Photo Credits: Chakkree Chantakad (pixabay), aalmeidah (pixabay) Edited by Vaishali Title: The Bridge Kingdom Series: The Bridge Kingdom #1 Author: Danielle L. Jensen Publisher: Context Literary Agency, LLC Year of Publication: 2018 Format: E-book/kindle app Genre/Themes: Fantasy Romance, Adult fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Enemies to Lovers, High Fantasy Review... My unabridged avowal: The Bridge Kingdom has just acquired itself another bridge bastion, a willing visitor to its shores, an eager guest to its gates, an ungrudging lodger to its land, a denizen at its demand, gatecrasher to its guard, a squaddie to its ranks, a tourist to its tribe, a morally supportive benefactor to its fantasy (whatever one wishes to call it) because I've just finished up with its final few pages and an arm-twisting urgency currently nestles itself within the trestles of my mind. There's nothing tremendously queer about the enemies to lovers/enemy kingdom invasion trope, and whether it be because it's been a long stretch since I've revisited something so similar within a fantasy romance or just - more aptly - because the opening instalment to the series was a fresh and foolproof attention-seize from the start, I've just been dispelled from my thinking wit and relegated to the space of a feeling pit because I'm in a desperate need-to-know state of mind after the first-book finale I just read! Building bridges, invading them, bridging gaps or burning them? It was a thrill to find myself in the middle of all the bad blood. I need book two without a second of delay because someone just cried Traitor Queen. And I’ve made it my business to see this threat through. Trained and tested for their worth as the next possible Queen of their enemy Kingdom, Lara and her sisters have been schooled in the beliefs of warring nations and the art of enemy infiltration. For one of them to one day become espoused to a rival leader who's responsible for the paucity of Maridrina's people. Lara sees to it that she become the daughter of royalty to free her people. Now complete in her training she steals the upper hand and - motivated by the pull to save her sisters - emerges as the one chosen to leave the seclusion of the Red Desert with her life untouched. Only an exceptional few still live to know the secrets of Lara's upbringing and the unconventional tutelage that could do nothing less than guarantee her as a beautiful walking weapon shaped to splinter the Bridge Kingdom. To stake claim over and break ownership of Ithicana's most lusted after artefact: their ancient kingdom-diving bridge. Filled with the fury of her impoverished people's suffering and desperate to see them hold possession to the rights deserved to them, Lara will become the secret downfall to a nation of people so wild and storm-tossed their ferity is no small secret. But playing the role of its imperfect damsel, she'll shadow its enemy people, explore dangerous land and when the time comes, spill their secrets like liquid gold for her tyrant father's taking. It's a convincing way to judge a book by how eager one is to start a story, be held by it through and to thus run excitement-first into its second born sequel. Since I was three for three, foiled by few things and favoured by everything, It’s fair to say this was a favourite. I worried over the story hitting lulls along the way or somehow losing its original thrill. I was even more worried actually that Lara would fall into the trappings of instant love and compromise her edge as an underhanded spy of the bridge kingdom. Even as I always waited for the other shoe to drop though, there was no shoe dropping here. While I did find myself occupied by smaller inconsistencies that were lost within the fold, the ease and thrill by which the story opens up began convincingly and held convincingly, I had no desire to jilt the plot workings at any stage. With uncumbersome worldbuilding, imagery that shifts, rattles and moves, formidable characters with a lot to lose and a lot to gain, a gravitational delivery that pulls, prose that exists in that plentiful place of being enough and never too much, I lucked out with this fantasy romance that rails against submission but rests upon a hate to love appeal. The writing accomplishes a lot for the plot action, pace, locale, dialogue, direction and interrelations that I was so easily tempted to stay the course and turn those pages like an unspoken order. This planned Kingdom collapse dressed as an alliance of peace was nothing short of an attention pull. As two people who care deeply about the welfare of their respective kingdoms, Aren and Lara don't begin this story relishing the idea of playing nice (yes to hero-heroine friction, though I could have used more he/her conversational tension). It's very much Ithicana vs. Maridrina for Lara, but by comparison Aren's intention to put the treaty terms in place is much purer. Incredibly pure, actually. He hopes for the bigger vision of a real truce to afford his people more than just