A fun and bright story with great characters and visuals great for YA and adults.

A bit of a slow start, but what a finish! I can't wait to read the next.

I had high hope for this novel as I had heard some many great comments on Hartman's Seraphina. However, I was not really impressed with Hartman's writing style. It seemed very middle grade but used to tell a young/new adult story, which threw me off and I wasn't able to be fully immersed in the story. Full review to come.

Edit:

Obligatory Statement: I received an e-ARC of this book through NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was super excited about this book as-come on-Dragons are amazing(!!!), but I was disappointed and remembered why you don't read spin-offs to series you have not read yet. Also disclaimer: I have not read Seraphina so I don't have the emotional attachment that some readers will have to this world. That is not inherently bad as Hartman does a pretty good job of going over the world. Of course, there were probably some easter eggs that I missed, but this is not Seraphina's story, this is Tess's story.

Now, my biggest complaint about this novel was the writing. This story had the potential to rip my heart out and feed it to a pack of wild dogs; instead, it attempted to scratch it. It felt very middle grade but the story was most certainly a young/new adult and this threw me off. It prevented me from getting really engrossed in the story; it felt a tad childish, yet at the same time very mature. (That is not to say that the topics that Tess goes through should not be discussed in middle-grade books; I am simply saying that I wish that it was written better.) The only point of the story I could really get into was when Tess was with the road crew- those scenes were fantastic! I am not going to spoil them: you should enjoy them in all their glory... but think well-written characters and all the feels.

I loved the subtleness of Tess's despair, like in As You Wish where Elton is depressed but no one talks about it. Tess goes through a lot before the book and some of it no one should have to go through. The simple fact she did something "improper" caused her family, basically, to shun her, forcing her to bottle up the despair and grief that she was feeling and instead express through her alcoholism and ultimately her journey. This book also deals with a lot of toxic female sexuality ideals. Like women, are only for baby making but those babies must be made within wedlock and the gross practice of watching the consummation of a marriage. And troublesome girls must be sent to a nunnery for they are a stain on their family. This all leads to why Tess goes on this journey. However, Tess was offered to travel with Countess Marga, but Tess thought that this was a pity given to her by her sister so she turned it down.

Now for the Dragons, like I said I did not know what to expect as I did not read Seraphina but I liked the Dragon culture. They had a language and a history that gave the story some depth but they weren't the overall focus of the book like I thought that they were going to be.

Overall, Tess of the Road was not really my cup of tea but if you read Seraphina and you really did enjoy it then give Tess of the Road a shot.

Synopsis: Tess' parents are making her become a nun in the medieval kingdom of Goredd. So she cuts her hair like Mulan and goes off on the road with her quigutl (breed of dragon) best friend. Their plan is to find a giant snake-god and EMBRACE that nonconformity.

I feel inaccurate giving this a 3/5 stars because 1) it's a duology and I won't be reading the second installment 2) I almost DNF and 3) I wouldn't really recommend it??? I FEEL REALLY BAD. But it was way too long and I was invested enough in the protagonist. She was like the conduit for adventure and emotional trauma without being a unique person, so the plot was impersonal and boring.

HOWEVER, the imagery and vocabulary is SO beautiful, and you can't help but be drawn into this WORLD. The author's attention to her fantasy subcultures was on point, she goes into DEPTH with Quootla (quigutl language), and here's no gender pronouns, everyone's just called Ko (like, "Ko is eating a sandwich. Then ko'll go home") and the suffix -utl, which can go on the end of nouns, verbs, anything, meaning the word + it’s opposite. It's THIS GLORIOUS ATTENTION to this detail that made me give the book a higher rating than I probably should have.

**thank you to NetGalley + Random House Children's for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Tess of the Road is a companion novel to Seraphina. Tess is Seraphina’s younger half-sister. When we meet her she is not all that pleasant and not very happy with her lot in life. As a younger girl Tess was adventurous and bold and that got her in trouble. Now she is subservient to her twin Jeanne and a bit of a mean drunk. Because Tess is “ruined” she thinks her only lot in life is either the convent or governess to Jeanne’s future children. Even when offered another avenue she doesn’t believe she is worthy and rejects it. When Tess makes a mess of things and is about to be sent off, she finally has enough and runs away.

Out of the road, Tess meets up with an old friend, a quiqotl named Pathka. Together they embark on an adventure to find the world serpents. The road is all about self-healing and redemption for Tess. Every day she makes a pledge to continue on; it is either that or give in to despair. Disguised as a boy, Tess has the freedom to see the world in a way she couldn’t as a girl. Her interactions with others and her quest with Pathka each contribute to her healing and self-acceptance in different ways.

