A Novel (Queen of the Tearling - The (2015-06-24) [Hardcover]

Like any middle book in a series, this one lagged a little. However, it was exciting to see how Johansen wove past and present in this installment of the series. It only left me wanting the read The Fate of the Tearling all the more!

Pretty brutal in some places, but the story is great! Fantastic writing! I love how there is a less than perfect main character who still manages to muddle through and do what she can for everyone. DO NOT LET YOUNG READERS READ... It is a great reminder that women are strong and bad ass too, but to a young reader it will be way too much.

A journey.
A journey of growing up, the struggles of responsibility, the pull of compassion or anger and hate, and the weight of a kingdom as the new young queen tries to make the best choices for the well being of her people.

I love the characters, especially the girl who becomes Queen of the Tearling, and those who gather round her. The story reminds me of early King Arthur, but with a Queen finding her own way through trials and setbacks in a different time/world.

I do not find books that strike my interest often but I can not put this book down!!

There are so many modern concerns in this trilogy but its played out in fantasy.

I highly recommend it

I read the first book and was really interested to see how this would go. It is a really interesting concept but I feel they were trying to little too hard for the "game of thrones" style sexual tension, I could have done with less of that and more of the story.

.. but very interesting. I enjoyed this middle book of the trilogy. It reveals things, but still leaves secrets to be revealed, and a kingdom still in crisis. Time to learn The Fate of the Tearling!

This book was even better than the first. So many things took me by surprise and yet there are still so many questions I look forward to the last book. This author is a true storyteller. I highly recommend this series

Fantastic sequel!! I couldn't put this down anymore than I could the first. Character development is top notch. This is the type of story that makes you miss the characters when you reach the ending. I hope Kelsea has more adventures soon!

This story takes a turn and the original character becomes schizophrenic. Living or witnessing another life in another time and tries to smash them together leaving the reader very disappointed. To me a waste of time and money.

Erika Johansen has created a novel that is, in every way, superior to its predecessor. While I fell on the more critical side of The Queen of the Tearling (I felt it a bit derivative of the genre, etc), Johansen makes this world uniquely hers in this second book.

For all that it starts immediately after Queen, Invasion covers a lot of ground. It's a surprisingly robust second novel; I think a lot of multi-book series or trilogies use their second efforts as an easy buffer. In contrast, Invasion is as interested in resolving various plot lines (the backgrounds of some characters; the deaths or comeuppances of others) as it is in raising new ones - Fetch's origin story, the 'dark thing' that haunts the Red Queen and the long-ago betrayal of the Tear monarchy, for example. The way it all unfolds is a testament to Johansen's skill with reveals and pacing. Note that the ending is vaguely cliffhanger-y, however. If that's the type of thing that would drive you crazy, you may want to wait a bit before purchasing the novel.

Because Invasion splits its attention between Pre-Crossing and Post-Crossing (as Kelsea does herself - she inhabits her time/world as well as a Pre-Crossing woman through flashbacks), the book itself straddles several genres: dystopian, fantasy and - as someone in the reviews has already mentioned - sci-fi as well. We get a lot of the world-building back story that Queen lacked, including the conditions on 'earth' Pre-Crossing and the core band of dissident idealists looking to make a complete break from that world. Their fierce idealism - the belief and desire in a better world - is juxtaposed with the brutality of Tear and Mortesme. Though Johansen does *not* address when and what exactly went wrong, there were enough hints to suggest that lingering questions will be answered directly later in the series (and honestly, if they were addressed here, I think Invasion would have been far too unwieldy).

Kelsea is becoming a heroine I appreciate, which was not always the case. She's deeply flawed and she reaps the consequences of her impulsiveness in book I, but she's also grown far more complex under competing pressures of duty, growing power, political strife, darker impulses and her flashbacks to the Pre-Crossing. She is transforming, both internally and externally, and Johansen depicts Kelsea as walking a very fine line of mental well-being, with cracks or breaks manifesting in power-hungry brutality. I'm definitely looking forward to watching her journey in the third book.

Girlish romance takes a backseat to Kelsea's physical desire/wish to be physically desired, which I think is rare in YA/NA books. She is not a character who currently wants or can accommodate dreams of hearth and home; instead, her intellect and sense of responsibility allow only for straightforward, unadorned desire, with none of the relationship hangups that plague most female protagonists in the genre. There are a number of scenes with sexuality/sex that run the gamut from discreet to violent, with a couple of characters facing sexual assault (one, a priest; the other a married woman). I think it is handled well in the context of the scene(s), but it's obviously very intense and may upset readers. There are also rather explicit scenes of violence and torture.

