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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
The Tearling series follows young Queen Kelsea Glynn as she inherits her throne and attempts to rule and protect her people, ending the slave shipment to the neighbouring tyrannical country and earning herself many enemies in the process, including evil sorceress the Red Queen. The Tearling series is probably one of my favourite modern fantasy series. It's not just fantasy, but fantasy interlaced with sci fi and it explores a novel concept of time travel from our own time to Kelsea's medieval appearing dystopian present. In this third and final book we learn a lot more about Kelsea's ancesters and the cycle of history repeating itself as humans quickly forget their past mistakes. Even as I re-read this summary the whole premise sounds totally confusing, but it's actually well written with a great female lead, characters you want to root for and small drips of information that leave you wanting more. Which is why I found the ending so unsatisfying. I'm happy with unconventional endings, and I could almost see where the author was going with it...but as much as I'd love to give this book 5 stars like the previous two, you just can't beat the note you leave a book on, and mine was an overwhelming feeling of dissatisfaction.
I listened to this as an audiobook, which meant it took forever to finish. A good book to listen to while running, because it is interesting and YA-ish enough to feel like a Netflix teen drama (which also means it's not so complicated that I had to really closely listen).
Definitely my favorite book in the series, because I liked the additional backstory and more magic.
SPOILERS BELOW
What a lazy ending. In some ways, the ending is beautiful- but, man, the execution of it was so disappointing. Very deus ex machina. I saw some BS ending coming because so much of this series felt random/not thoughtful to me, the pacing of this whole series has been bleck, and because I could see by the time left in the audiobook that the story was not going to be thoughtfully solved. But still, I wish this ended with more care/finesse.
UGH
Definitely my favorite book in the series, because I liked the additional backstory and more magic.
SPOILERS BELOW
What a lazy ending. In some ways, the ending is beautiful- but, man, the execution of it was so disappointing. Very deus ex machina. I saw some BS ending coming because so much of this series felt random/not thoughtful to me, the pacing of this whole series has been bleck, and because I could see by the time left in the audiobook that the story was not going to be thoughtfully solved. But still, I wish this ended with more care/finesse.
UGH
I have to say I don’t know how I feel about this book. I absolutely loved the first two and was hoping that it would continue with the same passion. However that wasn’t really the case. Then last few chapters felt very rushed and the ended was a let down in my opinion.
Still I believe it’s a good series. I believe they’re working on an adaptation for a movie series, so hopefully they don’t ruin that.
Still I believe it’s a good series. I believe they’re working on an adaptation for a movie series, so hopefully they don’t ruin that.
This was such an amazing conclusion to this series. It was definitely my favorite book of the year and one of the most though provoking fantasy series I ever read.
Kelsea is such a strong but still flawed character and especially in the end I could completely understand her. she had such a hard journey to make and I'm so happy with that ending. it's not just a happily ever after fluffy ending like in so many fantasy series.
I think the decision to answer most of the questions but also left some things in the open was a great one, like in real life not everything about the Tearling was discovered, there is still some mystery and I don't mind it.
The pacing of this book was really fast at least for me because if you are attentive to details you can answer a lot of open questions yourself while reading this book.
I'm just awed by how structured and detailed this book is and I enjoyed this series so so much.
Kelsea is such a strong but still flawed character and especially in the end I could completely understand her. she had such a hard journey to make and I'm so happy with that ending. it's not just a happily ever after fluffy ending like in so many fantasy series.
I think the decision to answer most of the questions but also left some things in the open was a great one, like in real life not everything about the Tearling was discovered, there is still some mystery and I don't mind it.
The pacing of this book was really fast at least for me because if you are attentive to details you can answer a lot of open questions yourself while reading this book.
I'm just awed by how structured and detailed this book is and I enjoyed this series so so much.
I've spent the last hour trying to process this book's conclusion and I'm still in denial.
