“She hadn’t grown up in a castle, hadn’t been raised in that privileged life. The land she would rule frightened her in its vastness, but at the sight of the men and women working in the fields, something inside her seemed to turn over and breathe deeply for the first time. All of these people were her responsibility.”
I purchased The Queen of the Tearling by Erik Johansen last fall while we had family friends staying with us. I had first seen it in a few posts on instagram and was immediately drawn to its cover. It basically has two covers that were layered, is there a name for that? Anyways, I thought the cover was really unique and pretty so i stored the title and author name in my memory for later. When i saw it in the bookstore I knew I had to get it. What I liked first about this book is that the main character, Kelsea, is 19. It seems like most YA books have an age limit that can’t exceed 16, so the fact that she was a little older got a thumbs up from me. The story is very unique to its genre, and is a great refresher for the badass heroine clique.
We start with learning that Kelsea has been raised out of site from the entire kingdom that she will eventually rule. She is taught from a young age up until we meet her at 19, everything she needs to know; how to run an economy, military warfare, what to expect from her citizens, and so on. So when she is called to travel to her throne she is nervous, but prepared. This is where her adventure begins.
I love stories that show growth in the characters. I love seeing uncertainty turn into confidence. This book has that. Witnessing Kelsea start as an anonymous girl in the trees, to the Queen of the Tearling, is one of my favorite things.
The Queen of the Tearling is the first in a series of 3 books. the second book, The Invasion of the Tearling is out now, with the third book, The Fate of the Tearling, being released November 29, 2016.
accioallthebooks 