And Johansen doesn’t disappoint: She has created so many characters I care about, new and old alike. The most noteworthy is Katie, another leading lady whose story is intertwined with Tear history. Just when I think Johansen has too many characters to properly juggle, she introduces several more. Past and present mingle once again as Kelsea tries to figure out how to accomplish this. While Kelsea is held prisoner, she is contemplating her long-term goal: how to restore the embattled Tearling kingdom to its former glory. The Mace, the Fetch, and their men are at the Keep working on a plan to rescue Kelsea. It then picks up right where book 2 left off, with Kelsea held captive by the Red Queen after sacrificing herself in exchange for three years of peace for the Tearling. The book opens with the Fetch, who has always seemed important to the overall storyline but was largely absent from book 2.

If you want to know what that detail is, ask me in the comments and I’ll be spoilery there. I wish I could tweak one small detail about the very end, and then it would be close to perfect for me. That is basically the exact formula for a series-ender I will love.

Will I contemplate it for a long time? Yes. While I can see where they’re coming from, I thought it was fantastic. I give it 4.5 stars! I read several bloggers who didn’t enjoy the ending of this book. No spoilers in this review of The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen.

The tearling