The Bridge Kingdom & The Traitor Queen dual review: Why did I put off reading these for so long?

August 1, 2022 by Bec | 5 stars, Reviews

The Bridge Kingdom & The Traitor Queen dual review: Why did I put off reading these for so long?The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen
Series: The Bridge Kingdom #1
Published by Self Pub on October 16th, 2018
Source: Kindle Unlimited, Purchased
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Amazon | Book Depository | Publisher | Angus & Robertson | Booktopia | Barnes & Noble
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Lara has only one thought for her husband on their wedding day: I will bring your kingdom to its knees. A princess trained from childhood to be a lethal spy, Lara knows that the Bridge Kingdom represents both legendary evil - and legendary promise. The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom controls all trade and travel between lands, allowing its ruler to enrich himself and deprive his enemies, including Lara's homeland. So when she is sent as a bride under the guise of fulfilling a treaty of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture the defenses of the impenetrable Bridge Kingdom.

But as she infiltrates her new home - a lush paradise surrounded by tempest seas - and comes to know her new husband, Aren, Lara begins to question where the true evil resides. Around her, she sees a kingdom fighting for survival, and in Aren, a man fiercely protective of his people. As her mission drives her to deeper understanding of the fight to possess the bridge, Lara finds the simmering attraction between her and Aren impossible to ignore. Her goal nearly within reach, Lara will have to decide her own fate: Will she be the destroyer of a king or the savior of her people?

The Bridge Kingdom (5 stars)

The Good Things:

  • I loved this book so much. It gripped me so completely from the beginning that I barely took any notes.
  • I was prepared to give it five stars from the very first chapter
  • Loved the slowburn romance between Aren and Lara. The tension was good. There were plenty of sweet and spicy moments. And then there’s the emotional turmoil it caused me at the end!
  • So much fantastic banter, especially between Aren, Ahna and the guards.
  • Wonderful story structure, plot set up, and foreshadowing. It also had some classic fantasy tropes I enjoy.
  • Such a well-developed world. It’s only that I’m writing this that I’ve realised there doesn’t seem to be any magic in this fantasy world.
  • I cannot wait to read more Jensen books. If they’re even half as enjoyable as this one I’m going to have a great time.

 

The Not-So-Good Things:

  • I have no negative things written in my notes.
  • Absolutely no complaints. Just gushing.

 

Why, oh why did I wait so long to pick up this book? It was so good. I loved everything about it and have nothing to critique or complain about. It was perfect for me.

Rating: 5 out of 5


The Bridge Kingdom & The Traitor Queen dual review: Why did I put off reading these for so long?The Traitor Queen by Danielle L. Jensen
Series: The Bridge Kingdom #2
Published by Self Pub on September 1st, 2020
Source: Purchased
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Amazon | Book Depository | Publisher | Angus & Robertson | Booktopia | Barnes & Noble
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A queen now in exile as a traitor, Lara has watched Ithicana be conquered by her own father, helpless to do anything to stop the destruction. But when she learns her husband, Aren, has been captured in battle, Lara knows there is only one reason her father is keeping him alive: as bait for his traitorous daughter.

And it is bait she fully intends to take.

Risking her life to the Tempest Seas, Lara returns to Ithicana with a plan not only to free its king, but for liberating the Bridge Kingdom from her father’s clutches using his own weapons: the sisters whose lives she spared. But not only is the palace inescapable, there are more players in the game than Lara ever realized, enemies and allies switching sides in the fight for crowns, kingdoms, and bridges. But her greatest adversary of all might be the very man she’s trying to free – the husband she betrayed.

With everything she loves in jeopardy, Lara must decide who – and what – she is fighting for: her kingdom, her husband, or herself.

The Good Things

  • After the way The Bridge Kingdom ended, I had to start this immediately.
  • I loved that we got to meet some of Lara’s sisters and see their deadly skills in action. I would have loved more time with them. It was great actually getting to see Lara do everything she was capable of beyond spying and scheming.
  • There was a lot of set up for the sequels in this one. We got to meet Keris and Zarrah and learnt a little bit about Ahna’s situation. I can’t wait to find out how their stories fit into the overall series timeline.
  • This book made me appreciate the foreshadowing in The Bridge Kingdom even more. So many small world building and foreshadowing scenes in book one led to some of my favourite scenes in this one. The sharks and Snake Island in particular were some of my favourite scenes.

 

The Not-So-Good Things

  • It was slower paced in the beginning and a lot angstier (not surprising considering the events at the end of The Bridge Kingdom and all the things that had to be set in motion).
  • I wanted more of a conclusion or epilogue at the end. However, there are sequels coming so I’m hoping we’ll get some more Lara and Aren scenes in those.
  • The villain’s demise felt a little bit anticlimactic. It ended so quickly amidst a lot of chaos and there are a lot of ramifications we don’t know about yet. But again: the sequels may explain some of it.

 

A solid sequel that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was slower paced at the start, but I loved the scheming that set up the action. I cannot wait to see how the future books add to the series.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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Bec is an Aussie blogger and reader who loves all types of novels. Fantasy, sci fi, and historical are my usual go-to genres. If I’m not binge reading, I’m usually gaming, trying to take decent photos for bookstagram, or freaking out about silly things.

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