Skip to main content

"The Lady moves, the Witch despairs"

For eighteen years, Kelsea Glynn has been raised in hiding by her foster parents, but on the day she turns nineteen, the Queen's Guard arrives at their small cottage to escort Kelsea to New London, where she will be crowned Queen of the Tearling. Despite the fact that Kelsea is the rightful heir to the throne, the road to attaining her crown is far from straightforward, and she quickly learns that she will have to win over the loyalty of her Queen's Guard, as well as the citizens of the Tearling, if she wants to be the respected ruler her foster parents raised her to be. 
Adventures such as the one in Erika Johansen's novel, The Queen of the Tearling, is a perfect example of why I read fantasy fiction. In order to write this blogpost, I read the book for a second time, and it was just as thrilling as the first time I opened the pages almost five years ago. A book has to be truly wonderful if I am going to make it through a second read through without getting bored. If you are interested in fantasy fiction, and enjoyed The Hobbit, The Hunger Games, or Game of Thrones, this may well be the next book in your fantasy adventure.

The Glynn Queen

At the age of nineteen, Kelsea is far from perfect, which becomes very clear as the story progresses. She is naive when it comes to the ways of the world and politics, which makes sense, as she was raised in isolation. Under the tutelage of Carlin and Barty Glynn, Kelsea formed an idealistic view of what her reign would be like, but the moment she sets foot outside of her little world, she is forced to adapt to the complexities and nuances of Tearling politics. 

 The flawed protagonist is one of the most realistic aspects of this novel, because who, at the age of nineteen, is not exposed to a rude awakening? No one knows everything at 19, and the difficult journey Kelsea undertakes is what makes the story relatable, something that can be tough to accomplish in fantasy fiction.

Feminism in Fantasy

I honestly found few faults in this book, but one thing that scared me was what happens in Johansen's dystopian setting; after all, the Tearling is a look into the future, with the appearance of the past.

I know, very confusing. But let me explain...

Somehow, the world as we know it comes to an end, and William Tear leads an American escape (called the Crossing), abandoning most scientific discoveries we use today, to start a socialist way of life in a land that would then be called the Tearling. He becomes the first King of the Tearling (not sure how that works when you are operating under socialism?) but things soon take a turn for the worst. Fast forward to Kelsea's time, and not only is there no socialism, but people seem to have forgotten that there has ever been feminism, which is frightening.
"This is how women are trained to stay indoors...This is how women are trained not to act." The Queen of the Tearling, 255.

 I don't like to use the term "backwards" when referring to other civilizations, but Johansen has literally taken us backwards. The Tearling may have been ruled by Queens for decades, but aside from that, it appears that Kelsea has to fight for feminism all over again. I am not saying this is a problem, after all, I believe that fantasy fiction is often a reflection of the way things are, rather than what they will be. In fact, one of the best aspects of fantasy fiction is the presence of women warriors, and despite her flaws, I think Kelsea is an excellent woman warrior to add to fantasy fiction collections. 

 (Fan art found on https://www.deviantart.com/tag/tearling)

A good start to the trilogy 

Overall, The Queen of the Tearling is a well paced and exciting dystopian/fantasy fiction novel, and a great start to the trilogy. I have no problems giving this book 4/5 stars. 

 I have read the trilogy before, so unfortunately I know how it ends and I will be stalling by reading other books before I move on with Kelsea's story. Nevertheless, I remain your Opinionated Bookworm, and I look forward to your comments or recommendations. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Arc of a Scythe

The end of a trilogy can either be a very frustrating event, or a very melancholy feeling. If the ending is not what you hoped, it can feel disappointing to have invested so much time. However, if the ending is satisfying, as was the case for The Toll  by Neal Shusterman, then leaving a series behind can be a concoction of emotions. The Toll The Arc of a Scythe trilogy came to a dramatic, thrilling, wonderful close in the final installment, and while I can say that I enjoyed it, I find it interesting how my interests seemed to change from the story of Citra and Rowan, to Greyson's story. I loved how complex the world got, and the ending was perfectly written, even though I still wanted more. 4 stars from this Bookworm! The only reason it was not a five is because I loved the second one. Second books are great because there is still a build up of tension, fantastic characters, and an ending that does not conclude the whole series and make me wish I could start all over again... Oh w...
1 comment
Read more

The Kings and Queens of Old

For as long as I can remember, I have had a deep, nearly obsessive, fascination with the past. The stories I was drawn to were ones of kings and queens, knights and wizards, myths and legends. Regardless of the truth behind these stories, the language and the heroic characters that populated the tales created a romantic attachment that lasts to this day.  Even now, I prefer stories of fantasy and adventure to those of real life, and in admitting this I feel like I have failed in my duty as a bookworm, as I only just finished reading The Lost Queen by Signe Pike, even though it was published in 2018.   The Lost Queen I have to sincerely thank Netgalley and Atria Books for giving me access to this ebook, because it was truly a wonderful adventure. The story begins when Languoreth, daughter of a King who still follows the Old Ways of their ancestors, is a child who just lost her mother and must learn to navigate womanhood in a changing world. As the years pass, Languoreth ex...
Post a Comment
Read more

On the Subject of Postmasters, Golems and Pins

Before Going Postal , I had never read anything by Terry Pratchett, which is why I am grateful to be in a bookclub. Bookclub gives me the opportunity to pick up books I might not have turned to on my own, and Terry Pratchett is definitely an author everyone should encounter at least once in their lifetime.  Deliver us! When con artist Moist von Lipwig is caught and charged for his crimes, he is given the choice between death, and running Ankh-Morpork's postal service, which has not been functioning at all for years. Deciding to take up the position of postmaster, Moist finds himself surrounded by peculiar problems within the post office, strange employees, and a midnight killer.  It is safe to say I have never read anything quite like Going Postal, as there is no one who writes or thinks like Pratchett. The events of this book are so strange, and yet, so entertaining, mostly because of how they were written. There was a little lull around the quarter mark, but I will give this...
1 comment
Read more