Out of the hundreds, thousands of potential conclusions, we get the king of all deus ex machinas ever devised? I genuinely cannot wrap my head around it. The sapphires, the ultimate plot device, are presented as all-powerful. Kelsea blows the heads off of a hundred men in an instant, barely cognizant of the action. Yet somehow, the monster children is where we draw the line? Creating an alternate timeline is fair game, but her actually using her powers in combat is suddenly, after 3 books of insane displays of power, off the table??? Not only did she have the crown and both Tear & Row's sapphires but she had vast knowledge on Row's weaknesses and personality from Katie's memory. I just don't get it, I really don't. If I had known this series would end with Kelsea as a librarian in pseudo-Manhattan, I wouldn't have picked it up. Putting the conclusion aside, with great difficulty, there are a few other questions/problems I have with this book.
1. Elyssa & Mhurn
There was absolutely no reason for Elyssa to be alive. It contributed to nothing, nor was the interaction anything of substance. I have no idea why, in the last 100 pages of the book, the author decided to revive her for a 1min long conversation with her daughter just to never be seen again. Well, not until we see her cooking in that damned ending. Elyssa's purpose as being Kelsea's predecessor worked well with the storyline, and didn't need to be touched. I'm usually a fan of big parent-child interactions in fantasy but the interaction wasn't even satisfying. Elyssa's advertised personality of vanity and thoughtlessness seemed too forced as well. Yes, we get that she's a vain piece of shit but the flow of conversation and Elyssa's replies didn't read like normal dialogue to me. And don't get me wrong, Elyssa secretly being alive could've made for a wonderful plot twist if only it had served a purpose. I adore the Mace, but I'm kinda disappointed he went along with this. It's in character but still, a shame.
As for Mhurn, his being Kelsea's father was another plot point that had much potential. She killed her father and only knew she was her father until months later, it's really the perfect source of angst. That is, if it wasn't mentioned briefly in the last 90 pages of the trilogy. Kelsea's father has been hyped up throughout the series, with cryptic replies from those who knew that seemed to indicate future plot relevance. But no, one of, if not the biggest, anticipated reveal was jammed into the final book and barely even touched upon. The suspense was built so perfectly for the reveal too, only to be mishandled the last second.
2. The Loose Ends
There are so many characters and topics that we don't learn the answer to. Who is Breanna? What truly happened in Arlen Thorne and the Mace's past? How did Rowland Finn learn dark magic? What exactly were those dark children (be specific please, no vague 'they're a great evil' statements that don't actually tell us anything)? What exactly are the sapphires? What happened to the Holy Father? There was just so much story left to tell, which makes the conclusion even more dissatisfying: it was completely and utterly unnecessary.
3. The True Queen
The entire series, from the very first page of the first book, is very heavily structured around one idea: Kelsea being the True Queen. It's on the inside of the cover, in each summary, in the beginning of every chapter. The little quotes on top of every chapter in EVERY book are little excerpts from history books centuries after the book's conclusion, that document Kelsea and the Mace's great achievements. I began looking forward to seeing this conclusion unravel, as the implications of the little quotes were interesting to think about. What was the point of all this? To throw us off and achieve the most unpredictable ending ever? I'll admit, the ending was unpredictable, just because it was so ass. The entire pretense of the trilogy was discarded, despite having such crazy potential. That's what bothers me the most about this series: it had so much potential. Yet every single topic of interest was either neglected or ruined needlessly.
4. The Fetch
God, the Fetch. The most enigmatic character in the entire novel, with only the Red Queen as a rival. Every appearance he would make enriched that section of the novel and I found myself looking forward to learning more about him. You can imagine my surprise when I learn the Fetch was just some weak loser who couldn't think himself out of a box as a kid. Worst part is, his name's GAVIN. Really kicking us when we're down here, I'm so distraught. When Kelsea confronts him, all the mystery and allure of the Fetch disintegrates. He starts begging her to understand his mistake, begging. Despite having had 300 years to process his mistakes, he still folds when confronted and couldn't even face it with dignity. Kelsea's attraction to him amounted to absolutely nothing as well, which was just disappointing. She talked about how she'd never love someone like she did the Fetch and proceeds to have what, two interactions with him? Their dynamic never even approaches romantic, it's just one of many discarded plot lines that served no purpose whatsoever.
