Erika Johansen (The Queen of the Tearling, The Invasion of the Tearling) ends her chronicle of the mystical land of the Tearling and its enemies in a time-traveling adventure with the fate of a world in the balance.
Following the events of the second installment, young Tearling Queen Kelsea Glynn and the magical sapphires that defended her kingdom have landed in the clutches of the Red Queen of Mortmesne, the Tearling's sadistic enemy. Kelsea's loyal guard Lazarus serves as regent, his attentions split between the kingdom and rescuing his queen. Her spiritual counselor, Father Tyler, still possesses the long-lost Tear crown, but the church has placed a bounty on his head.
Tortured and chained, Kelsea relies on her indomitable spirit to face the Red Queen, but her enemy seems to desire connection more than retribution, particularly now that the Orphan, an evil spirit from the past, is turning the children of Mortmesne into a cannibalistic force in search of the crown. Kelsea continues to travel in visions back to the founding of the Tearling and the roots of her world's conflict, this time inhabiting a girl her age named Katie, one of a younger generation unconvinced of the merits of William Tear's utopian vision.
Johansen creates her most sweeping vision of Kelsea and her world yet, packing her story with political machinations and explosive revelations, including the long-withheld identity of Kelsea's father. The stunning ending makes a bold statement about sacrifice and rebirth. Readers new to the series should nab the first two volumes prior to learning The Fate of the Tearling. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads