The Bridge Kingdom

The Bridge Kingdom #1

By Danielle L. Jensen

*Can be read as a duet with The Traitor Queen*

TheStory

Raised in isolation with her half sisters for the sole purpose of infiltrating Ithicana as a bride to their king, Lara has learned all the necessary skills to be a spy for Maridrina. 

Upon marrying King Aren, she finds herself torn between two homes when she learns Ithicana is not anything like she was taught to believe. But learning the truth might be the downfall of both kingdoms. 

TheReview

Quick disclaimer, the first two books - The Bridge Kingdom and The Traitor Queen - technically read as a duet. The next two - The Inadequate Heir and The Endless War - are another duet, focusing on Keris and Zarrah.

Now, on to the review…

The beginning is a detailed layout of the characters and their world. It lays the groundwork that makes the reader actually care about the MCs and the kingdoms in which this story is set. I have an imagination of like 2/5 so too much detail doesn’t do much for me and not enough really kills me. So this was a perfect set up. 

It is a very politically and war focused book, which normally tends to turn me off but it really helped make me understand why Lara was so important and why Aren does what he does. And it still has just the right amount of relationship building throughout, as well as witty, funny scenes to keep me hooked. Even the side characters, essential to any good book, did it for me. 

What MUST we have in a good book? CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT! And this book delivered. As should always be the case, there was a gradual progression of character building, flaws revealed, change of heart, etc. etc. etc. 

The ending - and by that I mean the last like 1/4 of the book - was insane! What a whirlwind. I could not put it down. It had me on the literal edge of my seat.

Honestly, this book gave me so much anxiety. Which is a testament to how well written it is. I really felt like I was there. Like I was the one having to deal with every disaster, every battle, every lie, every truth revealed. I’m absolutely captivated by the series now and can’t wait to read the next one. 

TheRating

Storyline: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

World Building: 5/5

Writing: 5/5

Overall: 📘📘📘📘📘

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

The Bridge Kingdom Series

The Bridge Kingdom

The Bridge Kingdom #1

The Traitor Queen

The Bridge Kingdom #2

The Inadequate Heir

The Bridge Kingdom #3

The Calm Before the Storm

The Bridge Kingdom #3.5

The Endless War

The Bridge Kingdom #4

The Twisted Throne

The Bridge Kingdom #5