Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman is a beautifully introspective fantasy about self-discovery and resilience. Tess, a flawed but determined protagonist, embarks on a journey to escape her past and find her own path. With lush world-building and a focus on personal growth, it's perfect for readers who enjoy character-driven adventures with depth.

If you loved Seraphina, you'll be overjoyed to return to the world Rachel Hartman created. That being said, previous knowledge of that world is helpful but not essential to reading Tess of the Road. In fact, with all the new dragon fervor that's captivated fantasy recently, I think readers will be enchanted by the amazing storytelling and characters who will draw you in as Seraphina did.

Wonderfully imaginative and a great companion to the original Seraphina duology. It expands the world of the previous novels while still finding ways to incorporate LGBTQ themes and sexual expression. Tess also struggles with centering herself in her own life; often defaulting to support others in their own journeys. It's an interesting look at how trauma and shame can effect one's self-worth, while also setting up a fantasy sequel.

Compelling as hell, this is a sequel series to Seraphina (which I hadn't read) but works by itself as long as you're content with pretty hefty spoilers for the other series and a little less description and introduction of unique worldbuilding (eg the quigutl) than you'd get in an introductory book. It's an intense character study of a deeply wounded teenager, which rings very true if you know anyone who's gone through similar things.

Trigger warning for explicit description of rape

“We build history every day, aknew.”

A young woman, “forever curious,” who despite her best efforts doesn’t seem to fit into her family. Her younger twin Jeanne is the one who is gentle and kind. Everyone loves her. Tess Dombegh is all sharp elbows and questions. The descriptions of her six year old self are hilarious. Her questions are endless.
As the eldest twin she’s being groomed to make a good match and save the family coffers. However Tess has questions. She disguised herself as a boy and attends natural philosophy lectures. Which is where she meets Will. And Yes, despite all, she becomes pregnant. Since then Tess has been even more belligerent, and her family? Let’s just say they’re offended, cross and unrelenting in their despise of her.
Her unforgiving mother sends Tess off and Jeanne is presented at court as the elder sister.
Her half sister the dragon Seraphina tells Tess to find herself, and gifts her a pair of boots.
When Pathka the quigutl calls her and says it’s leaving to find the Wild Serpent under the world Tess joins it. What’s that I hear you ask? A denizen of this world.
They set off on a journey that will change Tess. Walking the road helps her face many things, and eventually lightens the load.
She has what can only be described as a conversion experience when she encounters the Serpent. That will eventually bring heartbreak and determination.
Her meeting with the ex Herald Joaquin, who’s lost the use of his legs, brings her to the understanding that she’d been raped by Will.
This however is just the beginning of Tess journey. We leave her joining an expedition to the to save the Southern Serpent. A ship of Dragons bent on that serpent’s destruction have already departed.
It took some time to sort out Tess’s story thus far. I was slightly lost for a chapter or two.
However, Tess’s journey her personal building of her history, was a revelation.

A Random House ARC via NetGalley.

Enjoyable YA story.

I appreciate the opportunity to review. Sorry for the long delay in feedback. I'm working on clearing out my Netgalley backlog. Trying to find the joy in reading again by going through the hundreds of abandoned books here.

I loved the cover, I loved the blurb, but I just couldn't get into this book. I really did want to like it. Perhaps at a later date this book will speak to me.

I loved Seraphina and I loved Tess just as much. It's a thick yet comforting read, full of adventure, friendship, and self-discovery. Best for older teens or new adults, this fantasy can stand on its own or be read as a companion to Seraphina and Shadow Scale. While Seraphina was more political, Tess of the Road is more concentrated on character and Tess's ultimate self-acceptance. It's not a kind kingdom all the time, but Tess makes her way and finds a place that feels right for her. Looking forward to more.

Not for me. It's definitely a character read, instead of plot or world, but the issue with that lies in that I didn't like Tess or the other characters. It's slow-moving to boot, and the cover gives a very false impression there will be dragons, when there are in fact no dragons.

Got this as part of the 2019 Hugo Awards packet. I ran out of time to read it for the voting, but have finally read it. Let’s just say I wouldn’t have rated it for an award.

It’s mid-series, and frankly it shows. I also found the world-building somewhat suspect; the local religions seem to be old-style Irish Catholicism with the serial numbers filed off with added dragons and draconoids. It’s also too much of a YA misery memoir; it’s supposed to be uplifting but frankly the ending doesn’t make up for the rest of the story.

Not something I want to continue with.

This tale is set in the same world as the original Seraphina duology but veers away from the fantasy at times in favor of a journey of self-discovery. Tess' internal voice has a strong role in this coming of age story as she grapples with what she wants to be in a world where Seraphina is seen as a Saint and Tess has unresolved sorrows and triggers from her own recent experiences. The exploration of recent trauma is an uncommon plus for this YA-read. However, having expected the same level of fantasy as the original duology, I was left somewhat wanting. Go into the book with the context above and you'll probably enjoy it more. Overall a solid story.

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This has been on my TBR pile for so long, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. I really enjoyed the storyline and seeing the characters change throughout the story was a great character development. The plot was great and kept my attention. I'm glad I got the chance to read this and will be on the lookout for more in the future!

