Was anyone else bitterly disappointed by the end of this book?

[Jen]

I agree CJ! I loved the first two books but honestly I thought literally everything about book 3 was a mess, not just the ending. The whole thing.

[CJ]

I was never as fully invested in the past events with Lily and all them, either. When Kelsea started going into her fuge states more and more I found myself just getting impatient and not at all enlightened. I don't really know what Johansen wanted us to get from that.

[Jen]

Yes, same! Lily's flashbacks was actually one of my favorite things about TIOTT but Katie's flashbacks just bored me. And I hated the way the Red Queen was so whiny and pathetic in TFOTT when she was such a terrifying villain in the first two books.

[Andres]

I thought the second book was a chore and the world in which she painted Lily didn't relate to a future we would have created. When I started book 3, it teased me with Rowan and Gavin, I was thinking... "Okay, here we go. I'm getting excited." Little did I realize I had just read the best part of the third book.

[Chastity]

I just finished Book 3 and I’m seriously thinking of asking my librarian WHY she would let me do this to myself. What a disappointment that ending was. I kept turnig pages hoping that Queen Kelsea would wake up and we’d be back in thr Keep.

[Bookstrider]

I just found my notes after finishing the third book - and I suddenly remembered that this also annoyed me. Do you guys remember the small notes at the beginning of each chapter? The ones that had small comments like a historians view on her as queen, and how she was remembered?
Like, why? Why have that, if in the end no one remembered her? 🤔

[Charlene]

I have just finished the trilogy again, the books are part of my "bathroom" library. I have an autistic nine year old son who doesn't dare disturb me in the bathroom when i want sanctuary haha. I enjoyed the first two book's but the third just made me really sad. I read a few different books at the same time so i just find myself drifting from book to book. Ah well back to The Fiery Cross (Diana Gabaldon) where everything makes sense.

[Andres]

Haha, "Bathroom Library", where you don't take no crap from no one!

[Caite]

Another disappointed sad soul here! I felt like the ending was such a cop-out.

Seriously, the entire fate of a society was "saved" by killing one bad wanna-be despot? I found it really hard to swallow that in the ensuing centuries, there was no more discontent. And Row's followers/the church just meekly went back into the fold?

I still don't understand why Katie/Kelsea killed Jonathan. I thought maybe it was to remove the "dynasty", but that leaves the question of what happened to the child? Kelsea went back in time after she slept with both Row and Jonathan, so I am assuming Katie still ended up pregnant, otherwise Kelsea never would have existed. ( I'm assuming since both sapphires worked for her, Row was the father. ) And since Katie went on to be "Queen", the child wouldn't have been hidden.

But what I really disliked was that none of the other's stories were resolved. What happened to Andelai and her children? ( I listened to these on audiobook, so I am not sure how the names were spelled). Killing Row wouldn't have changed the post-crossing children born with magic, but there is no mention of magic in the Tearling Reboot.

It was a shoddy end to what had started out as a really great series.

[Misty]

I am only starting book 3 but I just couldn't help myself and took a peek at the reviews...and this is what I see. The sadness this brings, one of the few series that could transport your mind entirely onto its world that you feel like you have a blank stare in the real world even while doing other stuff. I will believe that the prelude quoting history before each chapter was a real thing and that the history of the Glynn queen was actually published.

[Andres]

Misty, the very next book you should read is "Heir Apparent" by Vivian Vande Velde. You will see how the "Queen of the Tearling" compares to a similar storyline and how much better that story can be told.

[Alexandra]

Andres wrote: "Misty, the very next book you should read is "Heir Apparent" by Vivian Vande Velde. You will see how the "Queen of the Tearling" compares to a similar storyline and how much better that story can b..."


Ooohhh, I'd be interested in that too! Going to look into it :))

[Andres]

Let me know if you enjoyed it Alexandra!

[Justina]

Olga wrote: "Yes - I feel the same! a lot of story turns don't make sense! The very ending is contradictory to all that we have learned about Kelsea - she was not selfish, she was going to lay her life for the ..."
I'm pretty sure she murdered Jonathon because she knew he was going to be tortured and it was better for her to do it than to have it done by Roe Finn. (Sp? I listened via Audible)

[Krystal]

[Anna]

This book just made me want to jump off a cliff... First two books weren't too bad, this one just augh. Augh augh augh.

