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A review by kewlkat70
The Twisted Throne by Danielle L. Jensen
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book is a tense story through the world of The Bridge Kingdom full of intrigue and politics.
The good part is that the machinations of the Harrendale kingdom are so unpredictable that as soon as one secret plan is seemin ly uncovered a second one is revealed with new motivations and players.
The hard part is that I don't find Anna a particularly likable protagonist, especially in the beginning. It may be that she was written to be that way. She is a woman of action and stubbornness who does not have the patience or subtlety of mind to play the games of politics and court intrigue. She is constantly surprised by the people around her as she tries to make moves and is outmaneuvered at every turn. She is the most arrogant of characters especially her behaviour towards Lara as her righteousness drives her hatred and lack of forgiveness. She resents Aran for choosing Lara and refuses to see Lara as conflicted or capable of change.
It's not until the last chapters that she even begines to understand the situation that Lara found herself in and that she may need to take similar steps to save herself and her country. It's a hard lesson and Anna is stupidly obstinate throughout the book and makes many selfish choices believing she is doing the right thing but only creating a bigger divide between nations.
The book ends on a cliffhanger so we will need to wait for the sequel to find out if she is ready to accept herself and make better choices for her future.
While there is a romance storyline here it won't be resolved through a grand rescue of her love interest as in the other books. Perhaps she will need to be rescued but more likely she will need to learn exactly who she is beyond a fighter.
The good part is that the machinations of the Harrendale kingdom are so unpredictable that as soon as one secret plan is seemin ly uncovered a second one is revealed with new motivations and players.
The hard part is that I don't find Anna a particularly likable protagonist, especially in the beginning. It may be that she was written to be that way. She is a woman of action and stubbornness who does not have the patience or subtlety of mind to play the games of politics and court intrigue. She is constantly surprised by the people around her as she tries to make moves and is outmaneuvered at every turn. She is the most arrogant of characters especially her behaviour towards Lara as her righteousness drives her hatred and lack of forgiveness. She resents Aran for choosing Lara and refuses to see Lara as conflicted or capable of change.
It's not until the last chapters that she even begines to understand the situation that Lara found herself in and that she may need to take similar steps to save herself and her country. It's a hard lesson and Anna is stupidly obstinate throughout the book and makes many selfish choices believing she is doing the right thing but only creating a bigger divide between nations.
The book ends on a cliffhanger so we will need to wait for the sequel to find out if she is ready to accept herself and make better choices for her future.
While there is a romance storyline here it won't be resolved through a grand rescue of her love interest as in the other books. Perhaps she will need to be rescued but more likely she will need to learn exactly who she is beyond a fighter.