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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
All of that, three books, all those rich characters,
So much anticipation - and time travel makes it all go away in a neat little bow. Not cool.
So much anticipation - and time travel makes it all go away in a neat little bow. Not cool.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
I didn’t even think this was how it was gonna end. I mean, I usually can anticipate the way a book is gonna go but... what?!?! I’ll miss these characters. Kelsea is everything you want in a heroine. I wish erika would write more in this world. Idk what to do now... how to go on...
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a waste of time.
And here it is:
5 stars despite the ending (and it’s only 5 stars because I love the rest of the series so much)
Oh, the ending. That stupid, ridiculous, dissatisfying ending (can you tell I’m not happy with the ending?!). I love the series up until the last thirty pages or so, and then it just left an extremely bad aftertaste.
This book has a lot of stuff going on, which made it hard for me to follow sometimes, but it also answers most of the questions raised throughout the series, so that was nice. The characters were still wonderful, but I did have issues with them and some of their behavior just seemed too out of character to me.
Not sure if I would recommend this series and it’s all because of the ending. And that makes me so mad because I loved the characters, the world-building and the overall plot. So a recommendation to the first 95% and a hard NO to the last 5%.
5 stars despite the ending (and it’s only 5 stars because I love the rest of the series so much)
Oh, the ending. That stupid, ridiculous, dissatisfying ending (can you tell I’m not happy with the ending?!). I love the series up until the last thirty pages or so, and then it just left an extremely bad aftertaste.
This book has a lot of stuff going on, which made it hard for me to follow sometimes, but it also answers most of the questions raised throughout the series, so that was nice. The characters were still wonderful, but I did have issues with them and some of their behavior just seemed too out of character to me.
Spoiler
Ok, now for the real issue. I understand that the ending was good for the people of the Tearling, but it also felt like it negated a lot of the suffering and sacrifice. I wish that Johansen could have at least let Kelsea’s Guard remember her and what they had been through (and wasn’t not remembering/discussing the past one of the issues with Tear’s utopia?) and that way Kelsea could have kept the family she chose. But as they say “done is done.”Not sure if I would recommend this series and it’s all because of the ending. And that makes me so mad because I loved the characters, the world-building and the overall plot. So a recommendation to the first 95% and a hard NO to the last 5%.
2.5 stars. I'm torn because this book would have gotten 4 stars if not for that ending, so I rounded up to 3 for the rating. It was so aggravating. I hate when authors write a good story and then ruin it with the ending.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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:
Yes
**ALL OF THIS IS SPOILERS**
Well, this was a disappointment…
I want to make it clear that my issues with the ending of this book don’t lie where many others’ seem to. I didn’t mind the time travel, and how Kelsea was left all alone in the idyllic world she created. If the rest of the ending had been strong, it could have been a really effective and poignant ending. Unfortunately, the rest of the ending left A LOT to be desired.
One of my main gripes is the number of things left unexplained, and most of them the things I was most interested in. The majority of which also seemed like Johansen cheapening out on actually thinking of logical worldbuilding or satisfying conclusions. I absolutely raced through the latter 50% of the book desperate for the answers, and we got none. I doubt this list is exhaustive, but to name a few of missing pieces:
- When/where WAS the bloody ‘New World’??? Did William Tear go back in time, forward in time, to a new dimension?? I’m pretty sure nowhere on Earth has the crazy changes in climate and terrain on a relatively small island in the way the New World did. All the animals/nature seemed pretty much identical to Earth’s, so surely they haven’t gone far enough back to miss humanity entirely, otherwise the flora/fauna would be different? And where on Earth has a concentration of magical sapphires??
- Why were there different languages?? As far as I could tell, everyone that came over on the Crossing spoke English, so how did we end up with specific languages for all three 'countries'?? Yes, that might happen over a long period of time, with all the languages rooted in English, but in under 300 years?? Not gonna happen.
- Why were there different languages?? As far as I could tell, everyone that came over on the Crossing spoke English, so how did we end up with specific languages for all three 'countries'?? Yes, that might happen over a long period of time, with all the languages rooted in English, but in under 300 years?? Not gonna happen.
- Also, had anyone ever tried to sail the fuck away from the New World?? Surely in 300 years someone had, but I don’t think that was brought up once.
- The god-damn sapphires – HOW DID THEY WORK?? Why did the crown allow time travel, but Finn’s only allowed violence? How did the Tear family get hold of the sapphire in our world? Did they work all the time in our world?
- And who's memories were actually stored in the sapphire? Jonathan said it was only his forbearers, so how did Lily and Katie's, neither of them Tear by blood, get in there. The only thing that makes sense for their memories to be included is because they birthed a Tear, which is kinda weird. Lily never used the sapphire, and Finn's memories would surely be in there if it was caused by just using it?
