He does, however, let Kelsea and Mace go free once they near New London. He tells her he cannot take the sapphire necklace she wears around her neck, but Kelsea does not understand why.

The Fetch takes the sapphire necklace Kelsea has hidden in her cloak, but he promises to give it back if she proves herself worthy of it. Kelsea and Mace become the prisoners of the Fetch, an infamous assassin and thief of Tearling. One man called Lazarus, nicknamed the Mace, becomes her guardian when their band is attacked by a group of soldiers. Although not considered pretty, Kelsea begins to win her soldiers’ hearts through her perseverance and humor. Kelsea and her guards make their way to New London, the city where her castle and throne await her. The people fear her because she is thought to be a witch, able to cast spells and conjure demons. The Red Queen has subjected Tearling to her tyranny since invading it 19 years ago. Kelsea has been raised in secret to avoid being killed by her Uncle Thomas - Tearling’s regent - or by the Red Queen - the ruler of Mortmesne, the land adjacent to Tearling. Although she has spent her life being tutored in government, history and self-defense, she feels desperately unprepared to wear the crown. Having sworn she'd never do another franchise, her interest is a gigantic compliment.'.On her 19th birthday, Kelsea is forced to leave her hidden foster home with nine armed soldiers - the Queen’s Guards - men sworn to protect the heir of the Tearling throne.

The Detroit Free Press reported Emma Watson 'conceded she couldn't put the book down. Along the way she must earn the respect of her people and fix the broken shambles of the Kingdom of Tear. She must journey to the royal castle to claim her throne, and is accompanied only by the loyal Queen's Guard which is led Carroll and the mysterious Lazarus. Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn must defeat the powers of the Red Queen, who is out to destroy her. The other books in the trilogy are The Invasion of the Tearling (2015) and The Fate of the Tearling (2016). It is set on a fictional landmass several centuries in the future, and is the first novel of a fantasy trilogy. The Queen of the Tearling is the debut novel of Erika Johansen.

The queen and the tearling