Giving this book 2stars because the book wasn't half-bad until that conclusion fucked it up. 3 stars for the first 90% of the book, 1 star for that sad, sad 10%.
PS. What the hell was the point of snapping Jonathan Tear's neck? Kelsea went back in time to kill Row and prevent him from doing his weird demon shit, but decides to snap Johnny boy's neck first for WHAT? If she was trying to get rid of all Tear blood (for a reason I currently cannot think of), she would've killed Katie or at least made her have a miscarriage since she knew she carried either Jonathan or Row's kid, both dudes of Tear blood.
Out of the hundreds, thousands of potential conclusions, we get the king of all deus ex machinas ever devised? I genuinely cannot wrap my head around it. The sapphires, the ultimate plot device, are presented as all-powerful. Kelsea blows the heads off of a hundred men in an instant, barely cognizant of the action. Yet somehow, the monster children is where we draw the line? Creating an alternate timeline is fair game, but her actually using her powers in combat is suddenly, after 3 books of insane displays of power, off the table??? Not only did she have the crown and both Tear & Row's sapphires but she had vast knowledge on Row's weaknesses and personality from Katie's memory. I just don't get it, I really don't. If I had known this series would end with Kelsea as a librarian in pseudo-Manhattan, I wouldn't have picked it up. Putting the conclusion aside, with great difficulty, there are a few other questions/problems I have with this book.
1. Elyssa & Mhurn
There was absolutely no reason for Elyssa to be alive. It contributed to nothing, nor was the interaction anything of substance. I have no idea why, in the last 100 pages of the book, the author decided to revive her for a 1min long conversation with her daughter just to never be seen again. Well, not until we see her cooking in that damned ending. Elyssa's purpose as being Kelsea's predecessor worked well with the storyline, and didn't need to be touched. I'm usually a fan of big parent-child interactions in fantasy but the interaction wasn't even satisfying. Elyssa's advertised personality of vanity and thoughtlessness seemed too forced as well. Yes, we get that she's a vain piece of shit but the flow of conversation and Elyssa's replies didn't read like normal dialogue to me. And don't get me wrong, Elyssa secretly being alive could've made for a wonderful plot twist if only it had served a purpose. I adore the Mace, but I'm kinda disappointed he went along with this. It's in character but still, a shame.
As for Mhurn, his being Kelsea's father was another plot point that had much potential. She killed her father and only knew she was her father until months later, it's really the perfect source of angst. That is, if it wasn't mentioned briefly in the last 90 pages of the trilogy. Kelsea's father has been hyped up throughout the series, with cryptic replies from those who knew that seemed to indicate future plot relevance. But no, one of, if not the biggest, anticipated reveal was jammed into the final book and barely even touched upon. The suspense was built so perfectly for the reveal too, only to be mishandled the last second.
2. The Loose Ends
There are so many characters and topics that we don't learn the answer to. Who is Breanna? What truly happened in Arlen Thorne and the Mace's past? How did Rowland Finn learn dark magic? What exactly were those dark children (be specific please, no vague 'they're a great evil' statements that don't actually tell us anything)? What exactly are the sapphires? What happened to the Holy Father? There was just so much story left to tell, which makes the conclusion even more dissatisfying: it was completely and utterly unnecessary.
3. The True Queen
The entire series, from the very first page of the first book, is very heavily structured around one idea: Kelsea being the True Queen. It's on the inside of the cover, in each summary, in the beginning of every chapter. The little quotes on top of every chapter in EVERY book are little excerpts from history books centuries after the book's conclusion, that document Kelsea and the Mace's great achievements. I began looking forward to seeing this conclusion unravel, as the implications of the little quotes were interesting to think about. What was the point of all this? To throw us off and achieve the most unpredictable ending ever? I'll admit, the ending was unpredictable, just because it was so ass. The entire pretense of the trilogy was discarded, despite having such crazy potential. That's what bothers me the most about this series: it had so much potential. Yet every single topic of interest was either neglected or ruined needlessly.
