<i>Many thanks netgalley for the arc, this is a review that reflects my honest and fair opinions and by no means is influenced by this.</i>

What do I say? To be fair, I haven't read King Lear and perhaps I should. I've never been a big Shakespeare fan, but right now, I'm interested in reading King Lear just to see the source of inspiration for this. The Queens of Innis Lear is an amazing High Fantasy epic that depicts the tragedy between three sisters and the throne of Innis Lear. I was initially interested in this because it reminded me of <b>Three Dark Thrones</b> which I had a love and hate with - loved the idea, hated the execution, and yet I plan to finish that series.

The Queens of Innis Lear however, is a standalone novel, and the only similarity to TDT is the three sisters. Other than that, QIL has a lot more in common with its source of inspiration, King Lear.

And I have to say, I quite loved this one. Though my rating is only 4 stars, that's only because it's such a long read and the writing is as beautiful as it is dense. ALRIGHT. Here are my thoughts:

<b>[1] The three sisters</b> shine in this. Each is swallowed by their own flaws, that drives them right to the brink. Gaela is strength, Regan is the witch, and Elia is the star priestess. By far, Gaela had the strongest personality, pride in her strength and desiring nothing but to rule as <i>King</i> not just a queen. Regan the second, is her sister's contrast, loving more than ice, and she has strong ties with her older sister, so much so that she promised to bear the heirs of Innis Lear while her sister ruled. And then there's Elia, who is the youngest and whom is loved the least by her sisters. She had never cared to be ruler of Innis Lear, but she had loved her father the best. What I love most about the sisters is how strong their ties are to each other - it's not just blood, but it's the experiences, the love and the hate, and all the in-between that said they were sisters. It wasn't just because they shared the same mother or father, but how they felt about each other. Tessa Gratton does a beautiful job depicting this between the sisters. The flashbacks give them depth, and the present gives them promises to keep and experiences to share.

<b>[2] Relationship with their father,</b> was also spectacularly done. Even though that man seemed so crazy and self-centred to begin with, as the story unfolded and as we see him through the eyes of all the characters, King Lear unfolds a more complex character. One who isn't just simply crazy, lost to the stars, but someone who never healed after losing his wife, and not just because hs prophecy came true, but how the truth of that prophecy came out. I won't say I admire King Lear nor do I admire his actions or how everyone felt towards him, especially Elia, but his character was developed well.

<b>[3] Characteristion was just something...</b>that I really enjoyed. Nearly all the characters were well developed. From Gaela and how she came to be the Gaela that she is, Regan and the depth of her love for her husband, to Ban the Fox and his mad race for revenge. Gaela is ruthless, and its clear she would turn the island into ash and bones if she became Queen, but she wants it more than anyone, and she fought and trained to be the leader of the people. She was a warrior Queen. And she had chosen her husband for the sake of the throne and not because she loved him. Regan on the other hand, chose her husband out of love, and yet she felt too much. And Ban, he wanted to be noticed and chosen for himself, and not be remembered and seen as the bastard of Errigal, second to Rory Errigal, and never Duke in his own right. Ban broke my heart. He was what Elia and her handmaiden called a traitor and most hateful person ever, but he was also the most complex, wanting more than anyone. I will say though, that Elia unfortunately becomes a tad irritating to me, for being so unyielding about her father, for never giving Ban what she could infinitely give him. She's no Mary Sue, but she does come close, being the youngest and most naive, who never thought to wear the crown, yet eventually is given the responsibility. Mars also annoyed me. He was characterised well, but I dislike how he ended. Those who shone for me were Gaela, Regan and Ban!

