![]() ![]() From what I gathered, The Queen Of The Tearling takes place in the future, with mankind there being descended from people who left our known Earth in “The Crossing.” When was the crossing, exactly? What did William Tear and the other emigrants even cross? An ocean? A magical portal? Space? I’m still not quite sure. I assume that The Queen Of The Tearling is the beginning of a series – or maybe a trilogy – because the history and nature of Erika Johansen’s world only came through in partial references throughout this first installment. But in order to help her people, Kelsea will have to remain true to herself while everyone nearby tries to sway her to suit their own needs. The Tearling needs a True Queen and it needs one fast. Her subjects are treated as bargaining chips by the corrupt court in an attempt to keep the the domineering neighbor kingdom’s evil “Red Queen” at bay. Growing up isolated from the kingdom, Kelsea had no idea how badly the general population was doing. Throw in some dashing outlaws scary assassins and bloodthirsty hawks, and it’s a miracle she makes it to the throne at all. Their journey to the keep is a long one, endangered by her guards’ certainty that the current regent – Kelsea’s uncle – will try to kill her en route rather than give up his power. Actually, they were probably just fancy shoes Kelesa’s started to notice that her mother wasn’t a very good queen at all, and has resolved not to be so vain and out of touch with her own people. Even though Barty and Carlin taught Kelsea as much as they could about nature, humanity, and The Tearling, she still feels completely unprepared to fill her mother’s powerful shoes. Kelsea just turned nineteen, and so it’s time for her to become queen. The Queens Guard, a troop of her mother’s dedicated knights, have come to bring her back to the castle. We first meet Kelsea near woodland cottage where she was raised in hiding by adoptive parents. The point here is: there’s a bit of grossness that’s definitely not for children.) Basically, The Queen Of The Tearling was a fairly quick read with a decent plot, but it doesn’t promise anything new or exciting for habitual browsers of the fantasy shelves. ![]() (I don’t always like the term “mature” when it comes to saying that there’s NSFW content, because I know plenty of younger readers who have better critical reading skills than most adults. And while the writing characters and plot were more right for the YA market, certain “mature” details would prevent me from recommending it to anyone under 14. The world and logic weren’t described clearly enough for me to associate it with those extensive, detailed series. While The Queen Of The Tearling brought me right back to the familiar world of contested borders and names I can’t pronounce, I’m struggling to find a category for it in my head. ![]() ![]() I can’t remember the last time I sat in the Fantasy section at the library with a heavy paperback – cheesy illustrated cover and all –open on my lap. It’s been an weirdly long time since I read a novel set in your typical fantasy world, with queens outlaws and miserable serfs. Let it thus be known: I read an advanced copy of this book, and some details may have changed before the official release on July 8, 2014. Age range recommendation: 14 and up (Medieval violence including sexual violence.) ![]()
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