This book is fantasy with dragons and mythical creatures, but the real message is about rape culture and slut shaming and what true consent is. It is a subtle discussion woven throughout the story, but it is a powerful message. Tess is basically raped and then abandoned when she is pregnant. She talks about her first time and how she tried to stop it, but wasn’t able. About how she didn’t even know it was happening until it was too late. About how Will talks about her to his friends and how she got a bit of a reputation. Even though this is set in a fantasy world, I think readers today can relate to Tess’s situation. Many are pressured into sexual activities they are not ready or prepared for. Society today tends to blame the girls and require them to be pure as new fallen snow. It does not allow girls to explore their sexuality or realize the power they have over their bodies. I felt like Tess’s journey to learning this lesson was a really good one. She went from being abused physically and emotionally by both her family and boyfriend to becoming a strong independent woman who realizes sex can be pleasurable and consensual. It was actually a pleasure to read about such a journey.

I started this book thinking that it might be a bit on the younger side for YA - the girl, running away, pretending to be a boy...however, I learned pretty much from the get-go that this book deals with some pretty heavy themes. Not having read Seraphina, I cannot speak as to whether that is typical of Hartman or not, but it certainly is here.

The book deals with alcoholism, rape, sexism, and the death of a child. It deals with overbearing religion, handicaps, and overall - that we are what we choose to become, regardless of our circumstances.

Hopefully the prior paragraph didn't frighten anyone away, because while the subject matter can be a bit heavy, it is all dealt with in a fashion that is appropriate to the book and enhances Tess' story rather than taking away from it. And as I said at the end of that paragraph - the overarching theme is that we are all capable of facing our demons, learning from our mistakes, and that hiding from our past only ends up hurting us in the end. And that we can all choose to be better than we were, no matter those demons or mistakes or that past. Sometimes, we just need to take to the Road.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.*
First off, let me say that I loved Seraphina and Shadowscale by Rachel Hartman. I was excited to find out the story continues, sort of, with Tess of the Road. This new book follows the titular Tess, one of Seraphina's twin half sisters.
While to me the other books set in this world were definitely more fantasy oriented, Tess of the Road felt more grounded in reality. More of a coming of age story or a story of finding one's self, than straight up fantasy. Now don't get me wrong, this story features a quigutl, a kind of lesser dragon that is Tess's friend and traveling companion so it does have fantasy elements.
This book just doesn't have the urgency that Seraphina and Shadowscale had. For most of the book you really are not sure what Tess is doing or where she is going. There is a loose quest to find the World Serpents, but that always seems to be on the back burner.
Finally towards the end of the book you start to see everything come together and the ending sets up a great premise for the sequel. If you can make it through the first half of the book it does start to get better. I'm hoping the next installment has more adventure.
I like Tess as a character. She starts out like a whiny brat, but by the end you learn about her story and what made her who she is. You will definitely see some character growth with her.
Would I recommend this book? If you are not a fan of the original series this one may bore you a little and you may feel a little lost. If you are a fan of the series, then I suggest you stick with it as the story gets better in the end.
Overall I ended up liking this book and was left with a satisfied feeling for completing it.

Tess of the Road is available wherever books are sold on February 27th 2018.

https://www.amazon.com/Tess-Road-Rachel-Hartman/dp/1101931280/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517881014&sr=8-1&keywords=tess+of+the+road

Now that we've gotten that elephant out of the room, while I enjoyed Tess' character, around 25% I was considering DNF'ng the book (did not finish). Why? The plot takes its time and it is unclear for a bit where the story will go. While I enjoyed Tess' character, it just felt like she wasn't going anywhere and we weren't finding out that much. BUT I am so glad I kept reading. Not only did Tess of the Road have important conversations about women who defy expectations, but also about consent (which was my personal favorite). Tess is curious, determined, and unlike any other heroine I've read. Tess doesn't know who she is away from her expectations, her family. She doesn't know where she's going, this isn't some large quest for her. More or less experiences shape her journey, but they uncover these vulnerabilities, these weak spots. And without spoiling the plot, I wanted to touch upon the themes this book brings up. I've already mentioned the idea of Tess not bending to any of the expectations we have: 'innocent', 'well behaved', 'good'. Additionally, Tess has this conversation with a friend about consent that is ABSOLUTELY relevant in a way that is both sad, but also refreshing to see. This is a story about forgiveness, about trying to make peace with your mistakes and the ones you will make.

I’m really bummed this book didn’t work out for me. I read the first third and I just couldn’t go any further. I absolutely LOVED Seraphina so I had high hopes for Tess, but unfortunately, this sister fell short.

I really wanted to LOVE this book. But...I only liked it. Tess was great...she felt real. She had faults and scars and was trying to find her own place in the world. But she kinda came across as whiny. I get this is a companion novel to the Seraphina stories....and I haven't read those yet, so maybe that's why I was having a hard time getting into this book. I just felt like Tess was jealous and had a drinking problem and when anyone tried to help or be nice to her, she ruined it.

Tess had an emotionally difficult path to traverse since a kid. Her mother dislikes her and piled a heap of admonishments, self-hatred, and guilt on Tess through their religion, supposedly to ensure Tess is the epitome of a lady: obedient and pliant. It seems that no one in Tess’s family sought to help or understand her, no one understands her inquisitive, impulsive nature and instead made her feel ashamed of it. No one except her quigutl friend, Pathka, whom Tess often had small adventures with as a kid and who later accompanies her on the road. (Quigutls are fantastical creatures in this world. They are minorities and are often mistreated by both humans and dragons.)

