Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Although the setting resembles medieval times, this story takes place far in the future. Following a mysterious cataclysmic event referred to as the Crossing, humans now exist without modern technology and have reverted back to feudalism. At the story's opening, Kelsea, the rightful Queen of the Tearling, turns 19 (the age of ascension) and is escorted by the Queen's Guard from her forest home to claim her throne. Raised, educated, and protected by an elderly couple since birth, Kelsea possesses much book intelligence but lacks practical political knowledge. Nevertheless, she is everything one desires in a leader she is strong, decisive, just, and possesses an inner strength that allows her to face any challenge placed in front of her. However, her challenges seem insurmountable and include the need to abolish the slave lottery that plagues her people. In an impressive start to a series, Johansen expertly incorporates magic necklaces, political intrigue, questions of honor, well-drawn characters, and a bit of mystery into a compelling and empowering story. As much is (understandably) left unexplained, it will be interesting to see where future installments take this series.--Price, Kerri Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Johansen makes an impressive debut with this ambitious fantasy adventure, which takes place several centuries from now following the collapse of civilization and mass migration to a newly discovered continent. The resultant society resembles medieval Europe, with modern technology all but forgotten, and magic is subtly present. Finally come of age, 19-year-old Kelsea Glynn must evade assassins and her uncle's nefarious plans in order to take her place as rightful queen of the nation known as the Tearling. Her first acts as ruler break a treaty with neighboring Mortmense and anger the unaging sorceress called the Red Queen; Kelsea rallies her allies and prepares for war. Johansen starts strongly, with a forceful, memorable heroine immediately thrust into a series of intense situations and forced to make dynamic, if overly idealistic, decisions. While the setting and backstory could stand further explanation and exploration, and many elements fall apart under closer scrutiny, this trilogy launch is still an engaging page-turner. Agent: Dorian Karchmar, William Morris Endeavor. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Starred Review. In this promising series opener from debut author Johansen, Princess Kelsea was raised in hiding after her mother, Queen Elyssa, died prematurely. Now, on her 19th birthday, it's time for Kelsea to take up the mantle of leadership. The Tearling, originally founded as a low-tech utopian society after the "Crossing" from modern Europe, is a struggling kingdom with few resources. With the assistance of the Queen's Guard and her knowledge of Tear history, Kelsea must evade assassination to claim her crown and begin to right the wrongs of the previous decades. In the distance looms the kingdom of Mortmesne and the threat of the seemingly ageless Red Queen, to whom the Tearling has been paying a terrible price. Katherine Kellgren expertly narrates this broad fantasy, the first in a projected trilogy. VERDICT An essential audiobook for libraries, poised to become the next big thing. ["Johansen's debut is a solid fantasy that doesn't stray very far from the traditional playbook," read the review of the Harper hc, LJ 6/15/14.]-Anna Mickelsen, Springfield City Lib., MA (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Chick lit meets swords and sorcery in the perfect commodity for a hot demographic.But is it art? Debut novelist Johansen turns in a fantasy novel thats derivative of Tolkien, as so many books in the genre areits got its merry band of warriors, its struggle for a throne that has a long and tangled history, its battle for good and evil. That this novel just happens to have commanded a huge advance and a movie deal, with Emma Watson attached at this writing to play the heroine, Kelsea, is incidental to the tale, which, schematized, would be pretty by-the-numbers. As a worldbuilding exercise, it has many deficiencies: While the story is set in the not-too-distant future, its trappings are medieval and not, as inA Canticle for Leibowitz, because of an intervening apocalypse; its a churchy and mystical sort of place, but the heroine has a command of Mendelian genetics (Red hair was a recessive gene, and in the three centuries since the Crossing, it had bred slowly and steadily out of the population). But, continuity errors and improbabilities asidewhen hiding from a deadly enemy, for instance, a troop of royal guards isnt really likely to get drunk, sing loud songs and keep the orcs awake all nightJohansen adds value to the tale with well-crafted sentences that sometimes build into exuberant paragraphs: The queenship shed inherited, problematic enough in the abstract, now appeared insurmountable. But of course, she had already known the road would be difficult. Carlin had told her so obliquely, through years spent studying the troubled nations and kingdoms of the past. On the plus side, too, is Johansens wise choice to make the heroine a plain-ish Jane who learns on the go, discovering her inner resources as she emerges from adolescence into adulthood. And applause, too, for some nicely gory closing moments.A middling Middle Earthian yarn, then, that seems destined to be the next big thing among theGame of Thronesset. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