[CJ]

Welcome to the support group

[Andres]

we understand your pain. We will help catch you because this book isn't worth jumping for lol.

[Lee]

I just finished the Fate of the Tearling and I feel so insulted by the ending. I finished it yesterday and I still feel waves of just UGHHHHHHH flying through me. I would have rather Kelsea died in a noble act to save her kingdom. Then have the last few chapters be from other's perspectives mourning and celebrating her memory in the future.

[Halima]

I loved this book but I TOTALLY agree. The whole dream scenario is really annoying especially as you have read all three books and then get to the point where the entire plot and story line was useless. I love this author, I love this book but I do not love the ending.

[Andres]

Halima wrote: "You have read all three books and then get to the point where the entire plot and story line was useless."

I TOTALLY agree with you on this part.

[Khaos]

Robert wrote: "I got the Queen of Tearling for Christmas and have just finished the Fate of the Tearling and was very disappointed by the ending, but there's one thing in all three books that I just don't underst..." Exactly, it makes no sense!

[Priscila]

I finished yesterday, I'm so frustrated with the end of Kelsea, I do not accept her and Pen's end. they had to stay together in the future, she deserved it.

[Hannah]

Joining the thread of disappointment!!!!!

Man! i can't even!!! I honestly felt this journey with Kelsea had such potential and i feel like i've been CHEATED!!!! was it just an easy and quicker way to end the story?

I felt so dazed and confused reading the new 'New London' and was hoping it was some dream and we'd be swept back to reality.

why have all those quotation at the start of every chapter, thinking we were reading from the future.... for it to not even exist?

PLUS! the father.... MHURN!!!!! It was built up throughout the entire triology about her father being this big secret.... (me thinking it was the Mace or Fetch or even Finn.... But no MHURN!!!!! disappointed would be an understatement.


Other than those two massive issues.... I really enjoyed it. :)

[Jen]

For me, it's not just the ending that's a huge letdown...it's the whole book.
The first two books are gorgeously written which makes this even more of a letdown. But in this final book, everything from the pacing to the way the Red Queen's character (who is absolutely terrifying in the first two books) becomes so weak and pathetic is so disappointing. Why reduce an awesome villain to such a weakling? How is that an exciting way to end her?

And of course, nothing needs to be said about the ending that hasn't already been said here.

[Jay]

I JUST FINISHED BOOK 3 AND THIS IS THE WORST COP OUT EVER.

I invested a solid 2 weeks. Devoured the books. Number two was so AMAZING and I was expecting great things. I can only echo what almost everyone here is saying. Cheap cop out. Totally hypocritical. Went against everything the book was going for and waved some magic sparkles and was like k.

I was so eager to a happy ending. All the excerpts at the beginning of each chapter raving about Kelsea and how she rebuilt the kingdom. I wanted so badly to see her prosper. The whole book kept announcing she was chosen despite it preaching that everyone was equal. Book three got messy. Characters got flat and dull. Things fell through. Everything was a giant mess of horse piss and then I bet the author was like wow I can't figure it out anymore so she didn't.

I'm so pissed.

[Ashlee]

Jumping on the bandwagon. I just finished TFOTT. I loved the first 2 books, and even most of the third (though not as much). But I agree with a lot of people here when I say the ending felt like a huge cop-out. I really wanted to read about Kelsea's journey on rebuilding New London and becoming the fondly remembered queen we read about in those recounted bits of history before a chapter.
I even think Johansen could have pulled out a fourth book about such struggles.
So. Many. Inconsistencies. And all those unanswered questions are going to haunt me for a while.
Overall I still give the series 4 stars, but that ending definitely knocks off an entire star.

[Stacey Roberts]

I purchased the 1st two book two years ago. I’m almost finished reading Queen of the Tearling. I didn’t realize that 3 books were written.

With that said, I wanted to find spoilers to find out out it it all ended.
It’s a good thing am NOT buying the Fate of the Tearling until Thursday.

