Review: The Traitor Queen by Danielle L. Jensen
“Wishes were the dreams of fools.”
The Basics
Title: The Traitor Queen (The Bridge Kingdom #2)
Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Published: 2020
Publisher: Context Literary Agency
Pages: 331
Format: Paperback
Genres: Fiction — Fantasy, High fantasy, Romance, Fantasy romance, New adult
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Book Synopsis
Aren might never forgive her for her betrayal, but Lara still loves him and is determined to free him from where he is being held captive in her father’s palace. A veritable fortress, the palace is not easily breached; to do so, Lara must enlist the help of her remaining sisters, as well as somehow finagle help from within the palace walls. Perhaps the greatest challenge of all, however, will be convincing Aren to trust her and go along with her plan.
My Review & Overall Thoughts
TLDR: A thrilling and fast-paced sequel to The Bridge Kingdom.
For me, a sign of a good book is when you can completely lose yourself in the story, and that is precisely what happened to me while reading The Traitor Queen. One minute it was 11:30 PM, and when I next looked up from my page, it was going on 1:30 AM. Nearly two hours had passed, and I had not even noticed. That alone should tell you how good of a book this is, as I am not one to easily lose track of time. Every aspect of The Traitor Queen, from its plot to its characters and world building, draws you in and keeps a hold of your attention throughout its entirety. It truly is a riveting book.
The plot is chock full of action and edge-of-your-seat moments. From a prison break to toppling a tyrant, the action never slows, and the intrigue never wanes. Clandestine meetings and subterfuge will have you wondering who you can trust, and close calls will have you holding your breath. Trust me, you will be glued to the pages, hanging on to Jensen’s every word.
Then, there are the characters. In large part, The Traitor Queen is a story about Lara’s redemption. Plagued by guilt and shame for her role in the deaths of countless Ithicanians, she is determined to do everything in her power to right things – to the extent that they can be righted. She is not the same person she was in The Bridge Kingdom, nor is Aren. They have understandably grown apart, and consequently, their love story is less fiery and more heartbreaking than it was in The Bridge Kingdom. They still love one another, but for Aren, that love is buried beneath layers of betrayal and hurt. The outcome of their relationship is not made known until the tail end of the book, which is to the story’s benefit. The book is allowed time to explore the intricacies of their relationship and examine how or if Aren might forgive Lara.
The Traitor Queen also introduces us to a number of new characters, including Lara’s sisters. One of her sisters, Sarhina, has quickly become one of my favorite characters in the series. She is witty and despite being several months pregnant, is every bit as lethal as Lara. She also intuitively understands Lara, possessing the ability to predict both her thoughts and actions. I loved watching their interactions and seeing their love and loyalty for one another. Two other notable characters we meet in this book are Keris, Lara’s brother and heir to the Maridrinian throne, and Zarrah, heir to the Valcottan throne. They are both interesting characters, and the precise nature of their relationship, while hinted at, is never directly explored. I believe they will be the focus of the next book in the series, so I look forward to learning more about their relationship, including how they met.
As was true with The Bridge Kingdom, the world building in The Traitor Queen is top notch. In fact, in this book, the world that was crafted in The Bridge Kingdom is expanded. We travel to Valcotta and hitherto unseen parts of Maridrina, including a desert oasis city. Further cultural differences between the nations are revealed, and some additional light is shone on the complex political relationships between the countries. We see just how much duplicity and trickery there is among the world’s rulers. In short, it is a rich, intricate world with room for further expansion and story lines in subsequent books.
Lastly, I have to take a moment to discuss Jensen’s writing style. It is engaging, descriptive, and easy to follow. Her use of a dual point of view enhances the book’s overall enjoyability, as it not only provides insight into the two lead characters but also helps to move the story along. She knows how to write and spin a captivating tale.
The not so good
I greedily wanted more of Lara and Aren’s story. I would have liked an epilogue that gave us a glimpse into their lives after the events of the book, but perhaps their story will continue in an indirect way in the next book.
Overall
The Traitor Queen is a fantastic sequel to The Bridge Kingdom. It answers our questions from The Bridge Kingdom and sets the stage for the next book. After finishing this book, I am excited to delve into Jensen’s other books while I wait for the next installment in The Bridge Kingdom series.
Have you read either The Traitor Queen or The Bridge Kingdom? If so, let me know what you thought of the book(s) in the comments section below!
