Erika Johansen's Beneath the Keep
I had hoped Johansen would revisit her Tearling world; she ended her trilogy in such an interesting place! But this is a prequel, about the protagonist's mother and Mace and their compatriots. It just feels . . . unnecessary? Like we had gotten pretty much all the relevant backstory already, did we need a whole novel of gory details? Did we need to see how the villains of the trilogy gained power? The only new thread is a plotline about a teen girl leading a rebellion of tenant farmers. This book almost wallows in the misery of the poor and downtrodden (and it is also VERY rapey, like there are not enough content warnings in the world). I mean, it’s trying to deliver a timely political message, which I appreciate, but it is also mainly a giant bummer. An author’s note at the end does hint at more stories in the world—maybe in the better world, in which case I will read them happily. Johansen has great characters, I just am not in an emotional place to enjoy a book this dark. B.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on February 2nd.
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