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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
*2.75/5 stars*
“The mistake of utopia is to assume that all will be perfect. Perfection may be the definition, but we are human, and even into utopia we bring our own pain, error, jealousy, grief. We cannot relinquish our faults, even in the hope of paradise, so to plan a new society without taking human nature into account is to doom that society to failure.”
So, the famous bittersweet ending: I actually did not hate it, but didn't love it either. I did expect this more or less happening but still.. The ending was way too abrupt and kind of messy, some loose ends were not tied up.
I do think it could've ended in a better way, definitely, but at the same time I liked the general idea of it, it really fit the theme of the whole trilogy.
“A church was only as good or bad as the philosophy that emanated from the pulpit.”
But at the same time I think more fantasy series out there should have a bit more dark or bittersweet endings, and not a perfect HEAs where everything works out without the characters making any sacrifices whatsoever. It seems more realistic that way, especiall in a world such as this one.
“My suffering was real, she insisted.
Perhaps. But do not let it blind you to those who suffer worse.”
The storyline here was the most captivating from the trilogy, the pace was faster than in the borefest that was book two, and kept me constantly interested. I didn't even mind the side POVS all that much here, definitely not as much as some of them in the second book. I did skip some parts from, for example Hall's chapters, and a few others, but I was also quite interested in Katie's POV, which was very significant to the whole story.
“Sometimes I think: if they want to walk around armed and build fences and let a church tell them what to do, let them wallow in it. They can build their own town of closed thinking, and live there, and find out later what a shitty place it really is.”
-Jonathan
“They created a tapestry, all of them, just as the characters in a book might. It was the lesson of the Town, taught to children before they could even walk: You are special, everyone is special. But you are not better. All are valuable.”
As for the characters, I stil felt kind of meh about them. I didn't hate any of them, but didn't form any strong attachments to them either.
But if I had to choose my favourites, I guess it woud be: Mace first and foremost, then maybe Father Tyler and Aisa. Kelsea wasn't all that bad here either, but she wouldn't be among my favourites in this trilogy.
“Your books, Lady. I’ve read nine of them now.”
Kelsea stared at him, genuinely surprised.
“They’re good, these stories,” Mace continued, his cheeks stained with light color. “They teach the pain of others.”
“Empathy. Carlin always said it was the great value of fiction, to put us inside the minds of strangers.”
What I really liked was the theme of unrequited love, I thought it really showed Kelsea's character development in this one with the way it was resolved. I also liked the Red Queen's and Kelsea's sort of friendship and how the Red Queen showed more humanity here.
“I really don’t know where you get the gall, Gate Guard.” Dyer released him, his voice disgusted. “Your wife was shipped to Mortmesne while you stayed behind, a free man, and you think you have the right, any right at all, to question how she survived?”
There were also some unexpected twistes and revelations:
Other unexpected revelation: Kelsea's mother being alive all these years.
As for the Fetch: I did expect his story to play out similar to this, after reading the second book.
Row Finn being William Tear's child before he was with Lily. Did not expect that, I only guessed it some time before it was revealed. And we still don't know (intentionally so since the author said something along the line that not everything is resolved etc.) who exactly is the father of the Tear child and Kelsea's predecessor: Row or Jonathan..
“The tie of blood is only as strong as you want it to be. Some parents are poison, and it’s best to simply let them go.”
All in all, this book did manage to surprise me, kept me reading and invested in the story. It's still not 100% for me, I guess, but it has so many empowering messages about human nature and society. And despite some problems I have with these books, it really is an important series to read.
The Fate of the Tearling was definitely my favourite from the series!
Sidenote: This is not 'mature series for young adults' this trology is clearly Adult Fantasy and I don't think it soud be marketed as YA at all.
“These people are so damned proud of their hatred! Hatred is easy, and lazy to boot. It’s love that demands effort, love that exacts a price from each of us. Love costs; this is its value.”
“Few things are more dangerous to an egalitarian ideal than the concept of a chosen people.”
“Entire countries would close their borders and build walls to keep out phantom threats. Can you imagine?”
