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adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Wow. Might come back to make a full review one day, but absolutely devoured this book and never have I ever ran to book so fast in my life.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content, Death of parent
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
the main problem i had with this book was probably how poorly everything was described. usually, i can imagine what everything is supposed to look like without too much help, and yet the only thing i can say i have a clear image of is probably just the jungle and the beach, because duh. nothing was properly described, despite the fact that lara's training should have her paying attention to detail. it's very odd to have such a large part of the book be the political tension and war between islands? countries? island countries? when there's no map provided and no clear description of anything. again, lara's training should have included a clear description of ithicana.
the balance in the book was a bit skewed. it spent a lot of time on the political tension and not enough time developing the romance, so when the characters told each other they were in love with each other it didn't feel believable. waiting until book two, at least on lara's part would have been a great move to include some more regret.
the book also lacked humor, and i'm not saying everything has to be an SNL skit, but some funny moments wouldn't have hurt. even the most serious of books have some uplifting scenes (or characters. i can't think of a single scene that was objectively funny, the author tried a bit with jor's lines, but they were all misogynistic and painted him as an unlikeable character i really wondered why they kept around. lara's joining him didn't help her character either.
some things were just weird and unnecessary. ahnna's introduction to lara really made no sense for her character as we got to know her, and felt a bit like it was included for shock value. and the whole emphasis on lara's body around other characters felt so weird, like why is she purposely exposing herself(taking off her shirt when she was wearing a silk undershirt that had gone see through in the rain) around other people? she somehow seems oblivious to how materials behave. jor was also just an uncomfortable character and i hated his comments on lara's body, and how aren did nothing about it??
the book had some good points though. i really liked the opening, and could clearly picture how they left the compound in flames, though i did draw my own conclusions on how lara's sisters survived the fire . also loved marylyn as a character, despite her 0.2 seconds of screen time.
am i gonna read the rest of the series? maybe, maybe not. probably not.
the balance in the book was a bit skewed. it spent a lot of time on the political tension and not enough time developing the romance, so when the characters
the book also lacked humor, and i'm not saying everything has to be an SNL skit, but some funny moments wouldn't have hurt. even the most serious of books have some uplifting scenes (or characters. i can't think of a single scene that was objectively funny,
some things were just weird and unnecessary. ahnna's introduction to lara really made no sense for her character as we got to know her, and felt a bit like it was included for shock value. and the whole emphasis on lara's body around other characters felt so weird, like why is she purposely exposing herself
the book had some good points though. i really liked the opening, and could clearly picture
am i gonna read the rest of the series? maybe, maybe not. probably not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, War
Minor: Confinement, Vomit
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Often touted as “the next ACOTAR,” The Bridge Kingdom checks all the boxes for an unputdownable series.
Though it misses the magical elements of fantasy, this series focuses on espionage, political intrigue, and war, with a tinge of romance. The characters are vibrant and complex and the imagery made me feel like I was right there.
The dual POV really helped to push the story forward and provided just enough foreshadowing to dial up the suspense a bit. As much as you had an idea what was coming, all was revealed in a surprising, yet satisfying way.
Definitely cannot wait to dive into book two, especially after ending on that cliffhanger!
Though it misses the magical elements of fantasy, this series focuses on espionage, political intrigue, and war, with a tinge of romance. The characters are vibrant and complex and the imagery made me feel like I was right there.
The dual POV really helped to push the story forward and provided just enough foreshadowing to dial up the suspense a bit. As much as you had an idea what was coming, all was revealed in a surprising, yet satisfying way.
Definitely cannot wait to dive into book two, especially after ending on that cliffhanger!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Vomit
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really liked the first few chapters of the book, and I was excited for the rest of the story to unfold. However, by the end, I didn't care as much about the characters or the plot. It wasn't bad, it just felt like something was (or multiple somethings were) missing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Violence, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Death of parent
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, War
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Vomit, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, War
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I did enjoy this but felt the reveal/twist was a bit predictable. I also wasn’t a huge fan of Lara which was a shame as she was one of our POV characters. I did like Aren though and that ending has me all kinds of angry on his behalf!
I already have physical copies of the next two books (in the series) so do intend to read them, but I wasn’t completely blown away but this like a lot of others readers were. Maybe my expectations were just too high or I’m just not in the right mood to fully appreciate it at this point in time.
I already have physical copies of the next two books (in the series) so do intend to read them, but I wasn’t completely blown away but this like a lot of others readers were. Maybe my expectations were just too high or I’m just not in the right mood to fully appreciate it at this point in time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, War
Moderate: Sexual content, Murder, Alcohol
Minor: Blood, Vomit, Death of parent
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A book you can't put down. It's been months if not years, since I last stayed up late to read--, and I've done it thrice in the past week to finish this book. There were plot twists I never saw coming, moments that made me laugh, and others that had me screaming internally for peace. Lara is an incredible FMC and Aren is not what I expected as an MMC -- he's better. I can't wait to read the Traitor Queen!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, War, Injury/Injury detail