The Queen of the Tearling audiobook

4.5 stars Well, clearly I'm going to be kicked out of the cool kids' club, because I fucking loved this book. A good reminder to always try things out for yourself to see what you think.The pacing and more introspective heroine will likely be issues for some readers (and I fully admit that I think this would have worked better as pure historical fantasy, rather than middle-ages-in-this-weird-future-time period), but I can tell you that these were not problems for me at all, being that I devoured all 400+ pages in 24 hours and am dyyyying for the next book.Review to come.

Absolutely loved it!

so. good. just wow, i have no words to describe how awesome this book was.

$1.99 today on Amazon! Definitely one of the Top 10 of my 2014 favorites!Word of warning, though...I'm seeing tons of 1 star reviews. Evidently, this is one of those Love it or Hate It books. I've pawed over the other reviews, and I'm honestly not connecting with any of the other reviewers' problems with this one.I didn't think the heroine had low self-esteem.I didn't think parts of it were far-fetched or full of plot holes.I didn't think it resembled other books (maybe because I haven't read them?).But...and this is kind of a huge thing, I guess...I also didn't read the blurb.So, I had no idea this was supposed to be the next Hunger Games/ Game of Thrones hybrid.And it probably wouldn't have mattered even if I had.Hunger Games is nowhere near a favorite of mine, and neither is Game of Thrones.They're both good books, but neither one blew me out of the water.To each his own and all that stuff.I said all that to say this:I loved it, but that certainly doesn't mean you will. What surprised me the most about this one was that the heroine was just a truly good person. She saw something happening that was wrong, and instead of doing that thing where they have to work behind the scenes to fix it, she just put her foot down and put a stop to it.Sure, we're gonna start a war with an unbelievably powerful country that is probably going to wipe us off the map...but I'm not going to send kids in cages to be used as sex slaves to avoid the war.Huh?That just doesn't happen in most of the books I've read.Most of the time, the hero/heroine hates what's going on, and eventually puts a stop to it. But not immediately. Like, the first second they get a whiff of power. Someone talks them out of doing something rash without considering the consequences, yadda, yadda, yadda.Also, the heroine isn't attractive, thin, or magically endowed with assassin skills.And, yes, several times she mentions that she wishes she were beautiful like some of the women around her.I'm seeing lots of complaints about how she should have been super-duper-happy with not being a bombshell.Why?I thought it added a touch of realism. When I was younger, I worried about my looks, and I compared myself to other women. Most of the time, I thought I was somehow lacking. Did that make me a bad person? Should I be ashamed to admit that? Pssssht.Whatever. Everyone deals with that emotion. Why can't an otherwise strong female character be allowed to have those thoughts?I would have a problem with it if she let it interfere with doing the right thing. She didn't, so I didn't either.Personally, I didn't want to put this book down. I got sucked into it, and couldn't let it go. I loved the magical elements to it. The stones played a large role in the book, and I'm interested to find out what exactly is the backstory on those things.And tons of folks are going to disagree with this, but I loved that this had some unexplained post-apocalyptic thing that happened in the past. The fact that this supposedly takes place in a medievalish setting, but sometime in the future, was one of the highlights for me. I wanna know more about what happened during this Crossing!Still, the best part of the book was the lack of romance.None. Zip, zilch, zero, nada.If it's coming, it's certainly going to be a slow-burn, and I'm more than ok with that.Last (but very important) thing?I'm not sure why the hell this is getting labeled YA here on Goodreads. It's not. There are a lot of references to child rape, rape in general, a scene where a child is basically eaten alive by a monster, sex in every form (not fade to black), the f-bomb (among other things) gets dropped, a nipple get sliced, a woman gets burned alive, etc..It's not something I'd feel comfortable handing to a younger teenager.I may be absolutely alone in loving this, but I thought it was fantastic!

This was super intense and super enjoyable!

I bought this book 5 years ago and promptly forgot to read it. I got sucked into the Booktube hype and was genuinely excited for it but some books fall into the cracks and you never get around to reading them. Well, I finally tried it and... it was great!Lots of political intrigue, no romance (a love interest but it's not a big part of the story), intriguing world building and magic system... I can't wait to continue this series!