“My final word is for the readers. The Tearling is not an easy world, I know. Contrarian that I am, I am determined to make thins kingdom echo life, where answers to our questions are not delivered neatly in a beautiful expositional package, but must be earned, through experience and frustration, sometimes even tears (and believe me, not all of those tears are Kelsea's). Sometimes answers never come at all. To all of the readers who stuck with this story, understanding and sometimes even enjoying the fact that the Tearling is a gradually unfolding world, full of lost and often confounding history, thank you for your faith in the concept. I hope that your patience was rewarded in the end. Now let's all go and make a better world.” (Afterwords of the author)”
“The mistake of utopia is to assume that all will be perfect. Perfection may be the definition, but we are human, and even into utopia we bring our own pain, error, jealousy, grief. We cannot relinquish our faults, even in the hope of paradise, so to plan a new society without taking human nature into account is to doom that society to failure.”
So, the famous bittersweet ending: I actually did not hate it, but didn't love it either. I did expect this
Spoiler
thing with the time - going back and changing something so the future will be differentSpoiler
since the series centered so much on time - past, present and future, especially in the second book,I do think it could've ended in a better way, definitely, but at the same time I liked the general idea of it, it really fit the theme of the whole trilogy.
Spoiler
Though I was not satisfied with the fact that EVERYONE forgot about Kelsea. I felt like all the different relatinsips and connections made throughout the series were simply disspiated to nothing. Like they didn't exist in the first place, because in the end, they did not happen here. And if I was more invested in the characters, I can see how I wouldn't be all that satisfied with the ending.“A church was only as good or bad as the philosophy that emanated from the pulpit.”
But at the same time I think more fantasy series out there should have a bit more dark or bittersweet endings, and not a perfect HEAs where everything works out without the characters making any sacrifices whatsoever. It seems more realistic that way, especiall in a world such as this one.
“My suffering was real, she insisted.
Perhaps. But do not let it blind you to those who suffer worse.”
The storyline here was the most captivating from the trilogy, the pace was faster than in the borefest that was book two, and kept me constantly interested. I didn't even mind the side POVS all that much here, definitely not as much as some of them in the second book. I did skip some parts from, for example Hall's chapters, and a few others, but I was also quite interested in Katie's POV, which was very significant to the whole story.
“Sometimes I think: if they want to walk around armed and build fences and let a church tell them what to do, let them wallow in it. They can build their own town of closed thinking, and live there, and find out later what a shitty place it really is.”
-Jonathan
“They created a tapestry, all of them, just as the characters in a book might. It was the lesson of the Town, taught to children before they could even walk: You are special, everyone is special. But you are not better. All are valuable.”
As for the characters, I stil felt kind of meh about them. I didn't hate any of them, but didn't form any strong attachments to them either.
But if I had to choose my favourites, I guess it woud be: Mace first and foremost, then maybe Father Tyler and Aisa. Kelsea wasn't all that bad here either, but she wouldn't be among my favourites in this trilogy.
“Your books, Lady. I’ve read nine of them now.”
Kelsea stared at him, genuinely surprised.
“They’re good, these stories,” Mace continued, his cheeks stained with light color. “They teach the pain of others.”
“Empathy. Carlin always said it was the great value of fiction, to put us inside the minds of strangers.”
What I really liked was the theme of unrequited love, I thought it really showed Kelsea's character development in this one with the way it was resolved. I also liked the Red Queen's and Kelsea's sort of friendship and how the Red Queen showed more humanity here.
“I really don’t know where you get the gall, Gate Guard.” Dyer released him, his voice disgusted. “Your wife was shipped to Mortmesne while you stayed behind, a free man, and you think you have the right, any right at all, to question how she survived?”
There were also some unexpected twistes and revelations:
Spoiler
I did not guess Kelsea's father being Mhurn. I think it was mainly because I expected her father to be someone bad, since everyone warned her so much (which I now of course, see why). And at the same time, I feel like it was made into such a big deal by being kept a secret through the series that I expected something more shocking maybe.Other unexpected revelation: Kelsea's mother being alive all these years.
As for the Fetch: I did expect his story to play out similar to this, after reading the second book.
Row Finn being William Tear's child before he was with Lily. Did not expect that, I only guessed it some time before it was revealed. And we still don't know (intentionally so since the author said something along the line that not everything is resolved etc.) who exactly is the father of the Tear child and Kelsea's predecessor: Row or Jonathan..
“The tie of blood is only as strong as you want it to be. Some parents are poison, and it’s best to simply let them go.”
