The Queen of the Tearling: A Novel (Queen of the Tearling, The, 1) Hardcover – Deckle Edge, July 8, 2014

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen is a unique fantasy novel that follow Kelsea Raleigh as she takes the throne. Kelsea had been sent into hiding as an infant to protect her life and has lived in near isolation for nearly twenty years. Now it is time for her to reclaim the throne. Unfortunately for Kelsea, there is a price on her head and danger from all angles. Not to mention that she is only 19 years old and very sheltered. She must do her best to reach the throne and right the wrongs of her kingdom. I loved The Queen of the Tearling. It was an epic book that held my interest the entire way through. I love Kelsea as a character and the world-building was fantastic. All of the minor characters held my interest and the plot, though not fast moving, touched me greatly.Firstly, let’s talk about Kelsea Raleigh. She is a very plain looking and naive girl who was raised in cottage, far from society, by an elderly couple. The truths about her kingdom and her family were kept from her and she has only the barest understanding of the politics of her time. She is meant to be queen and she has the moral compass to do it, but she’s not prepared when she first sets out to take the throne. I love Kelsea because she is different than most heroines that I read about. Yes, she’s special and she is the hope for her world, etc, etc., but she is not a bad-ass chick who can dual wield swords and make any man fall in love with her in one glance. She is a plain, plump girl who has a strong will but lacks self confidence. She forces herself to overcome her shortcomings, of which there are a believable amount, and do what is right for her people, even if it is incredibly uncomfortable or dangerous for her. She has flaws and weaknesses. She has trouble fitting into her armor and she doesn’t learn to fight with a sword well at all. She is not physically formidable and she does not have a natural presence that garners respect. Yet she commands the room and takes to the throne with a natural ability. She is one of the most realistic monarch characters I have read outside of historical fiction and history books.The world of Tearling, and surrounding countries, is fascinating. The book presumably takes place sometime in our future after a great disaster has struck society. Europe is no longer a viable home and humanity has moved over to North America in the Great Crossing. Most technology has been lost, including medicine and the printing press. Books are nearly impossible to find and society is just beginning to redevelop past technologies. Gun powder, for instance, has not be rediscovered or reinvented in Tearling. There are references to our time throughout the book, with the mention of electronic books, the seven tombs of Rowling and The Hobbit, which I found entertaining and set the scene very well. I am very interested in learning more about what happened before the Great Crossing and what technologies there might be left to discover or recreate.The “big bad” in this series is the Red Queen, ruler of Mortmesne, a country on the border of the Tearling. The Red Queen is a tyrant who rules through force and fear. She takes hundreds of human slaves as tribute each month and does who knows what with them. There is an undercurrent of despair running throughout the entire world. The poor, in the Tearling and elsewhere, are barely getting by and are forced to live in a feudal system. The high class folks ignore the poor and dress in finery, shopping the Mortmesne black market for whatever they desire, ignoring the slave trade completely. It is a rather depressing world.There is also magic in this world. It is not overpowering. There are no wizards or witches running around. Instead, the Tearling is more like a medieval world with some magic thrown in, more like the Game of Thrones world. Kelsea has inherited the necklaces that all the Tearling rulers wear and these necklaces are imbued with some magical power. The antagonist, the Red Queen, also has magic abilities and she uses them to keep her people under a firm yolk. I enjoy that the magic is downplayed and only comes out for extraordinary circumstances. I also enjoy the Kelsea doesn’t understand the powers and is learning about them just as we, the reader, are.The plot itself is very engaging. I found that the book started off slowly and meandered a bit at the beginning. In general, the book moves at a relatively slow pace for the most part, taking its time introducing the characters, the history of the land, and the development of Kelsea as a ruling monarch. If you want something very fast-paced and action-packed, you might be disappointed. That said, there are seriously tense moments in this book, with chases, fights, etc. There is definitely action to be had.The Queen of the Tearling is a rather dark book. Though it features a young adult, it is not a teen book. There is graphic language, graphic violence, and hard subjects throughout the book. There are terrible, violent acts and truly saddening topics, such as slavery and abuse. The Tearling is a realistic society, in that there is strife, starvation and unhappiness. Kelsea wishes to improve the lot of her subjects but this book is realistic and serious. It is clearly not going to come up roses and have a full on happy ending. Characters will die, will be betrayed and will worm their way into your heart along the way.I recommend this book to anyone who likes epic stories and fantasy worlds, even alternate histories. Kelsea is a fantastic female protagonist, so if you’re looking for a book with a strong, realistic female lead, this fits the bill. Just keep in mind that this book is gritty and dark, realistic in its saddest and most poignant parts.