4. The Fetch
God, the Fetch. The most enigmatic character in the entire novel, with only the Red Queen as a rival. Every appearance he would make enriched that section of the novel and I found myself looking forward to learning more about him. You can imagine my surprise when I learn the Fetch was just some weak loser who couldn't think himself out of a box as a kid. Worst part is, his name's GAVIN. Really kicking us when we're down here, I'm so distraught. When Kelsea confronts him, all the mystery and allure of the Fetch disintegrates. He starts begging her to understand his mistake, begging. Despite having had 300 years to process his mistakes, he still folds when confronted and couldn't even face it with dignity. Kelsea's attraction to him amounted to absolutely nothing as well, which was just disappointing. She talked about how she'd never love someone like she did the Fetch and proceeds to have what, two interactions with him? Their dynamic never even approaches romantic, it's just one of many discarded plot lines that served no purpose whatsoever.
Giving this book 2stars because the book wasn't half-bad until that conclusion fucked it up. 3 stars for the first 90% of the book, 1 star for that sad, sad 10%.
PS. What the hell was the point of snapping Jonathan Tear's neck? Kelsea went back in time to kill Row and prevent him from doing his weird demon shit, but decides to snap Johnny boy's neck first for WHAT? If she was trying to get rid of all Tear blood (for a reason I currently cannot think of), she would've killed Katie or at least made her have a miscarriage since she knew she carried either Jonathan or Row's kid, both dudes of Tear blood.
Sporting a polarizing ending that leaves you gobsmacked no matter what side your opinion lands on, The Fate of the Tearling was just as enthralling and riveting as the other two books in the series. With such a stunning ending, from which I am still recovering and collecting my thoughts, I have no choice but to plug in some spoilers at the end here.
The Fate of the Tearling was, like its predecessors, a lovely mix of the fantasy and dystopian genres. In this go-round, we are introduced to Katie, a first generation after The Crossing. Through Kelsea's fugues we get to finally experience how everything went so wrong so quickly for William Tear and his followers. Once again, Johansen's brilliant characterizations and fantastic world-building are front and center for the richly complex plot and conclusion for this trilogy. Every character is nuanced, every place detailed, every subplot is addressed.
Like so many have already said, this book was utterly brilliant and unstoppable until that odd last chapter. While I didn't have the qualms and didn't experience any book-chucking urges, I can quite obviously see why so many did. It's a questionable decision and it's endings like that one that make me very aware of the author, instead of focusing on the characters and their stories.
However, there is no way that ending sucks all the life out of the series for me. It's a fantastically done trilogy and I would totally and completely recommend it for those who are attracted to these genres. Johansen's writing is top-notch and her characters and settings are enthralling. I have a floaty kind of ambivalence to the ending, but ultimately I'm okay with it.
Here there be spoilers:
However, my big issue with Kelsea's parents was after the earthshaking, time-traveling, butterfly-effect event. I love me some time travel, but it needs to retain some modicum of sense and a certain level of continuity. Honestly, I'd rather Kelsea have woken up and not remembered the alternate history of her life. But she did and that leaves this huge gaping hole for me...if her mother Elyssa had never been anyone of importance (much less a QUEEN), how is it that she and Mhurn still met at the exact right time to create Kelsea? Where's that story? Is Elyssa not married or involved with Mhurn currently? Did he somehow, in this more perfect future, still become an addict? I really need more explanation for this, and I don't see how I'd be satisfied with any. Ultimately for me, that was my big beef with this ambitious and sad, ambiguous ending.
