Review: The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: July 8, 2014
Pages: 448
Source: For Review from HarperCollins
Rating: 4 Stars

On her nineteenth 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.

In short: While there were a number of inconsistencies that kept The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen from being a perfect read, this debut novel delivered on what it promised to be: a high-stakes political fantasy.

When a book gets picked up by a major movie production company with a leading lady already cast months and months before it is set to be published, you can't help but take notice. And so it was no surprise that The Queen of the Tearling flew onto my radar immediately and sent me into a frenzy of excitement and high expectations. I NEEDED this book! I freaking LOVE high fantasy, especially when it comes with a medieval setting and court politics.

And thankfully, The Queen of the Tearling MOSTLY lived up to my high expectations. Of course, it was far from perfect and I had a number of issues with it... but it delivered on what it promised to be: a highly political court fantasy with a complex world. I can definitely see why Warner Brothers would snap this one up so quickly: The Queen of the Tearling is like Game of Thrones, but for a younger audience (although extreme violence and mention of sex is still found in plenty, so it's not a read for too young an audience).

The Queen of the Tearling has most of the typical elements that you would usually find in court fantasies, but one thing definitely stood out as unique: this novel is actually set in the FUTURE. There were even mentions of Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings as being classics from a long ago past. This would mean that at some point in the future, society has actually regressed to a feudal kingdom system with little technology. This was a little weird and unfortunately no explanation was given as to how the world became like this, but I was definitely intrigued at this unique development.

My main criticism would be for The Queen of the Tearling's protagonist, Kelsea, whom I felt was kept at a distance. We are told many times in the text that Kelsea has a temper, likes to read, is honourable, and is very plain in her looks, but very little else of substance is indicated about her and so she failed to truly come to life in my eyes. She wasn't REAL to me. She grows up in an isolated environment with next to no knowledge of the history of the world or how the outside world works, and yet somehow she immediately rises to the position of perfect, wise, and experienced Queen, no problem. There were also a number of other inconsistencies in the plot that I wish had been smoothed over more thoroughly, as well.

Inconsistencies aside, I enjoyed The Queen of the Tearling overall. There were a ton of secondary characters that I found more interesting and compelling than Kelsea, so at least my desire for good characterization was assuaged a bit, and hopefully we'll see Kelsea come to life more in future instalments. Fans of romance may want to look elsewhere as there was none to be had here, ditto to fans of more fast-paced fantasies as The Queen of the Tearling is not one of them. But for fans of high-stakes epic fantasies and complex political turmoil, look no further as The Queen of the Tearling is the book for you.

Other Reviews:
Alison Can Read
Icey Books
More Than Just Magic
The Page Turner

Top Ten Blogging Confessions (with Beauty and the Beast GIFs, just 'cause)

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

1. I can’t read a book in one sitting. I don’t understand how people can do this! I can't sit still for that long and I need breaks while reading.

2. I don’t write discussion posts because I’m convinced I have no opinions that are original and thus I have nothing to add.

3. I have only read a fraction of the books I own. Part of me feels shame over this, but part of me is EXCITED at the prospect.

4. For the life of me, I just CANNOT bring myself to DNF a book, no matter how much I'm not feeling it. I JUST CAN’T!

5. I feel a small amount of anxiety at the prospect of lending my beloved books out to family or friends because I know they won’t take as good care of them as I do.

6. I am jealous of bloggers who are eloquent writers and who can put into words thoroughly and beautifully exactly how they felt about a book.

7. For the life of me, I don't understand how anyone can call those rude, overly-confident, and possessive love interests their book boyfriends. Just no.

8. Sometimes I skim. As I say, I cannot bring myself to DNF books, so if I’m really not feeling my current read, I’ll skim it to the end.

9. When I finish a beloved book series, sometimes I feel like I’ve lost a part of myself.

10. I am someone who truly believes that being a reader makes you a better person. Reading encourages you to empathize with characters that may have had different life experiences than you have and gets you to see things from their point of view. And that’s always a good thing.

