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paradoxically 's review for:
The Queen of the Tearling
by Erika Johansen
I'm definitely of two different minds about this book. On one hand it's engaging, it's exciting, and while I have issues with the main character, Kelsea, I like her overall. I enjoy reading the book, which is one of the most important things about a book. That said, the setting makes absolutely no sense to me, the motivations are pretty shaky, and I leave off with an overwhelming sense that I just want it to be just a little bit better so that I could love it wholeheartedly.
So let's talk about the setting. As in I don't know what kind of world the main character is living in. As far as I can figure, this is some sort of future of our world, except we've somehow regressed into near medieval times (what with sword and horses and the distinct lack of electronics in general). You hear of people referring to the past (pre-crossing), so you at least know you're set in the future. Somehow. With horses and swords and magic. The magic bit makes no sense at all to me, not if one is trying to pass off the world as some sort of dystopian future (it's not quite).
Now even ignoring the irregularities with the magic (still doesn't make sense), you have a society that knows of things like the printing press, except they don't have any. And apparently they don't have the willpower to build any. I just don't get it. They seem stuck in the past to the point where they're stagnant. There seems to be no effort to try to propel inventions forward.
Obviously I have huge, HUGE problems with the setting. Perhaps the next book will clear it up (it better), but for now there's giant question marks over everything and it was so mysterious it kind of ruined my enjoyment.
The characters now... Are a bit unbelievable. You have Kelsea who becomes the queen because apparently there's no one else and she has magic stones. She's such a hothead that it's a bit off putting, but at the same time it was enjoyable because at least she's actively doing something and trying to accomplish things. I don't love her but I also don't hate her. Then you have the Queen's Guard that makes no sense to me. They're great in theory--a group of (mostly) loyal men who have honor and dignity and all of that jazz, but when you see all of the corruption around them, when you realize that they're the Queen's Guard but their queen had been dead for years and Kelsea had been in hiding, you start wondering how they could remain the way they are. Not that they cater to Kelsea's every whim and are loyal to her, but just the essence of who they are is what's in question. It doesn't make all that much sense.
That said, I did enjoy the book (I know, I know, all of those paragraphs of what-the-hell seem to say otherwise). It was an engaging read and I really wanted to see how Kelsea manages to become queen, less in name and more as what she should be. You get a lot of Kelsea grimly surviving or grimly trying to do her best, and she's trying and at least she's not shirking her duties. She's a woman of action, is our Kelsea, though her frequent thoughts of how plain she is is off putting (seriously, for someone who has been kept basically in exile with two other people max she puts a lot of thought of how plain she is). I also don't really understand her obsession with the Fetch, but let's put that aside for now.
Overall it was an engaging book with something new and exciting popping up every often. Kelsea has a lot of assassination attempts on her life, but she tries her best to forge through with being the best queen that she can. That said, the fact that the world itself made no sense and character motivations were like wha? was a let down. 2-3 stars, rounding up to 3 because I did like reading it, even with all of my issues.
So let's talk about the setting. As in I don't know what kind of world the main character is living in. As far as I can figure, this is some sort of future of our world, except we've somehow regressed into near medieval times (what with sword and horses and the distinct lack of electronics in general). You hear of people referring to the past (pre-crossing), so you at least know you're set in the future. Somehow. With horses and swords and magic. The magic bit makes no sense at all to me, not if one is trying to pass off the world as some sort of dystopian future (it's not quite).
Now even ignoring the irregularities with the magic (still doesn't make sense), you have a society that knows of things like the printing press, except they don't have any. And apparently they don't have the willpower to build any. I just don't get it. They seem stuck in the past to the point where they're stagnant. There seems to be no effort to try to propel inventions forward.
Obviously I have huge, HUGE problems with the setting. Perhaps the next book will clear it up (it better), but for now there's giant question marks over everything and it was so mysterious it kind of ruined my enjoyment.
The characters now... Are a bit unbelievable. You have Kelsea who becomes the queen because apparently there's no one else and she has magic stones. She's such a hothead that it's a bit off putting, but at the same time it was enjoyable because at least she's actively doing something and trying to accomplish things. I don't love her but I also don't hate her. Then you have the Queen's Guard that makes no sense to me. They're great in theory--a group of (mostly) loyal men who have honor and dignity and all of that jazz, but when you see all of the corruption around them, when you realize that they're the Queen's Guard but their queen had been dead for years and Kelsea had been in hiding, you start wondering how they could remain the way they are. Not that they cater to Kelsea's every whim and are loyal to her, but just the essence of who they are is what's in question. It doesn't make all that much sense.
That said, I did enjoy the book (I know, I know, all of those paragraphs of what-the-hell seem to say otherwise). It was an engaging read and I really wanted to see how Kelsea manages to become queen, less in name and more as what she should be. You get a lot of Kelsea grimly surviving or grimly trying to do her best, and she's trying and at least she's not shirking her duties. She's a woman of action, is our Kelsea, though her frequent thoughts of how plain she is is off putting (seriously, for someone who has been kept basically in exile with two other people max she puts a lot of thought of how plain she is). I also don't really understand her obsession with the Fetch, but let's put that aside for now.
Overall it was an engaging book with something new and exciting popping up every often. Kelsea has a lot of assassination attempts on her life, but she tries her best to forge through with being the best queen that she can. That said, the fact that the world itself made no sense and character motivations were like wha? was a let down. 2-3 stars, rounding up to 3 because I did like reading it, even with all of my issues.