Let me just say before we get started, I started the Tearling trilogy during one of the loneliest times of my life, and I’ve never fallen into a world more than with this story. Getting to read a prequel to the story that started it all is definitely a way I wanted to spend the beginning of this year. Beneath the Keep continues this immersive fantasy that I fell in love with and this book both serves to expand the world, and gives readers some insight into the events that lead to the main series. Since it’s been a bit of time since I read the last book, I had forgotten how dark and gritty this whole series is, but it didn’t stop me from reading it. If you enjoyed the Tearling trilogy, I definitely recommend you add it to your TBR. With that said, if you’re sensitive to subjects of violence, sexual abuse, child abuse, and exploitation, I would definitely approach this with caution.
With this being a prequel to the Tearling series, you don’t have to have read the previous books to understand what’s going on, and honestly, it might put the events of the series into perspective. Beneath the Keep begins with a look at what the Tearling has become. Far from the utopia it was supposed to be, it has reverted to feudalism, with an ever growing chasm between the rich and the poor. Famine looms and there are dangerous rumours about a prophecy telling of the True Queen that will rise and save the kingdom. Those rumours won’t serve Lazarus, a brutal fighter in the underworld of the Creche or Aislinn who’s dealing with her own role in the growing rebellion. Meanwhile, in the Keep, the crown princess Elyssa is torn between duty to the crown and a group who promises radical change. She must make a decision of where her loyalties will lay before her options are taken from her by force by a witch and her master lurking in the shadows. The paths of the three will converge on something bigger, but they may not be ready for what’s in store.
From the beginning, this story is dark and certainly quite gloomy. Erika Johansen is an expert at setting the tone for the book, and I sunk into it wondering where this was going. I was happy to have the story starting from Lazarus’ perspective and seeing the way the world was shaping him to become something more. Elyssa’s perspective was the one I most wanted to see though, because I was so curious about her. She’s so young and idealistic, and I liked getting to know her and her motivations. Quite in contrast to her ruthless mother, she hopes for something better, and isn’t necessarily sure how to go about it until the Blue Horizon. Aislinn was also a really strong character that I felt had a lot of power despite her circumstances. This book has quite a few characters, and I feel that each one counted, and something that I loved was the fact that motivations aren’t always just black and white. There’s mostly good, mostly bad, and everything in between.
There’s quite a bit of social commentary happening in this book that highlights the disparity between the rich and the poor, the treatment of women and children, and the exploitation of people by those in positions of power. It’s brutal, and quite honestly, can be a lot for a reader to handle in one go. This was a story that I had to read in chunks, because while I devoured the original trilogy, my mind/heart was not in the same place it was years ago. Quite honestly, part of it is the fact that while it is fantasy, it does an excellent job of portraying what a world could look like if someone was allowed to do exactly what they wanted with it without consequence. That being said, the further you delve into the story, the more you find yourself hooked on the storylines of these characters and what the future may hold for the Tearling.
One of my favourite things about this story is the worldbuilding. While the stage was already set for you if you’ve read the original trilogy, if you come into it with fresh eyes, I think you’ll still be able to create the whole world without too much work. The worldbuilding along with the way that Erika has set the tone for the story, makes this such an atmospheric piece of work. It created this emotional connection between the place and characters, and by the end, I definitely felt like I had been on my own journey. A journey followed by a deep breath and a moment to contemplate all that I had read.
Overall, this book certainly met all the expectations that I had of it. I definitely liked it better than I enjoyed the last book of the trilogy, which part of me is still a little miffed at. I am not sure if this book means that we’ll get to see more Tearling books in the future, but I hope that it means we might get to revisit Kelsey and her crew sooner rather than later. Like I said, it’s quite a dark book. Add it to your TBR if you’re looking for something with some grit to it!
Beneath the Keep is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of February 2nd 2021.
Will you be picking up Beneath the Keep? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
The story of a decadent kingdom descended into darkness, alliances forged under fire, and a battle over a prophecy that will change the course of history.
The Tearling has reverted to feudalism, a far cry from the utopia it was founded to be. As the gap between rich and poor widens and famine threatens the land, sparking unrest, rumors of a prophecy begin to spread: a great hope, a True Queen who will rise up and save the kingdom.
But rumors will not help Lazarus, a man raised to kill in the brutal clandestine underworld of the Creche, nor Aislinn, a farm girl who must reckon with her own role in the growing rebellion. In the Keep, the crown princess, Elyssa, finds herself torn between duty to the throne and the lure of the Blue Horizon, a group of fierce idealists who promise radical change . . . but Elyssa must choose quickly, before a nefarious witch and her shadowy master use dark magic to decide for her. It is only a matter of time before all three will be called into the service of something bigger than they have ever imagined: a fight for a better world.
I’m excited to read this prequel 🙂 Have you done revoews of the other books in the trilogy too?