#tearling

[elsewence]

[wondereads]

Personal Review (12/11/22)

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Summary

After being raised away from her home, Princess Kelsea of The Tearling is called home. For years, The Tearling has struggled under the rule of a corrupt regent and threat of a bloodthirsty, foreign queen. Now, as Kelsea returns to take her rightful place, she must set to rights all the wrongs within her kingdom.

Plot 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

This was a very good political fantasy. As is expected on the political side of things, this book moves a little slower than I'd want, but it was never boring. There are multiple problems the characters have to face, and they intertwine with each other and interesting ways. Fantasy can't be wholly realistic (it's fantasy), but there is a lot of realism in this story that makes it much more tense—the stakes seem higher. Kelsea has to deal with problems that would definitely affect a queen; it isn't just magical discoveries and fighting evil, she's also dealing with corrupt government agencies, a lack of natural resources, and regular crime on top of the malicious rival queen.

The worldbuilding is so intriguing. This world actually exists in the future. Something happened many years ago that forced the people of today's world to migrate to this new land; The Tearling is the result of American and English settlements. I have a feeling the origins of this world are going to come into play in the rest of trilogy, and I'll be very upset if they don't because I'd keep reading this series just for the backstory.

Characters 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

I love the main character, Kelsea. She's a good balance between the naivety that comes from her upbringing and the brains and leadership required to be the queen of a country. She makes some hasty and impulsive decisions, but it's so easy to tell that she genuinely cares for The Tearling and its people, and by the end of this first book I have no doubt she'll be putting her utmost effort into protecting her charges. Kelsea also thinks progressively without falling into a weird situation where her views don't line up with the world she was raised in. Thanks to her upbringing, which we get a few glimpses of, Kelsea's willingness to challenge the norm makes sense.

The side characters were absolutely amazing. Probably the most prevalent is Lazarus, or the Mace, the head of Kelsea's guard and her mother's before her. Lazarus is incredibly interesting because although he is arguably Kelsea's closest ally, there is no end to the conflict between them. He has secrets he won't tell her, he doesn't trust her with information, and it grates on Kelsea to follow his orders. However, there's a lot of development between them, and I can't wait to see more. Other side characters, such as Kelsea's other guards, a woman who ends up as basically her lady-in-waiting, and a renowned thief known as the Fetch are also great; they each have very distinct personalities, so it was rare that I got people mixed up.

The main antagonist is the Red Queen, the nameless, all-powerful queen of the neighboring realm of Mortmesne, which has been steadily colonizing all the countries around it. At first it seems like she's a typical, utterly evil antagonist, but the chapters from her point of view were so intriguing; I definitely want to know more about her. The minor antagonists could be one-dimensional, but they also caught my attention, particularly the regent, Kelsea's uncle. He definitely wasn't what I expected, and his chapters were very well written.

The only issue I can think of is Kelsea's odd infatuation with the Fetch. Normally I would have no issue with it—a 19-year-old with a crush on a mysterious, playful thief? Seen it—except it is implied that the Fetch was grown and stealing when Kelsea was born? I have a certain tolerance for age gaps as a fantasy reader, but really?

Writing Style 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

I think the overall writing of this book was very good. The descriptions are well done, and I loved how Johansen did Kelsea's emotions and the different perspectives. There are multiple points of view in this book, many of which are from antagonists, and Johansen did a fantastic job garnering sympathy or at least interest for these characters.

As previously stated, the pacing is a bit slow. This book is over 400 pages, but there are only 14 chapters, which occasionally makes it feel as though the story is dragging. There were some points at which I was like, ok, let's move on, but for the most part, I was hooked.

Overall 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

I wasn't anticipating enjoying this book so much! This is the first high fantasy I've read in a while that managed to grab my interest like this. It wasn't perfect—the pacing is my big gripe—but it was pretty amazing. The plot is complicated but not confusing, the worldbuilding is unique, Kelsea is a great main character, and the side characters definitely don't fall behind. I liked the regular POV-switching, and I'm definitely going to read the rest of this series. One note: I've seen people promoting this as a Hunger Games-Game of Thrones successor, but please don't go into this with that mindset. There is nothing Hunger Games-like about this book, and it's one similarity with Game of Thrones is being a political fantasy. This is its own story, and it stands well on its own.

The Author

Erika Johansen: American, The Queen of the Tearling is her debut novel

The Reviewer

My name is Wonderose; I try to post a review every week, and I do themed recommendations every once in a while. I take suggestions! Check out my about me post for more!

[bookymcbookface]

The Fate of the Tearling, by Erika Johansen

[incorrectfbaaquotes]

Sera: Damn it.