After reading some of the reviews, am glad am waiting.

The last time I got pissed off while reading a book was Harry Potter and The Order if the Phoenix

[Serenity]

Maybe I'm in the minority but as I was reading the last book I liked it, it wasn't until I let it settle that I really realized how much it sucked monkey balls
1.What the heck Mace went from being frighteningly competent to thinking it was a good idea to not only leave the kingdom when it needed leadership the most but also pretty much defenseless.
2.Fetch was utterly disappointing for so many reasons also I sorta liked the idea of Kelsea/Fetch. Never bought Pen/Kelsea sorry.
3.The entire Church/Father Tyler storyline like OMG why didnt someone kill the Holy Father?! I really thought that some how someone would kill him and install Father Tyler as the leader of the Church and clean it up but nope!
4.So much lead up to her Dad sooo much,Mhurn?! Really?! That's who we went with?!!! Some dude off the street would have been better. Tbh I kinda thought the guy she was talking to in the dungeon was him.
5.WHY for the love of Earth was Queen Elyssa alive no just no no no no no!
6.Just so many bad decisions from the character and so many things that were lead up to that either got shitty answers or none at all. GRRRRR!!!!
I am ignoring at least the last two chapters.
Kelsea kills all of the creepy zombie children with her sapphire. Fetch kills Row in a battle of epicness. The church is brought down and Father Tyler is put in as leader. Maybe Pen dies because I always felt like he was meant to idk. Kelsea forgives Fetch and his group and they pass away or become mortal whatever.And then Kelsea builds the damn kingdom we were shown. It sucks and isn't easy but she does it anyway. The End

*grumble grumble*

[Grace]

I agree with all the previous comments about the end being terrible. One I question I haven’t seen is how did killing Row possibly create the utopia Tear always wanted?? The main theme of the entire series was that the very nature of humanity could not be perfect! To me it seemed like the whole point was that utopia was impossible and then it just magically was by killing one person.

[Danielle]

I am very lost

[Meg]

I have many many questions, not in a fun cliffhanger way but in utterly frustrated way.

1) Why were the red queen and the Arvath set up as baddies when they were inconsequential?
2) Why set up Aisa as important for her to die in such a throwaway way?
3) Why introduce Bradshaw for no purpose?
4) Why make Kelsea’s mother alive? Find closure with this women in another more sophisticated way
5) Why wouldn’t William tear create a parliament if he hated leading when he initially landed
6) Is Katie actually pregnant? Does she have a baby? How does that make Kelsea tear?
7) Why would Katie have sex with row when she thinks he has killed people and she hates everything he stands for?
8) Why set up a whole thing saying the utopian was doomed to fail but by killing one guy indicate it’s now a success?
9) In what way did the fetch alter plot in Kelseas time in the third book?
10) and such a lazy ending. So many plot holes. Like a tragic tv show plot

[Jude]

They went the Pendragon route. Ugh. It only KIND Of worked for the Pendragon books. I'm so disappointed. If the author over complicated the story.... Do what Paolini did and add another book to the series. Take longer to write it. But for God's sake don't leave me grasping for fanfic because I was Cheated out of a real ending. I really don't think this was the intended ending. It was a rush job.

[Christy]

The ending sucked I felt that the author got bored with the story and just wanted to finish it. I was completely disappointed I was so invested in the story and then BAM I get slapped in the face.

[A_Girl_Reads]

Did Carlin remember at the end? She said, "Kelsea, where have you been?" and it is like she had knowledge of the past and realised that Kelsea was back, the Kelsea that got to be a queen after all. Carlin may not know exactly what Kelsea had done with the kingdom after she and Barty died but it seems to remember somehow that they raised up Kelsea to be a queen.
So many questions unanswered and so many plot holes but damn I still enjoyed this book.
Also I was wondering if magic exists in this utopia (and in Katie's years it did) why Kelsea doesn't try to find Andalie who is still going to be a seer and probably recognize her and help her?
I mean the story has so much potential and it seems the author couldn't handle it and wanted to wrap up things.

