anthrobookcene 's review for:

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

2.0

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There isn't anything I particularly disliked in this book, but there wasn't anything I particularly loved either. It does everything it sets out to do for the most part. Also, since I've put down this book I've been trying to put my finger on what exactly it was about Kelsea that turned me off, but... more than a single major flaw, it a collection of small things she says and does that rubbed me the wrong way. The author seems eager to establish Kelsea as a focused, just, and powerful female protagonist, but it comes at the expense of characterization and plot. It seems a little ridiculous that every single 'good' character is in full support of Kelsea immediately, even while Kelsea's every word is tinged with a fair degree of self-righteousness, and she seems incapable of understanding opposing viewpoints in any capacity.

The world building was interesting, and I enjoyed the informative excerpts at the beginning of each chapter.