This book has absolutely exceeded my expectations. It's dark, sophisticated and well-paced. Even for those less inspired by Queen of the Tearling, I recommend picking this up. The next installment with be an auto-purchase for me.

I loved this, the plot twists and turns and keeps you absolutely hooked. The characters stay in your head weeks after you've finished reading the book.. I 'm so looking forward to the next book in the series. Would definitely recommend this series!

I love this new series. I know dystopian novels are beginning to be overdone, but this one is unique taking the readers from the future (which actually has an old world feel) to the past (which appears to be our bleak future). I can't wait for the final book! They're also talking about making a movie series with this.

Interesting and different. Good read. Recommend to others who enjoy fiction and a strong fictional, female lead. Frustrating at times given my logical and common sense thinking but good overall. Highly recommend to people.

The Invasion of the Tearling is the second in Erika Johansen’s YA Tearling fantasy trilogy. It continues the story of young queen Kelsea Glynn as she prepares to deal with the aftermath of her actions in the first novel, The Queen of the Tearling.

I’ll start this review by stating that I hadn’t actually intended to continue with this series, given that I had significant issues with Johansen’s worldbuilding and character development in the first book. However, I recently read the book blurb which indicated to me that Johansen was taking clear steps to address some of the issues with the worldbuilding at least and so I decided to give the series a second chance.

What I liked

Additional point of view character. For this second outing, Johansen has added a second point of view character, Lily. Lily is a woman from the pre-Crossing era who has a strange connection with our protagonist, Kelsea. Through her eyes we learn more about the history of the Tearling’s founding and what led William Tear to strike out to begin his utopia.

I absolutely loved Lily’s story and, personally, I was far more engaged with her plight than Kelsea’s. These sections were wonderful both from a plot point of view and character development. Throughout, I really found myself rooting for her. This section of the book reads more like a dystopian novel than the traditional fantasy of Kelsea’s section, but it worked very well.

It should be noted that Lily’s section deals with some issues which are far grittier and more adult than those generally found in young adult or even new adult books, and was written in a more adult manner. Lily is notably older than Kelsea and is in a different life stage. It could well be that’s why I connected more with her, as I too, am older than your average young adult protagonist!

Lily’s character development was beautifully written.

Kelsea’s romantic life. Often in YA, this can be a particularly problematic area, with the romance either subjected to the inevitable love triangle or so overblown with stars and rainbows it becomes intolerable. I get it. First love can be awesome. Too often though YA authors portray it through rose-tinted spectacles. Johansen’s portrayal of this part of Kelsea’s life felt grounded in reality and was excellently written.

In general I found Kelsea more consistently written in Invasion of the Tearling than she was in Queen. I particularly enjoyed how the connection between her and Lily played out.

The pre-Crossing history. The promise of learning more about the founding of the Tearling was what drew me back in to give this series a second chance and Johansen certainly made good on that promise. I loved what we got, but I’m not one hundred percent convinced, though, that she has allayed the concerns I had from the first book. I still can’t see the logic in why Harry Potter survived the Crossing but the internal combustion engine didn’t. We still have a lot to discover, so I’ll suspend final judgement on this aspect until after the final book.

What I didn’t like

Additional point of view. Yes, I know I had this listed in part of my Likes; let me explain. The two main point of view characters are in different worlds, and are at different life stages and more, importantly, are written as such. It feels almost like two completely separate books, and I’m not certain that they are targeting the same audience.

The audio narration. I had a bit of a problem with the audio narration. The book is narrated by Davina Porter, who, don’t get me wrong, does a great job. My issue is that she is best known to me as the narrator of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. Ms Porter has a distinctive voice and half the time I kept expecting Jamie Fraser to come sauntering into the scene. That was my personal issue though and it may not be one for you.

In summary then, I found Invasion a stronger book than Queen of the Tearling. That’s not to say it’s perfect by any means. I’m still not completely certain Johansen can pull together a completely cohesive overall story arc by the end of the trilogy, but I’m invested enough that I want to read book three to find out.

I gave Invasion of the Tearling 3.5-4 stars out of five.

The story about Lily reminds me of The Handsmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. It would've been better if it was not so similar. I still love the story of Kelsea, and I can't wait to read the final book.

Well written historical drama set in biblical times. The author expertly weaves in the New Testament heroes of the time with the fictional characters of the story. Fast paced action with an excellent, imaginative story line. This novel kept my interest throughout. Characters were fully developed and seemed to leap off the page.

Picking up where the first book left off, Kelsea comes face-to-face with the Red Queen. She also learns more about her gifts & the woman she's becoming. I hope that the author continues the story of the Tearling and writes a third book!