While I was a little down about Pen/Andrew, I was ultimately accepting of the new situation—after all, though Pen had fallen in love with Kelsea, she was never truly in love with him, and I'm fine with her needing to find her own way in this new world. I do like how she bumped into several people she used to know, and how Carlin is her boss, and that everything seems to have worked out for everyone except her. The unseeable future hurt her because she was left with her memories of the past—interesting take on the butterfly effect. However, that time-travel business has me question the outcome in a general sense. Hundreds of years after Katie and Kelsea together saved the Tearling and its future, everyone (at least to that point) of significance in Kelsea's life still met and married and had the same children? The only thing that was affected really was the setting? And thus the emotional development of the people? That was a hard pill to swallow and the longer I think on it the less believable I find it to be.
But, as I say, I still found this book to be a fantastic finale to an incredible and entertaining trilogy.
The Fate of the Tearling was, like its predecessors, a lovely mix of the fantasy and dystopian genres. In this go-round, we are introduced to Katie, a first generation after The Crossing. Through Kelsea's fugues we get to finally experience how everything went so wrong so quickly for William Tear and his followers. Once again, Johansen's brilliant characterizations and fantastic world-building are front and center for the richly complex plot and conclusion for this trilogy. Every character is nuanced, every place detailed, every subplot is addressed.
Like so many have already said, this book was utterly brilliant and unstoppable until that odd last chapter. While I didn't have the qualms and didn't experience any book-chucking urges, I can quite obviously see why so many did. It's a questionable decision and it's endings like that one that make me very aware of the author, instead of focusing on the characters and their stories.
However, there is no way that ending sucks all the life out of the series for me. It's a fantastically done trilogy and I would totally and completely recommend it for those who are attracted to these genres. Johansen's writing is top-notch and her characters and settings are enthralling. I have a floaty kind of ambivalence to the ending, but ultimately I'm okay with it.
Here there be spoilers:
Spoiler
The revelation of Kelsea's parentage was shocking and I was completely surprised by her mother's appearance in the book. I think I would've rather her father have either been a more prominent character, or a completely new one...I really was rather dismissive of this reveal and at this juncture in the plot, I couldn't have cared less about Mhurn.However, my big issue with Kelsea's parents was after the earthshaking, time-traveling, butterfly-effect event. I love me some time travel, but it needs to retain some modicum of sense and a certain level of continuity. Honestly, I'd rather Kelsea have woken up and not remembered the alternate history of her life. But she did and that leaves this huge gaping hole for me...if her mother Elyssa had never been anyone of importance (much less a QUEEN), how is it that she and Mhurn still met at the exact right time to create Kelsea? Where's that story? Is Elyssa not married or involved with Mhurn currently? Did he somehow, in this more perfect future, still become an addict? I really need more explanation for this, and I don't see how I'd be satisfied with any. Ultimately for me, that was my big beef with this ambitious and sad, ambiguous ending.
While I was a little down about Pen/Andrew, I was ultimately accepting of the new situation—after all, though Pen had fallen in love with Kelsea, she was never truly in love with him, and I'm fine with her needing to find her own way in this new world. I do like how she bumped into several people she used to know, and how Carlin is her boss, and that everything seems to have worked out for everyone except her. The unseeable future hurt her because she was left with her memories of the past—interesting take on the butterfly effect. However, that time-travel business has me question the outcome in a general sense. Hundreds of years after Katie and Kelsea together saved the Tearling and its future, everyone (at least to that point) of significance in Kelsea's life still met and married and had the same children? The only thing that was affected really was the setting? And thus the emotional development of the people? That was a hard pill to swallow and the longer I think on it the less believable I find it to be.
But, as I say,
Spoiler
if I disregard the time travel ramifications with which I disagree,
In retrospect, everything in the series was leading up to this ending which was, though not as satisfying as I'd hoped for, unexpected and probably what Kelsea really deserved.
A very satisfying ending to this complex high-fantasy series. After a slightly faltering second installment, this felt like the perfect ending that took Kelsea and her colleagues in a highly unexpected direction. I had to re-read the ending twice to be sure I understood everything that happened, but ultimately am so impressed with how beautifully this story came together to tell the fate of the Tearling. Absolutely phenomenal.