Waiting On Wednesday: HarperCollins Fall 2014 Catalog Part 1

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking The Spine in which upcoming, eagerly anticipated releases are highlighted on the blog.

This week, I've chosen to feature a few picks from the HarperCollins Fall 2014 Catalog. I am usually able to narrow down my picks to the Top 4 MOST anticipated books from whichever publisher's catalog I am featuring, but I was utterly unable to this time! HarperColins has some FANTASTIC sounding books coming up for us this fall, so I've decided to split my Waiting On Wednesday Catalog feature into two parts for HarperCollins. Part 1 will focus on books by authors I have read previously and Part 2, in a few weeks time, will focus on books by authors I have not read previously. So without further ado, LET'S GET TO THE BOOKS!!:

Rooms by Lauren Oliver
Date: September 23, 2014

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Wealthy Richard Walker has just died, leaving behind his country house full of rooms packed with the detritus of a lifetime. His estranged family—bitter ex-wife Caroline, troubled teenage son Trenton, and unforgiving daughter Minna—have arrived for their inheritance.
But the Walkers are not alone. Prim Alice and the cynical Sandra, long dead former residents bound to the house, linger within its claustrophobic walls. Jostling for space, memory, and supremacy, they observe the family, trading barbs and reminiscences about their past lives. Though their voices cannot be heard, Alice and Sandra speak through the house itself—in the hiss of the radiator, a creak in the stairs, the dimming of a light bulb.
The living and dead are each haunted by painful truths that will soon surface with explosive force. When a new ghost appears, and Trenton begins to communicate with her, the spirit and human worlds collide—with cataclysmic results.

Lauren Oliver - one of my FAVES - will be publishing her first ever adult novel this fall, titled Rooms. I am SO there! Lauren is SUCH a fantastic writer and I would read whatever age genre she writes, be it YA, MG, or Adult. And this one is a ghost story, which I love!

The Fall by Bethany Griffin
Date: October 7, 2014

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Madeline Usher is doomed.
She has spent her life fighting fate, and she thought she was succeeding. Until she woke up in a coffin.
Ushers die young. Ushers are cursed. Ushers can never leave their house, a house that haunts and is haunted, a house that almost seems to have a mind of its own. Madeline’s life—revealed through short bursts of memory—has hinged around her desperate plan to escape, to save herself and her brother. Her only chance lies in destroying the house.
In the end, can Madeline keep her own sanity and bring the house down? The Fall is a literary psychological thriller, reimagining Edgar Allan Poe’s classic The Fall of the House of Usher.

I wasn't a huge fan of Bethany Griffin's Masque of the Red Death, based on the Edgar Allan Poe story, but I am willing to give her novels another shot considering that The Fall of the House of Usher is my favourite of Poe's writing and I'm totally curious in reading Bethany's retelling of it, The Fall. Look how creepy it looks!

Catalyst by S.J. Kincaid
Date: October 28, 2014

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This exhilarating, explosive, and heartrending conclusion to the Insignia trilogy brings Tom and his intelligent, passionate, and brave young friends stunning tests and dangerous confrontations and through to an impossible future they could never have predicted.
Tom Raines and his friends are eager to return to the Pentagonal Spire to continue training for the elite Intrasolar Forces, but they soon discover troubling changes: strict new regulations and the revelation that the Spire is under new military control. What begins as an irritating adjustment soon reveals a dangerous shift in reality. Those now in control are aligned with corporate sponsors and their ruthless agendas. And when the military academy begins welcoming new cadets with suspicious neural processors, the first step in a plan with horrifying worldwide ramifications, Tom is desperate to stop it, even if that means keeping secrets from his closest allies.
Then a mysterious figure, the other ghost in the machine, begins fighting against the corporations, but with methods even Tom finds shocking. And when the enemy comes for Tom, how much can Tom endure in the battle to save himself? He must decide if he can still fight when the odds of success seem to be sliding from his grip.

Woot, OH how I have missed the gang: Tom, Vik, Wyatt, and Yuri. THESE GUYS. They are one of my favourite bookish group of friends ever (after the HP trio, obvs). I have no doubt that S.J. Kincaid will bring the action and the lolz in this finale to the Insignia Trilogy, Catalyst!

