Showing posts with label danielle l jensen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label danielle l jensen. Show all posts

18 Aug 2023

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays: THE ENDLESS WAR by Danielle L. Jensen (The Bridge Kingdom #4) (Review)

18 August 1 Comments

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays introduces readers who are unfamiliar with the Adult SF/F genre to books, authors, and discussions all about the vast expanse of the world of Adult SF/F!

THE ENDLESS WAR

Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Series: The Bridge Kingdom #4
Source: Audible Plus
Publisher: Audible Originals
Publication Date: May 25, 2023
Overall Rating:
Diversity Rating:
Representation: N/A

Summary:
The electrifying fourth installment in the Bridge Kingdom series.

Newly crowned as king, Keris has watched, powerless, as his forbidden relationship with Zarrah is revealed. But when Zarrah is imprisoned by the empress, Keris knows there is only one way to save her: to ally with the kingdom he nearly destroyed.

Imprisoned on the dreaded Devil’s Island, Zarrah faces two choices: prove her loyalty to the empress who condemned her or die a traitor. Yet as she struggles to survive among violent prisoners, Zarrah uncovers a third path: a rebellion to overthrow tyranny entwined with a destiny she must fight to claim.

While the empress plots a war with devastating consequences, Keris and Zarrah must find their way back to each other. Yet their greatest adversary is the fiery passion between them. Unless they overcome the bitterness of betrayal, their love will not be the bringer of peace but rather the fuel that turns the Endless War into an inferno.

Purchase:
Content Warnings: Profanity, violence, torture, cannibalism, explicit (consensual) sexual content, alcohol and drug consumption, character death, death of loved one, and references to past child abuse.


This was exactly what I wanted out of the end of Zarrah and Keris' story. A perfect ending for these two who are so in love with one another that nothing can stop them.

This book picks up right where The Inadequate Heir ended, with Zarrah being condemned by her aunt to remain on Devil’s Island until she can see reason, and Keris being torn between saving her and being the king his country needs.

The book's first part focuses on Keris’ plan to save Zarrah, and Zarrah’s effort to remain alive on Devil’s Island, among all the criminals sent there. The book's second part focuses more on politics as Zarrah and Keris must find a way to beat Petra before she catches them and kills them.

I loved Keris and Zarrah's story, the way that Zarrah learned to love herself and see herself as more than just the shadow of what her aunt wanted and tried to shape her into. Zarrah remains strong and determined to do what’s right for her people, but while I enjoyed her conflicted feelings and self-doubt at first because it made her appear more human and relatable, it became a teeny tiny bit annoying near the end.

There are times when I just wanted to shake her and tell her to get a grip because the lives of thousands of people depended on her and her decisions. Still, I liked her very much in this book too, and she is an inspiring leader, as are all female characters in this series.

This duology overall was spicier than Lara and Aren’s duology, but this book was more focused on the politics and the feelings of the main characters than on smut. There are a few smutty moments, but not as many as in The Inadequate Heir.

(Danielle, please give me a 4.5 story for Keris and Zarrah like the one we got for Aren and Lara!)

I don't even know what to say, I'm just so in love with this world and these characters. Please read this!!

Have you read this book? What was your favourite part?
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20 Oct 2022

We Can(ada) Read: THE BRIDGE KINGDOM SERIES by Danielle L. Jensen

20 October 0 Comments

We Can(ada) Read is by Canadians for EVERYONE to learn more about some amazing Canadian authors!

THE BRIDGE KINGDOM

Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Series: The Bridge Kingdom #1
Source: Audiobook from Audible
Publisher: Audible Originals
Publication Date: October 16, 2018
Overall Rating:
Diversity Rating:

Summary:
What if you fell in love with the one person you'd sworn to destroy?

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?
Purchase:
Amazon | Chapters | TBD
Content Warning: Profanity, violence, explicit (consensual) sexual content, alcohol and drug consumption, character death, references to past child abuse, thoughts of self-harm

The Bridge Kingdom
The setting and worldbuilding are so amazing in this book. The details were astounding and I felt immersed the entire time. I loved the slow burn romance between Lara and Aren.