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika JohansenI did something I rarely do and downloaded this book the day it was released. I had heard about it through several people that read advanced copies, and it sounded like just the kind of book I would love. I definitely liked it and it is a great start to a series. This book clearly sets up a series, which is fine since I enjoyed it! It is fiction and has fantasy. I think anyone who likes fantasy books and strong female characters would enjoy this book.My favorite thing about this book is the fact it features a strong woman in the character of Kelsea. She is not perfect. She does not have the perfect life. She may be named Queen but she has numerous challenges to face and to overcome. Kelsea is like no other female character I have read in recent times. Kelsea is why I can say I love the book, I fell in love with her. I also found it an excellent choice to not have a main female character fall in love, since every science fiction or fantasy book I have read with a female lead has a story line that features said female character being in love.Another really fun thing I love about this book is that several characters have a love of books. I find it refreshing when characters in books love books. It is an interesting dichotomy in this book however, because so many characters do not even have access to books. I love that one of the things that Kelsea wants to change is people’s access to books. I would be the same way. Everyone should have access to books. I am so lucky to live in a town with so many libraries. I have always been surrounded by books. The setting in this book is not like this, and I cannot even imagine not having books in my life like some of these characters.One of the things I found confusing about the book was the exact time period. Some indication was given through the books mentioned by Kelsea and another character. The Lord of the Rings is mentioned, so that drastically changed the time period I had been envisioning this book being set in. After this real life book series is mentioned, I get the impression the book is set now but in world very different because of different technologies and choices made. However, this is not clearly explained. I was left with questions about the time period and geography. Since I did find out it was a series as I was reading it, some of these questions might be answered in later books.Overall, I found the books very satisfying and loved the introduction of magical elements. Numerous characters are introduced and I think there is good opportunity to learn more about many of them in the next book. I am left wanting to know more about all the characters. I was left wanting more. I was rooting for Kelsea the whole way through. I cannot say I loved the writing style and there is no real reason why besides my personal taste. It just did not always flow for me and did not always give enough detail or description to help me really imagine and picture what is happening. I will definitely end up rereading this book before the second book comes out and I do hope the second book comes out next year so I do not have to wait too long to hopefully get some of my questions answered.

The perfect book if you want a good classic fantasy with a female lead! The characters were flawed, complex, and sometimes messy, but in the best possible way!

Regalo

Loved it! I've been craving for a while to read something like this. I thought that it was a YA (because most fantasy books are), but I was surprised to see that it was violent and touched themes like rape, war, pedophilia, to name a few.The characters were very interesting, mysterious and compelling. I loved the Mace and Kelsea was also beautifully written. I like it when characters have faults and aren't as perfect as some would think a hero should be.The political intrigues were also good and I want to know more about the Crossing (got a little confused when they first mentioned ebooks).It is not a fast paced book, but it is completely worth it!

Kelsea Glynn was taken from her mother, Queen Elyssa, and raised and trained in a hidden area in the woods by Barty and Carlin, former members of her mother’s Court, to protect her from their enemy, the Red Queen of Mortmesne, who ruled a post apocalyptic version of Europe. After her mother died Queen Elyssa was replaced by a regent, Kelsea’s uncle, who became a puppet of the Red Queen. As Kelsea approached her nineteenth birthday her birthright was explained to her and she was smuggled back to take the throne as Queen of Tearling, a post apocalyptic version of America and Britain. Despite the meager knowledge supplied her of her birthright by Barty and Carlin, her personality and obvious differences between her and her mother drew a loyal cadre to help her in her challenges as the new Queen. This is an excellent start to the series.

Mindblowing!!Loved it!!