The Fate of the Tearling: The End is Where We Begin
- by Elvira Dimitrova
- Jun 14, 2018
- 4 min read
An extreme tension, an even more captivating parallel between past and present, and a strong character development. All of these you can find in the last part of the trilogy of The Queen of the Tearling. Erika Johansen has accomplished the incredibly difficult task of reaching a consistency in the world, so that the story could thrive and so you could experience the characters' decisions at first hand, as if you've become one and the same. In a way it's like a tell-tale game. It makes you wonder what you would do in any of the presented situations. The title of the review is the name of a song which I find extremely suitable for this story. I will give my best to present my views as unspoilery as possible, but if you haven't read the book yet I advise you to be aware of spoilers ahead or to read my review of the previous two books here.
Firstly, this book continues pretty much from where it left off. Kelsea has managed to save the Tearling for a while by becoming a prisoner to the Red Queen and the Mace is now in charge of her kingdom. This, however, leads to so many hard situations that each of them has to face. Mace's loyalty is leading him entirely towards protecting and saving the queen from capture, while she is trying to make the best of a situation where she and the Red Queen have to unite forces in order to figure out how to defeat a common enemy that is lurking in the shadows and enlarging his army.
In addition, while all of these things are taking place, you get to explore the minds of the characters and of course reach into the past so you can finally understand what has brought to the critical situation that their world is now in. By getting to know each character, you begin to realise that it's considerably impossible for you to despise any of them. Instead, you get to know their past and glimpse their motives so you could have a vivid picture of why they have turned out to be the way they are. Of course, it doesn't mean that all the wrong decisions they have made should be forgiven, but you realise what has brought them about nonetheless. The Red Queen is the perfect example for that. Even though Kelsea was aware of all the morbid deeds her "enemy" had done, she knew her story (or part of it); she had seen it with her own eyes. So she knew what stood behind the woman's decisions and somehow she had grown to respect her without even realizing it at first.
Other than the extreme evolvement of empathy for the characters (even the villains and the antagonists), there is a continuous revalation of William Tear's utopia and how massively it had failed. It is this discovery that helps Kelsea realize what the people have done wrong and why Tear's idea of the perfect society hasn't worked out. The same mistakes have been repeated. People have grown into their old nature, the one of the Pre-Crossing. By delving into the significant events of the past, Kelsea will come to grasp that an utopia cannot be accomplised without everyone being aware of the mistakes that have been made before; the infinate errors that have led to the destructive situation of the old world. The younger generations would need to be aware of what had let to their previous downfall so they could give everything in their power to prevent it from happening again. As the assassination of Johnathan Tear progresses while simultaneously the downfall of her own kingdom in the present is about to take place, Kelsea has to face the most crucial dilemma so far. How can you possibly save your kingdom when it has been ambushed on all ends?
Therefore, we reach the ending of the book which I have to admit I still have mixed feelings for. On the one hand, it is harsh, naive and way too risky. But on the other hand, knowing the protagonist's character by now, it actually seems like the only possible option. It is where the story has been leading her to, or more likely where she's been leading the story to. So although for some readers it might be unfitting, it's in a way the one that is the most realistic. Perhaps for some there is even an element of surprise to it - the kind that will probably disappoint you a bit at first because things definitely do not turn out as you have thought they would but before you start judging, ask yourself this: Does anything ever turn out to be the way you have thought or wanted in the end?
To finish off, this trilogy is suitable for every fantasy fan out there. It doesn't matter if you are into young-adult novels, or the classic kinds of fantasy like Game of Thrones. This is for you. Whether you will approve of the ending or not will be extremely individual, but the fact remains that I have enjoyed this story from beginning till end and I have no regrets about reading it. So go get yourself this thrilling trilogy and prepare to sink into the complexity of a world and a society that will strongly urge you to reflect on the way we currently live our lives and how we can actually do better.
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