Beneath the Keep

A Novel of the Tearling

By: Erika Johansen

Narrated by: Mandy Williams

Length: 14 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's Summary

"A suspenseful, multi-layered tale of how the sparks of revolution are kindled, and of those who strive to ignite them." (Cassandra Clare, number-one New York Times best-selling author) 

As a kingdom descends into darkness and new alliances are forged under fire, a battle begins over a prophecy that will change the course of history in this much-anticipated stand-alone prequel to the best-selling Queen of the Tearling trilogy.

The Tearling, founded as a utopia, has collapsed and reverted to feudalism. As the gap between rich and poor widens and famine threatens the land, rumors of a prophecy begin to spread: a great hope, a True Queen who will ascend and save the kingdom.

But rumors will not help Lazarus, a boy on the verge of manhood, trapped in the clandestine underworld known as the Creche. Enlisted from his earliest days to kill without mercy, he has never seen sun or sky, not until a quest for vengeance propels him aboveground. There he finds a calling amid a royal court rife with intrigue and danger, where he meets Niya, Princess Elyssa’s handmaid, who is not what she appears to be and whose true identity will spell death if revealed. 

With a righteous rebellion gathering inside her kingdom, Princess Elyssa finds herself torn between duty to the throne and her growing loyalty to the Blue Horizon, a group of fierce idealists who promise radical change. Elyssa must choose quickly, for threats beset her on all sides, and the powers wielded by an uncanny seer and her shadowy master are preparing to decide the Princess’s fate for her. It is only a matter of time before Lazarus, Niya, and Elyssa will be called into the service of something greater than they have ever imagined: the fight for a better world.

©2021 Erika Johansen (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Disappointed

I loved the Tearling trilogy and was very excited about this new book. I even pre ordered it so I could start it as soon as possible. Unfortunately this book is horrible. It is inconsistent with the story of the other three books. It is repetitive as well - she repeats things over abs over. I recommend the original trilogy but as far as this addition aa a prequel I recommend throwing in the garbage and ignoring it.

Continuity

Having read all of the Queen of the Tearling books, I was excited to learn more about the characters that played such a massive role in Kelsey’s reign. Didn’t love the ending of Fate of the Tearling, hut that’s beside the point. My issue is that some of the backstory the author creates here doesn’t tally with what’s written in the very next book. Call me crazy, but if you’re reading the prequel then chances are you’ve read the rest. If I noticed discrepancies, how did the author miss them? The editor? Overall a good book but frustrating in the context of the over arching story.