Tess of the Road: 04/10/18

Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman from the publisher's point of view is the start of a new fantasy series. It's actually more of a spin-off or a side series or even a sequel to the Seraphina books. I haven't read the original series and this post will reflect on that.

Tess is bitter that she has been forced to take second place to her twin sister. Once her twin sister is finally wed and out of the family's hair, Tess feels it is time to leave and sets out to make her own in the world.

Tess's initial troubles and her fall from grace as her name implies is due to having a child out of wedlock. It's basically a reimagined Tess of the D'Ubervilles but played out in the world built through the Seraphina series.

I know Thomas Hardy's contribution but I don't know Goredd. Although Hartman does pepper in flashbacks and extended interior monologs about Seraphina's past, out of context it reads like filler. Since I am expected to know her story to appreciate Tess's story, I am setting my copy of Tess of the Road right now to go back and read Seraphina and possibly Shadow Scale.

So right now on this initial review, I'm giving the book two stars, meaning it's okay, but it doesn't work as a standalone story. Nor does it work as the start of a new series. After I go back and read the other books sent in the same world, I will re-read Tess of the Road and see if it reads better as part of a larger body of work.

Two stars

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