Scan barcode
taralikesbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
5.0
I love love love the world of the Tearling and the complicated political landscape.
The oirgin story of the Mace was just AMAZING. I do feel like the character of Maura just disappeared rather quickly in the end tho for being such a big impact on his life?
Arlene Thorne is such a great villan and I loved seeing elyssas downfall.
The oirgin story of the Mace was just AMAZING. I do feel like the character of Maura just disappeared rather quickly in the end tho for being such a big impact on his life?
Arlene Thorne is such a great villan and I loved seeing elyssas downfall.
leowens84's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
missbookiverse's review against another edition
4.0
Overall, I feel like this prequel to the Tearling trilogy is unnecessary. You don't learn anything new (except for maybe that little tidbit about Kelsea's father...), you just get a more in-depth look at the events you were already vaguely aware of from the trilogy. I also could've done with fewer focalizer characters, some I just didn't care about as much as others. Nevertheless, the novel somehow sucked me in because Johansen is a great writer and I am very tempted to reread the original trilogy now. I can't wait for her to come up with a completely new fantasy series though.
eladams07's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jillmlong's review against another edition
2.0
I was looking forward to reading this prequel. I liked the back stories of the characters. At times this book was very dark but that was expected if you read the other books in the series.
pewterwolf's review
5.0
4.5ish. RTC but OH! So close to 5 stars and yet... not quite as good as [b:The Queen of the Tearling|23482780|The Queen of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling, #1)|Erika Johansen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1432448519l/23482780._SY75_.jpg|24267689], but so much better than other prequels I’ve read in past 12 months [cough [book:The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes|53034698] cough]
Review Taken from The Pewter Wolf Reads
***eProof given by UK publisher, Transworld, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction, though I have bought and listened to audiobook via Audible UK***
As you guys know, I really liked the Queen of the Tearling trilogy and have, for years, been saying I will reread the trilogy. But I always keep putting it off for one excuse or another. So when I discovered this, a prequel of the trilogy, by sheer fluke (I have heard NOTHING about this. No news of Goodreads, from the publisher or anyway. It wasn’t hidden, but there has been no noise or advertising), I jumped on requesting this and then, because I decided to close my Audible account (for now), used my last credit to preorder this.
Set around 20-25 years prior to the events of Queen of the Tearling, we follow several characters who have roles to play in the Tearling’s current climate of the rich protecting the rich and the poor suffer. The Tearling is on the edge of a rebellion with the rebellion group, Blue Horizon, whispering of a prophecy. A prophecy of the True Queen, rising up and saving them all.
We have Christian, a young boxer in the Creche, the kingdom’s sinister underworld, Princess Elyssa, whose mother is doing nothing to help her people who are dying due to the ongoing drought, Niya, Elyssa’s handmaiden who is not who she says she is, and Aislinn, a young farmer’s daughter who starts a rebellion.
As each of the character’s four stories head towards a collision course, we see answers to questions hinted at in the original trilogy, and we discover the events that happened that lead to a Queen’s Guard, the Mace, coming for the Tearling’s new Queen, Kelsea, and taking her out of hiding at the start of Queen of the Tearling…
The Queen of the Tearling trilogy is a marmite trilogy. You either really like it/love it, or you really don’t. There is not much middle-ground. Plus, when a prequel is written at the series is done, it’s tricky as you need to make it be a standalone and yet, make it fit in the series and the world as a whole. We’ve all read prequels that either hit that balance really well (for example: [b:La Belle Sauvage|9307699|La Belle Sauvage (Book of Dust, #1)|Philip Pullman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498739161l/9307699._SY75_.jpg|14190696] by Philip Pullman or [b:Clariel|7489530|Clariel (Abhorsen, #4)|Garth Nix|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1421889547l/7489530._SY75_.jpg|6125574] by Garth Nix) or misses the mark really badly (The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins, for example). It’s a hard act to balance and I have read many reviews on Beneath the Keep where readers can’t agree if this book succeed or failed in that balance.
Now, before I go further into this, I must point out that this book is dark. While the original trilogy had strong crossover appeal, this is very adult. I can’t decide whether to class this as a grimdark fantasy or not as the contents in this book are dark. Triggers include drug abuse, swearing, violence and murder, actual and attempted sexual abuse and exploitation on men, women and children, overdose, possession/brainwashing, genocide, and a ton more, so when I warn you that this is dark, much darker than the original trilogy (which, let’s be real here, dear readers, was dark in itself), I mean it. Hence why I am wondering if this is a grimdark political fantasy.
But I really liked it. I got sucked into this world with its characters, the political and emotional climate, the truths I that I from Queen of the Tearling and the questions from he original trilogy being answered, adding layers to things we knew and didn’t know in the original reading of the trilogy. And Erika’s writing - she has grown as a writer
And I want to give this five stars. I have on Goodreads, but not on NetGalley. It’s 4.5ish stars. I warned you guys about swearing in my triggers, mainly b because there is a ton of swearing. I’m not a prude, I can handle swearing, but there was multiply times where a character or the narrator wouldn’t swear and it’s jars. Badly. The same goes with the misery. Like I’ve said, this is dark but, on one or two occasions, things happened and it felt like misery was put onto of misery, just for misery’s sake. Not to add anything to the story.
