What I read this month: December 2024

December was a busy so I didn't read for most of it, but a quick trip to see family in Florida provided ample time to binge a trilogy I've been meaning to read for awhile!

These three books bring my total count for the year to 29. I didn't have a reading goal in 2024; I simply wanted to feel genuinely excited about reading again, and to naturally pick up books because I felt like reading. I wanted to get to a place where reading had become a true hobby for me again, and I do think I'm there.

The Queen of the Tearling, The Invasion of the Tearling, and The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

This series has been on my radar for awhile, but I needed some time to dedicate to them. I had a feeling once I started, I'd want to binge, and I was right.

The books take place in a new world. In the first book, we get hints that this world has some connection to our world, but it's not clear what that connection is. We follow young Queen Kelsea as she comes out of hiding and ascends the throne of the Tearling, a corrupt and broken country living under the terrifying thumb of their neighboring nation, Mortmesne. Kelsea's goal is to save her country or die trying.

The the next two novels, we see her descend into darkness as she seeks any means necessary to protect the Tearling, and we learn about the mysterious Crossing that brought these people to the new world. The novels reveal just enough about this mystery at a time, without heavy-handed world building or exposition-laden conversations. I love the way Johansen uncovers the intricate history of the world, and eventually the seeds that are planted early in the series come to fruition, and we get a very satisfying look at how the Tearling and Mortmesne came to be.

The characters, too, were so well done. Kelsea's arc is believable and engaging; I felt the weight and difficulty of every decision she made. So too, all the characters are nuanced and flawed. Sometimes they're stubborn and naïve, or rash and thoughtless, but even their most frustrating actions make sense in the context of the plot.

For example, in the first book. Kelsea hopes to win the respect of Mace, her dead mother's head guard. When she finally does, it truly feels earned. His loyalty isn't a foregone conclusion early in the novel.

The pacing of this series was well done, too. The first novel felt whole and complete, with Kelsea's first act as queen paying off (for the time being); the second novel builds on the themes of the first while providing more insight into the Red Queen (the ruler of Mortmesne), the magic in the land, and the key players in the new world's history; and the third book pushes Kelsea into a place of desperation and resignation, which builds to an ending that I, personally, found inevitable and well-earned.

(Light spoilers ahead.) 

The last act of the third novel took a turn I wasn't expecting. I stayed up until 2am to finish it, and in my fatigue, I wasn't sure how I felt about it. It almost leaned into horror territory. But upon reflection the next day, I think the ending is fitting. I'd be curious how it was received back when it was published in 2016, because I think the ending flirts a bit with being a bait-and-switch. But given Kelsea's goals throughout the series and the magic she possesses, I think an ending like this was sort of inevitable. 

The novels explore how the past informs the present, and how we cannot rid ourselves of the past's burdens and lessons. It's not the most hopeful of messages, but in this world, we see that the only way to actually create a good world once ill-intent is introduced to society is to start over completely. We cannot cut ourselves off from the past without destroying it, and we cannot build a beautiful future on a foundation steeped in corruption.

So it makes sense to me that, in order to truly save the Tearling, Kelsea has to face the past and fix the wrongs done then to save the Tearling of her time. Now, I'd be happy to debate whether the way this was handled was solid plotting or sort of a deus ex machina situation, but I personally wasn't unhappy with how it all wrapped up. 

I will say that my interpretation of the message here is pretty depressing, though.

(End of spoilers.)

Kelsea's sacrifices, and her struggle to be truly selfless when it counts most, were a joy to experience. These novels examine human nature, religion, power and corruption, and what it means to strive for a better world. I highly, highly recommend them, and I'm so glad I got around to them before the year ended. They were a perfect way to cap off 2024.

Ali