The Queen Of The Tearling

　　隱居戶外的純真公主，將踏上一場血腥之旅－為了成為真正的女王！

　　凱爾茜是鐵林國公主，但從小就在森林中和養父母居住，養母對她的教育十分嚴格，而她除了森林和熱愛的書籍之外一無所有。直到十九歲那天，前女王的護衛上門接她回宮繼承王位，但由於凱爾茜不但沒有遺傳母后的美貌，紅通通的番茄圓臉加上虎背熊腰，一開始護衛路途就飽受歧視，加上國家政事紊亂，財政大權掌握在舅舅手上，他早就打算要派刺客取姪女的命，奪取覬覦已久的王位。回宮途中凱爾茜遇到批著紅斗篷的邪惡刺客，更碰到令人聞風喪膽的神秘大盜，而養母給她的湖水綠神秘項鍊，似乎藏有重大的秘密？！

　　凱爾茜在回宮路上拼命想知道自己的親生母后是怎樣的君主，甚至幻想是位賢明的女王，廣受人民愛戴。沒想到逃過九死一生回到自己城堡，沿途看到盡是衣衫襤褸、挨餓受寒的人民。原來鐵林國是農業國，其實早就破產，加上不產鐵等礦物資源，軍事也不敵強大的鄰國，前任王后早就與鄰國簽署戰敗條款，每年捐出三千人給鄰國當勞力，小孩當食物祭品，男人做苦工用完就棄，女人更是淪為性奴。

　　鄰國統治者紅皇后沒人知道她從何處來，而她執政的這一百五十年來更是殘暴兇狠，坐擁千軍萬馬，這個強大的帝國想殲滅鐵林國，統一新世界版圖，而她非常在意凱爾茜的項鍊，而她的黑血魔法更是強大無比，但卻無法透視凱爾茜的去處。

　　除了外患威脅，凱爾茜的舅舅更是數度想阻止姪女的登基大典，連最重要的皇冠也消失了？！貪婪的舅舅眼見無法阻止凱爾茜成為女王，更下定決心投誠紅皇后，眼見自己的舅舅和死去的母后將國家人民送入地獄，剛繼位的19歲新女王無法諒解皇室的作為，但身邊卻只剩24人可以幫她，而她首要任務，就是要取得護衛們的忠誠...

　　第一集主要是鋪陳如史詩般的新世界，以及少女回國繼位遭遇的困境，凱爾茜要如何利用智慧壤內平外，重新取得人民的尊敬和信任，重整國家秩序，書中深刻描寫出戰亂中人民的無奈，凱爾茜從了解自己要對國家負起責任的女孩，在一次又一次阻撓中學會成長，並且最終領悟到領導者要付出的不僅有責任，而要有豁出性命也要守護人民和領土的決心。（文／博客來編譯）

　　Kelsea Glynn is the sole heir to the throne of Tearling but has been raised in secret by foster parents after her mother - Queen Elyssa, as vain as she was stupid - was murdered for ruining her kingdom. For 18 years, the Tearling has been ruled by Kelsea's uncle in the role of Regent however he is but the debauched puppet of the Red Queen, the sorceress-tyrant of neighbouring realm of Mortmesme. On Kelsea's 19th birthday, the tattered remnants of her mother's guard - each pledged to defend the queen to the death - arrive to bring this most un-regal young woman out of hiding...And so begins her journey back to her kingdom's heart, to claim the throne, earn the loyalty of her people, overturn her mother's legacy and redeem the Tearling from the forces of corruption and dark magic that are threatening to destroy it. But Kelsea's story is not just about her learning the true nature of her inheritance - it's about a heroine who must learn to acknowledge and live with the realities of coming of age in all its insecurities and attractions, alongside the ethical dilemmas of ruling justly and fairly while simply trying to stay alive...

作者簡介

　　ERIKA JOHANSEN was educated at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania before attending the celebrated Iowa Writers Workshop, where she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree. She later became an attorney. The Queen of the Tearling - the first book in a trilogy - is her debut. Erika lives in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.