The Queen of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling, #1) in The Under-Hyped Readathon!

Jul 14, 2015 Regan rated it it was amazing

Absolutely loved it!

Jun 24, 2015 Jen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, worth-a-re-read, amazing-narrator, adult, audiobook

Wow. That was something.

This fantasy book has the most interesting setting; it's almost a dystopia without quite getting there. It's a series of 4 kingdoms, all monarchies, but all of which arose out of "The Crossing." Apparently that was a group of ships that traveled from what sounds like North America to Europe. There are hints of Britain and France, but Tearling is named for the man who founded it. The characters have modern names like Kelsea (the main character), Lazarus, Elyssa, Thomas, et Wow. That was something.

This fantasy book has the most interesting setting; it's almost a dystopia without quite getting there. It's a series of 4 kingdoms, all monarchies, but all of which arose out of "The Crossing." Apparently that was a group of ships that traveled from what sounds like North America to Europe. There are hints of Britain and France, but Tearling is named for the man who founded it. The characters have modern names like Kelsea (the main character), Lazarus, Elyssa, Thomas, etc. Things like electronic devices, cell phones, computers and even Harry Potter are mentioned but in a past tense. The setting is 300 years post-Crossing and they are an agrarian society, using horses and wagons for transportation and only the most rudimentary of technology. It is medieval fiefdom with a good dose of magic in the form of foretelling and jewels. There's also some dark magic involved that hints at witchcraft.

So suffice it to say that the world building is amazing.

The characters are also quite wonderful. Kelsea is just 19 and rising up to be the new Queen of the country of Tearling. She's somewhat innocent and yet unafraid to step up to the challenge that reigning requires. She knows her own mind and who she is. She was raised in seclusion by foster parents who made sure she knew that she'd be collected on her 19th birthday by the Queen's Guard. Sure enough they arrive and are none too happy about it. Kelsea's mother was frivolous and had no head for governing and they expect Kelsea to be the same. It is a stark change for them to escort a self-assurred, if hesitant, young Queen to "The Keep." It is further a huge challenge for them to accept and respect something Kelsea does at the very outset which plunges Tearling into war.

The relationship between Kelsea and Mace (Lazarus, the Captain of the Queen's Guard and her Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff, as it were) is delightful. Mace quickly comes to understand that Kelsea is no lightweight and nothing like her mother was. He demands others respect her, takes guarding her as his personal mission and yet sarcastically comments on her decisions from time to time. Johansen paints the Queen of Mortmesne is very dark, and then surrounds her with shadows - making her even darker and more mysterious. The Regent, Kelsea's uncle Thomas, is a ridiculous fop. The Fetch is a masked Robin Hood of sorts, popping up from time to time with a bad reputation and yet a good, if devious heart. He reminded me of the Dread Pirate Roberts from The Princess Bride. All of these characters are rich with depth and personality and they are just a few.

My only problem with this book was the flow. Often the pacing of the dialogue was broken up with backstory, explaining why the character would say what they do or placing the dialogue in context. It interrupted the conversations and while the information was necessary, it could have been better done so as not to break up the dialogue.

This is a slower paced book but there is no lag in the action. Something is always happening and Johansen draws us in from the very start, keeping things interesting to the end. One cannot help wanting the sequel just to find out what happens.

On audio, the book is narrated by the fabulous Katherine Kellgren. While an excellent narrator, she does tend to get pretty animated when the action picks up. She is a true voice actor and can be intense. That said, it only adds to the story. I thoroughly enjoyed her performance.

This is slated to be a trilogy, so it will be fascinating to see where Johansen takes us next on Kelsea's journey. I can't wait to find out.

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