A review by cassieyorke
The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

5.0

Ambitious, beautiful, ominous, even a little spooky sometimes. Most of all, Queen of the Tearling is expansive, as wide as the open spaces of the Tearling. This is the tale of the rise of Queen Kelsea, a young woman who has the same love for her people that Erika Johansen has for her story. You can feel her love in the small touches - characters, voice, the flavor text with which she begins each lovely chapter. It's appropriate that artwork is a major theme throughout the series, since the Tearling often feels like a painting in its moods and shadows and lighting and description.

Erika's shaded storytelling has influenced my own writing in more ways than I probably realize, but she's just the kind of writing role model our generation of women needs.