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Erika Johansen is an American Author born in the San Francisco Bay area. The author is best known for The Queen of the Tearling. Erika studied at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania.
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Order of The Queen of the Tearling Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Queen of the Tearling | 2014 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | The Invasion of the Tearling | 2015 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | The Fate of the Tearling | 2016 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Beneath the Keep | 2021 | Description / Buy |
Order of Erika Johansen Standalone Novels
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Kingdom of Sweets | 2023 | Description / Buy |
She eventually became an attorney. However, even while practicing in the field, she never stopped writing. The author’s success probably isn’t a surprise seeing as she attended the Iowa Writers Workshop which has become a celebrated entity for producing notable writers.
It was from the Iowa Writers Workshop that Erika acquired her Master of Fine Arts Degree.
The author’s inspiration for the Tearling books came to her from a dream. It was one of those rare dreams that actually stuck with her, especially the image of a group of people fleeing a broken land on boats and disappearing over the horizon.
Erika pursued the image, fleshed it out and eventually gave birth to the Tearling series. The author has admitted that she initially intended to write two books but then she saw fit to explore the origins of some of her concepts, a decision that drove her to expand the series.
Erika Johansen doesn’t really agree with the classification of her book in the Young Adult Genre. Erika has read young adult novels before. However, she believes that the genre is a little too restrictive. There is a level of unpleasantness she believes she wouldn’t be able to get away with if she wrote a book targeted towards children and teens, which is why she had no intention of delving into the genre in the first place.
However, she isn’t especially offended by the idea that her books are considered to be young adult novels.
Erika grew up reading Stephen King. By the age of ten, she had already begun tearing into his work. Eventually, Erika moved on to the likes of Poe and Matheson, not to mention Lovecraft.
Erika remembers reading a select few young adult novels but none of them stuck with her, primarily because they did nothing to feed her love for horror.
Erika made quite a few waves with her Tearling series, with the first book immediately sparking a fire of interest from the publishing industry and quickly earning her a seven-figure book deal.
Erika Johansen Awards
Erika has achieved the sort of immediate success that most authors only dream of, with some of the accolades she has attracted since she published her first book including the Indies Choice Book Award in 2015.
Erika Johansen Books into Movies
Erika’s first book, The Queen of Tearling, was optioned for a movie adaption soon after Erika acquired her publishing deal. The book follows a princess who must take her throne back from the Red Queen.
Rumors about a movie adaptation of this book began to gain momentum when Emma Watson showed interest in participating in the project, claiming that she couldn’t put the book down and was willing to break her own promise of never acting in another franchise.
The movie is currently in early production. David Heyman has come onboard as producer.
Best Erika Johansen Books
Erika might be relatively new to the publishing arena but she is already a force to be reckoned with, some of her best books including the following:
The Queen of Tearling: When Queen Elyssa died, Kelsea Raleigh was taken from the Royal Keep and raised in hiding. With two devoted servants by her side, Kelsea has spent her life in a cottage in the woods, ignorant of the truths of her legacy.
When the princess’ ancestors abandoned their decaying world, they left behind all vestiges of modern technology. Since then, four powerful nations have emerged, ruled by the cunning Red Queen.
When Kelsea turns 19, she learns that she must make a perilous journey to the capital and reclaim her throne.
This book isn’t typical of most young adult novels. The book isn’t afraid to go to some truly dark places. It also emphasizes the political aspects and the intrigue.
The Invasion of the Tearling: Kelsea Glynn is now Queen of the Tearling. However, being a fair and just ruler isn’t enough to guarantee peace. When Kelsea takes a stand against a vile trade, she comes into contention with the Red Queen whose dark magic makes her a formidable foe.
With an army at her doorstep, Kelsea turns to unlikely allies.
This is the book that cemented Erika Johansen’s status as a star. The book allows Kelsea to go to some truly dark places, and that elevates her over most other female protagonists.
When Does The Next Erika Johansen book come out?
Erika Johansen doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is The Kingdom of Sweets and was released on November, 28th 2023.