The Queens of Innis Lear

by Tessa Gratton

Overview

Dynasties battle for the crown in Tessa Gratton's debut adult epic fantasy, The Queens of Innis Lear.

Three Queens. One crown. All out war.

Gaela. Ruthless Commander.
I am the rightful heir of Innis Lear. No more will I wait in the shadows and watch my mother’s murderer bleed my island dry.

The King’s hold on the crown must end—willingly or at the edge of my sword.

Regan. Master Manipulator.
To secure my place on the throne, I must produce an heir. Countless times I have fed the island’s forests my blood. Yet, my ambition is cursed.

No matter what or whom I must destroy, I will wield the magic of Innis Lear.

Elia. Star-blessed Priest.
My sisters hide in the shadows like serpents, waiting to strike our ailing king. I must protect my father, even if it means marrying a stranger.

We all have to make sacrifices. Love and freedom will be mine.

"Amazing. Just Amazing."--Robin McKinley

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780765392473
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/26/2019
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	576
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

TESSA GRATTON is the author of adult SFF titles The Queens of Innis Lear and Lady Hotspur from Tor Books, as well as the original fairy tales Strange Grace and Night Shine from McElderry Books. Her YA series and short stories have been translated into twenty-two languages. Though she has lived all over the world, she currently resides alongside the Kansas prairie with her wife.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for The Queens of Innis Lear

"Amazing." —Robin McKinley

"The Queens of Innis Lear is a spectacular book. This is a story about family and love, jealousy and destiny, with its roots in the earth and stretching to the stars. Beautifully written, it's full of complex characters who will break your heart and heal it again. An instant favorite, this is a book I'll return to again and again."—Kat Howard, author of An Unkindness of Magicians

"Gratton takes Shakespeare's Lear to the sharpest, darkest, and most beautiful edge, perhaps where it should've existed all along." —Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Belles

“I adore this—rich, epic, blood-soaked—a glorious and grand sweeping fantasy.” —Kate Elliott, author of The Poisoned Blade

“A gloriously symphonic, thematically rich variation on the story of the daughters of Lear. The danger of seeking certainty makes this a tale for our time; the power of truth and mercy makes it a tale for all times. Prepare to devour every word, for Innis Lear will consume you.” —Karen Lord, author of Redemption in Indigo

"Messy, beautiful, and dark, darker than Shakespeare could have dreamed." —E. K. Johnston, author of Star Wars: Ahsoka

"A darkly rendered epic of old magic, hardened hearts, and complicated choices"—Booklist, starred review

“Enthralling.”—Publishers Weekly

“Engrossing and magical adult debut.”—Library Journal

“A welcome sight in the genre.” —Kirkus Reviews

“[An] extraordinary and epic tale of family tragedy.”— RT Book Reviews

From the Publisher

…the Shakespearean counterparts are at most touchstones for the fully developed characters Gratton writes…Queens is always thoroughly engaging; right up until the end, I found myself wondering with increasing urgency whether this story, like Lear, would end in tragedy. I'll leave you to wonder, too.

The New York Times Book Review - Amal El-Mohtar

2018-02-06
Three very different sisters vie for their father's crown in this fantasy inspired by King Lear.It's a setup familiar to anyone who knows their Shakespeare: An aging king gathers his three daughters and asks them each to describe their love for him and prove they are deserving of inheriting his crown. The two eldest, here called Gaela and Regan, are happy to comply. The youngest, and his favorite—here called Elia—refuses and is disinherited. As the king descends into madness, Gaela and Regan, along with their respective husbands, scheme to ensure that the crown passes to the person they've agreed should have it: Gaela, with Regan beside her. But Elia, who lacks her sisters' bloodthirsty ambition, fears she may have to take a stand to save her home before her sisters tear it apart. Gratton, making her adult debut, stays true to much of the play while building past it to create an inventive universe full of ancient magic and prophetic stars. Her writing is atmospheric, staying just shy of florid. The racial diversity is a welcome sight in the genre, as is an epic tale full of such dynamic women. And yet, as the page count pushes past 500, it's hard not to feel that the action drags. Scenes of political intrigue become repetitious, and the final plot points feel mired in lyrical imagery by the time they finally arrive.Gratton achieves the rare feat of a Shakespeare adaptation that earns the right to exist, but it's possible to have too much of a good thing.

Kirkus Reviews