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Last year, I reviewed the first two books in Erika Johansen’s Tearling trilogy. I have been eagerly awaiting the release of the third, and final, book in Kelsea Glynn’s saga, which was finally published right after Thanksgiving.
To recap the series: Kelsea Glynn is heir to the Tearling throne. In the first book “The Queen of the Tearling,” she fights to take her rightful place on the throne when she comes of age, after being hidden away for most of her life. She works hard to rule her imperfect kingdom and prove herself to her subjects.
She also experiences visions from the past. The series is set in the 24th century, after “The Crossing” when a group figured out a way to travel to this new world and start their lives over. William Tear, their leader, had great dreams of an egalitarian society, but his experiment failed within a generation.
In the second book, “The Invasion of the Tearling,” Kelsea sees through the eyes of Lily, a young woman living in a totalitarian America where women are property of their husbands and the poor are excluded from walled off, wealthy communities. Kelsea flashes back into the past, experiencing Lily’s life, as told from Lily’s perspective. She learns about why America, at that time, was so frightening and about a group called Blue Horizon, led by William Tear, who are considered a terrorist group. Tear, however, is the one who saves his group by leading them the new world.
Kelsea experiences Lily’s past, while dealing with two major threats: invasion by the neighboring powerful Mortmesne Empire and internal corruption from the Tear church. She also grapples with newly emerging magical powers.
In the concluding novel, “The Fate of the Tearling,” Kelsea again experiences visions, this time of the life of Katie, a young woman living in the town that Tear founded, one generation after The Crossing. Katie is a witness to the rise of religion and corruption that takes hold of the town as she grows to adulthood.
Through Katie’s eyes, Kelsea learns more about Row Finn, the enigmatic and dangerous figure during her time who is quickly becoming her world’s greatest threat. She learns more about her magical sapphires and about the Tear crown, which was last spotted, in present time, by the Rev. Tyler, a kind hearted priest who stole it from the head of the church and went into hiding.
In the present time, Kelsea is still a prisoner of the Red Queen, monarch of the Mort. Her guards are trying to rule the Tearling as the church’s power continues to grow. The Mortmesne Empire is falling apart, threatened by rebellious mobs. Row Finn, a dark creature, is heading south, searching for his crown, which brings him into the path of Kelsea and the Red Queen.
There’s a lot going on in this book and many questions that need answering. Will Kelsea escape? Will the Red Queen be defeated? Can Kelsea harness her fledgling power and save her fractured kingdom? Who is Kelsea’s father? What happened long ago to William Tear’s town that changed the course of history? Can Kelsea somehow right those wrongs?
There’s also a lot to love. Kelsea is an optimist; despite the challenges she faces, all she wants is for her people to have a better life. She will sacrifice anything for that to happen. The main characters are genuinely good. Their lives weren’t easy, but they all wanted to build a better world.
Many of the showdowns in the final novel between Kelsea and her adversaries: Brenna, the Red Queen and Row Finn, seemed to end too quickly and easily, which lacked satisfaction. Some of the questions left from the previous books were answered, but a lot was still left vague, like the powers of Kelsea’s sapphires and The Crossing.
The previous books built up the myth of Tear and his son, Jonathan. History tends to do that, but it was disappointing to meet them as more fully developed characters in this book. They didn’t live up to their legend, which doesn’t explain how their losses took down the dream of an egalitarian society.
The ending of the book came out of nowhere and disappointed and confused many fans. I thought it was unexpected and bittersweet. Perhaps the powers of the Tear crown and what it was capable of doing for Kelsea’s world seemed too easy for readers. Perhaps readers didn’t like how the ending came out of left field. At the start of each chapter, there are little excerpts from histories supposedly written later about Kelsea and her acts, good and ill. The ending of the trilogy rendered all of those histories moot, so I’m not sure what the point of them was.
Despite all of that, I enjoyed this series. The characters, especially Kelsea, are fully fleshed out and likeable, despite their flaws. I was a bit disappointed by the ending, but overall, the books are an excellent read for fans of fantasy. I’ve since learned that Johansen intends to write more on the Tearling, but focusing on different characters. I’m eager to see what’s next for Kelsea’s world.