Small note about the audiobook. Not a big thing, but there were one or two occasions when the narrator, Mandy Williams, stop loudly or shouted, her voice echoed. Now, I know this was probably recorded during tight Covid-19 restrictions and in a soundproof room, so I will forgive this, but other audiobook readers might not…
But as someone who really enjoyed this series, I adore this prequel and I hope we have more stories set in this world and, maybe, maybe, this will get my rear in gear and reread Queen of the Tearling like I hope. But, like I have said, this series is dark and this prequel is very dark and, because of that, readers will enjoy really enjoy/love this world of the Tearling or downright hate it.
Review Taken from The Pewter Wolf Reads
***eProof given by UK publisher, Transworld, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction, though I have bought and listened to audiobook via Audible UK***
As you guys know, I really liked the Queen of the Tearling trilogy and have, for years, been saying I will reread the trilogy. But I always keep putting it off for one excuse or another. So when I discovered this, a prequel of the trilogy, by sheer fluke (I have heard NOTHING about this. No news of Goodreads, from the publisher or anyway. It wasn’t hidden, but there has been no noise or advertising), I jumped on requesting this and then, because I decided to close my Audible account (for now), used my last credit to preorder this.
Set around 20-25 years prior to the events of Queen of the Tearling, we follow several characters who have roles to play in the Tearling’s current climate of the rich protecting the rich and the poor suffer. The Tearling is on the edge of a rebellion with the rebellion group, Blue Horizon, whispering of a prophecy. A prophecy of the True Queen, rising up and saving them all.
We have Christian, a young boxer in the Creche, the kingdom’s sinister underworld, Princess Elyssa, whose mother is doing nothing to help her people who are dying due to the ongoing drought, Niya, Elyssa’s handmaiden who is not who she says she is, and Aislinn, a young farmer’s daughter who starts a rebellion.
As each of the character’s four stories head towards a collision course, we see answers to questions hinted at in the original trilogy, and we discover the events that happened that lead to a Queen’s Guard, the Mace, coming for the Tearling’s new Queen, Kelsea, and taking her out of hiding at the start of Queen of the Tearling…
The Queen of the Tearling trilogy is a marmite trilogy. You either really like it/love it, or you really don’t. There is not much middle-ground. Plus, when a prequel is written at the series is done, it’s tricky as you need to make it be a standalone and yet, make it fit in the series and the world as a whole. We’ve all read prequels that either hit that balance really well (for example: [b:La Belle Sauvage|9307699|La Belle Sauvage (Book of Dust, #1)|Philip Pullman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498739161l/9307699._SY75_.jpg|14190696] by Philip Pullman or [b:Clariel|7489530|Clariel (Abhorsen, #4)|Garth Nix|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1421889547l/7489530._SY75_.jpg|6125574] by Garth Nix) or misses the mark really badly (The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins, for example). It’s a hard act to balance and I have read many reviews on Beneath the Keep where readers can’t agree if this book succeed or failed in that balance.
Now, before I go further into this, I must point out that this book is dark. While the original trilogy had strong crossover appeal, this is very adult. I can’t decide whether to class this as a grimdark fantasy or not as the contents in this book are dark. Triggers include drug abuse, swearing, violence and murder, actual and attempted sexual abuse and exploitation on men, women and children, overdose, possession/brainwashing, genocide, and a ton more, so when I warn you that this is dark, much darker than the original trilogy (which, let’s be real here, dear readers, was dark in itself), I mean it. Hence why I am wondering if this is a grimdark political fantasy.
But I really liked it. I got sucked into this world with its characters, the political and emotional climate, the truths I that I from Queen of the Tearling and the questions from he original trilogy being answered, adding layers to things we knew and didn’t know in the original reading of the trilogy. And Erika’s writing - she has grown as a writer
And I want to give this five stars. I have on Goodreads, but not on NetGalley. It’s 4.5ish stars. I warned you guys about swearing in my triggers, mainly b because there is a ton of swearing. I’m not a prude, I can handle swearing, but there was multiply times where a character or the narrator wouldn’t swear and it’s jars. Badly. The same goes with the misery. Like I’ve said, this is dark but, on one or two occasions, things happened and it felt like misery was put onto of misery, just for misery’s sake. Not to add anything to the story.
Small note about the audiobook. Not a big thing, but there were one or two occasions when the narrator, Mandy Williams, stop loudly or shouted, her voice echoed. Now, I know this was probably recorded during tight Covid-19 restrictions and in a soundproof room, so I will forgive this, but other audiobook readers might not…
But as someone who really enjoyed this series, I adore this prequel and I hope we have more stories set in this world and, maybe, maybe, this will get my rear in gear and reread Queen of the Tearling like I hope. But, like I have said, this series is dark and this prequel is very dark and, because of that, readers will enjoy really enjoy/love this world of the Tearling or downright hate it.
bookbabekam's review
5.0
Another beautiful Tearling book
I picked up this series years ago expecting a fun escape. I got that plus a fantastic meditation on a just society. I happen to share Johansson’s political bent, and find the Tearling books to be both challenging and comforting in all the best ways.
. Too often prequels seem superfluous, but this one is as strong and enjoyable as the main series. Bravo.
I picked up this series years ago expecting a fun escape. I got that plus a fantastic meditation on a just society. I happen to share Johansson’s political bent, and find the Tearling books to be both challenging and comforting in all the best ways.
. Too often prequels seem superfluous, but this one is as strong and enjoyable as the main series. Bravo.