These essays were a genuine joy to read. Lewis had a depth of thought that seems uncommon these days, and it's refreshing to read writing by authors like Lewis or Tolkien or others with similar worldviews and experience that depth. He also has a great wit, and in his response to James Stephens' criticism of Chesterton it was so much fun to see Lewis thoroughly dismantle Stephens' criticisms while still making it abundantly clear how much respect he held for Stephens' work in general. It also makes me happy to read Lewis and Tolkien's thoughts in regard to each other's work; it's fun to catch a glimpse of how thoroughly they supported each other and how genuinely they enjoyed each other's stories.

I'll likely reread this collection when I can next take a break from my TBR.

The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen

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adventurous dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

As far as the quality of the writing goes, this book is a 4-star (maybe 4.5-star) read. As far as being able to recommend it, due to the content it's only a 1- or 2-star read depending on the age, marital status, and specific content preferences of the person asking.

For a year or two I've been wanting to find books that portray arranged marriage well, i.e. that show the couple in an arranged marriage making the marriage work instead of trying to avoid it at all costs. So when I read the description for this book, I was thrilled. It wasn't quite a normal situation for an arranged marriage, but just the fact that they weren't trying to get out of the arrangement was a great start.

And then the book hooked me with its worldbuilding and action, drawing me in immediately with its twists and turns and the richness of the setting. I love deep worldbuilding that's integral to the plot, and this book wholly delivered on that front. The world is rich and deep, and it has impact on the characters and the characters impact it in turn. It's also richly described; description is definitely one of Jensen's strong points. Which is a two-edged sword in this book, given how much she decides to describe of the sexual tension and sexual interaction between the main characters. I skipped multiple portions.

The characters are also interesting, with firm values (some positive, some negative) and believable relationships. They all have notable characteristics that cause them to stand out, and most were enjoyable to read about. (Nana was not. Grandmothers oughtn't be so despicable.) Most of them cursed and made crude jokes and comments in excess, which is my other issue with the content of this book. (I am frustrated that I found this book in the YA section, since it would be R-rated by film standards, but that's a matter to take up with the bookstore that shelved it. NA should arguably be placed in the adult section rather than the YA section, at least nine times out of ten. But anyway.)

Overall, I enjoyed the bulk of this book. It was certainly well-written (aside from the excess of language) and I'm pleased to see an indie book that was so well-edited and well-formatted that I would have assumed it was traditionally published. But ultimately my enjoyment was dampened way too many times by the levels of adult content and I wouldn't be able to comfortably recommend this book to almost anyone I know.

Content Warnings