[Helene Lyngeng]

Yesterday I was praising this series because it's filled the empty hole that ASOIAF left after my third read through... And tonight I can't sleep because I feel so cheated and I am so disappointed, I'm going to cry. Damn you Erika for creating such a rich story world and awesome characters only to throw it all away. If Kelsea is the only one who remembers and all the other characters' memories have changed, are they really the same people anymore? Might as well just kill them off and be done with it. Not even gonna mention all the other plot holes in this book. I'm so done. Aaargh! (I'll take book recommendations in the same genre though, if anyone happen to know any.)

[CJ]

Helene Lyngeng wrote: "Yesterday I was praising this series because it's filled the empty hole that ASOIAF left after my third read through... And tonight I can't sleep because I feel so cheated and I am so disappointed,..."

I feel you on the disappointment. It's so inconsistent and wrong.

If you're looking for epic fantasy I highly recommend S.A. Chakraborty's City of Brass. It's just as epic and complicated, although it has a Middle Eastern/East African/West Indian flavor.

[Andres]

If you want to read a better version of this book, check out
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

[Brian]

Lots of good thoughts shared so far. I have a few too.

It's been a while since I read Books 1 and 2, but I feel like knowing what I know now, I'd have stopped at one. Do you guys think it would work as a stand alone?

Aisa's one sentence death reminded me a lot of Finnick Odair in Mockingjay. Tons of good time and investment and interest in them as characters and a throwaway line kills them.

Mace forgetting how to do anything competently was unreal - especially given the Fetch's mounting insurrection. Seemed like a short meeting would've kept Mace in the Keep and not galavanting off after Kelsea.

I never got why Kelsea's flashbacks with Lily or Katie were relevant starting in Book 2. The Tearling stuff was so good, if she'd cut all that out of the last two books, the ending could've been a lot easier. Telling the past through the Fetch, Row and even the Red Queen's eyes would've been sufficient. Then Kelsea helps remake the world.

Why was Cadare a thing?

Killing Row in the past should've done very little to affect the future. Too much rot had taken hold in the town, just as a hypothetical person assassinating Hitler doesn't kill the moral rot of anti-semitism. It cuts off a particularly evil head of a movement but the underlying feelings, drives, etc. are still there. Plus, according to Gavin basically as soon as Jonathan was killed Row disappeared anyway, so it's not like he was leading the movement for very long. I get that he became a power in the Fairwitch but that can't have had a huge influence on the general population for a while. They continued down the path of dystopia just fine without him as it was.

I don't even know how to deal with the Red Queen. I get that childhood trauma has a lasting impact, but Kelsea invades her head for a couple of minutes and she's suddenly beaten and just gives up basically? Seemed super weird.

Seriously, Aisa really got written out that way, with nary a word about her, Andale or Glee in the utopian New London nor even a resolution about her Da? So aggravating.

I can't imagine creating such a fascinating world with such compelling characters as were created in these books and trying to craft a narrative arc to tie it all together. I tip my hat to all authors who attempt it. It's a sign of Johansen's skill that we all care about her characters this much to be bothered by the outcome, but there it is. You brought us to this interesting place, but in the end it didn't deliver a satisfactory conclusion. I don't regret the time I spent reading books 1 and 2, and I am not sorry to have hoped for a terrific trilogy. The fact that it (like so many other series before it - Hunger Games, Divergent, Snow Like Ashes, Steelheart, the 5th Wave, etc.) couldn't deliver across three books is a testament to how hard it is. My advice to future authors. Go for stand-alones, duologies, or a 5+ book series. Trilogies are too tough

[A_Girl_Reads]

Brian wrote: "Lots of good thoughts shared so far. I have a few too.

It's been a while since I read Books 1 and 2, but I feel like knowing what I know now, I'd have stopped at one. Do you guys think it would wo..."

Very well said! I agree with every point you make. I think the author put too many elements and characters to the story and didn't know how to handle them at the end. If there was another book maybe the story and the ending would be better but I doubt it. Already, from book two you could see that she had no idea how to process things. The flashbacks of Lily was an indicator of that fact. Why put time travelling (or anything time related) when you have so many things going on in Tearling? Is this the only thing she could come up with for the saphire's ability?
And as you pointed out we didn't get any closure in most cases. What about the Holy Father? Aisa's father?
I still hope for some kind of continuation...

