After reading A Fate Inked In Blood, I was immediately hungry for more of Danielle L. Jensen’s marvelous fantasies, which led me to The Bridge Kingdom. What I discovered was another wonderful romantasy, wildly different from A Fate Inked in Blood, which makes it all the more impressive.
Lara is not your typical princess. She was raised far away from her family’s castle, far into the desert, with her sisters, trained by their father’s most ruthless men to be warriors, assassins, and spies. They were brought up with a single goal: take down the King Aren of Ithicana, the Bridge Kingdom. To them, he is the symbol of all evil, the tyrant who controls the only bridge that can be used to trade food and other essential goods from the rest of the kingdom. He is the king who is starving their people. And Lara is determined to be the one that brings him down.
But when she finds herself face to face with the man himself, enmeshed in his kingdom as his bride, she starts to wonder if everything is not as it seems. Faced with impossible choices, each with wide-sweeping consequences, Lara is forced to decide where her true loyalties lie.
The premise of these books was immediately captivating, perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas’ Throne of Glass series. It has the same strong, warrior female main characters and equally intriguing men at their side. There is gorgeous world-building, and there is no magic in this fantasy world, which is an unusual choice in the romantasy realm that totally works.
This fantasy is set in a kingdom with great detail in its settings, from arid deserts to an oceanic kingdom that feels deeply wonderful for a girl who grew up in a harbor. Each place feels so real and so imaginative.
The Bridge Kingdom series is filled with heart-pounding action, twists and turns that you sort of see coming but keep you impossibly hooked nonetheless. There is political intrigue, personal turmoil, and as many fight scenes as touching romantic moments. There is a deep tension and sadness interwoven throughout this series, and readers get the feeling, common in some romantasies, that it will be impossible for these characters to ever win. It makes for an incredibly suspenseful and engaging read.
The first two books follow Lara and Aren, but the third book goes back in time, telling a different piece of the story from the point-of-view of Lara’s brother, and the general and heir to the empire of Valcotta, Zarrah. The third book repeats a lot of events from a new perspective, and then the fourth book concludes the story in an entirely new story involving all the characters.
The Bridge Kingdom series is filled with suspense, intrigue, and passionate romance. The series is beautifully well-written with characters that will stay with you for long after you turn the last page. It is a must-read for fans of fantasy romance, cementing Danielle L. Jensen on the list of romantasy authors that cannot be missed.
Writing: 5
Spice: 2.5
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