“You win your people or you lose your throne.” Fantasy.Adventure.Politics.Plots.War.Magic.Outlaws.Corrupted priests.Betrayal.And a young,plain girl in between.You've gotta love The Queen of the Tearling! “The shipment nears,the cages fill,A voice rings out across the Tear,The cages burn,the Keep Lawn still,The Tearling weeps,the Queen is here.” Kelsea was raised by the Glynns,hiden away from her ambitious uncle and the Red Queen in a desperate effort to keep her alive so that she would claim her throne.Her kingdom was slowly dying,her people were famished,and she didn't even know who her father was and what kind of a queen was her mother.When the time came to rise,she couldn't seperate her friends from her enemies,there were assassins at her steps and no one she could fully rely on but herself and some magical jewels.Thus the reign of the Marked Queen began. “We don't always choose, Majesty. We simply make the best choices we can once the deed is done.” Choices.Choices.Choices.Choose your route,your guards,your servants,your allies.Choose the person you want to be.Erika Johansen wrote an extraordinary book about a suffering nation whose only hope was a girl who never left the house she grew up,who was constantly hunted.Her writing is excellent,the narration was in third person yet it gave the reader a better perspective of the heroine,the secondary characters and the villains.I am a huge fan of romance but the lack of it in this book didn't bother me.I do hope though that in the next book there will be more interactions with the mysterious outlaw Fetch (there was a really sexy vibe about him and I think he is my new crush!).Kelsea is a strong and stubborn heroine,willing to sacrifice herself for her people and to right the wrongs her mother committed.There are many questions about the world-building and the Crossing but I am positive they will be answered in the next instalment I'm dying to read it!The story is complex,intriguing and you dive deeply into the world of the Tearling before you even realize it!Great job,Ms.Johansen!

This was a long one and I spent all day today reading it and wow I'm so upset that it's over and if I didn't have such a ridiculous amount of books already I would buy the sequel and read it now. I've seen a lot of people reading the third one so I'm not sure how many people haven't read this one or aren't familiar with it, but the book is about Kelsea who was hidden away as a child for her own safety and is now being taken back to the kingdom to reclaim her thrown. The writing unfolded slowly and the build was excellent. I appreciate the whole premise of history repeats itself and it's nice to have a female protagonist who's not attractive but is smart and capable. I even started to feel slightly sorry for the Red Queen at the end there. The book left me with so many questions, especially about the whole use of magic and of course about Fetch and Kelsea's father. I would've rated it four stars but even though the ending was adequate it felt kind of less impactful then I was expecting. I was reading the book waiting for the inevitable to happen that everyone keeps freaking out about but then it doesn't happen except we're just given some mysterious bullshit which was interesting and I really want to know how it's going to unfold but still made the ending feel off I guess so four stars not five but it's up there. One of the better fantasy books I've read.

(2/5/17) After this reread, I definitely have to bump up my rating to a full 5 stars. Kelsea is one of my all-time favorite characters, and I have spent so long over the last few days gushing about how much I love every part of this book. The character development: amazing. The world: original and fantastic. The political elements: EVERYTHING I WANT IN POLITICAL FANTASY.I could honestly gush for hours about this book. I can't wait to finish the series. (11/13/15)4.5/5 Absolutely fantastic, I desperately want the second book.