- What magic did Finn use to create his ‘creatures’?? It was so different from the kind of power Kelsea could use when she used his sapphire. Was it a different power source, one not from his sapphire?
- Following on from this, Johansen seemed to be implying that anyone could teach themselves how to use magic. From the story, everyone who tried to gain magic, gained it. So why the fuck weren’t more people trying??
- What was the point of Brenna apart from to facilitate the Red Queen's death? That was literally the only thing I could think of.
- Why did the Red Queen have a portrait of Lily, and why did she seem obsessed with it??
- Why did Kelsea kill Jonathan?? It seemed completely unnecessary. Did she use his death to help Katie get her foot in, and put a stop to the Tear dictatorship sentiment? If so, that definitely should have been explained more. Especially because she then essentially became a dictator to sort out the government, etc. Why couldn’t Jonathan have helped her with that??
- Why did Katie call herself Caitlyn Tear?? One of your kid’s possible father’s name being Tear doesn’t mean you get to use it yourself?
Other things that annoyed me included:
- Katie’s REALLY stupid decision to curse the boys to live forever? Ah yes, make the most dangerous people live eternally... what a fucking idiot. And we don't even know if she knew what she was doing, or if it was an uncontrolled burst of emotion, which caused a burst of unrestrained power.
- When the guards were running about between New London and Demesne I became hugely confused at their movements. At one point Javel was sent back from Demesne to New London to alert them that more troops were needed. Johansen never said that he met Hall's group at their camp, but I assume that's what happened and how they got to Demesne. But then why did Javel return to New London instead of going back with them to help? All very weird.
- The dad reveal was incredibly weak - especially because it was never fully recapped in this book what Mhurn actually did to Kelsea, and I couldn't remember at all. It was also SO obvious because as she kept thinking about her father, Mhurn would clumsily be added into lists of people she was thinking about, even though he didn't really belong in them. And then when she finally found out there was no angst etc., she was just over it?? Why all the build-up then?
- WHERE WAS THE GOD-DAMN DIVERSITY? As far as I’m aware there was a single black guy (Jonathan #1), who was introduced and killed off in a single book. This does not diversity make.
- By the time everyone started getting killed off it was obvious Kelsea was going to go back in time and fix everything, so didn't feel much emotion from it. If she hadn’t been saying every other page ‘If only I could go back in time’, there may have been a bit more shock factor, but we were royally beaten over the head with that phrase.
- After finishing the book, almost all of the histories etc. at the start of each chapter make ZERO sense. How could they ever exist? If Kelsea hadn't turned back time, everyone would be dead, especially her and Tyler, so how could he be writing all this? And if she was successful and did turn back time, the future didn't exist for all these things to be written in. Seems like a cheap trick from Johansen.
So, in conclusion, I’ve truly had such a journey with this series. From despising Book 1, to adoring Book 2, to feeling mediocre at best about Book 3.
So, in conclusion, I’ve truly had such a journey with this series. From despising Book 1, to adoring Book 2, to feeling mediocre at best about Book 3.
I genuinely enjoyed my time with this instalment, right until I saw how little of the book I had left and understood my burning questions weren’t going to be answered. I really enjoyed the commentary on modern society, especially about the danger of the Church, and I also really like the Red Queen as a villain, she made total sense to me.
But the amount of loose ends have really overshadowed that enjoyment. I can really enjoy open-ended books, or books where things aren’t explained, but when the whole fucking series led me on a merry goose chase, promising all these answers, and then didn’t deliver? That shit I hate.
After a long wait,got to read this and completed it!
Loved the thrill of the story anticipating every moment, feeling the siege, the journey in our mind and finally letting go of the breath in relief when Kelsea wakes up.
Whatever the reviews might be however the end might have been(the so disappointing last chapter everyone refers to) there could not have been anything else that would have made sense without making it look like a typical the good kills the bad and the happily ever afters.
Though it was such a heavy burden to Kelsea it turned out that sacrificing on her part the whole of Tearling's past, present and the future have been saved. Such a risky gamble but it paid off well with a price of the memories.
The Fate of the Tearling is sure a fitting title as Kelsea achieved what William could not and Jonathan also could not have achieved.
Loved the thrill of the story anticipating every moment, feeling the siege, the journey in our mind and finally letting go of the breath in relief when Kelsea wakes up.
Whatever the reviews might be however the end might have been(the so disappointing last chapter everyone refers to) there could not have been anything else that would have made sense without making it look like a typical the good kills the bad and the happily ever afters.
Though it was such a heavy burden to Kelsea it turned out that sacrificing on her part the whole of Tearling's past, present and the future have been saved. Such a risky gamble but it paid off well with a price of the memories.
The Fate of the Tearling is sure a fitting title as Kelsea achieved what William could not and Jonathan also could not have achieved.