Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
Fantastic storytelling and overall character development. I loved the foreshadowing excerpts at the beginning of each chapter. Can't wait to get back to the Tearling in book 2!
"I have too much anger in me, Kelsea realized. But the thought was a proud one: whatever her other failings, she knew that the anger would always be there, a deep and tappable well of force."
Actual rating, 2.5.
Make no mistake folks, this is not a young adult novel. This is most definitely adult fantasy, however that does not mean that teenagers should not read this, just that there are language, sexual referencing, rape, and types of violence that probably aren't suitable for many readers under 16-17. Just had to get that off my chest and I'll step off that particular soapbox. Now, for the actual review.
The Worldview
The Queen of the Tearling is marketed as and described as a fantasy novel. What it fails to tell you, is that it is actually a dystopian fantasy. Huh? You may be saying. ...Exactly. For a lot of reasons I have a problem with this. The idea itself is not a bad one per se, it just was not executed well. There lacks a certain amount of information about why this land and its people deviated from modern society, as in: something similar to our current reality. What happened there? Why was it so terrible that people "crossed" to this new land? Those questions needed answers, desperately.
We are situated in this place that is depicted as a medieval landscape, with fantasy sprinkled in, yet there are references to a modern past society. It is as if time moved backwards for these people and they found themselves in the 1500's when not long ago it was 2016. The modern day references were awkward. Tolkien. Rowling. Shakespeare. Throwing in names like that is jarring when you're in the midst of horseback riding, mace and sword wielding Queen's guards. It just doesn't make any sense without the proper background information.
The fantasy itself in this novel is pretty weak, I must say. The majority of The Queen of the Tearling reads as just purely medieval/historical (with the awkward dystopian blips thrown in). Not a whole lot of fantasy is actually deployed. For example, a few people in this novel are seers, apparently. Kelsea herself out of the blue, begins having these dreams where she's seeing things that are happening in real time in her kingdom. But that only happens a couple of times, with no explanation given. Has she always had this ability or did it just appear since becoming the queen? The author should have put more emphasis on the importance of Kelsea's ability. Instead we read through it like the act of her possibly being a seer was nothing spectacular or meaningful to the plot at all. I believe it actually is very important, but it was glossed over.
The "seer" aspect and Kelsea's sapphire necklaces are about the only things in this novel that really stood out as fantasy. The Red Queen did have her whole thing going on, which I won't get into, but really that is it. Her portrayal of fantasy lacked imagination, big time.
Main Protagonist
Kelsea has been hidden away for 19 years of her life, and the only two people of memory she has seen are her foster parents. I think it's okay to give Kelsea some leeway, knowing this fact but after awhile her development fails can no longer be excused. There is too much time spent in this book talking about the fact that Kelsea is ugly. We get it. Once was enough. But the constant trite comparisons to other women became very irritating. The lack of vanity is supposed to be a huge deal in this book. Kelsea was raised to not be vain, so that she could focus on being a good queen unlike her extremely self-absorbed mother. But almost immediately upon leaving her home and venturing out into the world, Kelsea is focusing on the way she looks. The way her guards might look at her and think about her due to her ugliness. The fact that this so called Fetch person is not attracted to her because of her ugliness. At one point, even wishing she were as beautiful as her uncle's former sex slave that Kelsea freed. Really? You don't see the problem with that, only seeing how damn beautiful she is and "oh how if only I had been born with those traits?" Are you kidding? This over used thread in the plot sends a serious mixed signal. It's okay for her to feel out of place, and maybe a little awkward. But her appearance is emphasized too many times and it seriously took away from her as a character. She is a strong enough queen, and a good person - I didn't find faults with her in those regards. However, her appearance issues seriously damaged what could have been a seriously strong and driven character.