Empire of Shadows by Miriam Forster
Date: November 4, 2014

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Cast out of her family three years ago, Mara turned to the only place that would take her—a school where students train to protect others. But Mara is stunned when guarding a noble girl in the Empire’s capital turns out to be more dangerous than she could’ve imagined. More shocking still, she finds the boy she thought she had lost forever outside the gates of her new home.
Mara knew her life in the dizzying Imperial city would hold dangers. How could she have known that her heart, as well as her life, would be at stake?
Empire of Shadows will take readers on a spellbinding journey into the world Miriam Forster first introduced in City of a Thousand Dolls—a world with a divided society, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and deeply laid conspiracies.

When I read City of a Thousand Dolls last year, no sequel was in the works then and I was okay with that because it read well as a standalone. But now that Empire of Shadows has been introduced, I'm definitely up for returning to Miriam Forster's fascinating world!


How about you? Are you waiting on any of these HarperCollins Fall 2014 reads? Are there any upcoming books from the HarperCollins Fall 2014 Catalog that I didn't include here that you feel I should add to my list?

My Life in June: World Pride, Toronto Zoo, and The Night Before Our Stars

I absolutely CANNOT believe 2014 is already half over!! Where has the time gone?? I would like some of it back now, please. I feel like I've been busy, busy, busy, and yet haven't accomplished very much so far this year thesis-wise. Entertainment-wise, however, I'm doing fine - check out my June:


Just this past weekend, I was able to attend my first ever Toronto Pride Parade:

This year is an extra special one for Toronto Pride because Toronto played host to World Pride this year, which meant an entire week of festivities. I was only able to make it out to the parade, but I'm happy I even managed that considering how intensely hot it is outside and how crazy the crowds were. As always, LGBT Pride parades never fail to make me smile and appreciate just how many people out there are good-hearted, open-minded folk who embrace and support those who are of a different sexual orientation from their own. It made for a great day!


Earlier this month, I was FINALLY able to make time to visit the world-renown Toronto Zoo:

I spent an entire day there and STILL only saw about half of the entire zoo! Another visit to see the rest of the park is already in the works because I seriously LOVED every minute of it. How cool would it be to be a zookeeper there??

My favourite animals were the apes - the gorillas and the orangutan I saw. I don't know how anyone can meet our closest living relatives, the Great Apes, and NOT feel an instant connection to them.

They're also very intelligent animals. Check out the video I took of this clever orangutan washing the glass of her enclosure with her left hand and squeegee-ing it with her right hand:


And finally, this month I was also lucky enough to be able to attend the advanced screening event of The Fault In Our Stars movie, entitled The Night Before Our Stars:

And so I saw The Fault In Our Stars in a theatre full of squealing teenage girls. In retrospect, this was not such a great idea. Of course it was SO great to see such enthusiasm for a great book by such young people, but for me, it kind of took away from the viewing experience. The girls all squealed and cheered every single time that Augustus Waters appeared on screen so that I could not hear his dialogue and they all bawled LOUDLY at the end of the movie in a fashion that I found quite distracting. So what did I think of the movie? Well, I really don't know. I really feel like I need a second viewing of the movie all on my own so that I can FEEL my own feelings and not get distracted by raucous squeals and loud honks. I have the general impression that I liked it and thought it was well acted, but that's it. I will rent it on DVD and make up my mind about what I think of it then!