All in all, this book did manage to surprise me, kept me reading and invested in the story. It's still not 100% for me, I guess, but it has so many empowering messages about human nature and society. And despite some problems I have with these books, it really is an important series to read.
The Fate of the Tearling was definitely my favourite from the series!
Sidenote: This is not 'mature series for young adults' this trology is clearly Adult Fantasy and I don't think it soud be marketed as YA at all.
“These people are so damned proud of their hatred! Hatred is easy, and lazy to boot. It’s love that demands effort, love that exacts a price from each of us. Love costs; this is its value.”
“Few things are more dangerous to an egalitarian ideal than the concept of a chosen people.”
“Entire countries would close their borders and build walls to keep out phantom threats. Can you imagine?”
“My final word is for the readers. The Tearling is not an easy world, I know. Contrarian that I am, I am determined to make thins kingdom echo life, where answers to our questions are not delivered neatly in a beautiful expositional package, but must be earned, through experience and frustration, sometimes even tears (and believe me, not all of those tears are Kelsea's). Sometimes answers never come at all. To all of the readers who stuck with this story, understanding and sometimes even enjoying the fact that the Tearling is a gradually unfolding world, full of lost and often confounding history, thank you for your faith in the concept. I hope that your patience was rewarded in the end. Now let's all go and make a better world.” (Afterwords of the author)”
I wish there were half stars. Bc this is more of a 3.5-4. I really really enjoyed the book. The whole series. It is hard to put down the story pulls you along so coaxingly. There were a few character threads that were not undone and plot lines that were not connected or discovered. Johansen noted that in the authors notes; I am not sure if it was on purpose or due to timing. I really did enjoy the ending. Its one of those that works so well but you kind of hate it all the same. It is kind of like the good and evil that all of the characters were constantly dealing with. That being said the ending was a bit rushed where as other diversions that weren't essential to the story were drawn out. Favorite part of this book would be the morality of the Red Queen. I really like relationship that grew between Kelsea the Crimson Queen. One of my least favorite parts of the book was her demise. I like how it happened but what good came from her death; what information did is provide. I'd have hoped that more could have been pulled out of there interactions besides a fear of the orphan. It would have been cool to see a team up. Another thing that I didn't really like was how Kelsea kept saying she no longer feared the queen of spades/the other stone but inevitably she would regress and loose her control to it. Then again the theme of the book was about constantly trying to be better while acknowledging that perfection is not easily obtainable if ever. I really did enjoy the book.
2.75 stars
What. Just. Happened.
What a disappointment. I am so sad because the first two books are so good! I don't know what happened with this one. I was bored through most of it.
THEN THAT ENDING.
Just don't talk about the ending. It didn't happen.
What. Just. Happened.
What a disappointment. I am so sad because the first two books are so good! I don't know what happened with this one. I was bored through most of it.
THEN THAT ENDING.
Just don't talk about the ending. It didn't happen.
I was really anxious to read the last book in this trilogy because I didn’t know how it was going to end. I had a million ideas about which way the story would go, but not knowing the fate of the characters was not fun. I’m not a big fan of time jumping books or dual timelines, but Erika Johansen does a phenomenal job with her story/character building! All of the characters captivated me quickly. You never knew what roll the character would play, but it was easy to set aside my worry over another new voice and trust where EJ was taking me.
About 3/4 of the way through the book, when Row takes Katie into the woods and everything is finally about to go down (at least for Katie) is when things get weird and maddening for me.
***SPOILERS***
I really don’t understand why Row and Katie have sex. It was quick and hot, but very unexpected. Maybe it’s when his intense supernatural sexual attraction started that we saw in the previous book, but it was random and seemed very out of character for Katie. If it was about the time she followed him out her window I would believe it, but it makes me think she had no character growth! Did you not learn when he left you for that monster?!
I was expecting Johnathan and Katie to get down with it, but not the time or the place EJ!! I mean in a freaking cell when you know you’re probably going to die?! That was pretty much their reasoning and I didn’t like it! Sure it’s believable, but it was super awkward.
I was completely blindsided that Row was William Tear’s son! I suspected it since Row was so jealous of the Tear’s, but pushed that thought aside because of William Tear’s character! How could someone so good (supposedly) do something so shameful?! Row is bad, but instead of trying to right that wrong you leave your pregnant wife to go on a suicide mission? I wanted to throw my book at the wall!!
