Series: The Queen of the Tearling
Release Date: October 31st, 2013
And so beings her journey back to her kingdom’s heart, to claim the throne, earn the loyalty of her people, overturn her mother’s legacy and redeem the Tearling from the forces of corruption and dark magic that are threatening to destroy it. But Kelsea’s story is not just about her learning the true nature of her inheritance – it’s about a heroine who must learn to acknowledge and live with the realities of coming of age in all its insecurities and attractions, alongside the ethical dilemmas of ruling justly and fairly while simply trying to stay alive …
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.
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
• Torture (including that of a child)
• Murder
• Assassination
• Death
• Rape
• Discussion of drugs
• Allusion to abortion
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Rating: 5/5 stars
It’s hard when you read a lot to answer the question, what is your favourite book? But now I can easily say The Queen of the Tearling because of its politics, assassinations, intrigue, mystery, magic, the protagonist being the underdog but doing a fantastical job of being Queen. And there is a slight hint of a romance to come … possibly. But, The Queen of the Tearling had it all, and the best part was how real the main character, Kelsea, was. She did what she believed in, no matter the repercussions to come, and you saw her transformation from a girl who grew up being an only child to becoming the True Queen of the Tearling. It was a fantastic journey to read this book.
In the synopsis, it’s mentioned both The Hunger Games and The Game of Thrones series are similar. From what I know of both of them, this book does actually channel some similar themes. With The Hunger Games, it’s mainly because everyone in The Tearling line has found death due to assassination. So, it was awesome seeing Kelsea being put into these situations where she truly realizes how even though she does have her guards, she needs to learn to protect herself. Also, what I found impressive was that whenever people brought up the inevitability of her death, she went along with it. Kelsea was very aware of her mortality and simply wanted to do the best Kelsea could for her people with the time she had. It was a very mature look at her future, and it was an interesting comparison to the inner narrative of a girl who second-guessed every choice she made.
I also loved the politics behind every move. Kelsea quickly learned from her right-hand man, Lazarus, that everything was calculated and fabricated. That there were traitors to the crown hidden in the most seemingly devoted places, like the Church, for example. I found it intriguing how everything was interconnected and how a small character, such as a guard of the gate, could alter and shift everything.
The Queen of the Tearling was written mainly in Kelsea’s perspective, but due to the writing being in the third person, it allowed the author to dabble into other narratives, like the Red Queen, or a lowly Gate Guard, or the Prince Regent. And no matter how small the character, you knew that their story all had an impact on Kelsea’s journey, even if it was a small one.
The writing style took a while to get into specifics because Kelsea was acting like a normal 19-year-old girl, who doesn’t want to grow up, let alone be Queen. It was hard to sympathize with her in the beginning, but once she started making the tough decisions and being just plain awesome, you can’t help but root for her.
There’s so much of this book that’s yet to be unveiled; there are so many secrets. I’m literally at the edge of my seat, waiting for the next book.
The pace and plot were both cohesive, nothing was that predictable, and neither was the pace too hurried. Johansen is taking her time to reveal her characters’ secrets. One thing that stood out to me was that all the men in The Queen of the Tearling are 30-years-old or older. I think Johansen did this to eliminate them as a love interest for Kelsea (who’s 19).
It will be interesting to see how romance plays into this book since Kelsea is obviously only nineteen. But since she’s also the Queen, there’s the assumption she has to produce heirs.
Overall, I’m incredibly excited about the next book in the series, which has yet to be titled. And the fact that this is Johansen’s debut novel is staggering. Also, I just wanted to say that The Queen of the Tearling is set to become a movie with Emma Watson, potentially playing Kelsea. Counting down the days until the second book!
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[…] self-righteous Queen’s Guard blood sworn I’ve read in other epic fantasy novels (see The Queen of the Tearling for one). They think that their dead Queen’s word and secrets are so worthy of protection […]