Nyktos: You shouldn't curse.

Sera: Get fucked!

[mundanemoongirl]

I’ve read 32 books this year. Some were mysteries, some were thrillers, some were realistic fiction, and most were fantasy. So here’s my top 5 out of every book I’ve read!

But first, my honorable mentions

This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi has some of the most beautiful descriptions and wordings that I have read. I also love the Persian culture in it. I'm always fascinated when reading about different cultures and this is one I don’t know much about. It felt unique and authentic. The reason this one isn’t in my top 5 is because I felt it relied too much on tropes and the plot was a bit cliche. The second book especially suffers from this.

Going Dark by Melissa De La Cruz is a mystery I thought was so good it helped to inspire my own. It touches on important topics like racism and mental illnesses. I love how social media is used to find clues and I was so invested in the story that I stayed up late every night to know more. The only thing keeping this book from being perfect to me is that about halfway through, the backstory is told to the reader. I would have rather the characters find it out for themselves.

When I tell you I loved Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao so much I wrote a three page paper on it and submitted it for my communications final (I got an A). I love character driven stories and Xifeng is one of my favorite characters of all time. Her arc progresses at a perfect pace and I love seeing her use the few skills she possesses to get what she wants. As a dark fantasy writer, I appreciate that the book doesn’t shy away from gruesome aspects. The reason this book isn’t in my top five is because I wanted to see Xifeng’s rule as empress. That’s it. I just wanted more Xifeng.

And now my top 5 under the cut

5. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This is not the type of book I’d normally read, but it blew away all of my expectations and I absolutely adored it. At first, I didn’t really like Monique’s character. I wasn’t interested in her failed marriage and I was pretty annoyed every time she didn’t understand what was being said to her (which happens way too often), but as she learned from Evelyn I was really rooting for her.

It was Evelyn’s story that wouldn’t let me stop reading. It was similar to Xifeng in a way where she started as a girl who was pretty, but had nothing, and manipulated her way to becoming a superstar. I was especially gripped by Evelyn’s insistence that Monique will hate her. I just needed to keep going to find out why.

There were a lot of unique aspects that I liked, such as the chapter titles. They were so fun and I kept repeated them in my head. I also like how parts of the story are told through forums and news articles. Other than the fact this this is a unique aspect, I liked it because we got to hear a different perspective than the person telling the story.

Also, yay for a bisexual main character! It was done so well and respectful, and not the stereotypical cheater character. I have been waiting my whole life for this type of representation.

The last thing I want to say about this one is that Reid really makes an art of writing. There are so many quotable lines and you can tell so much thought was put into every word.

4. The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

It’s a pretty cliche story: a princess must reclaim her throne. But The Queen of the Tearling works so well because of its main character, Kelsea. She’s such a beautifully complex character. On one hand, she wants to prove herself as queen. But on the other, she wants to be free to be a teenage girl. She rules with compassion for her people. But she also has an underlying ruthlessness and short temper. She looks to the future by examining the past, and how can you not root for a character so strong that she demanded her throne with a knife in her shoulder?

I appreciate that this book didn’t go the trope route and have the ruler of the rival kingdom become Kelsea’s lover. It’s fine one time, but it’s way overdone, and Kelsee’s strengths shine through more without this trope.

I like how each chapter opens up with a quote. Like the articles in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, this gives the reader insight into what other characters think.

I have to say that even though this book blew me away, the last book has the worst ending I have ever read in my life. It was lazy, dismissive of the themes throughout the series, and just exasperating because it erases the growth of the characters and kingdom. I have no idea why Johansen would write it into existence and it somewhat tarnished my view on the series.

3. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Is it really surprising that a Hunger Games book is in my top 5? I was hesitant at first to read it because I thought it would be a sympathy story or a cash grab, but I'm so glad that I gave it a try because it was so much more than I thought.

I feel like it's a theme on my list that I like to see stories where something small slowly evolves into something big. That's a big part of why I love this book. We get to see how the games went from something no one liked to the sporting event we know it as. It was a bonus to see that Snow's impact on the games as well.

I loved getting back into the Hunger Games universe, especially now that we get more of what the capitol is like. I have to admit that I haven't read the original trilogy in almost a decade so my memory is a little shaky, but I don't remember anything about the capitol being poor at one point. I liked this detail and getting to know capitol kids like Clemensia because it makes the capitol more complex. Before, I only knew it as a completely evil, selfish, privileged group of people, but now we can understand it better.

