The Queen Of The Tearling

Firstly, this book is not meant for younger YA readers. This book has explicit language. I wouldn't recommend letting anyone under 16 or 17 read this book and even then, I would encourage a parent to read the book first or, at the very least, discuss with their children what they may find in this book; I'd hate for a child to read it and think the things in this book is normal.

Because it's not.

Outside of that, this book is a lovely read. I was a little curious about how I'd fare with it when I first started reading, but as I fell more and more into the story, I understood that it was a slow, strategic burn. In the past, a book like this would've been DNF'd before the 80th page, but as I've matured I've found more patience; even with books.

The plot in this book is leisurely. It isn't too slow or too fast; every scene is written to completion and nothing is rushed. We get a full understanding how the various plots in this book are coming along, along with foreshadowing of what may come in future books.

The characters in this book are more than okay, but not stellar. I liked Kelsea, though she was slightly annoying, but I loved Mace and Pen. I didn't really get a vibe from Carroll, he wasn't in the book long, but I'm intrigued by the Fetch, along with feeling extremely sad about the fate of the Regent (even though he was evil). I absolutely hate Arlen Thorne with a passion, but have only a slight dislike of Javel. Overall, every character was pretty solid.

The world-building in this book is...unique. When you first start reading, you feel like the setting and time period is in the past. This book is an Epic Fantasy in every sense of the word, minus dragons and all of those things, but then you learn that it's actually in the future. It worked well for me.

The sequel to Queen of the Tearling is out, The Invasion of the Tearling! I will be getting it!

A completely fascinating beginning to a story that will no doubt have many twists and turns. Erika Johansen brought me into world of the Tearling and I didn’t want to leave.

I will say this before I anything else. I love this book and this series. So if you want to throw things at me, you can. I chose to read this series without reading any of the reviews and now I am truly happy I did.

With magic, bloodshed, and honesty, The Queen of the Tearling is a look into one girl’s rise to power. The world that you are about to enter is captivating and the characters are just as beguiling. In this first book, we meet Kelsey Glynn and a group of characters that will follow us throughout the entire series. There will be choices made as well as consequences to the actions of all involved in this three part series.

With every book that I read by a new author, I am completely open to what they are about to give me. In Johansen’s case, I was open but not prepared for the way that the story would pull me in. The writing moved quickly and the descriptions of the characters with their interactions with one and other just grabbed me even more.

In my opinion, this is a great set-up to a story will continue in the next book. So be warned, this is a cliffhanger.

Gripping action with a kick-butt heroine! The main character is so relatable and the story keeps you guessing the whole time!! Can't wait to read the rest of the series!! (Not for young readers, as there is some strong language content.)

This book was wonderful, and though I would have liked a little more resolution, I think it aptly did it's job of leaving me thirsting for more.
The characters are strong and expressive and truly fantastic--by the end of the book they are already very well-developed and even stronger than before. They are truly compelling people, very realistic in their behaviors and thoughts.
I greatly enjoyed the character "flaws" that Ms. Johansen gave her characters--for instance, the main character is not stunningly beautiful or incredibly powerful. She is, in fact, incredibly average, round-faced and splotchy-skinned, and has only a bit of basic training. She is a very realistic girl, who worries over her appearance, has a crush on a man, and possible feelings developing for another, she is strong but has weaknesses.
All of the characters are similar in this way, that they have many things going on, and multiple different attributes.
The world building was also done very well, with great descriptions of the environments that really help to pull you into the story.
My only issue with the book is that it was a bit slower than what I'm used to with similar books--there was only one real point of action in the story, and while that did set up the war that will be coming in the second book, I would like to have seen that war started in this one.
"The Queen of The Tearling" is wonderfully rendered, with hints of magic and romance and action.
I would recommend this book to people who enjoyed the Inheritance Cycle (Ages 17+)