<b>[4] Relationships and romances...</b>especially romances since I've discussed (sort of) the main relationship in point one. I love the relationships sketched out by Gatton for Gaela and her husband, Regan and hers, Elia and Ban, Ban and Rory (as in brothers not romance), Ban and Mars (friends not romance). Each of these were so powerfully drawn, I felt my heart ache for them all. I wanted to cheer from Gaela's husband, sorry that his end was so cruel. Regan and Connley, right from the beginning, it's clear that Regan is having a hard time <i>staying</i> pregnant and yet her husband is right there with her always, supporting her, fighting for her. And she is by no means weak, a witch in her own right, and powerful too. When the end of the story came, my heart broke for Regan, for their love was the kind in which they could only see each other and cease to exist of the other disappears. Elia and Ban's was complicated because of who they were and whom the loved. Ban loved Elia, but Elia loved her father more, and thus, the clash and complexity of their relationship began as small children. When they're older and they meet again, their love is still there, but Ban has changed far more than Elia. When Elia's world changes, she learns as he learns, how much they both have changed. And knowing this, Ban can only go forward, while Elia can only see how to fix it all. I loved the complexity of their relationship, even though I didn't love Elia. I feel as though all those who remained standing at the end, those with a name, were not as colourful and complex as those who died. As for the other relationships, the friendships and the broships, Rory and Ban stood out. One is the true full blooded heir of Errigal, while Ban the elder, is the Duke's bastard son. Yet these two brothers don't hate each other, they envy what the other has, not realising that they envied each other. And because Ban thinks he has the least, his path is determined before he can even begin to think for himself. Watching them two suffer and hurt and betray was so sad! And lastly, Ban and Mars. Their relationship is less explored, but we still see how their relationship has so much value. It's also complex in that Mars is the King of Aremoria, and he had seen Ban as a kid with value, not as a bastard child of a Duke.

<b>[5] Worldbuilding</b> - when it comes to high fantasy worlds. This is high fantasy worldbuilding. It's not just naming a power or whatnot. Gatton crafts a world in which the two philosophies it cherishes, as the very lifeblood of the island. They affect the way people live, are used by them to create other things, and whatnot. The earth - the rootwaters and wormwork, and the stars and prophecy magic. This world is so complex, that without the worldbuilding, this story could not be written.

<b>[6] Writing and flashbacks,</b> were really beautiful. No, not that's not. There are two things I want to talk about here. First, the writing was indeed wonderful, but WARNING, it is dense, like thick and sludgy. But it's beautiful sludge. It's sludge in which the weight of the fantasy world resides in, built and held together. This book might be long, but not a word is wasted (well I think Aefa the fool's daughter was a bit of a wasted pov now that I reflect back since I can barely remember much about her). Right from the beginning, we are given Gratton's beautiful worlds <i>It begins when...</i> - a world is unfolded in these words, as metaphors of earth and sky colour the Queens of Innis Lear. We get a deep feel for the island that should thrive by is barely surviving under the rule of King Lear, and of the daughters that the story is named for. Second! The flashbacks. I know some have commented that the flashbacks seem worthless, but to me, they were very important. They built up the story, laying foundations in ways that this story couldn't have lived without. And we are also treated to the last moments of several characters, unveiling to us as readers truths that the main characters could never show us as they never knew. And reading those parts would always break my heart, one more piece at a time. Without them, these characters would not have been as fleshed out as they were.

<b>[7] This is a book that bonds females and those less privileged in expected and unexpected ways. It doesn't make light of them, and it is heartbreaking.</b> I can't even explain what I mean except that it is exactly as it's titled. Just as King Lear was a story about a King and his story, this is a book about Queens who almost, who do fall short of a prize far too valuable to be lost. And it's not bitching ladies, these queens have deeply rooted, good reasons to fight for what they believe in.

OVERALL - for books similar to Three Dark Thrones, and for those who can handle HIGH FANTASY at its greatest, then this is definitely worth reading. But warning, it is a tragedy and this review barely even touches on the extent to which it is tragic. This is like a hidden gem, it's not the kind of book to immediately catch the attention of others or to hold onto audiences via its romances (aka A Court of Thornes and Roses, which, btw is not not <i>that</i> high fantasy), but it's the kind of fantasy for those looking for something deeper, complex, and meaningful. If that makes any sense at all, as if I haven't written all of the above in an attempt to make sense of my own thoughts about this!!

The Queens of Innis Lear is a fantasy retelling of King Lear.

It begins with the birth of an island, with one of the most breathtaking prologues I've read in a while. It draws you in, and you'll need that, because this may be a well-written story with multilayered characters and intricate political dynamics, but it's also a very slow tome of almost 600 pages and the retelling of a tragedy.