Great book, love this author and how they can keep my attention to the end! The plot is well developed, characters are believable and they obviously paid attention to detail to make the story worth your time to read.

Tess of the road is not your typical fantasy novel; yes, it has fantasy elements but at its heart is the journey of a twin sister who has been deemed the evil twin. Tess makes all the wrong choices and disappoints her family at every turn. This book does not shy away from sharing just how terrible the world and her family are to Tess. The addition of their dragons and subspecies ties it in very nicely with its predecessor Seraphina, who makes a few appearances in this tale. Tess's journey is heartbreaking, raw, and very emotional, from the loss of her child to the heartbreak of being left with bleak choices to the terrifying decision to strike out on her own.
I would suggest you go into this one, knowing it is a coming of age story and that it is a journey all about Tess with the dragons being a backdrop instead of the focal point. I think this is where the low ratings are given. Not realizing your diving into a story like this can ruin your experience. Do your research and make sure you are ready for the journey you and Tess will go on

Tess of the road is not your typical fantasy novel; yes, it has fantasy elements but at its heart is the journey of a twin sister who has been deemed the evil twin. Tess makes all the wrong choices and disappoints her family at every turn. This book does not shy away from sharing just how terrible the world and her family are to Tess. The addition of their dragons and subspecies ties it in very nicely with its predecessor Seraphina, who makes a few appearances in this tale. Tess's journey is heartbreaking, raw, and very emotional, from the loss of her child to the heartbreak of being left with bleak choices to the terrifying decision to strike out on her own.
I would suggest you go into this one, knowing it is a coming of age story and that it is a journey all about Tess with the dragons being a backdrop instead of the focal point. I think this is where the low ratings are given. Not realizing your diving into a story like this can ruin your experience. Do your research and make sure you are ready for the journey you and Tess will go on.

The reader will benefit from having read the first book in the series, Seraphina. "Tess of the Road" starts off somewhat slow, but it picks up pace and improves as the story progresses. Tess is curious and somewhat of a troublemaker, although her behavior seems worse than it really is when compared to her twin sister Jeanne (the pretty one and the well-behaved one) and her older half-sister Seraphina. It does not help that her mother adheres to the strict teachings of St. Vitt, who holds uncharitable views on the nature of women and on intimate activities outside of wedlock. In essence, a "fallen" woman has two choices -- prostitute or life in a convent.

After a particularly bad series of events results in plans to force Tess to join a convent, she decides to take to the Road and head south to her mother's homeland of Ninys and reinvent herself. Not long into her journey, she finds herself reunited with an old friend, Pathka, who is a quigutl. Quigutl are lizard-like creatures who are adept at making mechanical devices, but who are generally held in disdain by dragons and held in disdain or feared by humans. Tess had taught herself Quootla, enabling her to communicate with Pathka. She discovers that Pathka hears the calling of Anathuthia, one of the mythical world serpents, and decides to join him in his quest to find Anathuthia.

Tess enjoyed stories of adventure and exploration growing up, but she finds life on the road much different from the childhood stories. In some areas Tess is very knowledgeable, but in other areas, she is rather naïve or uninformed. For example, one of the aliases she uses on the road is Tes'puco, a childhood nickname bestowed by her cousin and which means "stupid head" in Ninysh, but also has a more pejorative meaning. Most of the story is her adventures on the road, with periodic chapters that go back and discuss past events that help explain her connection to various other characters and how she came to be the person she is today. While on the road, Tess encounters people and situations that call into question what she has been taught and believes about herself. In re-inventing herself, she also manages to find herself, discovering that despite her mistakes and mishaps, there is a lot of "good" in her and that she has a lot of potential. Near the end of the story, she finds herself reacquainted with a brother-in-law (Jacomo) with whom she had had a particularly tense relationship. As he explains how he managed to locate her, he talks about the various people she had met and interacted with on the road, allowing her to realize how much of an impact she had made.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I wanted to love this book like everyone else, and I did enjoy it but it just took me a long time to read. It was different and I appreciate that, but I think my taste in genres has just changed too much to give it the appreciation it deserves.

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I got this book on netgalley a few years ago, and I feel really bad and silly that I hadn't read it yet. Tess is a sequel of sorts to Seraphina (another great story), and I was glad I'd read Seraphina earlier, although that certainly isn't necessary.

Tess is a somewhat unlikeable character at the first of this book. She drinks too much, lies, and spoils things for her twin. Of course, her mother is pretty awful, and Tess has some pretty serious baggage.

When she runs away and goes on the road, she meets an old friend, discovers legends, and finds out many things about herself. Along her way, she learns some important lessons, and we learn a lot more about reasons for her earlier actions.

I've recommended this book to several people already and will continue to do so.

“Your credo goes further than you realized: walk on, yes, but don't walk past people who need you. Uncurl yourself so you can see them and respond.”

I read Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman because it was nominated for a Hugo award in 2019. The author caught my attention from the very first page describing idiosyncrasies of the world as viewed through the eyes of a child.. This is a well written, easy to read, easy to enjoy book. Thank you!