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A review by annatherbook
The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
3.0
First of all, I loved this series! This book followed the lead of the other two with great writing, complex characters and an interesting blending of genres, Fantasy and Science fiction, that I have yet to see/read anywhere else. The story and pacing were great and I immensely enjoyed this read.
However! I did have some problems with the conclusion. So if you have not yet read this series or this installment I suggest you do that first. It's gonna be SPOILERS ahead. Beware, you have been warned!
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After finishing the last page and putting the book down. I felt very conflicting emotions. But it soon after became clear that I had problems with it. The ending was unsatisfying. My first reaction was: Is this it? This is the solution? Really?
Most of the third book was great. Some things were a little bit dragged out, especially Kelsea’s captivity, and some things I found repetitive but overall I really liked the plot and the character development. Everything was fine and dandy until we reached the point of the final "battle". It felt rushed, it was confusing and I did not like that the major solution was a battle with Row, in the past, through(?) Katie. We don't really know what happened because Katie can't remember anything and Kelsea does not reflect on it upon waking after everything is done.
It begins with Kelsea and her guard trying to get to the Keep while being hunted by Row Finn’s monster-children. They find Father Taylor on the way and Kelase is given his satchel which contains Row’s crown. We also get to witness for afar when Aisa gets killed by one of the Caden. Something I found to be very realistic. It was fast, they did not have time to react let alone mourn but it was still a heart aching. Kelsea who was wearing Rows Sapphire which apparently automatically made her into the worst version of the Queen of Spades we have ever met before, did not care that Asia was killed. Something I thought was weird because some part of Kelsea should feel for the situation. She wears that sapphire in all the second book but is able to feel compassion and loss. I don’t understand why the Queen of Spades suddenly gets so much control.
Finally, they get to the Keep and barricades themselves in a room. It all apexes when Kelsea puts on the crown and is teleported away. I think it's only a mental teleportation but at this point, I can't be sure. She meets William Tear in the cottage and he explains that he also used to see other Tears through the Tear Sapphire. Why Kelsea only could achieve this with both sapphires and the crown I do not know. It would have been interesting if Kelsea could have communicated with her ancestors through the sapphire through the books. It could have given the story another layer.
They talk about time and how past and future are connected etc. etc. Kelsea want to change the past. William Tear doesn't know it that will change anything but she is firm. During their conversation she is aware of what happens in the Keep. Kelsea needs to chose a moment to travel to and she sees Mace and Penn go down. Not really sure how that works. She can see past, present and future as scenes I guess? She chooses the scene with Katie and Jonathan locked in the cellar.
We don't get it explained why she choose that particular moment and why it was important. Why choose this point to change everything? No explanation is given and it is frustrating.
Katie was given Jonathan's sapphire and I guess that's important to why Kelsea is able to go through Katie later on. Katie goes into a trance and suddenly in a fit she kills Jonathan by snapping his neck. Why she does that I don’t know. It makes no sense and we are not given an explanation here either. Katie starts so transform I guess we can call it and all the other guards runs of and leaves her with only a terrified Gavin and Row.
When Kelsea emerges from Katie's body, a very weird scene I might add, she is suddenly super powerful. She looks like Lily, something we haven't really gotten an explanation for either and she confronts Row but we don't get to see what she does to him. When Katie wakes up he is gone. We are only told that there's a puddle with flies and his sapphire. Is he dead? If he is where is his body and if he's not what did Kelsea do with him? Why couldn't she take on Row in her own reality? Why are her powers different in the past than in the present? I guess Row is different and more powerful in her reality. I can accept that how he became that creature is supposed to be a mystery. But that should not affect Kelsea’s abilities. Maybe the crown had something to do with it but still no explanation.
We also don't get to see what happens to all the other characters. I do kind of like that Kelsea alone remember the parallel timeline and that her sacrifice is to bear that burden alone. But there are so many characters that had importance in the other parts of the story and we never know what happens to them. They just disappear from the narrative. I think it goes against Kelsea’s character to just accept it and only go to find Mace. She would want to know where they all were and keep tabs on them to make sure they are okay.
They keep saying that the past it not to be forgotten or hidden because without it we can't learn and change. But everything is solved by Kelsea changing the past. Which goes against what the books have been trying to teach us, or maybe it only me that misunderstood that part. I wanted to see Kelsea rebuild the Tearling and create the better world. I wanted to take part in the process to get there!
