I wanted to love this book. I was dying to hear more about the Tearling after finishing the series and was so anticipating this prequel. I have to say I'm pretty disappointed the writing isn't anywhere near as good and I felt like this was almost forced writing, like writing for the sake of writing without much point to it. It's a shame, but I would not recommend it.

Thank you Netgalley and published for an advanced copy.

Trigger Warnings:
Rape, trafficking, drug abuse and gore.

I really enjoyed this book more than the others. Learning the back story of Princess Elyssa, Mace and the other characters was so fun. I am one for a good dark fantasy. This was right up my alley.

This book takes place before Kelsea was born and follows serval characters mentioned in the other books. Although it has been a while since I've read the other books, I had no issue following along. I believe this book could also be read without knowledge of the other books.

TW: Excessive Brutality, Rape, Gore, Slavery, Drug Abuse

3/5 Stars
DNF @ 40%

Beneath the Keep is the prequel to The Tearling series and can be read as a standalone. I have not read the series which could be the reason I did not finish this book; however, from what I did read, I enjoyed it. There were many important themes throughout this book that are very well written.

This book is definitely not everyone's cup of tea due to the excessive brutality and the dark themes, but if you love these types of books, I would highly recommend it. I feel like there was so much world-building and characters, it proved slightly difficult to keep up with the characters and was slow. at parts.

Overall this book is 3/5 stars. Reading the summary it seemed very interesting, but the plot was too dark for me and I was uncomfortable at parts due to the rape and brutality.

I haven't read any of the prior books from this series, and my understanding is this book can be read independently, since it is basically a prequel.

I liked that it functioned independently, since I hadn't read the others. Having said that, it didn't really entice me to continue the series either.

What I liked:
The fact I hadn't read the rest of the series. I wasn't invested in it as some other readers might be. That's a good thing. :)
Emotional writing- I really liked this and was invested in learning the outcomes.
The world/scene building- good job! This is make or break for me, and I was interested in reading more about it!

What I didn't like:
I didn't connect with the characters as much as I think I might have if I would have read some of the other books. That's on me though!

I absolutely loved the Tearling trilogy. I was so excited for this book & while it has been a good read, it has not been a great read. It has read more like a collection of short stories. Time passes and we have no real concept of it. Elyssa went from being 19 in one chapter to 21 a few chapters later & because we get so many characters' POV, I had no idea 2 yrs had gone by. Other than that, its been a good way to get to know the back story of some of these characters I learned to love. Hope to have more from this author soon.

As a dystopian kingdom plunges into drought and despair, rumors start to spread of a prophecy of a True Queen who will save this feudalistic society and turn it back to the utopia it was once created to be. Although that time has not yet come, Beneath the Keep follows the people whose choices and actions will bring forth this prophecy. This story follows Lazarus, who will rise from the depths of the horrid underground of the Creche to become a great protector of the queen; Elyssa the mother of the true queen; and Aislinn who will lead a rebellion and ignite the people to rise.

I read The Queen of the Tearling series quite a number of years ago and although the details are fuzzy, the overarching story has stuck with me and I was beyond excited to see a prequel. Although the political viewpoints of the author bleed into the story, this never took my enjoyment away from reading the series and I always felt the world-building was exceptional. This story in Beneath the Keep was dark, addictive, and I feel could be read as a standalone (but I’m not sure who could read this one and not want to start the series right away). I will point out that throughout the story there are references to child sexual abuse and at the end, there is a scene that even though I skimmed, was disturbing. I know the purpose was to show how far society had fallen into evil and to portray Lazarus as a righteous hero but this aspect of the story was hard for me to read and I wish I would have known of this beforehand. I recommend going into this one a little guarded if your heart is sensitive to this subject.

TW: sexual abuse, violence, drug use

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Erika Johansen's Tearling trilogy. I thought Kelsea's growth from unencumbered teen to the protector of her people was as fascinating as it was entertaining. In Beneath the Keep, Ms. Johansen once again brings readers back to the world of the Tearling. This time, however, we find ourselves at a point before Kelsea's birth, so that we may understand the politics at play behind her hiding as well as the chance to obtain the backstories of certain key players in Kelsea's future.

As much as I enjoyed the original series, I will admit to the fact that it took me quite a while to remember all the characters and their later significance to the story. In fact, if it were not for some rudimentary wiki fan pages, Beneath the Keep would be nothing more than an entertaining but very dark story that precedes Kelsea's own. Because I was able to identify the connections, however, I find that the prequel helps in one's understanding of the trilogy.

Not only does it clarify any lingering questions one might have about the Tearling society and its government, but it also includes character development for key major characters who did not need any such development to fuel Kelsea's story. For instance, we learn Mace's origin story and get greater insight into his unique abilities. More importantly, we get front row seats to Arlen Thorne's rise to power. We get to see other familiar faces as well. All of which makes it rather a fun sort of revisit.