I was immensely disappointed with this novel. I'd heard that it was going to be made into a film (featuring Emma Watson, no less) so when I found this book in the bargain books section at BAM for $6.97, I thought, why the heck not? I honestly could barely even finish it. The characters were not engaging, they are entirely too predictable, and the overall background of the story was just confusing. As an avid Sci-Fi and Fantasy reader, I understand that there are going to be things of an impossible nature in books like The Queen of the Tearling, but there also has to be some kind of logic and explanation for WHY a thing has happened, especially if the book is going to be set in some kind of post-apocolyptic Earth. I found myself questioning everything, instead of being swept up in the epic adventure and political intrigue that the book supposedly presents. There simply is not enough reasoning for anything that happens within the novel to be feasible. I was confused most of the time, and hopeful that perhaps at some point things would be explained, but there was nothing. Nada. Zero.
While it had an interesting enough plot to give it some potential, there just wasn't enough to make me feel like it was worth it. To those of you that have enjoyed this novel, perhaps you are more open minded than I am and I applaud you for that. But as I sit here and try to write a honest review, I have to say that I cannot, and will not, recommend this book to my fellow fantasy reading friends.

I absolutely loved this series! This is the first book of the trilogy, which follows the young queen Kelsea Raleigh Glynn a short time after she has assumed leadership of the Tearling kingdom. Kelsea is a strong female protagonist and it is compelling to watch her navigate her society (which is similar to medieval Europe, but also seems to be perhaps a Europe of the far future.) My favorite part about this trilogy is that what starts as merely a fantasy novel expands into a story of future-dystopia, split across space and time in the later books. Truly, a magnificient story of great scope - writing about this makes me want to reread them right now!

This was a pretty fun read, considering its size. At over 600 pages, I still finished it quickly. The book does a few things quite nicely but has just plenty of faults, which knock it down a few stars. It is good "beach" reading but it isn't the kind of book I'm going to run out and recommend to all my friends.

The good: That it starts out with Kelsea as queen. There's no long prologue of her as the serving woman. No two-books-worth of a fight for the kingdom.

There is no "big evil". I mean, sure, the Red Queen is a bad guy but it feels like a political thing than an a supernatural thing. More like fighting Hitler than Satan.

The point of view doesn't jump between dozens of characters. Yes, there are few chapters showing us a few other characters. But I'd say 80% of the book is focused on Kelsea's point of view. I'm tired of sprawling fantasy epics that have a different character POV every chapter.

The bad: Kelsea's companions all fall into place too easily. They're all too perfect. Pick a random woman out of the crowd to be your handmaiden? Yeah, she's got the ability to see the future. Choose a random meek priest to perform the coronation? He'll be the only priest in the world with a similar fetish for historical books. For someone who was raised in a shack with no human contact, Kelsea is remarkably lucky at picking her companions.

The bad guys are ridiculously bad. A bit of grey would have made things more interesting. Not only did the Regent steal her throne. But he also is into slavery. AND he has bad taste in art.

Not only is the handmaiden's ex-husband abusive...but he's ALSO a pedophile.

Kelsea has a number of "visions" that act as convenient deus ex machina to propel the action. She has a vision of villagers shackled into slavery and sets out to free them. Why didn't she have a vision of the people plotting that a few days in advance? Well, we needed a rousing action scene at the end of the book.

Overall, things just go too easily for Kelsea in this book. All her friends are perfect. All of her decisions work out well, no matter how impetuous or thoughtless. Even when she disappears for a week to go save the villagers, her kingdom seems to tick along just fine without her.

I don't want all of my fantasy to be grimdark but I think things could have been a bit more difficult for Kelsea.

Everyone is saying Kelsea Glynn is the new Katniss. That's not a bad comparison. Both young women are thrust into situations they're not necessarily prepared for, and both have to use intelligence and perseverance to outwit their enemies.

There are some real mysteries in the book, which I hope will be answered in the series. Who is Kelsea's father? What is Mace's history?

Definitely a girl you can root for!

Warning: some cursing and sexual situations....not for young kids.

I read a lot of fantasy, especially young adult fantasy, as a middle school librarian. This book head good characters on unusual twist to the backstory, and I appreciate that the main character didn't take forever to start gaining confidence in herself.

This book has the best heroine. What a nice change from girls worrying about their man. This young queen is worried about her people. Yes, she is surrounded by all types of men, but her interest is in making a difference for the kingdom she's inherited. She's strong, yet caring and there is even a little magic involved. There is also the mystery about who her father was. Then there is the evil that has ruled over this kingdom for years. Lovely escape into the world of the Tearling.

A nice read, a pleasant distraction. You don't have to take it too seriously.
I hear a susurration from the margins. It is the author gaining confidence and building momentum, about to blow us away.
The scene is set; Begin!