I haven't read any of the other books in this series but I didn't feel like I was confused just coming in on this one.
I really enjoyed it. I love a good political book and this one centers around a group of people fighting for a better world. I enjoyed all the political intrigue and Iiked the main character Elyssa and her pull to the better world, her desire for equality and change.
My favorite character by far though was Christian. I loved him. His character development was on point. He had such a rough past, a hard life but he remained inherently good through it all. He might not realize it but its true and I just loved him.
I am definitely going to start the series and read the rest of the books. This has me intrigued!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. I was so excited to see this book available. I absolutely loved the 1st and 2 books but by the third was having trouble with all the political intrigue and so many characters. This one was good but hard to get through. I prefer my books to have more action. It was hard to get into because of how long it was between the last book and this. When there are so many story lines it's hard to keep track when there is 4 years since the last book. I kept having to go back to the other books to remember who who.

I was not a fan of the original trilogy, but decided to give this one a go since a lot of people still love these books. Unfortunately, the writing style and story-telling style was not for me. Some authors just don't mix with some readers, and unfortunately this is one of them for me.

This book is a prequel to the Queen of the Tearling series, but it pretty much works like an independent book.
That being said, I did read all the books in the series before picking this up.

I have to add a trigger warning here for child abuse, sexual assault, physical violence, and cruelty.

This book is about The Tearling, an idea of a utopian kingdom created by William Tear who is a firm believer in equal rights. Thousands of years later, The Tearling is a far cry from the utopia that William Tear imagined.
This is a society ruled by an autocratic Queen whose only desire is to be in power and incite fear; a society teeming with greed, selfishness, and corruption. The gap between rich and poor is huge and insurmountable. Apathy and cruelty are abundant. This is a society that is rotting from everywhere and well on verge of collapsing.

In the midst of this, rumors abound about Blue Horizon - a group of 'Robin Hoods', who believe in creating 'The Better World'. And their hope is the crown princess, who they think to be the True Queen, the one who will lead them to the Better World.

We follow a lot of characters in this book. From the ruthless Queen Arla and the crown princess and the utterly spoilt prince to the poorest of poor farmer Aislinn, I loved all the characters.

But most of all I loved Christian or Lazarus. He was my favorite character in the Queen of The Tearling series as well and I absolutely loved following his story in this book. When he was a baby, Christian was sold in the underground hovel called 'Creche'. The Creche is where the worst of the worst of depravities flourish. Children, babies, and newborns are sold into the Creche and are abused, sexually assaulted, or made to fight and kill each other. Christian was a part of one such boxing ring. Having seen and experienced the worst of humanity from a very young age, Christian never believes that he could ever break out of the Creche. We follow his story as well as the story of several others as they fight for what they believe.

This book gave me much-needed insight into several characters that I felt were missing in the original series. I loved knowing about Elyssa, the crown princess, and her beliefs, and why she was the way she was. Niya was another strong character. She is Elyssa's maid and loyal to Elyssa (not Arla), but she has her own personal motives behind this. I was completely surprised by Aislinn. She is a very poor farmer coming from a region that is suffering from the worst drought in the history of the kingdom. Even at the young age of fifteen, she stands up for what is right even in the most impossible situations and is never afraid to face her adversaries. I just loved her arc. From been scared and oppressed, she goes to become the driving force of a massive rebellion. Simply because she dared. I really loved her guts. Arlen Thorne was another very interesting character. Imagine every bad a person could have. Arlen Thorne is an embodiment of that. I had so many questions about him when I was reading Queen of The Tearling and most of my suspicions about him were cleared in this. I loved knowing about his back story as well.

This book is not for the light-hearted. The author has done such a fabulous job of weaving into her story the idea of what a dystopian world, or simply what our REAL world could look like if humans are given free rein to act on their worst, most selfish wishes. The cruelty of the rulers and the dictator is so well described, it's almost too much to digest. It was really difficult for me to read about the hideous things done to the children in Creche. But then again, this is the reason why I am so amazed by this author's work. Because this reflects the bitter truth that we might not want to face. That if left unchecked, this is exactly what humanity will come down to. In her foreword, the author warns correctly that our world - the real world is very much in danger to become like the rotten Tearling. This book is a slap to our face, a warning, that this is where we are headed, until and unless we don't take action now. This seriously shook me to the core. Because this is true. This scarily, hauntingly true.

The ending shook me. It was emotional, and I knew what was going to happen ultimately because I had read the Queen of The Tearling book and that starts off from where this one ends, but I was still shaken up by that ending.

I would end by saying that this book delivered fabulously. The characters, even the negative characters were superbly crafted. The plot was great. This was definitely a thought provoking book and I am glad to have got a chance to review it. I would like to thank the publishers for providing me with the ARC.

I loved the Tearling series so it was a nice surprise to hear about this prequel although I think it can be read as a standalone, I loved reading about the turbulent history and Queen Elyssa. I hope there are more,books in this series.

Beneath the Keep is a fantastic exploration of the turbulent history of the Tearling and it's dark and complicated political climate. I absolutely adored meeting some of the characters from the Tearling series, and getting a deeper look into the motivations behind many of the political figures before the Queen of the Tearling begins. I was particularly fascinated by Elyssa's story and the deep dive into the Blue Horizon's history. The political drama is written spectacularly and kept me wanting more throughout the entire novel! This book is a wonderful addition to the story of the Tearling, and I would absolutely recommend it to any fan of the series!

