The Queen of the Tearling: A Story of Trials

"A young woman, a kingdom, an evil enemy, a birthright foretold..."  A young woman named Kelsea Raleigh Glynn is raised in exile.  Her mother, the foolish Queen Elyssa, has had many assassination attempts on her life, and has sent her daughter away to grow up under the protection of Barty and Carlin.  On her nineteenth birthday, Kelsea has to leave the little cottage that she has grown up in, that has been her home for as long as she can remember, to be escorted back to The Keep by the Queen's Guard to claim her rightful place as the Queen of Tearling.   In the years since Kelsea first left the keep, her mother has died, and her uncle has become the king and joined forces with the greatest enemy of Tearling, Red Queen of Mortmesne.  Kelsea's uncle attempts to have her assassinated during her coronation, yet he fails and is thrown out of the Keep.  Kelsea immediately begins her reign as queen, changing all that she can, trying to make her kingdom a better place.  Being the queen comes with many trails and burdens, though: love, hatred, loyalty, betrayal. Will Kelsea be able to overcome those who stand in her way and become the True Queen, or will she let the betrayals bring her down and end her rule? 

Book Reviews:

"The book The Queen of the Tearling, by Erika Johansen, was, overall, a really intriguing and addictive book.   The intricately woven plot full of mystery and dazzling magic pulls the reader in from the start.  Johansen takes the faults of our world today, and turns them into a story that portrays what our world could be like in the future, mainly with the deterioration of our country.  She uses vivid imagery to set the scene throughout the story, and really seems to be able to connect with all of her characters.  The characters are able to overcome trials, grief,  heartbreak, and powerlessness.  Johansen sets the story in a world of reality, and then throws in just enough fantastical aspects to keep the story interesting.  From beginning to end, the book keeps the reader on the edge of their seat; such a deliciously brilliant book!" -- Aramatta Davisson

 “Erika Johansen bursts onto the fantasy scene with a page-turner full of adventure, sorcery, swords, and politics -- not to mention a clever heroine with guts and conviction to spare. The Queen of the Tearling kept me up way past my bedtime, and left me wanting more!” -- Helene Wecker, New York Times bestselling author of The Golem and the Jinni

Recommendations:

This book is recommended to anyone who enjoys a book with a strong female lead, full of action and adventure, and with a plot that keeps you turning the pages. Anyone who enjoys dystopian or fantastical novels would really enjoy this book.

Similar authors include  Stacey Jay and  George R.R. Martin .

Content:

This book is recommended for mature audiences.  It contains explicit content, which may be unappealing and may take away from the overall greatness of the book for some readers, such as myself.  Aside from this, though, the thick plot unravels to reveal some greater content that makes you think about how you are living your life, and how that might affect the future of our country, of our world.

 Links:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18712886-the-queen-of-the-tearling

http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062290366/the-queen-of-the-tearling

http://www.mercurynews.com/entertainment/ci_26273569/erika-johansens-queen-tearling-was-fantasy-written-myself

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-queen-of-the-tearling-erika-johansen/1117136196?ean=9780062290366