The Queen of the Tearling

A Novel

By: Erika Johansen

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Magic, adventure, mystery, and romance combine in this epic debut in which a young princess must reclaim her dead mother’s throne, learn to be a ruler - and defeat the Red Queen, a powerful and malevolent sorceress determined to destroy her.

On her 19th birthday, Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn, raised in exile, sets out on a perilous journey back to the castle of her birth to ascend her rightful throne. Plain and serious, a girl who loves books and learning, Kelsea bears little resemblance to her mother, the vain and frivolous Queen Elyssa. But though she may be inexperienced and sheltered, Kelsea is not defenseless: Around her neck hangs the Tearling sapphire, a jewel of immense magical power; and accompanying her is the Queen’s Guard, a cadre of brave knights led by the enigmatic and dedicated Lazarus. Kelsea will need them all to survive a cabal of enemies who will use every weapon - from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic - to prevent her from wearing the crown.

Despite her royal blood, Kelsea feels like nothing so much as an insecure girl, a child called upon to lead a people and a kingdom about which she knows almost nothing. But what she discovers in the capital will change everything, confronting her with horrors she never imagined. An act of singular daring will throw Kelsea’s kingdom into tumult, unleashing the vengeance of the tyrannical ruler of neighboring Mortmesne: the Red Queen, a sorceress possessed of the darkest magic. Now Kelsea will begin to discover whom among the servants, aristocracy, and her own guard she can trust.

But the quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun - a wondrous journey of self-discovery and a trial by fire that will make her a legend...if she can survive.

©2014 Erika Johansen (P)2014 HarperCollinsPublishers

Found myself skipping ahead

Any additional comments?

To begin, I actually like the storyline and the performance. I am not usually positive with female readers doing male/female voices....actually, I am not usually positive with male readers doing the same, but less so...probably because there are usually less female characters than male characters...hmm, I wonder, sounds like a thesis for someone.

Ms/Mrs. Kellgren did an excellent job and added to the overall impact of the story. However, I had a lot of issues with depth and foundation of the main character and those around her. I have been unable to find the words to pin this down. Generically, its logic breaks. One example, the queens guard get drunk every night, knowing that they are being followed and targeted for death. They are followed for weeks before actually reaching the cabin, yet it is only after a hawk gets "too close" that they decide to split up. Yet, the hawk is at the max range of vision...so, how did they see them before? It all feels very contrived. This weakness gets hidden in some excellent inner monologue sequences, but you still feel the needling at the back of your neck. There are more logic breaks and 3/4 of the way through the book you are just skipping ahead to get the darn thing done.

In general, its written better than many books I have given 3 stars to before, but its just so frustrating, that I couldn't give it 4.

Great subtle fantasy

Would you consider the audio edition of The Queen of the Tearling to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version, but I wasn't a big fan of the narrator, so I think I would enjoy the print version more.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Kelsea, because she reminds me a lot of myself and I felt like I could relate to her.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Katherine Kellgren?

No, probably not.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

At times, yes. The beginning was a bit slow, but once they arrived at the Keep, it became a lot more fun.

Great book!

What made the experience of listening to The Queen of the Tearling the most enjoyable?

The plotline.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Kelseigh - a strong female protagonist. Who could ask for more.

What does Katherine Kellgren bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

At first I wasn't sure about her style but within one chapter she had swept me away.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Mystery, adventure and danger combine to bring the true queen to the throne.

Any additional comments?

Echoes of The Graceling in this one! I loved this book. In true high fantasy style, it had everything I look for in a novel: a strong heroine, mystery, magic, history, and adventure.

Some people who look for romance or light moments, may be put off. This is a serious book. And in its seriousness it hold an abundance of truth. If you like Game of Thrones, you will like this one. It exposes the dark underbelly of humanity in some truly horrific ways.

I finished this book satisfied but also craving more. You can bet I'll be checking out the rest of the books in this series soon!

Impressive, entertaining and thought provoking

If you could sum up The Queen of the Tearling in three words, what would they be?

Read the entire series - The story had lots of twists and turns and it never seemed to take the easy way out. The story is complex, but easy enough to keep up. I found the issues to be surprisingly relevant to the political landscape we are facing today. It is entertainment, but the story also encourages reflection about governance and personal responsibility. I thought that the characters got away from the narrator sometimes and it was a little distracting, but overall it did not detract from a great story. Maybe not a classic, but a darn good read.

Not just YA, simply a great book

Can't recommend this enough. This story had everything I love: strong female hero, adventure, suspense, characters who struggle emotionally with real problems. If you liked the Hunger Games or Golden Compass you will like yhis series. The narrator was great. She was dynamic in her reading without going overboard and inventive in the voices she created for the characters. Luckily book 2 is out already. Planning on getting it now.

YA fiction?

I chose this after a colleague recommended it. As a middle school ELA teacher, I like to keep up with YA fiction to make recommendations to my students. This is not a YA book for the middle school age group. Good book, but not one I'd let my own 12 or 14 year old read.

amazing and different kind of story

amazing and different kind of story, political, magical and interesting all around. can't wait to read the next book! the performance was very appealing and appropiate, great voices and accents!

Keep reading

The story was a bit slow at the beginning but I kept with it and it paid off! Some parts were a little hard to hear as a new mom. There is a lot of violence particularly toward women and children. Overall the story was great and you really home the new queen can end these practices.

So excited to find this series!

Riveting and entertaining all the way through. The characters are so easy to identify with. I can’t wait to read the next installment. The narration was especially masterful!

I love Katherine Kellgren.

The narration is amazing, the story was lovely. I'm most unhappy that I won't be able to enjoy Katherine for the 2nd book.