I decided to read this on a whim even though I had no idea what it was about, and I really loved it!!!! The mark of a true hero is that the most heroic of his deeds is done in secret. We never hear of it. And yet somehow, my friends, we know What I liked - Although this isn’t high fantasy, it read like a high fantasy book, and I think that is why some people found it boring. It was mostly planning and plotting but I never found it boring for some reason. There were also some action parts though which I loved. If you don’t like high fantasy books then you might not enjoy this- I loved the side characters especially the charming Fetch. I wish he was in this more- This book has multiple POVs and I enjoyed each one which is a rare occurrence. I loved how every POV was relevant and interesting and not used in a filler way. - I found the plot and world unique: they live in the future that looks like the past. When you think of the future, you think of technological advancement and stuff, and not back to horses, castles and the old world, so that was interesting. Although I found the history kinda confusing and I don’t think I understand what really happened (was it even explained? I’m not sure lol) Some notes - I don’t think this is a YA book. In fact, the MC is the only teenager in this book and the majority of the characters are over 30. Plus there is a lot of subject matters such as rape, paedophilia, child killings and strong languages that seemed more adult than YA.- This book has LONG chapters. They were only 14 chapters and the book is almost 450 pages long- There isn’t romance in this. The MC had a crush on someone but that was basically it but I still enjoyed the book regardless of this fact (I make mention of this because I kinda don’t like reading books with no romance)- I try to avoid mainstream books with Christianity in them because they are usually portrayed in a bad light and in this, the ‘church’ is mostly portrayed in a bad/hypocritical way. Fortunately, there is an important side character that is a priest and also a good person. Overall, it was an interesting book and I found myself hooked from the beginning to the end. Although I am still indecisive about whether I like the MC or not. At this point, I’m mostly neutral.

The Queen of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling, #1), Erika JohansenThe Queen of the Tearling is the debut novel of Erika Johansen. It is set on a fictional landmass several centuries in the future, and is the first novel of a fantasy trilogy. The other books in the trilogy are The Invasion of the Tearling (2015) and The Fate of the Tearling (2016).Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn must defeat the powers of the Red Queen, who is out to destroy her. She must journey to the royal castle to claim her throne, and is accompanied only by the loyal Queen's Guard which is led Carroll and the mysterious Lazarus. Along the way she must earn the respect of her people and fix the broken shambles of the Kingdom of Tear.تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز یازدهم ماه مارس 2019میلادیعنوان: ملکه اشک ها (ملکه تیرلینگ) کتاب نخست؛ نویسنده: اریکا یوهانسون؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 21مسه گانه ی «اریکا یوهانسون» خوانشگران خویش را به سیصد سال پس از نابودی دنیای مدرن توسط تغییرات محیط زیستی میبرد، زمانی که در آینده جامعه ای، همانند سده های میانی میلادی پدید آمده، و پرنسس «کلسیا رالی گلین» باید از تبعید باز گردد، و تاج و تخت مادر خویش را زنده کند؛ در نتیجه قلمروی برای خود میسازد، و ملکه شیطانی سرخ را نیز شکست میدهد؛تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 26/12/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

"We don't always choose, Majesty. We simply make the best choices we can once the deed is done."•I'll start with the bad because yes, I am that obnoxious. The book is set in this kingdom, the Tearling, which, along with other kingdoms and empires, was born and grew on a previously unknown land after the so-called Crossing. We are told very little about this event: we only know, basically, that said Crossing was made by the Americans, and that some bits of the late America's culture still last. My problem is, how on earth is it possible that in the world before the Crossing (which, from very numerous hints, we assume is ours) there still was some undiscovered continent? Maybe all the talking about seas and waters was metaphorical and the ships that made this Crossing were spaceships? It is imperative that I be granted further explanation on this point because really, I have no idea what went on there and it's driving me nuts. Especially since this post-apocalyptic medieval world, for me, works. It definitely does. I'm just feeling the need to know how it came to be.•A big, colossal no to the lack of communication and basic information that went on throughout Kelsea's childhood and adolescence because I definitely do not see the point, if not that of adding some drama to the plot upon her finding out what is actually going on in her country. Seriously. No point. This is the kind of things that make me go ballistic.•Anything else, I pretty much loved. Finally we have a strong-willed, tenacious and steadfast heroine, one who won't apologize for her straightforwardness, one who won't back off when faced with the need to prioritize and make sacrifices, one who is not scared to really get her hands dirty and shoulder her responsibilities. I am extremely, extremely pleased with her and her characterization, even though at the very beginning, just for a little while, it seemed to be rather tentative and half-hearted -which, now it's perfectly clear, was all planned to make her following development stand out even more. Her greatest asset is her mind. I second that.And a special mention should also be given to her foster family: I came to fully appreciate their role only at the end, thanks to the episode Mace told Kelsea, and that will forever be remembered as the moment when I nearly choked on the lump that had formed in my throat. •Speaking of whom, Mace aka Lazarus. Four words, and they'd better do because otherwise I'd be at a loss for what to say: Love. Him. To. Pieces. I want him to get to the end of this journey safe and sound and happy. (view spoiler)[And how cute would it be if he were the father? Be still, my heart. (hide spoiler)]•My fear regarding this book was that I would be bored. Well, I was not. Never, not even for a moment. As you may know, often action-packed books tire me more than stories revolving about politics and mind-games and such. The Queen of the Tearling is of the latter kind, and I loved that it was (though I see why others would find it slow and uneventful). ➽ I am itching to get my hands on the second instalment (all the better if I'm provided the info I need about the Crossing, but mainly I want to see Kelsea kick the Red Queen's ass). I did not expect to enjoy this book so much, and far be it from me to complain -though I'll postpone the reading of the sequels because I need to pass my exams, and this story is so engaging, if I start them now I won't even touch my textbooks. As far as I'm concerned, The Queen of the Tearling is absolutely, wholeheartedly recommended.