Being addicted to reading is not an easy or quick fix. So many pieces of work, so few real storytellers. Once again, I've been taken captive and am waiting to be randomized by the next book in this Saga. Well done.

This series is wonderful. EVERY chapter leaves you excited and anxious about what's next. If you are looking for a book with a female lead that shows young adult woman that strength and beauty comes in many forms beyond the phsyical, read this book.

No. I concur with Victoriana and Such... First , absolutely NOT for YA/Juvie. Second, a mishmash of mixed genres and plots stolen from other writers. Third, not only a whole bunch of gratuitous violence (and lots of rape and child rape, y'all) but one thing I could not get past, which hasn't been mentioned by other reviewers: cutting. And not just a lot of detailed description of cutting done by the main character, but a glorification--as a coping tool. AND!!! Another main character also cuts and it's acknowledged between the two of them as a relief mechanism. I cannot begin to express my personal horror, having dealt with this sickness by a couple of gals close to me and their struggle to recover. Finally the pretty-ing up of the main character was absolutely revolting to me. So THAT's actually what creates her value and self esteem???
Oh, and don't forget the graphically castrated priest who is paraded about and revisited for several chapters! And the naked morphine whores in the pope's bed... That stuff is horrifically bad on every level.

Loved it. There were a couple hard parts because it started to feel hopeless but it has a good ending. I didn't love what was happening to the main character but by the end I wasn't upset with it anymore.

Loved it. There were a couple hard parts because it started to feel hopeless but it has a good ending. I didn't love what was happening to the main character but by the end I wasn't upset with it anymore.

Hmmmmm........ This one was... interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book and bought the second without hesitation and regretted doing that up until the end, which didn't make up for the rest of the book but made it much easier to swallow as a whole.

Prospective readers, be forewarned. The second installment of the Tearling series is dark. The struggle is real, as can only be expected, of course. I mean, there's an invasion going on. But it's not dark in that sense. I was expecting a heavier military content in the book. I mean, there's a war going on. Instead, the author focuses much more of her and our time on a rebellion that happened 300 years ago and with it brings up some interesting connections with the present characters. This book is dark and graphic but in a more domestic way.

Also, there were some weird twists but it was fitting. It made a lot of sense, actually. It definitely made the Crossing thing a lot more clear and understandable in a Lost kind of way.

Would I recommend this book/series? I don't know... I so enjoyed the first one that I'd have to read the third book to see if trekking through the 2nd one is worth the aggravation.

Hmmm; I have mixed feelings about this second book. I loved the first one so much that I kept slogging through the second one, hoping that the third book will take us back to the heights of the first one. First of all: THIS IS NOT YA! I don't understand why it is marketed as such. This is not another Katniss or Bella book. There are themes of vulgarity, rape, sodomy, and cutting. But that wasn't what bothered me the most. Kelsey became tiresome and petulant. I understand the author was trying to capture reality and a change of direction for the character, but it was too much for me. I considered (several times) not reading the rest of book. I ceased liking Kelsey and had a hard time rooting for her. Luckily, the very last of the book shows her possible redemption in the future. I am fascinated by Mace and will continue the series because of him. I am not a prude, but worry just who the target audience is here. So much cursing, graphic sex, the "C" word and, especially, the cutting (as if is alright...). Nonetheless, the story is fascinating and gripping. I have pre-ordered the third book. Wrote the above for mothers out there seeking appropriate reading for their young teens.

The character Mace most directly illustrates what I like most about this book. He is strong yet flawed, direct yet subtle, guilty yet innocent, all with a past and a future that are as urgent and real as is the present. He is superhuman yet mortal and a realist with tolerance for magic.

This is one of those guilty pleasure books. Not the best writing but they can't all be. Thought it was like a teen fiction but written for a more mature audience (sexual content and language). I am excited to read the next one.

I have been waiting for this book for months! Erika Johansen did not disappoint. I purchased the novel yesterday morning and had it finished in the early afternoon. I literally couldn't put it down.

I love that Johansen developed the world of the pre-Crossing through Lily Mayhew, it helped to answer a lot of questions that I had from the first book about how the people of the Tear came to be without technology, and how no one from the old world ever found them. And I enjoyed Kelsea's limitations as a young woman, which flies in the face of so many fantasy tropes where the heroine always makes the right choice in spite of herself. There is loss and pain and suffering in the Tearling. Sometimes Kelsea makes it better, sometimes she doesn't.

As far as most of the other plot threads-some from the first book, some introduced in the Invasion-I have no idea how Johansen is going to wrap all of them up in just one remaining book. I have more questions than I did when I started reading yesterday morning. And I can't believe I have to wait another year for answers!