Book review: The Queen Of The Tearling - Erika Johansen

 

Kelsea Glynn is the sole heir to the throne of Tearling but has been raised in secret by foster parents after her mother - Queen Elyssa, as vain as she was stupid - was murdered for ruining her kingdom. For 18 years, the Tearling has been ruled by Kelsea's uncle in the role of Regent however he is but the debauched puppet of the Red Queen, the sorceress-tyrant of neighbouring realm of Mortmesme. On Kelsea's 19th birthday, the tattered remnants of her mother's guard - each pledged to defend the queen to the death - arrive to bring this most un-regal young woman out of hiding...

And so begins her journey back to her kingdom's heart, to claim the throne, earn the loyalty of her people, overturn her mother's legacy and redeem the Tearling from the forces of corruption and dark magic that are threatening to destroy it. But Kelsea's story is not just about her learning the true nature of her inheritance - it's about a heroine who must learn to acknowledge and live with the realities of coming of age in all its insecurities and attractions, alongside the ethical dilemmas of ruling justly and fairly while simply trying to stay alive...

My opinion.

This is just one of those books.. How am I going to write a review for this?! You just feel this is an epic story that's going to be known throughout the world. The book is already a massive success, not to mention the movie deal (I can't wait, btw!)... This is going to be huge!
I really like Kelsea. Even though she's a big book- and history nerd like I am, I never really felt like I could see myself in her. Surprisingly though, this never bothered me and/or stood in the way of me loving every second of reading this book. I was completely hooked from the very start. The only thing I did have issues with, is the focus on beauty: Kelsea doubts herself because she's not pretty enough. I mean, seriously. I get that image is an issue every teenager (& even adults) deals with, but for some reason I just felt it was completely unnecessary to add these comments about her being 'plain' and 'needing to lose weight'. It almost felt like a forced attempt to get young girls to identify themselves with Kelsea. She's such a strong, kind, young woman as it is. She's an inspiration and example, as far as fictional heroines go. 

I loved how every chapter had an entry copied out of a (future) encyclopedia, history book or poem. Those glimpses of Kelsea's future as a Queen never felt like spoilers, they really added something special to the book.

I feel like there's still so much to learn about some of the main characters, about the country's history and this new world in total.. I can't wait for the next books in the series to come out! 

 

Check out my other "movie books" & watch the Movie Book page on this site for my thoughts on the movie... when it comes out!