I am so glad that I don't weigh other people's reviews heavily when I decide whether or not I am going to read a book. If I had, I probably would have never tried this series. As it happens, what I discovered was a deep, complex, interesting, and engaging post-apocalypse fantasy that I flew through in four days. It also shattered my expectations and made me want to immediately start book 3. Erika Johansen is one heck of a writer and I am anxious to see where she takes this series. Reading an interview of her recently she states that one of the books will be a backstory and history of how the Tearling came about and what cataclysm occurred to force the people of a long ago time to flee and shun technology in favor of a medieval lifestyle. Tremendous! I can't wait.

5000/5 stars“The Queen held up her hands for silence. At that moment, Javel knew for certain that she truly was the Queen, though he never knew why or how he knew.”Holy shit. That was the most beautiful thing I've read in such a long time.How is it possible that my heart feels broken and whole at the same time?My eyes wont stop watering yet I can't help but smile like a Cheshire Cat.I had put this book off for so long and I'm kicking myself for not picking this up sooner!Seriously Taylor, what the hell were you thinking you Bafoon??This book has everything you want and need in a fantasy story; Adventure, magical elements, whimsical characters and a world building like nothing else.Did I mention the characters? *sobs*“My responsibility, she thought, and the idea brought no fear now, only an extraordinary sense of gratitude. My kingdom.”This was the first Erika Johansen novel I've read and I can tell you now, it won't be the last. Her style of writing is just utter perfection and she already has a high ranking as one of my new favorite authors.From the very first page I was completely hooked and obsessed with this story and it was all I could think about in the 2 days it took me to read this.Legitimately, my day job came second to this book, and I'm not even sorry.I feel like I am one of the only living human being who has jumped on this bandwagon last but if you're still yet to pick this book up, please, for heavens sake, stop what you're doing and pick this up.It will undoubtedly be your new addiction.Now to get my hands on The Invasion of the Tearling and ugly cry over the pages.

The future was only disasters of the past, waiting to happen anew. I'll never forgive this 600-page long beast for fooling me into thinking it wasn't that special just to have me stay up until 5am to finish it because I couldn't stop reading. I think I even cried at some point?! I loved everything about it, even the ambitiously compelling political intrigues and the lack of romance, which are things I usually scrunch up my nose at. Kelsea is one of my favorite female characters ever and I adore that she's not conventionally beautiful or thin. She's a badass and a true queen and I might even be a bit in love with her. Johansen's writing is perfect and her side characters are some of the most well crafted and entertaining to read about. I wish I had the time to start the second book immediately 😭#PenguinOnATBRMission: book #12◾this hashtag is something I self-indulgently created for fun when I decided to thin out my immense tbr list as a new years resolution starting from books I added on GR back in 2017/2018/2019, and since I can't seem to do anything quietly and I'm well known for being an overachiever, I had to go and turn it into an official thing. Feel free to check out the shelf with the same name if you don't mind keeping up with this insanely over-hyped adventure I got myself into. Take it as a chance to rediscover some books from a few years ago that might have accidentally flown under your radar, or to simply share with another fellow reader your very own reading experience. Happy reading and stay penguin-y!◾To Be Continued...🐧

