Johansen takes readers back to the world of the Tearling with a stand-alone novel set 20 years before the events in The Queen of the Tearling (2014). It is a time of drought, famine, and civil unrest. The aristocracy have no sense of noblesse oblige, the church is run by hypocrites, and the queen rules through fear and intimidation. Princess Elyssa is nothing like her mother and hopes she can become her people's prophesied True Queen. Her dream of saving her kingdom and providing justice for all will be immutably impacted--for good or ill--by a brutal young slave with aspirations of escaping to freedom and a deviously callous procurer with designs on the throne. The story considers the nature of forgiveness, the use and abuse of power, and the morality of right and wrong as characters develop in unexpected ways. The dramatic climax will have readers questioning who the real hero is at the end of this compelling tale of epic fantasy. Series fans will be intrigued to discover the background details of individuals who are pivotal to events in the trilogy, and those new to the series will want to find out what comes next.

Johansen delves into the forces that tore the kingdom of Tearling apart in this captivating prequel to her Queen of the Tearling series. Queen Arla Raleigh is widely feared for her oppressive rule over Tearling. When a prophecy reveals that a True Queen will rise and free the kingdom from Arla's tyranny, Arla takes an albino witch named Brenna into her court to confer with her about prophecies. Meanwhile, Arla's daughter, Elyssa, becomes convinced that she is the prophesied queen messiah and joins a socialist rebel group called Blue Horizon. As politics divide Tearling, discontent spreads among farmers over their horrendous living and working conditions, sparking an uprising in the countryside--and Brenna takes advantage of all the chaos to bring both queen and princess under her control. Johansen pulls off an impressive feat in crafting a spellbinding prequel that works just as well as a standalone. Though it takes some time to get oriented, the steadily building tension carries the story forward. New and old fans alike are sure to be taken in. Agent: Dorian Karchmar, WME. (Feb.)

Fans of Johansen's popular "Tearling" trilogy will be delighted to hear that there's a prequel afoot that will explain how the Tearling plunged into darkness. Trained assassin Lazarus, farm-girl Aislinn, and Crown Princess Elyssa heed the call to fight for a brighter world, with the dream of the True Queen sustaining them all.