The Fate of the Tearling

I read this entire book in one day. I absolutely love this series and these characters, especially Mace and Pen. But I am incredibly disappointed in the ending. I almost regret reading this.
I would have much preferred Kelsea, Mace, Pen and the rest of those in the Keep to have died, instead of Kelsea messi ng with the past and making everything they went through meaningless.

After thinking more I don't think it could have ended and differently. Kelsey had to give up her whole life and history for the Better Life. This way, we could truly feel and understand the loss and pain. If had just been written for us and not experienced with the character it would have lacked emotional punch.


Prior review: A great story and didn't see ending coming - wasn't entirely satisfying because of this, but characters stayed true. Entertaining and very enjoyable.

Actual rating: 4.5 I definitely didn't see that ending coming! I enjoyed this trilogy more than I thought I would. I liked Kelsea (although sometimes I wanted to slap her) and the rest of the characters, especially Mace. But overall, it's been intriguing and captivating. I know some hate the ending because it's not usual, but I liked it. I think it made the whole story worth it.

This was probably my favorite of the 3 books. The ending was a complete surprise! Good ending to a good triology.

Holy cats this trilogy is stunning. It just kept raising the stakes and taking me off-guard, and I came to care so deeply about almost all the characters (even many of the “villains”). Immensely powerful with a slow reveal of various plot arcs leading to a deeply emotional ending. And with some serious thoughts embedded throughout about empathy, social justice and civilization. I'm dying to talk to someone about these books, so: friends: PLEASE read these books!

Sebenarnya aku bingung bagaimana mau menilai buku ketiga ini. Buku pertama dimulai dgn cerita yg kuat, mengisahkan seorang gadis di umur 19 thn diboyong ke istana setelah bertahun2 dibesarkan oleh pelayan istana untuk menjadi ratu. Alur bolak balik di masa kini & masa lalu, namun sebagian besar terfokus di masa lalu. Endingnya pun terkesan penyelesaian yg terlalu mudah.
Melanjutkn cerita yg menggantung di buku kedua, Kelsea menjadi tahanan Ratu Merah. Setelah di buku 2 Kelsea memasuki kehidupan Lily, di buku 3 ini Kelsea menjadi Katie Rice.
Masa lalu menyita hampir sebagian besar buku ini sehingga alur utamanya mengenai Kelsea tersisihkan. Agak mengecewakan sbnrnya, untuk buku yg dimulai dgn sangat kuat.

september 2022 re-read review:
3.5 stars. It's interesting to see how my thoughts have changed the second time around! I'd probably rank them in order of publication now (1, 2, 3), as I feel like the story kind of loses itself as the trilogy progresses. Trying to think back, the plot of the third book is a blur for the most part and it didn't feel particularly good. I also had not remembered the ending at all and... yikes. What a cop-out. I'm glad I re-read the series but I don't think I'll be picking it up a third time.

original july 2017 review:
This is the final book in the Queen of the Tearling trilogy and I really enjoyed it! I'd probably rate the books Invasion of the Tearling, Fate of the Tearling, and Queen of the Tearling in order of enjoyment. I didn't like the first very much, but loved the second, and really liked the third! I thought the plot progression was interesting, although I got confused at times, and I love the characters. I thought it was really nice to see more of the background of the Tearling. I'd definitely recommend this trilogy to fans of fantasy stories.

It's sort of astonishing that Johansen was able to actually tie the many different elements together and actually provide a real ending. I would have never believed that future dystopia, fantasy coming of age, and even time travel/portal usage could work - but it does.

1.5/5 Stars

The first 92% of this book was amazing. There were parts I was unsure about, but over all it was a 3, perhaps even 4 star book. Then that last chapter happened and I have NEVER been more disappointed in my entire life. That was not an ending, that was just the easy way out. I have never hated an ending more than I hate this one, and I now feel like giving it two stars is being generous. Urgh. I wish I didn't waste my time with that ending. Maybe I'll post a more detailed review later.