I love Lucy Gray's character. As a former musician, I appreciate that her power is through song and I enjoyed reading the meaning in her lyrics. I was kicking my feet reading about the Hanging Tree song and her teaching Snow about katniss roots because they live on to haunt him 60 years later. As always, Collins knows how to incorporate so much meaning into her writing.

The only thing I disliked is that it started to drag in Part III.

2. I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

This one was heavy, but I'm thankful to McCurdy for being vulnerable and sharing this raw story. As someone who grew up on iCarly, she was an important part of my childhood. I listened to the audiobook version, which just made it all the more personal.

You can tell from the writing that McCurdy was meant to be a writer. She somehow manages to make such a sad story humorous, and I found myself getting lost in her the way she describes background information that I didn't even notice that she deviated from the main topic until she brought us back. Not to mention, the writing sounds like she is telling a story directly to you. It reminds me of experts like Bell Hooks, someone who I have described as having a style like talking to a close friend.

McCurdy also has a deep understanding of herself and her emotions, even during times in which she didn't understand nor want to understand the harm that was done to her and how she copes with it. It's obvious to the audience what's going on, but not to her, and she writes it in a way where we can understand the truth of her circumstances while also understanding her point of view from when she was experiencing trauma. I doubt many people can understand themselves this well.

Each chapter had me hooked. I kept telling myself that her life couldn't get worse, but then it did. There were times when I nearly cried, and once when I was so shocked that I involuntarily covered my mouth with my hand and couldn't move it back for a minute. This book will make you feel everything.

I hate how some people are shaming the book just because of the title because this is such an important story, and if you just read it you would understand the title completely.

Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury

Fantasy, sci-fi, and mystery all in one? So much diversity that you can swim in it? Quite possibly the cutest romance to ever exist? I didn't know the perfect book existed and yet here it is.

I knew this book would be a favorite of mine from the moment I saw it. You have a beautiful, colorful cover on one side, and a description on the other saying a girl has to destroy her first love in order to get magic. I still can't believe that this is Sambury's debut book.

One thing I love about Blood Like Magic (and its sequel) is that despite all the fantastical elements, the books feel so real. Voya's family feels so real because they aren't rich, they aren't powerful in a social aspect, and they aren't perfect. The cast of characters feel real because POCs, gay, and trans people are going to exist no matter what. The romance feels real because they don't instantly fall in love. The plot feels real because sometimes everything will go wrong, no matter how hard you try to make it right. And of course there's the realest aspect of them all: all Black grandmas are going to have attitude.

Ok, I have to talk more about the romance because Luc and Voya are so stinking cute. I was actually squealing and kicking my feet while reading because it's so obvious that they adore each other and can't even tell. I didn't even like the enemies to lovers trope before I read this book, but Sambury does it perfectly. I also like that she makes a distinction between physical and romantic attraction because I think it gets muddled in a lot of popular books these days.

Voya's such a relatable character. We all struggle to make decisions sometimes. We never want to be left out or hurt the people we care about. Also, her name is so pretty and it doesn't even mean anything?!

Do I even have to mention that all the different types of magic are so fun and creative? Do I even have to mention that all the advanced technology seems like it could really happen? Everyone go read Blood Like Magic and Blood Like Fate right now.

[erstwhile-punk-guerito]

[regardstosoulandromance]

the queen of the tearling chapter one: there’s an evil woman called the red queen

me: sounds hot tell me more.

[gatutor]

Clara Bow-Conway Tearle "Madres que bailan" (Dancing mothers) 1926, de Herbert Brenon.

[annelisreadingroom]

I'm waiting for it to get warm enough that I can sit outside and read. I hope that in three weeks or so it will get warmer than it is now.

Have you read The Queen of the Tearling? I read it a long time ago but for some reason I never continued the series.

[sparklestheunicorn]

I can see you is so pen and kelsea coded

[wherdtonygo]

living in hell because my book fandom is so small theres like no content, fan or otherwise, and there’s no art of my character so when i want to see him i have to accept being plagued by The Visions

[rphelperblog]

Random Quotes from YA Fantasy Books Part Two

inspired by  @sankta-alina-s @wcrriorhearts @all-is-fair-in-love-and-war and more- this time I opened my fantasy books to random pages and wrote down some without trying to make this meme a million pages

“No mourners. No funerals. Among them, it passed for 'good luck.” 

“I will have you without armour, or I won’t have you at all.”

“I could see her daring a cobra to strike, swearing her venom would kill first.” 

“If you won’t be my friend, you’ll regret being my enemy.”

“Don't be afraid, child, The stories are always there.” 

“You're the queen, and it's the queen's house, and whatever he may accomplish, he's highly unlikely ever to be queen.” 

