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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
Surprising myself a little by rounding up to 4 stars. But despite thinking it is a fairly standard fantasy style book; I kept picking it up whenever I could to keep reading. A feel-good, inspire-to-good kind of story, with a well-written strong female lead. (We need more of those.)
Hidden away in the forest with foster parents since she was a year old, the time has now arrived for Kelsea to claim her throne as Queen of the Tearling upon her nineteenth birthday. The story begins as she watches the riders from the legendary Queen’s Guard ride towards her cottage, then travels across the realm of her country to flee the pursuit of assassins sent to kill her before she can reach the capitol. On the road to New London Kelsea must consider all she has learned from her foster parents to prepare her for this day along with all that she observes about the current state of her country on the way to the Keep. She will have to win over her Guards and inspire their loyalty, she will have to bear the responsibility of her people, she will need to do things the way she decrees rather than follow what has always been the status quo. As a lover of fantasy I fell into this story with ease and enjoyed every minute of it.
I think all those interested in the fantasy genre will take a great interest in this story as well. There is magic in the form of a Red Queen from a neighboring kingdom who is said to be a witch, and Kelsea also has powers of her own that come from a sapphire necklace given to all rulers of the realm. Social justice plays a part, as the new Queen of the Tearling must decide how she wants to rule her people. There are plots and betrayals against the crown. Battles take place and the potential for war looms on the horizon. Religion tries to find leverage in politics, and will continue to be a threat as time goes on. The true identities of characters are unknown, yet hinted at to make the reader know they are more than they seem and will come to be increasingly important. Our heroine, Kelsea, has a father with an unknown identity that is heavily speculated on. To sum it all up: the elements of a fantasy story are present and they work.
I think all those interested in the fantasy genre will take a great interest in this story as well. There is magic in the form of a Red Queen from a neighboring kingdom who is said to be a witch, and Kelsea also has powers of her own that come from a sapphire necklace given to all rulers of the realm. Social justice plays a part, as the new Queen of the Tearling must decide how she wants to rule her people. There are plots and betrayals against the crown. Battles take place and the potential for war looms on the horizon. Religion tries to find leverage in politics, and will continue to be a threat as time goes on. The true identities of characters are unknown, yet hinted at to make the reader know they are more than they seem and will come to be increasingly important. Our heroine, Kelsea, has a father with an unknown identity that is heavily speculated on. To sum it all up: the elements of a fantasy story are present and they work.
Great book! Loved the inclusion of history and education. Who doesn't love a book of books and hope? A fascinating world and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
A great story, not badly told. A strong heroine, which is always good to see. What a pity she seems obsessed by looks and measures her 'value' in that currency. I can only hope that it's supposed to reflect her relative youth, and that she'll grow up in the rest of the series.
I'm interested enough to read on, to see how the Tear deals with the consequences of Kelsea's actions. I want to find out about her parentage, who the Fetch is, who the Red Queen is in thrall to, and what Mace's story is.
I'm interested enough to read on, to see how the Tear deals with the consequences of Kelsea's actions. I want to find out about her parentage, who the Fetch is, who the Red Queen is in thrall to, and what Mace's story is.
Such a unique story for its genre. It's so much more mature than you'd expect, but I think that just adds character and expounds on the book's individuality. I've read it twice this year!
I am so in love with all the characters in his book!! Kelsea is such a powerful character she is definitely someone to be reckoned with. Pen, The Mace, and The Fetch are bloody awesome as well. I could go on on about every character in this book, but that would take awhile. I'll just put it to you this way, I absolutely loved this story and now I need to go out and buy it so I can re-read when ever I want to!! <3
DNF. I started listening to this as an audio book, but it went back to the library. When I finally got it back again I had forgotten much and couldn’t get back into it.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Loved this book so much! Beautifully written! can't wait for the sequel
Just re-read, and liked it even more the second time.