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A review by lesserjoke
The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
3.0
There are a lot of scenes in this final novel of the Tearling trilogy that feel intended to be climactic but have little narrative build behind them -- either in this book or the two before it -- which rather dampens the emotional impact. (So much of the story felt missing that I literally had to check to make sure I wasn't listening to an abridged audiobook by mistake!) As in the previous volume, a series of extended historical flashbacks represents the most satisfying part of this book, as they offer an actual plot and emotional journey largely absent in the rest of the text.
The writing is strong and the worldbuilding has improved since the start of this series, so if author Erika Johansen can figure out how to better link the individual moments in her main storyline as she does in the flashbacks, she could grow to be a real powerhouse of the fantasy genre. But as written, this novel is simply too scattered to carry much weight. Like the trilogy as a whole, it's a promising but ultimately forgettable story.
The writing is strong and the worldbuilding has improved since the start of this series, so if author Erika Johansen can figure out how to better link the individual moments in her main storyline as she does in the flashbacks, she could grow to be a real powerhouse of the fantasy genre. But as written, this novel is simply too scattered to carry much weight. Like the trilogy as a whole, it's a promising but ultimately forgettable story.