Romance
This is not a romance novel. There is no romance to speak of, really. There is one sided attraction on Kelsea's part. Albeit, misguided, and ultimately annoying. The person of her infatuation blatantly declared that she was not his type. Frankly, that sucks. I wouldn't feel great after someone said that to me. But her one sided adoration after meeting this guy once, got a little ridiculous. She's never met other men before. I understand. This is all new. But it had the feel of insta-love and her infatuation with this character was too immature.
I'm going to stop myself here. I will be reading the second novel, hopefully within the week, and I have heard that it is much better. We'll see. I don't recommend this to readers who only read a few books a year. If you can churn this out in a day or two like I did, and want to see for yourself: go for it. Otherwise, move onto something better.
I recommend instead: the His Fair Assassin trilogy by Robin LaFevers. Solid fantasy. Excellect protagonists. Great romance that doesn't overwhelm the point.
Actual rating, 2.5.
Make no mistake folks, this is not a young adult novel. This is most definitely adult fantasy, however that does not mean that teenagers should not read this, just that there are language, sexual referencing, rape, and types of violence that probably aren't suitable for many readers under 16-17. Just had to get that off my chest and I'll step off that particular soapbox. Now, for the actual review.
The Worldview
The Queen of the Tearling is marketed as and described as a fantasy novel. What it fails to tell you, is that it is actually a dystopian fantasy. Huh? You may be saying. ...Exactly. For a lot of reasons I have a problem with this. The idea itself is not a bad one per se, it just was not executed well. There lacks a certain amount of information about why this land and its people deviated from modern society, as in: something similar to our current reality. What happened there? Why was it so terrible that people "crossed" to this new land? Those questions needed answers, desperately.
We are situated in this place that is depicted as a medieval landscape, with fantasy sprinkled in, yet there are references to a modern past society. It is as if time moved backwards for these people and they found themselves in the 1500's when not long ago it was 2016. The modern day references were awkward. Tolkien. Rowling. Shakespeare. Throwing in names like that is jarring when you're in the midst of horseback riding, mace and sword wielding Queen's guards. It just doesn't make any sense without the proper background information.
The fantasy itself in this novel is pretty weak, I must say. The majority of The Queen of the Tearling reads as just purely medieval/historical (with the awkward dystopian blips thrown in). Not a whole lot of fantasy is actually deployed. For example, a few people in this novel are seers, apparently. Kelsea herself out of the blue, begins having these dreams where she's seeing things that are happening in real time in her kingdom. But that only happens a couple of times, with no explanation given. Has she always had this ability or did it just appear since becoming the queen? The author should have put more emphasis on the importance of Kelsea's ability. Instead we read through it like the act of her possibly being a seer was nothing spectacular or meaningful to the plot at all. I believe it actually is very important, but it was glossed over.
The "seer" aspect and Kelsea's sapphire necklaces are about the only things in this novel that really stood out as fantasy. The Red Queen did have her whole thing going on, which I won't get into, but really that is it. Her portrayal of fantasy lacked imagination, big time.
Main Protagonist
Kelsea has been hidden away for 19 years of her life, and the only two people of memory she has seen are her foster parents. I think it's okay to give Kelsea some leeway, knowing this fact but after awhile her development fails can no longer be excused. There is too much time spent in this book talking about the fact that Kelsea is ugly. We get it. Once was enough. But the constant trite comparisons to other women became very irritating. The lack of vanity is supposed to be a huge deal in this book. Kelsea was raised to not be vain, so that she could focus on being a good queen unlike her extremely self-absorbed mother. But almost immediately upon leaving her home and venturing out into the world, Kelsea is focusing on the way she looks. The way her guards might look at her and think about her due to her ugliness. The fact that this so called Fetch person is not attracted to her because of her ugliness. At one point, even wishing she were as beautiful as her uncle's former sex slave that Kelsea freed. Really? You don't see the problem with that, only seeing how damn beautiful she is and "oh how if only I had been born with those traits?" Are you kidding? This over used thread in the plot sends a serious mixed signal. It's okay for her to feel out of place, and maybe a little awkward. But her appearance is emphasized too many times and it seriously took away from her as a character. She is a strong enough queen, and a good person - I didn't find faults with her in those regards. However, her appearance issues seriously damaged what could have been a seriously strong and driven character.
