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 The Queen Of The Tearling has arrived on the scene with an overwhelming amount of hype and it has been called: "Games Of Thrones meets Hunger Games" or "the female Game Of Thrones". Neither description truly fit this novel, which in my opinion is a good thing because Tearling is it's own wonderful novel that doesn't truly conform to genre boundaries. Though The Queen Of The Tearling is an excellent fantasy novel, it was a bit difficult for me to become engrossed in this novel. I took a few chapters, but after that I became extremely addicted to this novel and I wanted to know everything there was to know about the Tearling. 
 Kelsea is the long lost heir of the Tearling and she has been in hiding for nearly her entire life. She must ascend the throne during tumultuous times and she is expected to be the queen that her people need. The Tearling is in bondage to their neighboring country and the citizens of the Tearling are sent as tribute, in the form of slaves. How can Kelsea govern her people properly when she has little knowledge of politics and the Tearling? 
 A beginning of a novel should hook readers in and engage them to the point where they want to read more. The first chapter was exorbitantly long (around 40 pages) and was so dull to the point where I had abandoned this book twice before finally finishing it. This chapter definitely needed some retooling because it served as a poor introduction to this world and it's characters. It took a while for me to get into this book, but after the opening chapters, the pace really picked up and I became much more interested in this book. 
 The Tearling takes place in a medieval society that was formed after the rest of the world fell apart. Though the novel doesn't go into in-depth about what happened in the "Crossing", it does set up the world-building effectively. I would love to know more about the origins of the Tearling, but I have a feeling that both the reader and Kelsea will learn more about this world in the following novel. 
 I love Kelsea as a character because she isn't your typical fantasy heroine. nor does she attempt to be one. She is extremely unsure of herself whether she's right the person to be the queen and she is extremely sassy. Instead of acting all regal and imperial like a Queen does, Kelsea is snarky and she has a great sense of humor. It's rare to have a protagonist that deviates from the norm and whose character strays from genre cliches. 
 Erika Johansen is definitely an author to watch and her debut novel is extremely well-written and is filled with lush, vibrant descriptions. There's no shortage of exciting fantasy elements in Tearling and this book is a must-read for all those who want to read a book with a kick-ass heroine and magic. Tearling was be slow-paced and a bit difficult to get into at first, but it quickly became an incredible read and I can definitely see why Heyman (legendary producer of Harry Potter) and Emma Watson are adapting this novel into a motion picture.