Audiobook Review – The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen, Narrated by Lauren Fortgang, James Patrick Cronin (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 11 hours and 52 minutes (385 pages)
Publisher: Audible Original
Release Date: October 16, 2018
ASIN: B07H7QTPB1
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: On Loan from Audible Escapes
Rating: 5/5 stars

“Lara has only one thought for her husband on their wedding day: I will bring your kingdom to its knees. A princess trained from childhood to be a lethal spy, Lara knows that the Bridge Kingdom represents both legendary evil – and legendary promise. The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom controls all trade and travel between lands, allowing its ruler to enrich himself and deprive his enemies, including Lara’s homeland. So when she is sent as a bride under the guise of fulfilling a treaty of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture the defenses of the impenetrable Bridge Kingdom.

But as she infiltrates her new home – a lush paradise surrounded by tempest seas – and comes to know her new husband, Aren, Lara begins to question where the true evil resides. Around her, she sees a kingdom fighting for survival, and in Aren, a man fiercely protective of his people. As her mission drives her to deeper understanding of the fight to possess the bridge, Lara finds the simmering attraction between her and Aren impossible to ignore. Her goal nearly within reach, Lara will have to decide her own fate: Will she be the destroyer of a king or the savior of her people?”

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Bridge Kingdom series and I got this book on loan through Audible Escapes

Audiobook Quality (5/5): This audiobook was very well done. I thought the narrators did an excellent job and I really enjoyed and looked forward to listening to this.

Story (5/5): The story wasn’t all that unique but it was an excellent classic fantasy type of tale and I really enjoyed it. Lara has been training her whole life as an assassin and spy, her only goal to marry the enemy king (king of the Bridge Kingdom) and get steal information from this king for her father (who is the king of the neighboring kingdom). However, when Lara gets to the Bridge Kingdom she finds out that maybe her father wasn’t telling her the whole truth about the Bridge Kingdom. There is plenty of action and adventure in here, as well as a good dose of intrigue and some romance.

Characters (5/5): Lara and Aren (king of the Bridge Kingdom) are the primary characters in this book. I really enjoyed them both. They have great chemistry together and were both mature characters who could think for themselves. Both have backbone and a lot of depth to them, they were fun to read about and get to know. The side characters were well done too.

Setting (5/5): I loved the setting of the Bridge Kingdom. This is a very detailed and well thought out world. The Bridge Kingdom is a very creative idea and I enjoyed it. This was an amazing fantasy setting that I found really entertaining.

Writing Style (5/5): I always enjoy Jensen’s writing style. I really enjoyed her Malediction Trilogy as well. The writing is very descriptive, flows well and is easy to read. She writes great dialogue between characters as well. This story alternates POV between Lara and Aren and this worked really well for this book.

Summary (5/5): Overall I ended up really loving this book. It was a solid fantasy with some romance and action. I loved the characters, the unique world, and action. This book ends on a total cliffhanger and I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the series when it releases.