“There are no rules when it comes to survival.” 

“Truth that came too late was as useful as a meal to a dead man.” 

“If you think I'm jealous because someone else got to stab you, then you're right.” 

“I don’t mind being a moth. I would probably start eating silk if it meant that I could fly.” 

“If you want to rebel, rebel from inside the system.That's much more powerful than rebelling outside the system.” 

“I promise, I will not let you die without being kissed.” 

“The way he looked at you. I got it then. He loved you, and it was killing him. He won't get over you, he can't.” 

"She is my priority!

“It’s fascinating. You know all these words, and they’re all English, but when you string them together into sentences, they just don’t make any sense.” 

“There were many beautiful young men in the world, but she believed that none of them could be trusted with something as fragile, or valuable, as a heart.” 

“Invite the lie to play until you become so comfortable with it that it feels like the truth.” 

“It is a dangerous thing to unbelieve something only because it frightens you.” 

“He is beauty, inside and out.He is the silver lining in a world of darkness. He is my light.”

“If by a moment, you mean me not wanting to strangle you for the first time since we met, then I guess we are.” 

“I think I realized that I would rather die because I betrayed them, than live because I betrayed you.” 

“The field of battle is my temple.”

“You know, you have a really strange way of telling me you’re attracted to me.” 

“Vanity is a factor, but it is more a question of control. It is easier to trick others into perceiving you as beautiful if you can convince yourself you are beautiful. But mirrors have an uncanny way of telling the truth.”

“You win your people or you lose your throne.” 

“You allow the world to think you're a heartless murderer,"

“Hope in this world bleeds out of the barrel of a gun.”

“Waiting. Not waiting. One lover. A hundred lovers. There should be no judgement either way. A woman is not defined by what she does or doesn‘t do in the bedroom.”

“Imagine, and it shall be. There are no limits.⁠⁠⁠⁠”

“I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside. It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.” 

“Forever and ever, kid, until you're sick and tired of seeing me.”

“No one wants you to be yourself. They want you to be the version of yourself that they like.” 

“But you have to have a working heart for it to break.” 

“I am Death. I come quickly, I come slowly, but I am not cheated.”

“And the infinite captivates us because it allows us to believe all things are possible. That true love can last beyond time.” 

“Beautiful words were beautiful words, even to the most practical of minds.” 

“It's not reasonable to love people who are only going to die,"

“Everyone dies eventually. I think it's better to die clean.” 

“No. I'm not broken easily. I will never break.” 

“Evil contained is not evil destroyed.”

“Many boys will bring you flowers. But someday you'll meet a boy who will learn your favorite flower, your favorite song, your favorite sweet. And even if he is too poor to give you any of them, it won't matter because he will have taken the time to know you as no one else does. Only that boy earns your heart.” 

“The memory fades, and I’m left hanging on to the ghosts of his words.” 

“Some hate us, think us outlaws to hang at the gallows. Some fear us, think demons to burn at the stake, Some worship us, think us children of the gods. But all know us.” 

“Be true to yourself. But that's something everyone says and no one means. No one wants you to be yourself. They want you to be the version of yourself that they like.” 

“He might have been a liar and villain, but he made both things look very good.” 

"Didn't you hear anything I just told you? You could die!

“The ghosts, they never go away. They call to you in unexpected moments, their hands lacing with yours and pulling you down paths that lead nowhere.” 

“Her spine was steel. Her heart was armor. Her eyes were fire.”

“There were two kinds of monsters, the kind that hunted the streets and the kind that lived in your head. She could fight the first, but the second was more dangerous. It was always, always, always a step ahead.”

“Love required sacrifice and making hard choices and doing things that were bigger than just you. It wasn't something you asked for, or could control or change. It was something you accepted. Love was a force of nature.”

[library-love-affair]

“Those who cease to worry about their souls often find them difficult to reclaim later…”

- Erika Johansen (The Queen of the Tearling)

[streamondemand]

Alfred Hitchcock's 'The 39 Steps' on Max and Criterion Channel

The 39 Steps (1935), Alfred Hitchcock’s first great romantic thriller, smoothly plays the “wrong man” gambit with the light, black-humored grace that would reach its apex in North by Northwest. Robert Donat stars as Richard Hanay, an affable Canadian tourist in London who becomes embroiled in a deadly conspiracy when a mysterious spy winds up murdered in his rented flat and both the police and a…

[nototherwisespecified]

ok i can't tell: is "in a past life, this plot agent was a high-ranking government researcher who observed &/or caused the event(s) that created the present wild SFF setting" actually an increasingly common plot arc or do i just have four nickels