I decided to read this because I loved Tessa Gratton's Before She Was Bloody story in the anthology Three Sides of a Heart. The main strengths of The Queens of Innis Lear are the one I expected: clear, lyrical writing, complex worldbuilding and characters I cared deeply for. I would read more set in this world torn between star worship and root magic, forever searching a balance; I want to see more descriptions of cities and castles and old rootwater wells - this story may be a tragedy, but this is one of the most beautiful fantasy worlds I've ever seen. And even when the characters and their bad decisions frustrated me, I understood their motivations.

The Queens of Innis Lear is the story of a mad king, his three daughters and heirs to the throne, and a young man - a bastard, a fox, a witch - who is returning to Innis Lear after a long exile in Aremoria. It's mainly a story about politics and family, character-driven, and I believed in these characters' relationship and rivalries. I liked almost all of them, even the ones who kept betraying everything and everyone who came in their way.

This book is not, however, without its weaknesses. There were many unnecessary scenes, flashbacks and even some unnecessary PoVs, which definitely didn't help the already slow pacing. This is probably the slowest novel I've read this year, and just like most books over 500 pages, it could - should - have been shorter.
I loved the diversity, as this is about three biracial black princesses and there are many casual mentions of main and side characters being bisexual, but I really did not like what this book did with Gaela's character. She is the elder sister, she's heavily coded as aromantic asexual, and she is every single aromantic and asexual stereotype ever. She's described as cold and heartless, she disdains everything that has to do with sex or romance, and feels no emotions but anger. It was unnecessary, and she was probably the weakest character in the whole story; her PoV was very monotonous.

One of the things I loved the most about this book was the ending. It's been a long time since a book made me really believe the main characters were in danger, and it also delivered - just like in King Lear, the ending is not happy, but I thought it was perfect, not as hopeless as it could have been.

I was approved for the excerpt version of this not too long ago which was a large portion of the book so when I saw I was approved for the final arc, I dropped everything I was reading to finish the story.

SO GLAD I MADE THAT DECISION.

This is the story of King Innis but retold in a new fantastical lyrical twist which includes magic, a new original setting, and a thrilling plot. The writing has this calming and peaceful sense to it and I found myself reading and losing track of time. My only problem was the pacing felt a little awkward but it's not so bothersome that it hindered my enjoyment. All in all, fantastic story to feast upon, likeable flawed characters and pages filled with beautiful writing.

Given my star rating above, I’m sure it’ll come as no surprise that I LOVED THIS BOOK! So, when I first heard about The Queens of Innis Lear it was pitched as Shakespeare’s King Lear told Game of Thrones style and hey, I’m all here for that! But I had never actually read King Lear, so like a good little bibliophile I went to google and found a Spark Notes summary (because who has time for MORE books on their TBR??). Having read this and with the reference to Game of Thrones I knew this might be a rough read if I got attached to any characters. And I was not wrong.

But holy cow guys! This book is amazing! The reference to Game of Thrones is in the way the story is told through different points of view at various kingdoms within the world. And the world is so well built up. The island where most of the story takes place even becomes a character itself which happened to be my favorite part of the entire story.

Another fantastic part of this book is the diversity of the characters, racially and in sexual preference and gender presentation. And to add to this, the sexual preferences and gender presentations aren’t explicitly drawn out, but so ingrained as a part of their overall character that you know it without the author having to tell you.

Overall, this was just a fantastic read and even though the hardcover is close to 600 pages, it goes by so fast. Absolutely pick this one up if you like adult high fantasy!

I was initially very excited for The Queens of Innis Lear but, I felt like it fell a bit short and didn't come close to my expectations. The major problem I had with it, if you can call it that, was the pace. It's no secret that I'm an adrenaline junkie and love fast paced books, especially when they're Fantasy! I can't stand slow paced novels and that's just a personal preference. Even tough this one had an extremely interesting premise, the story itself took such a long time to reach its peak. When it eventually did, the style of narration didn't really do it justice, which means that, I wasn't very satisfied by it. That's the truth of it.



The idea behind the novel was fascinating and the author managed to bring it to life with the poetic way she chose to narrate it. It was very well written and had a certain depth that didn't extend to more than its plot. The setting itself was quite dark which I really enjoyed because I haven't come across a lot of dark and twisted Fantasy novels recently. The magic aspect of it complimented the novel's atmosphere and was probably one of the best parts in it! It definitely stood out and felt very authentic, which is very difficult to achieve when it comes to tropes that have been used in books for decades, in various ways! If magic can be considered a trope, that is. The word for it doesn't really come to mind right now and I apologize for that!



