to hear that there was no romance in this book. Nothing, no growing relationships, no sneaking touches or glances, no queen-and-captain-of-the-guard-fall-in-love trope, nothing. There is a hint at a possible romance happening in the future books, which I would be ALL FOR, because I like the guy and I like the girl, but we'll see. It might not happen, but the seeds are there. I'm glad the romance is like that - nonexistent in the first book, but potentially a thing in future books. It lets readers focus completely on the world, the politics, the brewing war.

Have I said enough? I sure hope so! You should definitely check out this book when it comes out! I hear the author (a debut author) was offered a seven-figure deal for this trilogy, and that movie adaptation rights have already been bought, starring Emma Watson? So. Go go go! You heard it first here on The Eater of Books! blog. *nudges*

What I Did Not Like:

I think the pacing was the only thing that bothered me at all. This book kind of moves at a snail's pace. On the one hand, I can really appreciate the amount of descriptions and care the author has included, in order to build up the story and the Tear world. However, it took me about three times as long to read this book as it would a book of its size. I can't imagine how they're going to condense this entire book down into a screenplay for a movie. While this book moved really slowly, I can't imagine cutting out so many scenes, scenes that helped shape this novel, even if they seemed unnecessary. But anyway. My original point was that the pacing was slow. Because it was.

Also. While I liked the "no romance" thing in this book. Perhaps a little romance in books to come? Yes.

Would I Recommend It:

YES!! You definitely do NOT want to miss this book, especially since it's an upcoming hit series or whatever. Love it before the real hype pours over the country/world. Get to it because the hoards do! You love fantasy? Great! You'll really enjoy this book! 

Just be warned - it's an adult fiction novel. It's NOT listed as a "Teen" or "YA" novel, because really, it isn't. However, don't not read this book because it's not a YA novel (if you love YA novels). Just know that it is an adult fiction novel.

Rating:

4.5 stars -> rounded down to 4 stars. I'm only rounding down to 4 stars because it really did take me entirely too long to finish this book, mostly due to the pacing. 450 pages isn't too long, but this was a slow-moving book. Just saying. I LOVED IT SO MUCH THOUGH!! Go pick up a copy as soon as possible!

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