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kaseybereading's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and War
ka_ke's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Not a fan of the will they? Won’t they? trope. But otherwise the action is well written. A satisfying end to the duology, but not the best I’ve read this year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Colonisation, Death, Murder, Sexual content, Violence, and War
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
charhollyx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-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
4.0
A thrilling end to this part of the series (as I think book three is about two side-characters.)
I really rooted for Lara throughout this book and despite usually feeling irritated at reading a characters constant guilt-ridden emotions when they mess up, I found the guilt that Lara and Aren felt to not only not annoy me, but I empathised and felt their pain.
I loved these characters. I loved the sisters and Jor but I would have liked to see depth in other side characters alike those important to Aren, so that I felt his pain with him as he watched them go through pain or triumph.
A good decision to make the next book about Zarrah and Keris. Lara and Aren’s story is finished now and perusing those characters would only result in a boring book - I’m excited to see how book three turns out.
It’s such a vivid, well-written world with so much more to explore than just Ithicana.
I really rooted for Lara throughout this book and despite usually feeling irritated at reading a characters constant guilt-ridden emotions when they mess up, I found the guilt that Lara and Aren felt to not only not annoy me, but I empathised and felt their pain.
I loved these characters. I loved the sisters and Jor but I would have liked to see depth in other side characters alike those important to Aren, so that I felt his pain with him as he watched them go through pain or triumph.
A good decision to make the next book about Zarrah and Keris. Lara and Aren’s story is finished now and perusing those characters would only result in a boring book - I’m excited to see how book three turns out.
It’s such a vivid, well-written world with so much more to explore than just Ithicana.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Confinement, War, and Violence
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Vomit and Death of parent
sophiesmallhands's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Death, War, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent
foreverinastory's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Much better than the first. Kind of wish the first never existed and the series just started here lmao.
Rep: female MC, side BIPOC characters, probable that one or both of the MCs have PTSD.
CWs: Alcohol consumption, blood, colonisation, death, drug use, emotional abuse, fire, genocide, grief, injury/injury detail, medical content (stitches), misogyny, murder, sexual content, torture, violence, war.
Rep: female MC, side BIPOC characters, probable that one or both of the MCs have PTSD.
CWs: Alcohol consumption, blood, colonisation, death, drug use, emotional abuse, fire, genocide, grief, injury/injury detail, medical content (stitches), misogyny, murder, sexual content, torture, violence, war.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Colonisation, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, and War
deesquared's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Murder, Sexual content, Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Pregnancy
slama_llama's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
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
5.0
I loved this book! What made it for me was the raw reality of the situations and the intensity of it all. I couldn’t put the book down- a true page turner in my case.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: Blood and Murder
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
finnickdeservedbetter's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Gore, Blood, Body horror, Death, Murder, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Genocide and Cursing
Minor: Vomit and Kidnapping
baexlee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The Traitor Queen is a satisfying follow up installment in the Bridge Kingdom series and Danielle Jensen continues to round out Lara and Aren's complex romantic entanglement. As in The Bridge Kingdom Jensen does a great job utilizing foreshadowing throughout the book, leaving hints of what is to come or the intentions or motivations of the characters. The balance of narrative perspective varies a bit more in this one that in the first, but it is fitting to the story given the circumstances that Lara and Aren initially find themselves in, and the fact that less is hidden about the kingdom of Ithicana as a whole in this novel. The pacing has also picked up, and this is likely due to the stakes being higher, Lara and Aren always had a threat to their lives hanging over their heads, but the threat is much more immediate throughout these pages and it makes for a page turner.
The guilt of both Lara and Aren is portrayed well throughout, delving into the complexities and the volatility of their emotions as they work to free Ithicana and deal with their consequences of their choices, their relationship and the lingering feelings that they may have for each other. I think that Jensen explores Aren's guilt especially well through the expanding of his perspective. Not only is he a king who's kingdom has suffered because of his choices, but he cannot seem to help himself from continuing to make those damning choices that made his people suffer those losses in the first place. All of this is done however, without over complicating (or perhaps bloating is a better word) the narration.
The primary reason that I cannot rate this 5 stars like I did the initial installment is the ending. Perhaps it just felt too rushed when it was all said it done, and I can tell that while Lara and Aren's story has predominately come to a close, Keris and Zarrah's story will be taking off in the third book and the political entanglements have certainly not come to a close, especially not after it was revealed that Keris is Lara's full brother rather than half brother, and now he sit's on one throne and she sits on another . So we'll see Lara and Aren again I'm sure I just wanted something a little more for the final chapter between the two of them, and I guess I'll leave it at that, we'll see what happens in the third book.
The guilt of both Lara and Aren is portrayed well throughout, delving into the complexities and the volatility of their emotions as they work to free Ithicana and deal with their consequences of their choices, their relationship and the lingering feelings that they may have for each other. I think that Jensen explores Aren's guilt especially well through the expanding of his perspective. Not only is he a king who's kingdom has suffered because of his choices, but he cannot seem to help himself from continuing to make those damning choices that made his people suffer those losses in the first place. All of this is done however, without over complicating (or perhaps bloating is a better word) the narration.
The primary reason that I cannot rate this 5 stars like I did the initial installment is the ending. Perhaps it just felt too rushed when it was all said it done, and I can tell that while Lara and Aren's story has predominately come to a close, Keris and Zarrah's story will be taking off in the third book and the political entanglements have certainly not come to a close, especially not after it was revealed that
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Drug use, Death, and Confinement
Moderate: Alcoholism
folkofthebook's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Animal death, Blood, and Panic attacks/disorders