The characters themselves were well thought out and I feel like each of them had one interesting feature and if you combined them all, you could create the ideal Fantasy hero/heroine. Individually though, they didn't really blow my mind with their originality. If they had been a bit more developed and less repetitive, they could have added so much more into the story! Because they had a certain depth and were quite interesting but, nothing stood out about most of them. I'm not going to talk about each and everyone of them because that would be pointless and full of spoilers so, I'll just tell you that I loved Ban. He was probably the most three dimensional character in the book and my personal favorite!



Even though the word building was beautiful, the narration got a bit too slow for my liking, which I've already mentioned because it's one of my least favorite things when it comes to Fantasy. It just kept dragging on, which was truthfully extremely tiring. I felt like it could've been much shorter and a lot more interesting if some parts weren't repeated throughout it and the climax wasn't so late to the party. Which leads us to the narration and how it didn't add anything to help it shine through. It just gave off a feeling of detachment that didn't make it easy to connect with the characters but, was interesting enough to make me keep reading. I did appreciate the surprises scattered throughout the novel though and how the story itself progressed.



Overall, The Queens of Innis Lear wasn't what I hoped it'd be when I first read its synopsis but, it was quite an interesting read. I liked the characters and the premise but, the pace was just not to my liking. It was very well thought out though and will definitely appeal to fans of Fantasy with a bit of a literal narration and historical elements. The premise and the magic aspect of it, as well as the action that arrived too late definitely stood out for me and would've loved it if they had dominated over the plot.

Approximate re-telling of Shakespeare’s King Lear in the form of an adult fantasy with women taking many of the central and supporting roles. The writing was elegant, with lush descriptions creating an atmospheric setting for this fantasy world. I could picture the jagged cliffs of this island country, the ships from faraway lands docking at port, and the majestic castles. It seemed like a story set in medieval times, with no invented creatures, where the island, trees, and wind are sentient. The magical elements were complex and fascinating. The characters were well-developed. The world and the plot were built very slowly, with most of the action saved until late in the book.

Many back stories were interspersed throughout, flashing back various numbers of years into the past. These flashbacks, I felt, were unnecessary, as most of these topics had already been explained in the narrative. It was also a bit repetitive. For example, I didn’t need to be reminded many times over that one of the characters is a bastard or one of the sisters envisions herself a man. These inclusions made the book a bit lengthy, at just under 600 pages. The ending appears to setup a sequel, which may or may not appeal to you depending on whether you like series. I tend to enjoy stand-alone stories more.

Themes include the value of balance in life, the dangers of obsession, the desire to be accepted for oneself, and the many facets of love. Key components of the plot involve madness, treachery, romance, political intrigue, power, control, and forgiveness. Overall, I enjoyed it, and I don’t think it is essential to know Shakespeare’s King Lear story to appreciate it. Recommended to readers of fantasy that don’t mind a non-linear timeline and a gradual build-up without a great deal of action. Contains language, not-overly-graphic sex, and violence.

I received a complete version of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for a candid review. I hope the final version includes a map.

Memorable quotes:
"Ban had learned not to put off unpleasant tasks, for they tended to only become more unpleasant with the stall."

"She was ready, if not to forgive, then to understand. And that was ever the first step."

"For what was kindness, but offering comfort where none was owed?"

"If it makes your world smaller, it isn't love."

The Queens of Innis Lear is an epic tale of daughters, of kings and stars, of an island crying out for peace. It's a battle between choice and destiny, between the choices we make and the paths set out before us.

They are not the only narrators, the only characters with plots and visions of the future, but the three daughters of Lear are the most important. Gaela, power-hungry and determined. Focused. Harsh and hard, trained as a warrior. She is ready to rule the island of Innis Lear after her father, ready to stand as king. Regan, manipulative and thoughtful. Plotting and planning. Full of passion and love for her husband. Most of her goals align with Gaela, and she is ready to stand alongside her sister as queen, her children as their legacy. Elia the youngest, sweet and kind. Blessed by the stars, devoted to their aging father. Content to just be Elia, but sometimes that's not enough. Sometimes princesses must act and move forward, take steps toward a destiny they never expected.