[[deleted user]]

Uuuuughhhhhhhhhhh so so so so so bad. So bad. Like why. So dumb. Honestly the worst series I’ve ever read. None of the questions were answered. So many plot holes. This is like the ‘lost’ of books. Why did the reviewers not warn people. 3.8 on both amazon and goodreads? What is this? Ughhhggghhhhuuuuuuuh

1. In the original crossing they travelled in time, but where? The far future, the far past, what landmass are we actually in? Why is it suddenly magic when earth isn’t? just time then, that’s enough info, ok.

2. How did new Europe before the red queen have doctors and medicine? The beginning implied a seperate crossing where their doctors and supplies survived but then it didn’t happen?

3. How can William tear be this super smart leader and literally know nothing about governance. Like his grand plan was a commune. No knowledge of recent history, 20,000 books in total, no laws, no accountability, no publishing, no free press, none of the foundations of a democratic society then it’s like oh no, it failed, how could this happen?

4. Mainly the time travel ending. Like what was the point of any of it? No real explanation to how killing row led to a real utopia and how like I think there was a paragraph that vaguely pretended to explain. And how on earth can any of the characters exist in the alternate timeline? Like
Wtaf.

The premise and characters were excellent. Such a shame about the rest.

[Stefania]

It’s been a few days and I still cannot get past the ending of book 3. I devoured the first two books, enjoyed the story and the characters and especially the flashbacks that shed insight into how the Tearling was formed, and why, but I can’t help but feel that there was a rush to the finish line and book 3 scrambled to get there.
I have so many questions!! But also I feel a sadness for the characters whose story lines did not receive the ending they deserved.

How did Katie curse Row and the Fetch originally?
Why does William tear try to go back to get medicine, it has been at least 20 years or so, was the thought process that, if he made it he would be able to go through the old word un noticed?
Was Murhn really Kelsea’s father? All that speculation and anticipation.. didn’t feel as though that was the intended direction all along.
Why did children of the crossing have magical traits?
What was the purpose of Kelsea’s mom being alive

Was anyone else also disappointed that Kelsea’s mom was the same after she altered the past?

[Taygus]

Bookstrider wrote: "I just found my notes after finishing the third book - and I suddenly remembered that this also annoyed me. Do you guys remember the small notes at the beginning of each chapter? The ones that had ..."

I was really wondering this too.. like..those comments don't make any sense if she was never a queen after all... or the alternative, was destroyed by Row.

I kept expecting something more at the end like ..especially with the phrase "the damage was already done". sort of like.. you think everytthing is perfect.."syke", there's this really bad thing...like some other failing.

[Monica]

This ending had me shook for days :'( I swear I went through a minor state of depression. The ending was tragic, but I understood why the author did it... and how just thinking about it, I want to re-read the series and cry over the ending XD

[Kayla]

So the first two books are my favorite books of all time.
I LOVE the way they are written and how the characters feel. But the ending of the 3rd book was a total cop out, so I have written an outline for an alternate ending trying to address a lot of the plot holes that were left unanswered with the finale.
Enjoy.