the survivalist life. On the other extreme, Lara's very much the aggressor born from an aggressor who's operating from a place of perceived legitimacy. She's a warrior princess, unbeknownst to Aren and his guard, and performs to favour her sleight of hand, but without ever being the also perceived damsel that bends or loses her edge. She's as furious, fiery and deliberate as they come which makes for intensive protagonist material, albeit one deprived of self-reflection and actionable realisation at times. And while Ithicana is the storm kingdom, it's new Queen has the temper to match. I really loved the earliest interactions between the two; the dialogue particularly was taut with resistance without ever feeling like a forced performance - and as a bit of a battleground in and of itself, it was a strong element. And the dialogue continued to be a strength throughout . While trust isn't easily given for this hero, it's the dream for an entire kingdom that makes his resilience penetrable, risking any threat that Lara poses. And thus? You'll always find him being at her defence and he has the whole 'she may be the daughter of a kingdom that is our sworn enemy but nobody touches her' vibe. Just falling back to my initial worry, I was sceptical that the romance would use the physical attraction of both FMC and MC to imperil the grand duplicity at play and thus splinter an entire plot dependent on an intriguing scheme. I'm happy that the romance took the path of a slow burn, which was both realistic and thickened the stakes of moral culpability when Lara becomes confronted with life outside of her beliefs. Not an explicitly deep reflection of a romance here I have to be honest, and one I wanted to pull more depth and discovery from, but still one that sweetens the deal no less. So while the romance burned slowly, aside it so did a revelation Lara has to challenge. As it's long since been a case of her heart is with her people so her pride must be too, she learns that suffering comes in many forms, and her husband might have gathered himself a reputation for savagery by bereaving his enemies as his pockets grow richer and deeper, his motivations are unspoiled from the best. So her mission gradually loses its fuel when she realises all she's doing is trading pain for pain and life for life with the destruction of people who are by all accounts, as innocent as her own. Of course, we know the story's secret, even as Aren's left to the devices of suspicion, mistrust and guesswork with his newly betrothed. As Jor quite accurately says 'all roads lead to war' and Lara's choices lead to the same. The eruption is seen coming and I'm so glad it did. Why? Because this spells more fun for book two! In a questionable spirit, low-level parts of the story did feel slightly off. Involving Lara's decision making, her profile is at times a mismatch to her real-time habits, and thus introduces a sense of 'at odds' with who she was trained to be, how she carries herself with that level of cunning and her resistance to facing newer beliefs. There's also Nana's backstory which is one of a few particulars that rewarded a mention without the level of elaboration I wanted. All in all, there are some unmissable particulars that didn't go unnoticed but there's just something a little bit fresh and special about the represented espionage/infiltration trope that pushed me further, with eyes keen and fingers flipping. With the role of contemporary romance where forgiveness is always so easily afforded without grave repercussion, I loved the element of 'I made a massive mistake and it won't be forgotten easily, if at all.' Lara's tangled in her misdeed and I loved the angle of atonement that faces a massive consequence with a massive regret and a massive catastrophe, even despite the heroine's character growth and good that later becomes of her. I do hope though that the relationship development furthers itself with more satisfaction. Separately, I love how unbeatable and willed they are. Together, I was hoping for a more palpable, pushed-for love bond. My own copy - thankfully - sported a map of the world and as I repeatedly referred back to it to locate various sites and regions, I kept wondering where Ithicana's Kingdom was. Is this Kingdom invisible? Wiped from the world map? Apparently not. The map doesn't label it's kingdom, but soon enough, I discovered something: Ithicana's existence carves a strong centre right through the map's geography. All-inclusive to scores of scattered islands, their kingdom cuts a centre that snakes through land, sea and creature-infested coastlines. Made up of jungle, peaks, retreats and landmasses that meet the raging moods of the Tempest Seas, the world-building of Ithicana specifically was excellent. A kingdom riddled with sabotage, its imagery was exciting to discover without the weight of heavy interpretation. It's smooth. It's easeful. And it's uniqueness blended succinctly with raging mother earth. The Bridge Kingdom is heavily political, with conversations over