This is layers upon layers upon layers of motivation, chance, fate, and determination written in magical, lyrical prose. This is an island of people who want what they want. People who follow the stars and people who work hard to carve out places for themselves. There are so many different plots and plans afoot, so many hoping that they will be the one to win, to rule, to love. To survive. This is an epic retelling of Shakespeare's King Lear with haunting magic, realistic and flawed characters, and women going after what they want. I would definitely recommend this to epic fantasy fans searching for something new but also familiar.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan - Tor/Forge for a digital galley of this novel.

This is a retelling of the Shakespeare play King Lear mainly identifiable by the leading characters of Lear and his three daughters along with his decision to carve up his kingdom to benefit the daughters who can express their love for him better than her sisters. The main problem is that you have to read way, way into the book before you get to that pithy bit of Shakespeare's maneuvering of characters.

The Queens of Innis Lear has wonderfully lyrical prose and yet I came away feeling very ambivalent about the characters. I couldn't seem to work up any emotional attachment for them or their predicament-of-the-moment. There is earth magic in here - as in being able to communicate with the trees and elements - which I normally enjoy and liked here too. There are all sorts of misunderstandings about events that happened in the past and we are given many flashback opportunities to see for ourselves what actually happened but only after we have watched characters struggle with their misconceptions of those events over long segments of the book.

When I'm reading a novel and find myself frequently wondering how many pages there are in the book, well, that's not usually a good sign. For me this one is firmly in the 3 star category. I'm glad I read it (even though it took me a rather long time to get through it), but have zero desire to read it a second time.

King Lear has long been obsessed with the prophecies told by the stars, and he neglected the dying earth magic of his island. His house is divided; his two elder daughters despise both him and their younger sister, his favourite, a stars priestess. When the time comes to hand over his crown, Lear is once again guided by the stars in his decision, with dire consequences.

The story is told through multiple points of view and with the occasional flashback. It allows for a better understanding of the key players’ motives and backgrounds, which enhances what I see as the book’s main strength: the characters’ complexity.

Gaela Lear is the king’s firstborn. She’s been trained as a solider, and is solely focused on martial pursuits and her younger sister, Regan, with whom she has a special bond. The two consider the Innis Lear throne as their birthright, and have no patience for their father and younger sister’s star readings. Gaela and Regan are formidable, unyielding, but they also have vulnerabilities we get to explore in their respective pov chapters. Gaela never truly recovered from her mother’s death, and Regan suffers deeply from her inability to carry a child to term.

The youngest sister, Elia, is her father’s daughter, shaped by his obsessions and smothered by his love. When her father turns his back on her, she has to reinvent herself. She is ever-loyal, even after the betrayals, even while grieving. Her quiet strength and empowered character arc made me root for her the most.

Ban the Fox is her childhood friend. He’s also the bastard son of an earl, and was sent away to a neighbouring kingdom when the king realised how close he was to Elia. Ban is an extremely complex character: he harbours warring desires and loyalties, and the “taint” of his illegitimate birth seeded a strong bitterness within him. He is wizard, close to the island’s roots, able to communicate with its elements.

Other main characters include King Morimaros, who loves Elia but also wants to invade her beloved island; Aefa, the young princess’ close friend; and Brona, Ban’s mother and a powerful witch. I feel like I should add Innis Lear to the list: the island plays a decisive role in spurring the characters forward.

I have already mentioned how complex and nuanced the characters are — it’s also the case for their relationships. Love, envy, sacrifice, resentment, loyalty,…We get to delve into these multi-facetted links between our protagonists.

The themes explored are interesting as well; obviously we have what I assume to be shakespearian hijinks: complicated relationship with fathers and between siblings, reluctant leadership, fate versus free will…But there is also this idea of balance; how a single obsession can be destructive, how worshipping the remote stars is not enough when the magic of the earth is dying off.

The prose is poignantly beautiful. More than a few quotes were powerful and intense, and I admit to tearing up a little bit.

The book progresses slowly — it took me a while before I could truly get into it — but it was worth it to see the characters gain in depth, to follow as tragedy unfolds.