Go back in time to where she was going to forgive row finn.
She follows her gut does not forgive- he smirks and reassures her she will change her mind
-he appears to the shitty Pope-
Kelsea Gets other Intel that the queen wants the sapphires (maybe in the form of a flashback? Or andalei?)
She still crosses the bridge
Uses her powers to scare the army after she decimates the red queen in her tent. Explosion- kills most of the army or something, the rest are scattered but will come back later under the Pope
Kelsea is injured from the explosion- mace acts as king while she heals. Few people know she is alive.
While she is super injured she is battling the queen of spades internally- traveling back in time using items row had made made her want to be the queen of spades always. Carlin's internal voice keeps telling her to fight it.
She finally beats the queen of spades and wakes up
Still healing.
Her and pen are tenuous, pen is so happy she is alive but she still feels her duty is to her crown and doesnt want to ever marry.
He doesnt ever want to be without her but understands her duty- they seperate and he is very upset.
Goes to help hall in the battle after the mace suggests he take some space from kelsea.
Mace is cleaning out the creche with aisa and the cadare while kelsea is healing. Still trying to follow kelseas- orders, plus brenna the witch had made him re-live parts of his childhood mentally and he needed closure from the creche by making sure no children had to endure that ever again.
him and aisa find her da in the creche and kill him while he is hurting another little girl
The little girl runs away and aisa follows
Finds father tyler
Tells mace
Mace gets Tyler out as well as the crown by pretending they are dead bodies
Kelsea and father Tyler are now in the keep
They talk together trying to figure out how to beat row finn and how to stop the current pope from destroying the kingdom.
Her flashback shows row and she thinks that finding the occult books will help them defeat row. Tyler gives fetch the location of the books
The Pope is causing riots, some of the mort army have joined up under him in an attempt to overthrow the keep
Row finn is egging the pope on
The pope finds out kelsea is alive (courtesy of row)
Pope Meets with mace and tells him they will cease attacks and mobs if kelsea does something for him. (Free row finn, agree to the church having more control of ruling the kingdom)
The fetch and his crew are trying to help by stealing things from the pope that may help.
They steal the books under the arvath.
The fetch fetches several books on early tear history
They find books on the occult that row used to summon the creature that made the kids vampire creatures.
Kelsea and tyler pour over the books and find out how row made the undead kids.
Kelsea is sure that row is egging the pope on and making things worse because he wants freedom, she figures that killing row will solve quite a few problems.
Thinks she can use the sapphires to undo the process he used to become so strong and make him weak enough to be killed.
They find that the way row is so powerful is he is taking the life energy from sacrificed kids which makes them undead and turns them into ghouls basically.
They need to break that connection that row has to the ghouls he has created making him temporarily week.
She also wants to kill the pope and rid the church of nasty folks- thinks that taking care of the pope AND row at the same time is easiest but Tyler is trying to think of a better way that wont result in one of the popes cronies taking over instantly or undermining the kingdom with the religious folk.
Kelsea agrees to meet pope in an attempt to save her people as the riots are getting worse and the mort army are looting and killing and people within the keep are starting to suffer under the siege.
She agrees to the Pope's terms but says she will free row finn on her own time. Figures giving the church more leeway is worth it in exchange for her people surviving and being safe.
The Pope gives her 3 days to free row or the siege begins again
(Row had promised the pope everlasting life or something in exchange for the pope getting kelsea to free him.)
Kelsea is fully healed and worried about pen- she has not seen him since they broke up.
Meets with the fetch and confronts him about row and tells the fetch her plan.
Fetch thinks if kelsea can make row weak enough and if they are both forgiven at the same time that he could kill row. (Forgiveness takes away the curse, however row is still super powerful because of his little ghoul kiddos)
They make a plan to summon row and perform the ritual to undo the spell giving row power/the army of kids.
The spell requires sacrifice
Pen volunteers because he knows he can never have kelsea, also he had been injured from fighting with hall protecting from the mort army and there was a slim chance he would live through his injury.
Mace agrees to this. Kelsea fights it.
Andalie tells kelsea there is no one else that would be right for the ritual since it requires great sacrifice.
It's a moment
Kelsea agrees to save her kingdom and sacrifice pen in the ritual.
Is very torn up about pen dying.
They summon row into a trap
Row does not know fetch is in the room when kelsea finally says the words that forgive them both.
She instantly has to start the ritual after forgiving them, has to kill Penn right then.
Is very upset. Lots of mental anguish.
Fetch and his crew distract row while kelsea is performing the ritual.
Fetch is losing (he doesnt have undead baby strength.)
As Kelsea sacrifices pen she feels a lot of sadness and turmoil, wonders if she even made the right choice going back when she did if it resulted in pen dying. She regrets breaking up with him. Wonders if it's worth it.
The ritual succeeds but the sapphires crack in the last moment.
Fetch is able to kill row just barely- kills row the same way that he had killed Johnathan (do we know how Johnathan died? Nope. This would be described in a flashback?)
Once row is dead the fetch begs kelsea to kill him and lay him to rest finally
Kelsea cant do it, she is crying over pens body and cant focus on much else.
The mace steps forward and kills the fetch.
Mace never really liked the fetch anyways.