That ending!! I understand why EJ ended it how she did, but I HATED it!! I was happy the utopia finally came to pass, but for how long?! The jewels are sitting in a case in a world with no Guard for goodness sake! Eventually another Row Finn will be born and who will be there then?! Not Kelsea or Mace or Hall or Ewen or Dyer or the Fetch—the list goes on!! The jewels had so much power, why couldn’t she solve the problems in her own time? Or...something, I don’t know, I’m just left feeling incomplete by that ending and I don’t like it.
Overall I really liked this trilogy. I don’t think I’ll ever reread it due to the ending, but maybe with time I’ll change my mind.
About 3/4 of the way through the book, when Row takes Katie into the woods and everything is finally about to go down (at least for Katie) is when things get weird and maddening for me.
***SPOILERS***
I really don’t understand why Row and Katie have sex. It was quick and hot, but very unexpected. Maybe it’s when his intense supernatural sexual attraction started that we saw in the previous book, but it was random and seemed very out of character for Katie. If it was about the time she followed him out her window I would believe it, but it makes me think she had no character growth! Did you not learn when he left you for that monster?!
I was expecting Johnathan and Katie to get down with it, but not the time or the place EJ!! I mean in a freaking cell when you know you’re probably going to die?! That was pretty much their reasoning and I didn’t like it! Sure it’s believable, but it was super awkward.
I was completely blindsided that Row was William Tear’s son! I suspected it since Row was so jealous of the Tear’s, but pushed that thought aside because of William Tear’s character! How could someone so good (supposedly) do something so shameful?! Row is bad, but instead of trying to right that wrong you leave your pregnant wife to go on a suicide mission? I wanted to throw my book at the wall!!
That ending!! I understand why EJ ended it how she did, but I HATED it!! I was happy the utopia finally came to pass, but for how long?! The jewels are sitting in a case in a world with no Guard for goodness sake! Eventually another Row Finn will be born and who will be there then?! Not Kelsea or Mace or Hall or Ewen or Dyer or the Fetch—the list goes on!! The jewels had so much power, why couldn’t she solve the problems in her own time? Or...something, I don’t know, I’m just left feeling incomplete by that ending and I don’t like it.
Overall I really liked this trilogy. I don’t think I’ll ever reread it due to the ending, but maybe with time I’ll change my mind.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
This book was amazing....but the ending made me want to throw it at a wall. I knew there wasn’t going to be a real ‘happy’ ending. This series wasn’t set up for a happy ending but living in a world where no one remembers you and you’re the only one that remembers you’re other life, that’s the saddest thing ever. I wanted to scream, cry, laugh and yell at this book. That’s how great it was.
I have never felt so dissatisfied after reading a book, much less a trilogy before. I had such high hopes for this. I LOVED the first book. Somewhere along the way in the second book, I think Johansen lost her way. At times while reading the last, it seemed like she was finding herself again. And then it diverged again, to a foreign place, a terrible place, a place of raging "meh." I am not just dissatisfied, I am angry and I want my thousand pages back.
Author wanted to write a happily ever after in the worst way ever. Yeah everything (the country and all the fighting) is way better, but I hate it. I liked the book as a whole and the ending was good even if my feelings are hurt. The good of the many or whatever. Also when he chased her through the woods then, gaslit her and was like I thought you didn’t believe in magic. Dirty.
There is nothing else to say that hasn't been said. Check out most any one star rating and that's exactly how I feel. Betrayed.
There were SO MANY things that Johansen did right in the first two books of the trilogy, as well as in the beginning of the third. Strong female character? Check. Interesting secondary characters? Check! Good writing style? Check! Action, only moderate drama, character growth? Check!
And now I can't recommend it to anyone. I have a list of authors that have written a series, only to COMPLETELY throw their world out in the end. It's a cop-out ending and I don't know if I would trust reading anything else by Johansen again. Endings are just as important as the beginnings!
There were SO MANY things that Johansen did right in the first two books of the trilogy, as well as in the beginning of the third. Strong female character? Check. Interesting secondary characters? Check! Good writing style? Check! Action, only moderate drama, character growth? Check!
And now I can't recommend it to anyone. I have a list of authors that have written a series, only to COMPLETELY throw their world out in the end. It's a cop-out ending and I don't know if I would trust reading anything else by Johansen again. Endings are just as important as the beginnings!