However, Beneath the Keep is not easy or light-hearted in the least. Mace's story, in particular, is as brutal as it is triggering, and anyone uncomfortable with any form of child abuse or pedophilia should stay far away. For me, it simply highlights that nurture does not always win out in the fight between nature and nurture, and it makes Mace that much more impressive a person. It is not this way for everyone though, as Ms. Johansen does not fail to show humanity at its worst as well as at its best.

Beneath the Keep is a welcome return to the world of the Tearling. While I initially struggled to remember characters and the history Kelsea learns in the original trilogy, by the time I finished with the novel I was more than ready to dive back into the trilogy to read it with my new-found knowledge. I haven't done so as of yet, but as Ms. Johansen promises more of Kelsea's story is on the horizon, I will be doing so sooner rather than later.

Let me start this review by saying that I read and enjoyed the Queen of the Tearling trilogy. That was a dark series, and as such, I expected this prequel to be dark as well. And it was.

That makes sense, if you consider that the book largely follows Lazarus/Mace. We see Kelsea's mother Elyssa's point of view sometimes, as well as that of other characters. Elyssa's motivations were an enigma in the trilogy, and this book clears up some of that.

This book has violence and trauma. Avoid if these are triggering.

The best part of this book was learning more about the backstories of Lazarus, as well as some other characters who show up in the series. We get to learn who Kelsea's father is. Although that honestly raises more questions for me; perhaps Johansen has other prequels in the works. I also expected to learn more about the events in the kingdom while Kelsea was hidden, but again, that may wait for another story as well.

I'm in the minority that I liked the ending of the trilogy. However, knowing how it ends makes me wonder why this book can have quotes from history books written after the trilogy's end. To me, that timeline has ended, and so this bothered me if I thought on it too hard.

I recommend reading this book if you liked the series, and only after reading the series.

I received an electronic advanced review copy for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.

After five years Erika Johansen has returned to the world of the Tearling with the prequel Beneath The Keep. If you haven’t read The Queen of the Tearling I highly recommend this dark fantasy series that smashes up all the usual tropes and creates a truly unique world.

In Beneath the Keep Johansen fills us in the condition of the Tearling kingdom in the months leading up to the birth of the future Queen Kelsea. We see the current Queen Arla in all of her cruelty as she allows the poor to starve and an evil force enter the castle. Her heir, the Princess Elyssa dreams of her future days on the throne where she can break her kingdom away the current model that divides the rich from the poor. In an underground ghetto called the Creche a boy named Christian becomes a fighter named Lazarus who becomes a palace guard named Mace. And leading a group of rebels called Blue Horizon is the mysterious masked figure called The Fetch.

Although the series is marketed as young adult but I think that is a mistake. These novels are clearly intended for an adult audience with the language, imagery and a complicated layered world to match. Johansen’s skill with creating a narrative that stretches across space and time along with an understanding of rebellion, the entitlement of wealth and royalty and the nuances of human nature is one of the best I’ve ever read. The reader will root for the good guys, feel their blood boil at the villians and despair all the people who lose their lives along the way. She pulls no punches from the raw brutality of Lazarus‘s fights to the actions of wealthy pedophiles. None of these deeds are hidden from the reader but right up front where we can see the horrors of what could flourish in a kingdom of such injustice and devastating poverty.

I highly recommend Beneath The Keep by Erika Johansen for young adult readers who want to break away from the current sword and sorcery offerings and enter a dangerous world without “book boyfriends”, “fated mates” and happy endings. The world of the Tearling is ugly and complicated which ultimately reflects the one we live in as well.

5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My copy of Beneath The Keep was provided by NetGalley and the publisher for review purposes

I loved the Tearling trilogy, though I realized that with the controversial (love/hate) ending of the series, it's harder for me to go back and grapple with this sequel in a way that it deserves. (If you know the series end, then this might make sense.) That said, this is a well-written and enjoyable re-entry into the world of the original trilogy, though it's even bleaker (or at least more consistently bleak) than any of those three books, so I'd recommend looking up content warnings before diving into this one. I did love getting much more fleshed-out backstories of the Mace and Kelsea's mother, though.

If you were a fan of the original trilogy, then you will love this prequel. The Mace was always one of my favorite members of the queen's guard and so I was really excited about getting to know his origins. Learning more of the Tearling's early history and the Blue Horizon in particular was also a wonderful bonus. If you haven't read the original trilogy then do not pick this title up until you do. These character's and the way the story jumps around will only confuse you.

Thank you to @penguinrandomhouse, @duttonbooks, @netgalley and @erikajohansen for this wonderful ARC!