Row is dead but the pope is starting the siege the next morning. The pope doesnt know row is dead/or knows and doesnt care.
Kelsea is struggling to get her head in the game, grief over everyone who has died because of her is on her mind.
The mace and aisa know that the creche goes under the arvath from when they were clearing it out.
A plan forms to collapse the tunnels and crumble the arvath to destabilize the Pope's stronghold and kill the pope and his lackeys at the same time.
They are able to tumble the building by destroying a few choice walls in the creche.
(Lesson here- dont build fucking catacombs and shit under a big building)
however aisa gets stuck in the rubble along with some of the queens guard and they die.
During aisas last moments she is proud she helped the queen and glad she went out doing something so heroic.
The magician was also helping them remove walls- he removes the last wall using his disappearing powers.
But most of the pope and cardinals within the arvath die when the building collapsed.
The pope is still kinda alive but his courtesan he hurt kills him/makes sure he is dead.
Several who supported/were friends with father Tyler survived because Tyler had gotten a message to them and they were out "spreading gods word" within the keep when the arvath collapsed.
Father tyler is still the oldest member of the church
Naturally becomes the next pope
He begins the process of healing the church with the common people
Many of the mort soldiers leave to go back to mortemense once they see the arvath collapse and realize they will not be paid by the pope as promised. Some stay because they believe kelsea is the true queen.
Father tyler uses the church treasury to help rebuild homes and families destroyed by the looting and war.
Things are looking up but still tough.
Andalie and kelsea and mace all cremate aisa, pen, and the other killed guards.
Glee goes up to kelsea and says "it's a boy" or something during a fuge state.
Book ends with kelsea mourning her dead friends but having succeeded with protecting most of her kingdom.
Things are messed up but overall ends on a note of hope.

[M]

Not sure if this discussion is still active, but I needed to vent somewhere.

This is the worst ending to a book series I've ever read, and I feel so betrayed by the author! The first half of the book was going fine, 4 star read (I'd rated the first two 4 and 5 stars respectively), then gradually I started feeling disenchanted with the utter disintegration of characters that I once adored:

-The Mace who all of a sudden was incapable of rational thought. Why leave the Tearling unguarded to go on a rescue mission when he could have delegated that role to other guards? I get that he feels guilty or responsible for Kelsea, but the 'old' Mace would never do that!

-Pen was just...ugh. He's emotionally destroyed and incapable of basic functioning for the entire book before Kelsea is rescued because of how heartbroken he is. And then she comes back and we're expected to believe that he just...accepts that he can't have her? That he'll just be happy to go back to being a regular guard? That's not realistic Erika!!!!

-The Red Queen. Wtf. Like seriously wtf. Soooo disappointed in her character arc. We had this cool, dark, imposing villain for two entire books, and suddenly she remembers some mommy issues and suddenly falls apart? I don't even care that she wasn't the 'main villain' in the end or even that she had a redemption arc. Just don't make her so pathetic! Her entire kingdom turned on her in a second. She became this weak, terrified shell of who she was simply because Kelsea looked through her past? No thanks, Erika.

-The Fetch. This one hurts me the most. I refuse to believe this is the same character we learned about in the first two books. I refuse. In fact, I'm going to go on pretending that they're separate, or that the third book just never happened. He was the coolest character in these books, but he too ended up as a pathetic shell of who he once once. I hate it so much.

A couple of other things:

-Where did Kelsea get Tear blood from? Because if it's from her mom's side, then why were none of the other Raleighs able to use the sapphires like she did? It makes no sense. Unless we're expected to believe it's from Mhurn's side (*eyeroll*)

-If it was my choice, I would have gotten rid of both Lily's and Katie's story arcs in the 2nd and 3rd books. Disregarding the horrible ending, they served no purpose whatsoever. The Fetch could have easily explained what happened in the past to Kelsea instead of taking up so many chapters in the book to do so. I personally didn't enjoy reading the past. It was such a break in flow for me. And I always preferred being in the present, even in the boring scenes with Kelsea in prison.