Romance
This is not a romance novel. There is no romance to speak of, really. There is one sided attraction on Kelsea's part. Albeit, misguided, and ultimately annoying. The person of her infatuation blatantly declared that she was not his type. Frankly, that sucks. I wouldn't feel great after someone said that to me. But her one sided adoration after meeting this guy once, got a little ridiculous. She's never met other men before. I understand. This is all new. But it had the feel of insta-love and her infatuation with this character was too immature.
I'm going to stop myself here. I will be reading the second novel, hopefully within the week, and I have heard that it is much better. We'll see. I don't recommend this to readers who only read a few books a year. If you can churn this out in a day or two like I did, and want to see for yourself: go for it. Otherwise, move onto something better.
I recommend instead: the His Fair Assassin trilogy by Robin LaFevers. Solid fantasy. Excellect protagonists. Great romance that doesn't overwhelm the point.
There was a lot I didn't like about this book, but there was just enough of something there to keep me reading. Summer fluff, to be sure.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Great... I started a trilogy that I now have to patiently wait for the next book!
Maybe I'll try again someday, but right now, I didn't have a 'connection' with this book. it kinda bored me, my mind kept going everywhere else.
It wasn't that spectacular for me, too bad, I really wanted to like it
It wasn't that spectacular for me, too bad, I really wanted to like it
Words cannot express how much I enjoyed reading this book! I cannot wait to read The Invasion of the Tearling!!
Although I having heard mixed reviews of this novel, I did throughly enjoy it, while I do agree that plotlines were a bit messy at times, I really enjoyed getting to know Kelsea's character. I will say that the marketing was super misleading because I was expecting high fantasy and turns out it's post-apocalyptic/magic stuff and you bet I was surprised. Also, the swearing made me laugh for some reason. It felt really out of place at some points, probably because it felt so modern.
Overall, I'm excited to see where this series leads, because with some right polishing, it could become a great series.
************
Emma Watson's already casted for this?! The book isn't even out yet- I'm now really excited, because all this hype could mean this is potentially an amazing new series to hit the shelves.
Or I mean, it could flop and fail. But I have a weird sixth sense telling me it won't.
Overall, I'm excited to see where this series leads, because with some right polishing, it could become a great series.
************
Emma Watson's already casted for this?! The book isn't even out yet- I'm now really excited, because all this hype could mean this is potentially an amazing new series to hit the shelves.
Or I mean, it could flop and fail. But I have a weird sixth sense telling me it won't.
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4.5 Stars
I loved this! I didn't expect to, but I LOVED it! However I have to say I have no idea why this is being listed and advertised as a Young Adult book because it's not. This is definitely an ADULT book, even if the protagonist is a 19 year old girl (remember quite a few of the main characters in A Song of Ice and Fire are under 18 and that series is definitely not for kids!). The content is far too strong to put into the hands of the average 13/14 year old with a clear conscience, and I'd also worry the more nuanced issues might go over their heads. I think comparing Kelsea to Katniss (or the book to The Hunger Games - which FYI it bares NO resemblance to!) is irresponsible on behalf of the publishers/marketing department.
Please be aware before giving to any younger readers that this book has:
Human trafficking
A lot of sex slaves
A lot of mentions of rape and particularly child rape
People being burnt alive
Lots of nipples!
Some sexual content that is little more graphic (and disturbing) than I'd be comfortable with in YA
That said, while it may not be a perfect book.. it's awesome and I LOVED it. Did I mention that I loved it?
It's fantasy - which is not normally my thing - but it's got a few little hints of science-fiction , being set in a historical feeling era that is in fact in the future. Plus magic. The world building is strong and not at all long winded. I get it without Johansen boring me with too much detail, she lets you get on with imagining and making assumptions without stopping to giving you too much history.