Summary:

Before the True Queen’s reign, there was Queen Elyssa. This story tells what happened in the Tearling leading up to the moment The Mace brings Kelsea to the cottage in the forest - the opening of the first book in the Queen of the Tearling series. This prequel is not only a history of events, but also shares the roles of a few unknown men and women who helped dispel evil from beneath The Keep and across the Tear. Before the True Queen was no longer just a myth of the Blue Horizon.

Review:

This was the PERFECT prequel. I loved how it led all the way up to where the first book started. It provided a complete history on what the 3 previous books in the series left out. If you wanted to learn more about The Mace, and how Queen Elyssa became the negligent Queen she was portrayed as in the series, you NEED to read this! The book is also filled with a variety of badass women. Niya instantly became one of my favorite characters, and I loved how big of a role she played in getting Kelsea to safety. Yet we never hear about her in the other books. Proof that just because someone isn’t included in history books, doesn’t mean their existence didn’t help spark a revolution. Oh, and the best part...I was SOOO happy to finally find out who Kelsea’s father was!

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I believe it could be read either before or after the Queen of the Tearling series. In fact, reading it before may help to understand the depth behind the characters and events that happen. I hope someday we get a book that takes place after the series. I was completely distraught by the ending and need to know what happens next!

"Beneath the Keep" by Erika Johansen
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel as it went back to the beginning of the rebellion in the Tearling. I was transfixed by Lazarus' tale and metamorphosis while thoroughly loving Niya and her bravery and courage. I loved it!

Okay, yeah. I am going to need the entire series to binge asap. This book was my first introduction to the Tearling realm and I. AM. HOOKED.

It took a little bit for me to get into and grasp all of the characters and the politics of the land, but once I had a handle on that there was never a dull moment. I also loved the focus on the “little guy” and the core idea of helping each other. I think that there is a lot of power in that in comparison to power from complete domination and rule.

I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS. I cannot wait to dive into the rest of the series!

Beneath the Keep, to be published 2/2/21, is a prequel to Erika Johansen's Queen of the Tearling series (three other books are in the series, The Queen of the Tearling, The Invasion of the Tearling, and The Fate of the Tearling).

This book traces the history of the Tearling as a kingdom crushed by famine, feudalism, corruption, greed, and unrest--which spurs on some citizens to attempt to shift the kingdom toward becoming a land with strong new hope and opportunity. Meanwhile the fabled True Queen is said to be poised to save them all. Is Princess Elyssa the one they've all been waiting for? Elyssa recalls that the history shared by her tutor Lady Glynn was made up of:

"...tales of good, but much more of evil, of humanity‘s vast suffering, of suffering that could have been averted at so many turns if only there had been someone of true heart, of good intent…. If only that person had stepped forward at the right moment…"

The Tearling kingdom is (literally) built upon an actual underground warren (the Creche) of tunnels housing a commercial system based on degenerate activity, the opportunity to act upon cruel whims, and insufferably atrocious exchanges of money, drugs, and paid-for rape in various forms.


"...Crèche babies, likely sold in their first weeks of life...had each learned the great lesson of the tunnels: in a world where brutality was a constant, it was infinitely better to be the one holding the whip.”


Beneath the Keep is absolutely steeped in the darkest imaginable and shockingly widespread depravity: trafficking in children and adults; vulnerable people used as slaves for sex; brutal fighting to the death; and various other horrors. There's extensive page time spent on ghastly monstrousness.

Some of the characters I loved from the rest of the series (I'm looking at you, Mace, and also the Fetch--side note, that nickname always reminds me of the very off-topic movie Mean Girls) are star players within this dystopian period of Johansen's Tearling world.

Childhood bonds and shared difficulties are heavily featured and are shown to be enormously important to shaping the book's characters and their life paths (for example, Christian and Maura; Brenna and Arlen; Aislynn and Liam); these bonds are similarly key in the final book of the series, The Fate of the Tearling (in that case, with Katie and Row and Katie and Jonathan). Another common theme between this prequel and the final book in the trilogy is the widespread suffering (and significant effect on the plot) caused by the actions of bitter, unacknowledged heirs (Row; Arlen).

I loved Aislynn's attempts to achieve upheaval in the wake of her life horrors, and her renewed, fierce desire to seek justice. Yet as in The Fate of the Tearling, populist movements are cruelly crushed, along with hope for a better world for all. Beneath the Keep sets up a scene of sweeping societal despair and its flip side: an opportunity for new beginnings to take place in The Queen of the Tearling. But Beneath the Keep's events are almost universally bleak, with so much lost, so many horrors, so many instances of depravity and pure evil, good generally losing out to bad, and endless terrible impulses wreaking havoc on individuals and on society as a whole. A corrupt church and faulted religion are presented as contributing to broad destruction and greed.