-Wtf was the point of the child/orphan army? How was Row cursed? Why didn't the Fetch just sit down and explain to Kelsea what would happen if she set Row free? That would have saved everyone a lot of trouble.

-William Tear pissed me off. He was an idiot and I have no respect for him. Instead of dealing with the repercussions of the 'utopia' he built, he runs away to 'find medical supplies'. What dumb logic is this? You see that your town is about to fall apart, so you just bail? I guess it's to be expected considering he bailed on his own 'illegitimate' son.

-So many other things are left open, or dealt with carelessly, but many people already spoke on those points. But overall, the most irredeemable part of this book was the ending. I hate it with everything in me, and would go so far as to say that I would have preferred everyone die than the shitshow we got.

[Darren]

Yes it was disappointing. I really enjoyed this series (until the end) it had a good story line and was looking forward to a great end that didn't happen, it was a bit like watching the Lost tv series all over again and the gore scene? just didn't get where that came from.

[Rosemary]

I just finished the series, and I was disappointed. By reading these comments, I understand why now. The story was not resolved, in my opinion, and I felt cheated. The "was it all a dream?" aspect is not how we are taught to complete a tale. The author had so many other ways to go to wind it all up, but, hey, we are talking about the books, right? And I do commend Johansen's world-building . . . I still love the series and would highly rate the books -- I just wish we had the option for a different ending -- well, we do! That's what our imaginations are for!

[Sarah]

I just finished this book the other day after flying through the first two....thank goodness I'm not the only one who did not enjoy the finale AT ALL! I was draaagging myself to finish it. I didn't understand why the whole Katie story was introduced when there was so much that needed to happen from the past two books. I was intrigued by Lily's story in TIotT, and was curious to see what happened to her. And then all of sudden Lily's story is long gone and we now are being introduced to Jonathan and Katie and their story? Even getting more of Row's backstory would have made more sense than an entirely new set of characters - at least we knew Row and understanding his backstory would have added to the story. But even then, I feel like the author created these amazing villians and then tried way too hard to get the audience to empathize with them. I'm all about having a villian with a tragic backstory - most people aren't evil just to be evil. But I feel like the way she tried to make the villians more human just downplayed their epic power and hold over people. The Red Queen was such a good villian, but then this ending just totally squashed it. And the whole Kelsea/RQ are weirdly BFFs now? Absolutely not. Get that outta here. Let evil be evil and good be good! Or let your characters be morally grey - but don't keep flip flopping just to keep the plot interesting.

Wow - I didn't realize how many feelings I had until I started typing this out...I hope someone else understands this rant! I'm sure I'll have more to come lol.

[Ashley]

I'm so glad I found this thread because OH MY GOD I'M SO UPSET.
Wtf was that ending??!? I honestly thought the book didn't download correctly because WHY IN GOD'S NAME WOULD YOU END A BOOK LIKE THAT. I feel like Johansen was trying to make an edgy, ambiguous ending but it fell so damn flat. It was so astoundingly bad.

What was the POINT of having all those excerpts at the beginning of every chapter if it was all gone? If that never happened, why make it seem like it's all history?

Why didn't Kelsea transform into Katie when she started walking through her life? What was special about Lily?

Why did Aisa die like that??!?! That was so wasteful! Total bullshit.

Why was Kelsea's father so goddamn important but then we find out it was a character that was around for less than 10 scenes? And in the alternate world, why didn't we see him? I really wanted them to have a father-daughter moment.

Why is Kelsea so depressed that she's alone in the alternate world? She said repeatedly she would sacrifice everything to save her kingdom. She did that, why is she sobbing? Her reality is a shit show, why wouldn't she want everyone to have a better life? She should have been looking at it as a second chance for a happier life. I don't understand.

There's so much, there's too much that just doesn't make any sense. I feel like I wasted my time and emotions on the first two books to get to this less-than-mediocre ending. It's insulting. Johansen really had zero respect for the characters and zero regard to the readers.