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Book Summary and Reviews of The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

The Invasion of the Tearling

A Queen of the Tearling Novel

by Erika Johansen

  • Published:
  • Jun 2015, 528 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

With each passing day, Kelsea Glynn is growing into her new responsibilities as Queen of the Tearling. By stopping the shipments of slaves to the neighboring kingdom of Mortmesne, she crossed the Red Queen, a brutal ruler whose power derives from dark magic, who is sending her fearsome army into the Tearling to take what is hers. And nothing can stop the invasion.

But as the Mort army draws ever closer, Kelsea develops a mysterious connection to a time before the Crossing, and she finds herself relying on a strange and possibly dangerous ally: a woman named Lily, fighting for her life in a world where being female can feel like a crime. The fate of the Tearling - and that of Kelsea's own soul - may rest with Lily and her story, but Kelsea may not have enough time to find out.

In this dazzling sequel, Erika Johansen brings back favorite characters, including the Mace and the Red Queen, and introduces unforgettable new players, adding exciting layers to her multidimensional tale of magic, mystery, and a fierce young heroine. 

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Starred Review. A bold storytelling choice makes this so much more fascinating than just a saga of warring kingdoms. Both Kelsea's struggles in the Tear to protect her people and Lily's narrative are completely gripping, and the anticipation of a revelation of how these two women are linked will keep readers turning the pages. It's satisfying while leaving readers desperate for the next volume." - Library Journal

"For now, the stories work admirably well on their own as gritty, gruesome, and enthrallingly magical fantasy - or as disturbing and condemning speculative science fiction, as the case may be. Johansen knows how to funnel all her character development and world building into long stretches of truly gripping scenes. That in itself inspires confidence that this dual-genre story thread will culminate in a spectacular payoff before this series ends." - Booklist

"Readers enticed by strong female characters who seize control of their own destiny will forgive the story's flaws." - Publishers Weekly

"A satisfying, well-crafted sequel that will leave readers looking forward to what might happen next to "that fantastic vision inside Tear's jewel" and those who treasure it." - Kirkus

This information about The Invasion of the Tearling was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

Erika Johansen Author Biography

Photo: Victoria Webb

Erika Johansen grew up and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She went to Swarthmore College, earned an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, and eventually became an attorney, but she never stopped writing.

Other books by Erika Johansen at BookBrowse
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