Title: The Queen of the Tearling

Author: Erika Johansen

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Harper Collins

Format: Hard Cover

Pages: 434

Rating: 3/5

*Warning: mature content. Parents please be advised.*

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

An untested young princess must claim her throne, learn to become a queen, and combat a malevolent sorceress in an epic battle between light and darkness in this spectacular debut—the first novel in a trilogy.

Young Kelsea Raleigh was raised in hiding after the death of her mother, Queen Elyssa, far from the intrigues of the royal Keep and in the care of two devoted servants who pledged their lives to protect her. Growing up in a cottage deep in the woods, Kelsea knows little of her kingdom’s haunted past . . . or that its fate will soon rest in her hands.

Long ago, Kelsea’s forefathers sailed away from a decaying world to establish a new land free of modern technology. Three hundred years later, this feudal society has divided into three fearful nations who pay duties to a fourth: the powerful Mortmesne, ruled by the cunning Red Queen. Now, on Kelsea’s nineteenth birthday, the tattered remnants of the Queen’s Guard—loyal soldiers who protect the throne—have appeared to escort the princess on a perilous journey to the capital to ascend to her rightful place as the new Queen of the Tearling.

Though born of royal blood and in possession of the Tear sapphire, a jewel of immense power and magic, Kelsea has never felt more uncertain of her ability to rule. But the shocking evil she discovers in the heart of her realm will precipitate an act of immense daring, throwing the entire kingdom into turmoil—and unleashing the Red Queen’s vengeance. A cabal of enemies with an array of deadly weapons, from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic, plots to destroy her. But Kelsea is growing in strength and stealth, her steely resolve earning her loyal allies, including the Queen’s Guard, led by the enigmatic Lazarus, and the intriguing outlaw known simply as “the Fetch.”

Kelsea’s quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun. Riddled with mysteries, betrayals, and treacherous battles, Kelsea’s journey is a trial by fire that will either forge a legend . . . or destroy her.

Review:

So as I was reading this book, I felt like I was on a number of different rides at Disneyland. I started off the book on It’s a Small World After All, somewhat interesting, yet boring all the same. There are some characters to look at, but the song is annoying, and you wonder how long this ride will take. Then, when the main character reaches the Keep, you are on Thunder Mountain, racing through mines and wondering when the next sharp turn will happen. Then, as one assassination attempt occurs after another, you are on Dumbo, boringly going around in circles. But then with some surprises in the book that you did not expect, you are on Indiana Jones, when the snake pops out of nowhere and you catch your breath and shudder with shock. That was how I felt reading this book.

This book was an interesting, yet inconsistent read. I felt that the pace at the beginning of the book was too slow to catch my attention, and there were a few times where the author contradicted herself. For example, the author states that the main character thought her guards to be too old to be considered handsome, yet then continued to call them her handsome guards after that, and comparing their handsomeness. Another thing that bothered me about the beginning of this book was how much the author stressed how plain the main character, Kelsea, is. I mean, don’t get me wrong, at first I thought it was cool that the Queen was not some drop dead gorgeous beauty. And even portraying her as someone with self-esteem issues regarding her looks was refreshing as many can relate. But what got me, was Kelsea had never seen her reflection in a mirror, just a lake, and just assumed she was plain, and then a character whom she meets and thinks is cute tells her not too worry, she is too plain for her tastes. Like ouch. Let’s make the girl feel even worse. I did not like that part.

Another thing that shocked me was the language in this book. While I am not opposed to using curse words in books, I would not recommend this book for young teens as there is profane language, gruesome violence, and explicit sexual encounters, including rape. This book is not for the light of heart, and if you do not like watching war movies for the gruesome aspect, then this is not the book for you.

That being said, the world created by the author was quite intriguing. Set in the future, but without modern technology, we are thrust into a futuristic medieval world with no gunpowder or proper medical knowledge. The set up of the plot was great, and I felt myself rooting for the main characters as she struggled to exert her power as a young Queen. I am interested to see where the story leads, but I probably will not put the sequel on my immediate TBR list.

Let me know if you have any comments or questions! Happy reading!