An untested young princess must claim her throne, learn to become a queen, and combat a malevolent sorceress in an epic battle between light and darkness in this spectacular debut—the first novel in a trilogy.
Young Kelsea Raleigh was raised in hiding after the death of her mother, Queen Elyssa, far from the intrigues of the royal Keep and in the care of two devoted servants who pledged their lives to protect her. Growing up in a cottage deep in the woods, Kelsea knows little of her kingdom's haunted past . . . or that its fate will soon rest in her hands.
Long ago, Kelsea's forefathers sailed away from a decaying world to establish a new land free of modern technology. Three hundred years later, this feudal society has divided into three fearful nations who pay duties to a fourth: the powerful Mortmesne, ruled by the cunning Red Queen. Now, on Kelsea's nineteenth birthday, the tattered remnants of the Queen's Guard—loyal soldiers who protect the throne—have appeared to escort the princess on a perilous journey to the capital to ascend to her rightful place as the new Queen of the Tearling.
Though born of royal blood and in possession of the Tear sapphire, a jewel of immense power and magic, Kelsea has never felt more uncertain of her ability to rule. But the shocking evil she discovers in the heart of her realm will precipitate an act of immense daring, throwing the entire kingdom into turmoil—and unleashing the Red Queen's vengeance. A cabal of enemies with an array of deadly weapons, from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic, plots to destroy her. But Kelsea is growing in strength and stealth, her steely resolve earning her loyal allies, including the Queen's Guard, led by the enigmatic Lazarus, and the intriguing outlaw known simply as "the Fetch."
Kelsea's quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun. Riddled with mysteries, betrayals, and treacherous battles, Kelsea's journey is a trial by fire that will either forge a legend . . . or destroy her.
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.
Katherine Kellgren (1969-2018), narrator and actress, appeared onstage in London, New York, and Frankfurt, including in the role of Laura in a regional production of The Glass Menagerie and appearances on Comedy Central. In recognition of her mastery of audiobook narration, she received many honors, including the prestigious Audie Awards, with four for best female narrator; the Odyssey Award; Publishers Weekly Listen Up Award; dozens of AudioFile magazine Earphones Awards; an AudioFile Golden Voice Award; Booklist Voice of Choice award; and acclaim from press and listener reviews.
Every month, we bring you Barnes & Noble’s bestsellers in sci-fi and fantasy over the prior 30-day period. But which books had staying power throughout the year? Below, we take a look at the books that sold, and sold, and sold throughout 2015. Hardcovers
Despite passing on their deep love for Disney, my parents weren’t big on the idea of princesses. I didn’t have dolls, my walls weren’t pink, and I didn’t have a crown I insisted on wearing in public. By the time I reached adulthood, I typically saw princess characters as being silly and vapid, and couldn’t […]
My favorite thing George R.R. Martin has ever said (barring the moment he exclaims, “Here comes Benjen Stark!”) is his response when asked his approach on writing female characters: “I’ve always considered women to be people.” What a novel concept! Yet the worlds of sci-fi and fantasy (the former being a genre more or less […]
Something has happened to our world. America, Great Britain, and the globe’s other powers no longer exist. Technology and all knowledge of history before The Crossing have been wiped from society’s collective memory. The refugees of our world have fled from some darker place and started over, attempting to begin a new civilization built on utopian […]
There’s just something about a good fantasy novel that glues it to your hand. Or, more accurately, there are several somethings. Fantasy stories excite and transport you, and they do it with style, in a way that crosses borders and spans generations. How do they do it? With a few time-honored, universally pleasing characteristics that […]
