Review by Ronny
Series Name: The Bridge Kingdom, #2
The Traitor Queen is a heart-pounding, angsty, and addictive romantasy that you will not be able to put down.
Favourite Quote:
“Since the day we met, there has never been anyone but you. And there never will be anyone but you. You are my queen, and I need you.”
Book Synopsis:
In the second novel of the heart-pounding Bridge Kingdom series, one woman fights to win back her throne, her people, and the love of the man she betrayed.
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.
Review:
Well, the previous book in this series ended on quite the cliff-hanger and all I could think is how is Danielle going to get her heroine out of this mess? Be warned, if you haven’t read the previous book, then do not read this review, as it has some major spoilers from the first book in it.
Ok, this book was freaking amazing and its official I am a Danielle L. Jensen fan-girl. The last book ended with Ithicana being invaded by Maridrina, Lara’s home kingdom. This invasion was a result of an unfortunate series of events where Lara’s father gained secret knowledge about Ithicana’s defences from Lara. This betrayal meant the end of the relationship between Lara and Aren and the death and destruction of many people living in Ithicana. The last couple of pages from The Bridge Kingdom also made it known that Lara’s father had captured Aren. The challenges that Lara faces in this book are so extreme and impossible that all you can think is this is going to be a heart-wrenching book, because there is no way this is going to end well and with everyone alive. There is a very different feel to this book compared to its predecessor. The previous book has a more court intrigue and relationship focus, whereas this book is faster-paced and packed with heart-pounding action scenes. I loved every moment of it. The stakes are just so high in this book that it’s nearly impossible to put down. Not only is Lara and Aren’s relationship broken, but we are also watching two kingdoms fighting each other. Ithicana is barely holding on, and things look so bleak for the kingdom, but you know Lara has a plan, and it involves her sisters. There wasn’t a moment of this book that I didn’t enjoy. I thought Danielle handled how conflicts were solved in a very clever and thoughtful manner. Nothing felt like a cop out, and my god, the ending is going to rip your heart out of your chest.
Lara is an absolute badass in this book. She is a force that is not to be messed with, and when her sisters join her in her fight against their father, nothing can stop them. I loved this version of Lara. She no longer has to hide what she is capable of and unleashes this rage against those who dare hurt her and the people she loves. It was so enjoyable to read. Besides all her badass qualities, Lara is really struggling to deal with the consequences of her actions from the previous book. She may not have intended to help her father, but her actions still led to the invasions of Ithicana and the death of many of its people. Lara’s quest in this book is to help Ithicana regain its independence and find a way to make amends to its people for all the pain she has caused them. Her inner angst and sorrow just sucker punches you in the stomach.
There is a lot of romance angst in this book. Both Lara and Aren find themselves in this difficult situation. Aren feels betrayed and knows that even if he could forgive Lara, he could never get back together with her because his people would see that as a betrayal of them. Lara loves Aren, but knows they no longer have a future together. Watching these two struggle with their feelings and that tension between them is so delicious. What I also really enjoyed about this book was that we get to see Aren and Lara face various dangerous situations. When danger is present in the book, it creates a lot of heightened emotions, which I love. Those heightened emotions mean that everything these two are going through emotionally just feels so much stronger.
Another thing that proves Danielle is a master at what she does is that she begins to hook her readers for the next book in the series, which focuses on two new characters. I loved those little glimpses of Zarah and Keris’ relationship, and those teasing little moments leave you wanting more.
The Traitor Queen is a delicious, addictive read and a wonderful conclusion to Lara and Aren’s story arc.