Throughout the series there is a dark undercurrent that serves as either a motivator for warped debauchery or as inspiration for change. But in Beneath the Keep the evils are intensely detailed and constantly explored. It was really difficult to read a book with so much page time spent on abuse and violence.

I first mentioned Beneath the Keep (along with The Loneliest Girl in the Universe and The Unwilling) in the Greedy Reading List Three Books I'm Reading Now, 1/28/21 Edition.

I received a prepublication copy of this book courtesy of Dutton Books and NetGalley.

My Review:⭐️⭐⭐⭐.5/ 5 stars

How have I never heard of this series (The Queen of the Tearling) until reading this prequel? This book blew me out of the water. This book tells the story of a feudal society called the Tearling - where the rich and poor are at each other's throats due the drought and unfair treatment of the farmers on the lands. There is a prophecy that the True Queen will come one day and save the people/kingdom. Elyssa is the crown princess and she has more socialist leanings due to being tutored by Lady Glynn (a secret Blue Horizon, the resistance against the church/feudal society). Her mother, Queen Arla the Just, is ruthless and rules with an iron fist - Elyssa finds herself constantly struggling to follow in the steps of her mother or do what’s the best for the people. Enter a mysterious witch, Breonna, and her master -who try to use their sorcery to persuade the queen to relinquish the crown sapphires. Will Elyssa stop them and not allow herself to be a victim herself? The story also tells the stories of Lazarus,a fighter from the Creche (underground), and Aislinn, local farmer’s daughter. This book had so many layers and the brutal world that Johansen created is so vivid and detailed. Some of the violence was a turn off, but easy to understand why it was included to show how terribly cruel the “noble” people in the Tearling were. I need to go read the sequels immediately. Has anyone else read this series?

Note: There are a LOT of trigger warnings - child prostitution, rape, violence against women and children that will put this fantasy novel out of the YA realm.

Thank you to Dutton Books and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

US Pub Date: February 2, 2021

This is a prequel in The Queen of the Tearling series.
I admit I thought the series was just ok. I did have a hard time with the series and yes I did have a hard time with this book.

This novel is a prequel to Johansen's Tearling trilogy. You don't necessarily have to have read the trilogy to read this prequel, but if may help if you want a basic understanding of the characters. Having read the trilogy, (The Queen of the Tearling being the first and the best), I was pleasantly surprised to revisit New London. Some background on a lot of the characters that appear in the trilogy is provided. A lot was explained and really, it may be best to have read the rest of the books before going into this one. It gives them some much-needed context. The last 2 books, The Invasion of the Tearling and The Fate of the Tearling, aren't what one would expect once you've read the first novel, but luckily, this prequel smooths out some things that were wrong in the last 2 books. A great prequel to a good trilogy.

*Special thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.*

Thank you to Netgalley, Erika Johansen and Dutton Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Several years ago I stumbled upon The Queen of the Tearling and proceeded to devour Erika Johansen’s trilogy. I was thrilled to see that she had written a prequel featuring the Mace and Princess Elyssa in their youth.

Beneath the Keep introduces us to the backstories of the players and the kingdom's dark history that shape the Tearling into the land that Princess Kelsea inherits in The Queen of the Tearling. How does a rebellious Princess Elyssa wind up as the hated Shipper Queen? How did a poor Creche boy grow up to become a feared member of the Guard? How does a pimp and a thief gain power in the Keep? Will a young farm girl be strong enough to lead a rebellion?

The Mace is a character that I’d always been fascinated by as he is such an enigma in the original trilogy. I loved getting to know him as a man and what drives him. And while Elyssa’s story is heartbreaking, I loved finally getting to know her too.

Beneath the Keep is out February 2, 2021!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CKhaxl6g7Sv/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3784960778

I will also post a pub day post on 2/2/21 on Instagram.

I was a big fan of the Queen of the Tearling trilogy and so I was excited to receive a copy of this prequel through NetGalley. I liked being back in the world of the Tearling, even though this particular story mostly took place in the Creche, the deepest, darkest (both literally and metaphorically) place in the kingdom. This mostly tells the story of Christian aka Lazarus aka the Mace, familiar to readers of the trilogy as Queen Kelsea's captain of the Queen's Guard. His childhood is truly terrible, which is hinted in the trilogy but really shown in great detail here. A content warning: there is a lot of violence (physical, sexual, and emotional) against very young children in this book. Like, more than I thought was necessary to make the point about how bad things were. I was surprised to see Queen Elyssa portrayed sympathetically here, as she gets very little of that treatment in the original trilogy, but it was interesting to see her have more depth of character rather than being just a selfish, failed queen. I'd love for Johansen to write another prequel that would follow this one, describing life in the Keep while Kelsea is growing up hidden away.