3,5 SterneMir fiel die Bewertung hier ziemlich schwer, da irgendwie alle das Buch in den höchsten Tönen loben, aber ich irgendwie einfach mehr davon erwartet hatte. So ist das eben mit Erwartungshaltungen. Die Grundstory mochte ich sehr gerne, auch den Weltenaufbau fand ich ganz interessant (wenn auch an manchen stellen etwas undurchsichtig/unlogisch).Das größte Manko war für mich einfach das fehlende Tempo der Geschichte. Meiner Meinung nach passiert auf diesen über 500 Seiten echt wenig und es wird auch nur eine recht kurze Zeitspanne behandelt und an sich auch nur ein einziges Problem. Dadurch fehlte mir dann auch ein wenig die Spannung.Kelsea mochte ich als Protagonistin ganz gerne, sie ist mir nicht unsympathisch, aber ich bin auch nicht ihr allergrößter Fan. Anstrengend fand ich (als alte Kapitelleserin) auch die arg langen Kapitel. Das ganze Buch hat bloß 14 Kapitel, uff.Auch wenn sich das jetzt alles ziemlich negativ liest, hat mich die Story echt gut unterhalten können und vor allem Charaktere wie der Fetch, die rote Königin oder auch Mace machen die Story für mich interessant.Das Ende fand ich auch recht episch und es hat Lust auf mehr gemacht. Ich hoffe Band 2 legt etwas am Tempo zu und beantwortet ein paar meiner Fragen.

I knew about this book months before it was first released from a staff member from Kepler's book store who absolutely loved it. I knew they wanted the author to hurry and finish the 'Trilogy'...as Emma Watson was already been cast as the leading actress in the film. The staff member at Kepler's book store told me this was going to be the next"Harry Potter"...( in other words a huge hit - the books - and movie). That was over 2 years ago. I'm not sure what happened ...But I didn't read this until after seeing it offered for $1.99 as a Kindle download Soon after - my library had it as an audiobook. So.., I ended up listening to the audiobook. I kept thinking I might read my Kindle copy- but I was satisfied with the narrative's voice - -and continued walking with it. I thought the beginning was a little slow & confusing. I'm not sure why I thought it was confusing...( my gut knew before my mind understood)...Duh...silly me, I visualized this story as 'in the past'. I mean doesn't even the cover of this novel suggest .."a long time ago"? .. but...the setting is actually in the future.Does that mess with your mind as it does mine? Every day is an 'unplug' day in the future in this story..,(I might be willing to try on this hat... see how things play out---swing the pendulum back to a medieval style feeling of living)This story 'does' get engaging --( yeah, I drifted during battle scenes - but they weren't my favorite parts). I like the protagonist, ( Kelsea). She wants answers. She wants to know how she can be successful leader if she doesn't even know the truth about her family history. Lies and secrets have been kept from her - ( from the entire fricken Kingdom), for 19 years.I kept thinking... Surely you can use your 'female charms' to have 'one' of her protectors cough up the truth. The story is told by multiple viewpoints.... But we're still hanging on wanting our questions resolved ...So many mysteries -- Kelsea was hidden away her entire life-- ( until time to be ruler)...why? What happened to her mother as Queen? Why won't anybody tell Kelsea about her mother's death? Who's her father? Why is she trusted with sapphires? Why is the Red Queen the enemy.., and how will she defeat her? By the end of the book - we are satisfied with the answers to some of these questions...only to be left with new ones .. ( for book 2)Overall ... I liked it as a walking companion- ( not every moment).. but the plot kept me interested.... and Kelsea as the lead character had many redeeming qualities.I actually think it's possible this might be 'better' on the big screen than the book...but shhhh I suppose I shouldn't say that!I liked it -( but can see the big bold scenes coming alive - possibly more enjoyable to watch than those parts were to listen to)