Blog Posts in June:

Top Ten Books I've Read So Far In 2014
Top Ten Books On My Summer TBR (Help Me Prioritize!) - As always, you guys DELIVERED when I asked for help on which books to prioritize for my summer reading and I can't thank you enough! Funnily enough, the results were fairly even across the board, which makes me excited because I KNOW I have some good reading ahead of me! If you're curious, Crown of Midnight and Eleanor & Park tied for first place with 39% of the vote, Graceling came in second with 36%, and The Raven Boys and The Giver tied for third with 32% of the vote. No worries though, I do absolutely plan on reading all ten of the books on the list, I just wanted to know which ones should be made a priority for right now!
Top Ten Unique and Beautiful Uses of Typography
Review: Raging Star (Dust Lands #3) by Moira Young - 4 Stars
Review: Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne - 3 Stars
Series Review: Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - 4 Stars
The Great John Green Read of 2014
My Life in May: Moira Young, Period Dramas, and the Great John Green Read of 2014

Best Book Read in June:

The audiobook of Anne of Green Gables was offered up for free last week on SYNC Audiobooks and I didn't think much of it as I downloaded it to my phone to listen to as I get ready in the mornings. But then. OHMIGAWD IT WAS INSTA-LOVE (yes, it DOES exist in some instances!)!! Okay, first of all it must be said that I feel a bit ashamed at the fact that I, as a Canadian, had never read this classic Canadian novel. I have no excuses. And second, I want ever so much to be bosom friends with Anne Shirley!! Words cannot express how much I love that girl and her imagination and her earnestness. I can only hope that she would think me a kindred spirit in turn. This audiobook, as narrated by Colleen Winton, just filled me with so much JOY (and in the end... heartbreak) that it instantly became an all-time favourite of mine. I do wish Anne of Green Gables had been introduced to me in my childhood, but I am happy to have it in my life as an adult at any rate. Also: it has convinced me that I absolutely MUST see Prince Edward Island in my lifetime!!

Series Review: Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Published: 2009-2012
Pages: 2,038
Source: Bought/Borrowed
Rating: 4 Stars

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.
Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.
In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

In short: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl make an excellent team and have written a great series with the Caster Chronicles.

I have been doing my best to finish up all the series that I have on the go at the moment because at some point I realized that I had started and never finished a frightful number of series. I will often enjoy the first book in a series and will have every intention of seeing the series through, but then somehow I never get around to it. It's likely that I'll end up dropping a few of the series that just didn't "wow" me with the first book, but in the case of the Caster Chronicles, I knew I wanted to see it through to the end.

I absolutely adored Beautiful Creatures when I read it in late 2010, back when I was a newbie blogger. I do think my tastes have changed since then though and if I had read Beautiful Creatures now, as I did with the other three books in the series, I can't imagine I would be quite as enamoured with it as I have since fallen a bit out of love with paranormal YA. But it was with some amount of relief that I found that my tastes haven't changed hugely and I was able to delve back into the little world of Gatlin and the big world of the Casters, no problem.

Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl demonstrate with ease their adeptness in writing great characters and in setting the broody Gothic atmosphere of Gatlin. I am just in awe of their skills, particularly because I can't comprehend how anyone could share the authoring of a single POV book with someone else and still have such smooth passages and transitions that you would never think it wasn't written by one person only. My understanding is that they each write their own passages and then trade and edit each other's work as they go. They must work quite well together!

I am happy to report that I enjoyed the rest of the series after Beautiful Creatures, even if I was perhaps not as engaged in the story as I once was. The pacing can be a bit slow at times, but more patient readers will appreciate the attention to detail in the descriptions. The town of Gatlin is as much a character as it is the setting for the series and I absolutely love that about these books. I have also grown quite fond of the characters - particularly the side characters, whom are numerous and yet as richly developed and animated as Ethan and Lena, and whom also provide much needed moments of levity among the dark undertones of the series.

So it is with satisfaction that I can officially cross off a series from my lengthy series-to-be-finished list! And I'm all the more satisfied because this series is one that had a good conclusion, as well as an elaborate and well thought out journey on the route there. I may have fallen a bit out of love with the Caster Chronicles since I read Beautiful Creatures so long ago and I may not have been as engaged with the story as I once was, but I am happy that each subsequent book was a solid read and that I enjoyed them. I am so impressed with the work that Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl do together that I would gladly read more from them again!

Author Links:
Kami Garcia Website
Kami Garcia Twitter
Kami Garcia Goodreads
Margaret Stohl Website
Margaret Stohl Twitter
Margaret Stohl Goodreads