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[thetearlingqueen]

Beneath The Keep Initial Thoughts

I started beneath the keep this month, I’m only on like chapter 2. I have very mixed feelings about it from the little i have read thus far. Minor spoilers from the beginning of the book below:

Elyssa thus far feels like an entirely different character than is described in the Tearling trilogy. From the only scene we actually get with Elyssa from Fate of the Tearling she seems so carefree and bubbly, despite the kingdom literally going to hell all around them. So far in chapter 2 (granted not deep into it) she feels more like a knock off Kelsea. She’s learning power politics, she’s challenging Queen Arla, granted she’s more afraid than Kelsea ever was but still. I know she’s supposed to be more likable because she’s the heroine but all I can think about is how she slept with all her guards, sold children, condemned a look alike whore to her death, put Thorne in charge of the shipment of citizens, man need I go on? It’s hard to like her knowing everything she did and that even in FOT she didn’t seem remorseful at all? 

The author has an uphill battle ahead of her making Elyssa likable, at least for me. If the author intends to redesign her personality to achieve that I don’t think it will work. Maybe a carefree (perhaps promiscuous) Elyssa could still be likable, at the very least it would be consistent. 

The prelude about Lazarus was hard to get through, the jarring content about the abuse of the most vulnerable is always hard to read and apparently Beneath the Keep isn’t beating about the bush. I know I audibly gasped and grasped my mouth at some point during the chapter and i’m sure I looked a whole mess while reading it. While the book is fictional these types of things are not fictional and always draw a strong reaction out of me. Lazarus meeting Thomas was an interesting touch, that could be interesting later in the book. 

I am interested in the time frame of this book, in the summary there is no mention of the mort invasion so perhaps it all ends far before that and before Kelsea is ever conceived? I feel like all the things I’m most interested in, the first Mort Invasion, Elyssa’s possible other pregnancies and baby Kelsea, Mhurn, and his backstory where Kelsea literally had a sibling who died, will all be left out. Oof.  I can’t say I’m too interested in The Fetch and Blue Horizon, considering how little impact they had on the kingdom or the prevention of the Mort invasion. The Fetch despite being immortal seems fairly useless in terms of his contributions to helping the kingdom. (Hot take I know) So I’m not too hopeful that ol’ Gavin will accomplish anything important except maybe we’ll find out he had an affair with Elyssa.  I am interested in Carlin and Barty. I remember in the original trilogy knowing that she owed Elyssa a favor, now I’m sure we’ll find out what it is and I think I know where that Idea is going.  I know I’m pretty much talking to the void because our fandom is so small but it feels good to get these thoughts out since nobody I know is reading the book. I might continue to post thoughts as I read it IDK. You might be able to expect my low quality bad memes making a return for old Beneath the Keep