war, battle, strategy, pragmatics and negotiational schematics. The dominant political nature is nicely broken up by following events, personal motivations, action sequences and the slowly-realised romance. More on the politically driven side, the romantic connection isn't as intricate as other plot elements but it's no less interesting to observe the treachery, the turns and Lara's turnaround through the arranged marriage that stews up those secret feelings. An almost lifelong scheme in the works and everything changes within a night. And changes even more with time spent sneaking through the wilds of Aren's Kingdom. Every schematic, ever pragmatic, Lara sticks fastidiously by her mission to unseat a King from his perch atop the bridge. But brought up entirely removed from the conditions of the truth has her undoing set in her new Kingdom's stone. Every lie searches for purchase but every truth can't be hidden, and Lara's allegiance to that lie impugns a ploy that really might see her as yet another tormentor. And not her homeland's purchaser of peace. The worldbuilding is by and large a believable sentience, and with significant plot developments realised by a great set of characters who supported the plot and the intrigue of battling nations, I was under the rapt impression that this story with a heroine morally contentious and a hero morally honourable was a book well-chosen. In a non-magic tale of neighbouring territories and rivalling empires, espionage, a misted kingdom of secrets, reveals and tropical climes that deals in the economy of subterfuge and kingdom secrets, a marriage clause brings this fantasy romance to the heels of what could be a greater end or a greater tragedy. Let's hope the mishap turns to lady luck (aka Lara). I'm also really interested to see how her remaining sisters come into the story because I’m loving the idea of a host of powerful warrior women about to shake things up. That’s my hope, in any case. With sea battles, land battles, perilous sea fares, territorial machinations, raging, changing elements and political scrimmages with protagonists who maintain a staunch defense of their homelands, The Bridge Kingdom easily secures itself in the list of my favourites for the year! With my heart set on rerouting back to fantasy romance as of late, but not knowing where to go with it and what to choose, I found a trio of excitement, adrenaline and fulfilment in this weather-beaten venture of retribution, artifice, enemy love with privately swelling feelings, adversarial whim, severance and a romance that doesn't play nice between a warrior enemy bride and defender king that turns Into a thing that romances war. Did I already say I need book two immediately? Let's repeat that for clarity's sake. This book doesn't waste its time, talent or temper to get to the point and parse the purpose, so I get to mine by saying that Danielle L. Jensen may have written a tale that crosses swords and lays them down for a bigger hope, so one can consider me replicating the act. And like Lara, throwing vigilance to the wind as I return for unfinished business to see that the ravage can be undone. If I lost a hold on reality and rallied some emotional investment I call it a favourite so a favourite The Bridge Kingdom is. Nothing tastes quite as good as a second serving that hopes to taste like the first, so wish me a fine fictional meal with a sequel that I'm decidedly famished for. Let's do this. I gave this book 4 stars - Content Warning: Some scenes of violence and remembered torture. Descriptions of injury. Panic episodes. Blood, scenes of battling/fighting/violence. Drinking. Minor instances of profanity. A bedroom scene (the remaining are off page). EXTRA THOUGHTS: 1) I have to admit that the romance really wasn't the romance it could have been, though I'm hoping book two will work on the development a lot more. And not turning a blind eye to the sometimes questionable characterisation and inconsistencies (which are perceptible), I'm still somehow moved by the series and can't seem to stop nosing my way into what happens next. I'm very excited. 1) I really wanted to know more about Nana being a spy and how she escaped... 2) The covers for this series remind me a lot of the (original) covers to Hayley Reese Chow's Odriel's Heirs series. 3) Brilliantly-timed sex scene that's not at all misplaced. Perfect timing and a perfect smut Indulgence. --------------------------------------- M Y R A T I N G S Y S T E M: ★ - 1 star: I did not like the book ★★ - 2 stars: The book was okay ★★★ - 3 stars: It was a good, solid read ★★★★ - 4 stars: A great book ★★★★★ - 5: A phenomenal read --------------------------------------- I love interacting with fellow readers, reviewers, bloggers and writers. Hearing about reader opinion is the fuel to my reader appetite, so get in touch and comment below! SHARE ON FACEBOOK Leave a comment and let's talk about |
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February 2024
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