There were times when I thought this could be read without having read the other Tearling books but I'm still not sure. Yes, this is a prequel to the very first book, but there were many things that weren't explained that only readers of those later books would understand (eg, William Tare and the Crossing).

It was fun dipping back into the world, reading more about how the Mace, the Fetch and Queen Elyssa became the people they are in <i>The Queen of the Tearling</i>. Certainly it explains how the society becomes as messed up as it is, even though the reasons for things like sending people off to Mortmesne are not explained (yet, I assume).

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

Although I haven't read the rest of The Tearling books, I do not believe it is necessary to enjoy this fabulous prequel. This story is steeped in interesting culture and political intrigue and I found it absolutely fascinating. I could barely put it down to sleep last night. I recommend this for fans of fantasy, particularly in a unique world with dynamic characters.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

This was a wonderful edition to the Tearling trilogy. It definitely made me tear up at times (no pun intended) and reminisce about the first book. We get to see some scenes and characters early in life, before they became a part of Kelsea's story. We get to see the events leading up to Kelsea's "kidnapping" from the Keep into the woods. The Mace is probably my second favorite character now, behind Kelsea. We also get to see that Thomas was a horrible person from the very beginning, that Elyssa was actually such a good person until the witch started controlling her, and that Queen Arla the Just was not very likeable. Not to mention it's revealed that Thorne is a bastard of Arla's that she sold to the Creche, which just goes to show that Arla REALLY wasn't a nice person. Reading this prequel novel made me want to return to book 1 and start from the beginning again. I love Kelsea so much, and the background of her name (and that vision!!!) reminded me how much I miss her.

I loved the Tearling series. Absolutely loved it until I got to the ending. The ending isn't bad and I understood it to be a happy ending but it hurt my heart. Oddly, this book has made me reconcile with that ending. Mace has always deserved the best and this book reinforced this fact. After reading this book, I wanted to reread the series. It's been so long since I read it then I can't remember what happened to all the characters. The funny thing is that I was hesitant to read this book but I'm glad I did.

This review is based on an advanced reading copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

I was so happy to be back in the Tearling and to learn more about the Mace, Elyssa, Arlen & Brenna. The Queen of the Tearling series is one of my favourites and I've been waiting for more from Johansen. While her stories are set in another place and time, the social justice themes ring true today.

I absolutely loved the Tearling series so I jumped at the chance to read a new prequel! One thing I really like about this series is that the characters are well-rounded and react in a way that seems genuine, which makes it a lot easier to connect to them and understand why they make certain choices. Highly recommend this book, as well as the rest of the series.

This book was received as an ARC from PENGUIN GROUP Dutton in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I absolutely loved the Queen of Tearling series and I was super excited to hear that there was a prequel released. Now I know why the series was fantastic! The origin was great! Reading how Elyssa was chosen to break the curse of feudalism and gather a band of misfits to create something bigger in the finding of the Blue Horizon and finding that there is something bigger in store for everyone bigger than ever! Choices were made, costly to most but as we know from reading the series, we were sure glad Elyssa made the choices she did. Loved every bit of this book and I know our teen book club will love it to.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Politically driven fantasy in which the nobles treat the peasants terribly and the peasants are attempting revolution. Despite a somewhat standard plot, the characters move the story in a natural way and the story is compelling. I did not read the other books in the series but this book works well as a stand alone. I would definitely recommend this to fans of fantasy.

Beneath the Keep weaves together the worlds of Outlander and Game of Thrones in a very thought-provoking way. I remember reading The Queen of the Tearling a couple of years ago and being really intrigued by the premise and loving the main heroine. She was fierce, brave, and not afraid to speak her mind.

This story goes back in time and follows the narratives of her guards and her mother, Elyssa. We see the starting of the tides changing and old prophecies heartbreakingly coming to life and altering the course of the future.

I enjoyed a lot of themes in this book. The fight of the underdog taking on the bullies, sorcery and witchery used as a tool for good or evil, and the overarching idea of a chosen one rising up to make the world a better place. But for me, these amazing themes got overshadowed a bit by the amount of sadness and hardship in this book. These characters see and go through some MAJOR struggles, and I felt for them! Although, in some instances, I liked seeing those struggles inspire great character development, which leads nicely into what we see them become in the original series.

Overall, fans of adult fantasy and the Tearling series will fall into this read and enjoy it. Reading this did make me want to continue reading the original series to see where all these characters end up. Especially Mace because he’s just someone you want to root for!

3.25/5 stars

*Thank you to the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Ah, the Tearling. I loved this series regardless of its flaws and this book did not disappoint. The Mace’s backstory was all I needed but the rest of the stories intertwined were equally as good. Can’t wait for more Tearling.

A good prequel to the Tearling series. I have the memory of Dory the fish though. Wish I could remember the characters from the other books better as it’s been a little while since I’ve read them. Maybe a quick refresh would make for better reading this book.

I love being able to come back to this world. Johansen's characters are so complex and so strong. I love this world and everything about these books.

I'm delighted to report that this 100% works as a stand-alone. If you've read the books that follow (chronologically speaking) you'll recognize some old friends, of course, but I remember very little of the trilogy and still found this deeply satisfying.