The Bridge Kingdom
(The Bridge Kingdom #1)
Danielle L. Jensen
Publisher: Self-published
Publication date: Oct. 16, 2018
Genre: New Adult Fantasy
Rating:
A warrior princess trained in isolation, Lara is driven by two certainties. The first is that King Aren of the Bridge Kingdom is her enemy. And the second is that she’ll be the one to bring him to his knees.
The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom enriches itself and deprives its rivals, including Lara’s homeland. So when she’s sent as a bride under the guise of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture its impenetrable defenses. And the defenses of its king.
Yet as she infiltrates her new home and gains a deeper understanding of the war to possess the bridge, Lara begins to question whether she’s the hero or the villain. And as her feelings for Aren transform from frosty hostility to fierce passion, Lara must choose which kingdom she’ll save… and which kingdom she’ll destroy.
This is a good fantasy novel that plays into the two warring kingdoms plot line we’ve all read before. In this book, we have Lara who has been trained since she was 5 to be an assassin. Her father and his men have conditioned her to become a spy, infiltrate an enemy kingdom, and take it down from the inside. She’s been shown all the reasons on why this kingdom needs to be taken down, and she’s ready for the task. However, 11 of her other sisters have also been trained for the same thing. So, it’s clear that only one will be continuing on their quest, meaning the others will be “dealt with” to guarantee their silence. But, it’s all in the name of giving her kingdom the means they need to survive, right? Let’s just say pretty soon Lara learns that it’s not all black and white and that maybe she’s been brainwashed into believing a reality that doesn’t exist.
The author paints the world very vividly and I really got an idea of the landscape she had created in her mind. There was so much adventure and fighting in this story, that it was hard to become complacent or bored. With Lara always scheming ways to overtake her enemy, to Aren always seeming to be off protecting his land from raiders, there was always something going on. Plus, I loved that as the story progresses, it changes intensity. Lara soon realizes that she’s been manipulated and brainwashed by her father, and in that realization comes the fire to take down her father.
I really liked the slow progression of not only Lara’s character, but also of her relationship with Aren. There was nothing quick or speedy about what transpires. It’s little things here and there. Now, I would be lying if I didn’t say that I wasn’t yelling at the book and had an “Oh no!” *out loud* moment while reading this book. I became so engrossed in what was going on, that I verbally responded to the book, and that RARELY happens.
The Bridge Kingdom was a really good intro to a fascinating world. I loved all the characters we met along the way. Their triumphs and losses were felt and I look forward to continuing the series. If you’re a fan of new adult fantasy novels, then this is a must read!
Ha, I’ve yelled at a book or two before.