In short, I really enjoyed The Queens of Innis Lear and would recommend you give it a try,

I’m trying to be a little more honest with myself while reading. I normally finish a book no matter what, but lately I’ve decided if I make it 50% into a novel and still don’t love it, then I should move on. Sadly, this is what happened with The Queens of Innis Lear. I realllly wanted to like this novel because most reviews were fantastic, but I had a really hard time connecting with the characters and I never really got into it. I wish I had better things to say but this novel just wasn’t for me.

Rating: Did Not Finish

First of all, this is a massively ginormous book-- it is over 700 pages. So don't expect to fly through this instantaneously, but it's well worth the read.
Someone compared this book to Mists of Avalon, and I think it's a worthy comparison. It's written in third person from multiple perspectives of the key players. This is a fantasy retelling of the Shakespearean tragedy King Lear. The three sister vying for the throne include Elia, the youngest and the most beloved of King Lear who is progressively becoming more and more mad, Regan, the middle, who is fiercely in love with Connely and becoming a mother, and the eldest, Gaela, who is a fierce warrior and who always was heir to the throne. Other key players include the husbands of the first two girls, and Ban the Fox, bastard son of Errigal, who has always been in love with Elia. Each of these characters is richly painted, as is the world building, which is fantastic. Even though this book is massive, I never had a hard time going back to it or wanting to finish it (and I've become more impatient with this as I read more and more books), and I actually wanted to savor the prose because it is beautifully written. I enjoyed most of the characters but probably my least favorite was Elia herself, although she needs to be allowed to grow throughout the book. This book is impressive to say the least, but just to warn YA readers, it's definitely not written in a YA format; it is very much written in an adult style, so just abandon those expectations, but I feel like if you do, it's well worth the ride.
Overall, an impressive epic fantasy Shakespearean tragedy.

I'm very much into Shakespeare and I've always been intrigued by King Lear - this retelling has glorious worldbuilding and a continously captivating plot. As always, Tessa Gratton does brilliant word witchcraft and I love her all the more for it.

Queens, kings, a large dose of magic, and all the stars in the heavens make up The Queens of Innis Lear, an epic fantasy by Tessa Gratton. From births to marriages, every action on the island of Innis Lear has been foretold by the star charts, most especially the succession of the throne.

At the opening, King Lear sends notes to his three daughters telling them he will soon announce the next ruler. Military-minded Galea, family-schemer Reagan, and apple-of-her-father's-eye Elia have been pained by the loss of their mother many years ago, and now see their father as losing his once strong hold on the kingdom. Has Lear fallen into senility or is he manipulating his children to some ultimate goal? What follows is an excellent homage to Shakespeare’s original tale of Lear and his own machinations.

Gratton’s writing is a blend of ernest plot-driving narrative and contemplative flashbacks. It can be slow at times if only to fill in political and/ or familial background and provide the character depth that is really the author’s strength. As opposed to many books with multiple point of views, all of the characters are balanced and have many strengths.

Overall, this is an enjoyable story that I would recommend to fans of epic fantasies. As stated before, the plot can be slow, but maybe the world needs more books like this one. Slow down and spend some time in Innis Lear.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillion - Tor/ Forge, and the author for the opportunity to review.

The Queens of Innis Lear has an great premise and the characters are really diverse and interesting. I liked the whole backsory of the water wells and the island being a living thing. The magic building in this is really great. The three daughters of Lear are all so distinct in their character and all strong women in their own unique way, which was really nice to read. The book is well written and the world building is very descriptive, like you can really picture being there.

I did not finish reading this book however, as the constantly swapping character perspectives each chapter grew tiresome really quickly and often left me a little confused to who's voice I'm reading. I think I'd still recommend it to some people that I know enjoy this style of writing, but I struggled a little with the constant swapping of narrators. Having said that I think I will attempt to re-read again at a later date, but right now I can't get into the book despite how beautifully the world and characters are written.

When I first saw this book, I immedietely thought Three Dark Crowns cheat, but once I started reading it, my thoughts were completely wiped away. It was unique and beautiful and such an incredible read. I even enjoyed it more than I did Three Dark Crowns. I will be picking this up in a physical copy.