Kelsea I liked a lot, but I understand that a lot of people seem to take her the wrong way! She's strong willed and she's flawed, and she's not your typical beautiful heroine. Much is made of the fact that she's a little overweight and has a plain face, she is quite insecure about this having come from a line of renowned beauties. I think his makes her more realistic and more relatable, and I don't think it means that she has low self-esteem. She bosses the Mace about no problem, this girl knows herself! She also knows what she wants to do with her strict moral principles and she just gets shit done! She doesn't wait to find out if it's possible and ask ten advisers and wade through a load of bureaucracy.. she just does it and doesn't take no for an answer! I loved this.
The other characters also felt three dimensional, even the Mace who could potentially be a little one note.. there is a hint of something else lurking under the surface with him that I hope we find out more about. The Red Queen started very much as the "evil queen" archetype but towards the end she started to get much more interesting, and again I can't wait to find out more about her! Andalie is also very interesting. The best thing though.. THERE IS NO ROMANCE! Well.. not yet anyway. Hopefully never!
It's very well paced, and considering it's 500+ pages I couldn't put this beast down and burned through it in about 5 days of reading. There were a few sections where it got a bit bureaucratic and political but they didn't last long before the action picked up again. Although if you do read this you will finish the book with far more questions than answers.
There are no answers in this book!
I'm off to read The Invasion of the Tearling now!
I loved this! I didn't expect to, but I LOVED it! However I have to say I have no idea why this is being listed and advertised as a Young Adult book because it's not. This is definitely an ADULT book, even if the protagonist is a 19 year old girl (remember quite a few of the main characters in A Song of Ice and Fire are under 18 and that series is definitely not for kids!). The content is far too strong to put into the hands of the average 13/14 year old with a clear conscience, and I'd also worry the more nuanced issues might go over their heads. I think comparing Kelsea to Katniss (or the book to The Hunger Games - which FYI it bares NO resemblance to!) is irresponsible on behalf of the publishers/marketing department.
Please be aware before giving to any younger readers that this book has:
Human trafficking
A lot of sex slaves
A lot of mentions of rape and particularly child rape
People being burnt alive
Lots of nipples!
Some sexual content that is little more graphic (and disturbing) than I'd be comfortable with in YA
That said, while it may not be a perfect book.. it's awesome and I LOVED it. Did I mention that I loved it?
It's fantasy - which is not normally my thing - but it's got a few little hints of science-fiction , being set in a historical feeling era that is in fact in the future. Plus magic. The world building is strong and not at all long winded. I get it without Johansen boring me with too much detail, she lets you get on with imagining and making assumptions without stopping to giving you too much history.
Kelsea I liked a lot, but I understand that a lot of people seem to take her the wrong way! She's strong willed and she's flawed, and she's not your typical beautiful heroine. Much is made of the fact that she's a little overweight and has a plain face, she is quite insecure about this having come from a line of renowned beauties. I think his makes her more realistic and more relatable, and I don't think it means that she has low self-esteem. She bosses the Mace about no problem, this girl knows herself! She also knows what she wants to do with her strict moral principles and she just gets shit done! She doesn't wait to find out if it's possible and ask ten advisers and wade through a load of bureaucracy.. she just does it and doesn't take no for an answer! I loved this.
The other characters also felt three dimensional, even the Mace who could potentially be a little one note.. there is a hint of something else lurking under the surface with him that I hope we find out more about. The Red Queen started very much as the "evil queen" archetype but towards the end she started to get much more interesting, and again I can't wait to find out more about her! Andalie is also very interesting. The best thing though.. THERE IS NO ROMANCE! Well.. not yet anyway. Hopefully never!
It's very well paced, and considering it's 500+ pages I couldn't put this beast down and burned through it in about 5 days of reading. There were a few sections where it got a bit bureaucratic and political but they didn't last long before the action picked up again. Although if you do read this you will finish the book with far more questions than answers.
There are no answers in this book!
I'm off to read The Invasion of the Tearling now!