These hugely important and humanizing details of Alyssa should have been mentioned in the original series! This is a much better story and I wish the author had thought of this version before writing the rest of the series.

An accomplished, emotional, and gripping prequel to The Queen of the Tearling trilogy. I personally find that prequels written long after the closing of the main trilogy can be a big hit or a miss (for example I didn't like the prequel to THG), but I think the exploration of backstories worked really well in Beneath The Keep. Beneath The Keep not only excelled at setting the atmospheric landscape of the fictional world, it also explored the complex character dynamics borne out of a turbulent timeline of the kingdom. Narrated from three distinctive yet morally ambiguous characters at the time where the society is at its crossroad, this highly intriguing read incorporates political tension, belief systems, and humanity.

There are a handful of quotes that resonated with me and I think the quotes below did an excellent job at setting the tone & atmosphere in the novel.

Memorable quotes:

"The stars change. The moon falls. The tide surges, the ebbs." - in this poetic dialogue, Erika Johansen sets the tone that Tearling is at its political and societal crossroad.

"It was the nature of humanity to cycle, to move from great to dreadful, utopia to terror. Even if they reached the better world, how could they possibly hold it against each new day's onslaught?" - A thought-provoking quote on the nature of humanity and the everyday challenges

"For the sun's place was warmth and kindness. And the moon's place was dark and cold." - I found this chapter heading really resonating. We currently live in a politicall divided society. I liked the way the author used the sun and moon to illustrate the polarisation.

the following quote is hidden under the cut. tw:abuse
(view spoiler)

I found that these quotes played a principal role in shaping the worldbuilding. While I found that there were a lot of missing pieces which were left unanswered from the main trilogy, I think Beneath The Keep managed to fill in the holes. This is the reason why I had such an immersive experience indulging the prequel.

Similarly, I also found the characterisation pretty solid in the novel. The three main characters: Lazarus, Elyssa, and Aislinn - all had their fair share of appeal and character arc throughout. For example, through the strained relationship between Elyssa and her mother - I was able to emphasise with her struggle between the future of the kingdom and the order that she follows. Similarly, Lazarus ' POV was also quite intriguing from how his belief systems shifted through the major events of the novel. While Aislinn featured less in the pages, I nevertheless found her voice pretty powerful: on how she confronts the societal conflicts. The tremendous changes these characters experienced throughout the novel emotionally hit me in the face.

While Beneath The Keep excelled at the worldbuilding and the emotional resonation, the multiple POV's means it took me some time to completely warm up with the characters. Though this isn't a big issue as I understand how the three main characters are interwoven in the society through the roles that they played as they confront their own turning points. I think my main concern with the otherwise excellent Beneath The Keep is that pacing was slow in the first 100 pages so I initially had to try hard to push through the details of the worldbuilding. Though after that point, the pacing did pick up and I found this quite a rewarding read.

To sum it up, Beneath The Keep is a wonderful and thought provoking prequel. Through the excellent characterisation and poignant central themes on humanity this read reminds us of the challenges we have in our democratic society.

N.B. This book contains the following triggers: death, violence, weapons, abuse, and gore

I loved Erika Johansen’s Tearling trilogy. I thought Kelsea’s growth from unencumbered teen to the protector of her people was as fascinating as it was entertaining. In Beneath the Keep, Ms. Johansen once again brings readers back to the world of the Tearling. This time, however, we find ourselves at a point before Kelsea’s birth, so that we may understand the politics at play behind her hiding as well as the chance to obtain the backstories of certain key players in Kelsea’s future.

As much as I enjoyed the original series, I will admit to the fact that it took me quite a while to remember all the characters and their later significance to the story. In fact, if it were not for some rudimentary wiki fan pages, Beneath the Keep would be nothing more than an entertaining but very dark story that precedes Kelsea’s own. Because I was able to identify the connections, however, I find that the prequel helps in one’s understanding of the trilogy.

Not only does it clarify any lingering questions one might have about the Tearling society and its government, but it also includes character development for key major characters who did not need any such development to fuel Kelsea’s story. For instance, we learn Mace’s origin story and get greater insight into his unique abilities. More importantly, we get front row seats to Arlen Thorne’s rise to power. We get to see other familiar faces as well. All of which makes it rather a fun sort of revisit.

However, Beneath the Keep is not easy or light-hearted in the least. Mace’s story, in particular, is as brutal as it is triggering, and anyone uncomfortable with any form of child abuse or pedophilia should stay far away. For me, it simply highlights that nurture does not always win out in the fight between nature and nurture, and it makes Mace that much more impressive a person. It is not this way for everyone though, as Ms. Johansen does not fail to show humanity at its worst as well as at its best.

Beneath the Keep is a welcome return to the world of the Tearling. While I initially struggled to remember characters and the history Kelsea learns in the original trilogy, by the time I finished with the novel I was more than ready to dive back into the trilogy to read it with my new-found knowledge. I haven’t done so as of yet, but as Ms. Johansen promises more of Kelsea’s story is on the horizon, I will be doing so sooner rather than later.