I sympathized with Tess and could relate to her in some ways. Though she is a bitter and angry character when we first meet her, I quickly took a liking to her. I could see parts of myself in that bitter Tess who regrets her plight in life and often abusively berates herself for her failures. If I’d known her in real life, I’d try to help (though she’d probably refuse it) and give her a copy of Pema Chodron’s Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better. Failure is a part of life. Instead of berating oneself for failing, it’s best to accept it as a lesson, learn from it, and try again. Tess slowly grows to realize this as she travels along on the road.

For the most part, I liked the story; but that’s because I didn’t mind the protagonist and liked the world it is set in. If such wasn’t the case, I probably would have given up on the book. I gave it all 2.5 stars because as the story progressed, I started to lose interest. There’s something about the story that didn’t work for me and I can’t quite identify exactly what it is.

In Goredd women are expected to be prim and proper, men are expected to be protectors, and dragons get to be whatever they want.

Tess is a troublemaker. She makes a scene at her sisters wedding and breaks a relatives nose. Her family plans to send her to a nunnery. Tess runs away and goes on a journey across the Southlands pretending to be a boy.

She doesn't know where she's going and with a stroke of luck she runs into an old friend. Her friend, which is a subspecies of dragon, offers her protection on the road. But a secret and her past is a huge burden to carry. The memories she's trying to forget may expose her to the world.

This book came on a bit slow to me. I wasn't really a big fan of Tess as a character. This book also gets really dark and heavy to proceed with caution. But this author is a phenomenal writer! Plus holy crap that cover 😍

To start my review off, I have not read any of the other books or Seraphina. I don't believe you have to have read that series as this book follows Tess, a different character's journey than the other books. I love to read books about women off on a journey, and I love to read books where they dress as men and sneak away to do this. I find this genre to be exciting and typically full of character growth and adventure. That's what I was hoping to get from Tess of the Road. Unfortunately, I only got that in part.

The story begins with a petulant Tess who is generally unlikeable but also aware of the fact. I found her annoying, but the story itself is very well written and I was eager to see her grow into a character I could relate to. In some ways this happened but the more I read, the more I was disappointed. Drained, even. The story moves at a glacial pace. I found Tess to be just as uncharming by the end as I found her in the beginning and I didn't like her or even begrudgingly respect her whatesoever. The story was like I said, very well written, but that failed to make up for the fact that the journey left me emotionally winded just from having to get through it. I powered through but only for the sake of writing a review that might help others. I easily would have stopped reading this around 30% if not for this fact.

I can't say I would recommend this book to people who like exciting adventure books as I do, but I think that if you like slow moving books where you delve into how the environment and social expectations can effect a person this might be a good book for you.

[NetGalley Review]

This questing fantasy features a unique girl who marches to the beat of her own drum. Tess is a brash, bold heroine who does not fit with any of the usual fantasy heroine I really enjoyed her character. She makes no apologies for her unique personality.
For me, the story was a bit hard to get swept into, reading it was more work than it could have been. The story has a tendency to get pushed off track, and staying focused is hard.
The characters are well developed and interesting. I did care what happened to them and want everything to turn out well.
Overall, recommend to younger readers who have the tenacity to push through to reach the eventual happily ever after.

Not my favorite book. The main character, Tess, is so unlikeable, it is hard to find yourself invested in her story. Although i thought it was well written and there are some interesting plot points, I just couldn't get into it.

I haven't read either of the Seraphina books, but I still followed this one just fine. A well written book with a richly imagined world that sucked me in from the beginning. I really enjoyed this and kind of liked Tess as a character? Engrossing, fun, and at times heart breaking. 5 out of 5 stars.

I keep hoping for more from Ms. Hartman's books. I love the writing, but there isn't enough action to entice my students to finish them.

DNF for now, at 30%.

The main character, Tess, has an interesting background story, and seems to be on a road to an adventure. But the problem is, I'm at 30 percent and the adventure hasn't presented itself, and Tess' past was never fully revealed either. It's just a bit slow. Also, there are hints about Tess older half sister Seraphina, and it's frustrating to read information about her when I haven't read her story. That being said, there's no confusion about the worldbuilding. You can definitely understand most of the world without reading Seraphina first.

I guess I'm just not the target audience for this series, for I've never been a big fan of strictly fantasy YA fantasy, so to speak. I reckon YA fantasy lovers would enjoy this way more than I did.

While I liked Tess's character, the story was fairly slow and I missed a lot of the elements and interactions with dragons that the Seraphina books had. I probably enjoyed the flashback scenes the most.

Tess of the Road was a book I really wanted to like. However, I did not enjoy it. If I didn't hold myself to a strict policy to finish any book I start, I would've closed this on my Kindle and never looked back.

Tess, to me, was an unlikeable heroine. In some cases, that is good because the reader is still drawn to the story to see how it plays out. In this case, I really just didn't care. I will more than likely not read any other books with her as a character.