So a great series with a not so great ending!
However! I did have some problems with the conclusion. So if you have not yet read this series or this installment I suggest you do that first. It's gonna be SPOILERS ahead. Beware, you have been warned!
---------
After finishing the last page and putting the book down. I felt very conflicting emotions. But it soon after became clear that I had problems with it. The ending was unsatisfying. My first reaction was: Is this it? This is the solution? Really?
Most of the third book was great. Some things were a little bit dragged out, especially Kelsea’s captivity, and some things I found repetitive but overall I really liked the plot and the character development. Everything was fine and dandy until we reached the point of the final "battle". It felt rushed, it was confusing and I did not like that the major solution was a battle with Row, in the past, through(?) Katie. We don't really know what happened because Katie can't remember anything and Kelsea does not reflect on it upon waking after everything is done.
It begins with Kelsea and her guard trying to get to the Keep while being hunted by Row Finn’s monster-children. They find Father Taylor on the way and Kelase is given his satchel which contains Row’s crown. We also get to witness for afar when Aisa gets killed by one of the Caden. Something I found to be very realistic. It was fast, they did not have time to react let alone mourn but it was still a heart aching. Kelsea who was wearing Rows Sapphire which apparently automatically made her into the worst version of the Queen of Spades we have ever met before, did not care that Asia was killed. Something I thought was weird because some part of Kelsea should feel for the situation. She wears that sapphire in all the second book but is able to feel compassion and loss. I don’t understand why the Queen of Spades suddenly gets so much control.
Finally, they get to the Keep and barricades themselves in a room. It all apexes when Kelsea puts on the crown and is teleported away. I think it's only a mental teleportation but at this point, I can't be sure. She meets William Tear in the cottage and he explains that he also used to see other Tears through the Tear Sapphire. Why Kelsea only could achieve this with both sapphires and the crown I do not know. It would have been interesting if Kelsea could have communicated with her ancestors through the sapphire through the books. It could have given the story another layer.
They talk about time and how past and future are connected etc. etc. Kelsea want to change the past. William Tear doesn't know it that will change anything but she is firm. During their conversation she is aware of what happens in the Keep. Kelsea needs to chose a moment to travel to and she sees Mace and Penn go down. Not really sure how that works. She can see past, present and future as scenes I guess? She chooses the scene with Katie and Jonathan locked in the cellar.
We don't get it explained why she choose that particular moment and why it was important. Why choose this point to change everything? No explanation is given and it is frustrating.
Katie was given Jonathan's sapphire and I guess that's important to why Kelsea is able to go through Katie later on. Katie goes into a trance and suddenly in a fit she kills Jonathan by snapping his neck. Why she does that I don’t know. It makes no sense and we are not given an explanation here either. Katie starts so transform I guess we can call it and all the other guards runs of and leaves her with only a terrified Gavin and Row.
When Kelsea emerges from Katie's body, a very weird scene I might add, she is suddenly super powerful. She looks like Lily, something we haven't really gotten an explanation for either and she confronts Row but we don't get to see what she does to him. When Katie wakes up he is gone. We are only told that there's a puddle with flies and his sapphire. Is he dead? If he is where is his body and if he's not what did Kelsea do with him? Why couldn't she take on Row in her own reality? Why are her powers different in the past than in the present? I guess Row is different and more powerful in her reality. I can accept that how he became that creature is supposed to be a mystery. But that should not affect Kelsea’s abilities. Maybe the crown had something to do with it but still no explanation.
We also don't get to see what happens to all the other characters. I do kind of like that Kelsea alone remember the parallel timeline and that her sacrifice is to bear that burden alone. But there are so many characters that had importance in the other parts of the story and we never know what happens to them. They just disappear from the narrative. I think it goes against Kelsea’s character to just accept it and only go to find Mace. She would want to know where they all were and keep tabs on them to make sure they are okay.
They keep saying that the past it not to be forgotten or hidden because without it we can't learn and change. But everything is solved by Kelsea changing the past. Which goes against what the books have been trying to teach us, or maybe it only me that misunderstood that part. I wanted to see Kelsea rebuild the Tearling and create the better world. I wanted to take part in the process to get there!
So a great series with a not so great ending!