Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman

Author: Rachel Hartman

Publisher: PRH Canada Young Readers

Date: February 27, 2018

Pages: 544

Format: Hardcover

My Rating: ⭐1/2

Purchase Links: [Chapters/Indigo] [Amazon]

Goodreads Synopsis:

In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons get to be whomever they want. Tess, stubbornly, is a troublemaker. You can't make a scene at your sister's wedding and break a relative's nose with one punch (no matter how pompous he is) and not suffer the consequences. As her family plans to send her to a nunnery, Tess yanks on her boots and sets out on a journey across the Southlands, alone and pretending to be a boy. Where Tess is headed is a mystery, even to her. So when she runs into an old friend, it's a stroke of luck. This friend is a quigutl--a subspecies of dragon--who gives her both a purpose and protection on the road. But Tess is guarding a troubling secret. Her tumultuous past is a heavy burden to carry, and the memories she's tried to forget threaten to expose her to the world in more ways than one.

My Review:

* Thank you Penguin Random House for sending me a copy of the book for an honest review *

Tess of the Road is a self-finding story. Tess runs away from her home and follows her heart to go on an quest. I did not find anything exciting or anything that really stood out in Tess of the Road. Tess was just walking and meeting new people, and walking some more... The writing of the book has that medieval feel that went well with the story. Unfortunately, I was really disappointed with the plot and the events that happened. There was not much adventure and action in the story, which would have kept me more engaged. What kept me reading was the mystery behind what happened with Tess's past. I felt really bad for her throughout the entire book, especially while she was at home. She got bullied and abused a lot, physically and emotionally, by her family.

I found the world was very hard to grasp. There was not much world building, and was blandly explained. Most of the time I did not grasp the setting and had to fill in the blanks myself. I believe if I had already read the previous two books written (Seraphina series) I would have understood the world more and possibly enjoyed it better. Rachel Hartman used different languages, which she provided a glossary on the back, and different species. Once again since there was not much explanation I had a hard time grasping what the different characters looked like.

After reading 70% of the book I had to start skimming parts. I just wanted it to be done. Overall I had a very hard time trying to find interest in the book, after a while I lost what little interest I had.

#RachelHartman #TessoftheRoaf #15stars