Every now and then, a fantasy series comes along that completely hijacks your brain, throws off your sleep schedule, and has you spiraling into big, messy emotions. For me, that was Erika Johansen’s The Queen of the Tearling trilogy. On paper, it had all my favorite things: a morally complex heroine, political drama, magic, rebellion and just enough mystery to keep me side-eying every character.
And honestly? It delivered. Until it didn’t.
It started out strong ~ it was character-focused, high-stakes and grounded in emotion. But somewhere along the way, it morphed into something… different. Bigger? Yes. Bolder? Sure. But also kind of emotionally disjointed. So here’s a spoiler-free breakdown of how it all went down ~ and how I ended up feeling betrayed… but still weirdly attached.
Book One: The Queen of the Tearling – ★★★★☆
This was a solid start. We meet Kelsea Raleigh Glynn, a young woman thrust into power with almost no guidance and a kingdom on the verge of collapse. She’s idealistic, stubborn and refreshingly real. She makes messy choices, second-guesses herself, and still finds ways to stand her ground. I rooted for her immediately.
The book itself is dark and gritty ~ not cozy at all. It’s more about survival and hard choices than it is about magic and whimsy. And that worked for me. Every decision had weight, and the political system was bleak but fascinating. There’s a constant sense that things could go very, very wrong.
But what really hooked me were the characters. Mace, the unshakable Captain of the Guard. The Fetch, whose whole vibe screamed “chaotic neutral love interest maybe?”. And then there’s Pen ~ steadfast, quietly loyal and already breaking my heart a little. They made the world feel lived in – Johansen populated her The Tearling with people you either instantly cared about or wanted to know more about. When I finished book one, I was all in.
Book Two: The Invasion of the Tearling – ★★★★☆
Now this book? This one made had me on edge the whole time. Kelsea’s journey takes a darker, more psychological turn. The story takes a darker turn as the Tearling faces invasion, she begins to unravel in ways that felt deeply uncomfortable. Her transformation isn’t just political ~ it’s internal, physical and even supernatural. Watching her try to shoulder everything was like watching someone slowly drown in their own good intentions, slowly unravelling under the weight of impossible decisions. I was anxious about her 85% of the time.
The book also introduces new perspectives, including a timeline set before the Tearling even existed. These flashbacks (shift in POV) give a lot of context and backstory, while I appreciated the added depth, it was jarring at times. It also meant spending way less time in the world I originally fell in love with. I kept wanting to jump back to the castle, back to The Mace and the Queen’s Guard.
That said, the tension remained high, the character development remained on point and I still flew through it. I needed to know how it all ended.
Book Three: The Fate of the Tearling – ★★☆☆☆
Oh boy. This one…
Half the book is flashbacks. Literally. We spend so much time in the past that the present storyline ~ aka the one I was invested in ~ gets pushed to the side. The characters I loved? Barely there. Mace and Pen feel like afterthoughts. The Fetch is… omg (face palm). Kelsea herself takes a backseat for the large part, when she does return, it’s only to be pushed toward a final decision that completely throws a grenade on the story we’ve been following.
I understand what Johansen was going for ~ a commentary on sacrifice, on cycles of violence and power, on how true change often comes with loss. But the execution? Lord have mercy..
The ending made me angry. Not because it was tragic or even unexpected, but because it felt like a betrayal of the characters and themes that made this series matter. We were asked to care deeply and then told that none of it mattered. For a story that took so many risks, the finale felt like it robbed the narrative of its heart. May as well have been a fever dream.
By the time I closed the final book, I was mentally rewriting the ending in my head just to soothe the frustration. I hate when I have to do that. I wanted justice for these characters. It felt like everything the series built up to was just tossed out the window in favor of a philosophical mic drop.
It wasn’t just that I didn’t like it ~ I felt let down. The characters and their arcs had so much potential, and it felt like the story chose to walk away from all of it.
Final Thoughts: A Wild Ride with a Rough Landing
The Queen of the Tearling trilogy is one of the most ambitious fantasy series I’ve read in recent years. It’s bold, it’s messy, and it tries to do things I haven’t seen done in fantasy before. There’s a ton to unpack ~ especially around power, leadership, and sacrifice ~ and parts of it will definitely stick with me.
But ambition doesn’t always equal satisfaction. For all its strengths, the trilogy left me with more questions than closure. I’m all for stories that challenge expectations, but the finale felt more like a narrative reset than a resolution. It didn’t give me the emotional payoff I was hoping for. The first book built such a strong foundation. The second expanded the world but started to drift. And the third… well, it just took off in another direction entirely.
Do I regret reading it? No. Would I recommend it? Depends on who’s asking. If you love morally gray queens, layered political plots, and don’t mind endings that punch you in the feelings and walk away, you’ll probably still get something out of it.
Just know that it might leave you yelling “but WHY” at the ceiling.
Final Trilogy Rating: 3.5 stars
(A strong beginning and an ending I pretend doesn’t exist.)
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