The audiobook probably helped that fact because you got the emotions and tone of the voice for the characters which I really enjoyed. I thought that this was a really good novel and I am looking forward to the next! I will say though this is a super slow burn romance and every time I wanted them to get it on, they did not get it on. So be prepared for that!

I read this twice and was not disappointed either time!

The Traitor Queen
This was such a good book, sequel, and "finale" for Lara and Aren! I loved The Bridge Kingdom when it released and I'm glad I decided to read all the books in a row. I was able to be so immersed in the world, in Lara and Aren's relationship, and with the plot. I did think there was a bit of plot convenience to get Lara and Aren alone again so that they could rekindle their romance. But like, I'm not mad about that.

I would have liked to see more use of the warrior sisters in this, but all of their scenes were fantastic! This book does a good job of concluding what it needs to, leaving certain things open, and making me want more from this world immediately.

I can't wait to read more about this world and "meet" some new characters!

The Inadequate Heir
I am usually weary of books that show the same time period from a different perspective because it feels "been there, done that," but that's not the case at all with this book. Zarrah and Keris are perfect and nothing will change my mind about that. Individually AND together.

This series and world are so intricate and detailed. While there is obviously heavy romance in this, there is a lot for fantasy lovers too. I absolutely love each time we come back and learn more about each of the countries and the politics throughout.

I can't wait to see where this goes next! So like, next book please!!

Are you going to pick this up?
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23 Aug 2021

Audio #Review: DARK SHORES by Danielle L. Jensen

23 August 1 Comments

 

DARK SHORES

Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Series: Dark Shores #1
Source: Purchased from Audible
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: May 17, 2019
Overall Rating:
Diversity Rating:


Summary:
High seas adventure, blackmail, and meddling gods meet in Dark Shores, a thrilling first novel in a fast-paced new YA fantasy series by USA Today bestselling author Danielle L. Jensen.

In a world divided by meddlesome gods and treacherous oceans, only the Maarin possess the knowledge to cross the Endless Seas. But they have one mandate: East must never meet West.

A SAILOR WITH A WILL OF IRON

Teriana is the second mate of the Quincense and heir to the Maarin Triumvirate. Her people are born of the seas and the keepers of its secrets, but when her closest friend is forced into an unwanted betrothal, Teriana breaks her people’s mandate so her friend might escape—a choice with devastating consequences.

A SOLDIER WITH A SECRET

Marcus is the commander of the Thirty-Seventh, the notorious legion that has led the Celendor Empire to conquer the entire East. The legion is his family, but even they don’t know the truth he’s been hiding since childhood. It’s a secret he’ll do anything to protect, no matter how much it costs him – and the world.

A DANGEROUS QUEST

When an Empire senator discovers the existence of the Dark Shores, he captures Teriana’s crew and threatens to reveal Marcus’s secret unless they sail in pursuit of conquest, forcing the two into an unlikely—and unwilling—alliance. They unite for the sake of their families, but both must decide how far they are willing to go, and how much they are willing to sacrifice.
Purchase:
Amazon | Chapters | TBD
If you looked at the cover of this and thought "nice, a cool pirate story," you're in for a surprise. This is an Ancient Rome book - and I'm sure if you've read any reviews of this book, you'd know that by now. But I like going into books without having read anything about them, so it was a Shock to me, to say the least.

However, I really, really enjoyed this one. As I knew I would - Danielle L. Jensen has a style of writing that brings the emotions of the characters to life in a way that not a lot of other authors I've read can. The grit and rawness of the emotions of each of the characters really hit me every time they displayed it on the page. I loved watching these characters grow and expand to be trusting of each other (the best!!!!) in a way that not everyone always is.

I liked a lot of the layered worldbuilding to this - there were elements of Ancient Rome where you can see the amount of effort that went into reading about it and understanding it. The worldbuilding was probably the best part of this novel, if I'm being honest. I could effortlessly and seamlessly enter into the world and understand what was happening, where I was, and what the scenary looked like. Kudos on that!

In terms of characters, I really liked Teriana. She is a person grappling with the enormous guilt for cooperating with an invading enemy and the fallout of this with her people, including her mom. But things get even more complicated when she starts to fall for Marcus, the commanding officer of the Legion assigned to conquer the West.

Marcus is the commander of the Roman Empire-inspired Legion 37. Over the course of his career, he has killed and enslaved thousands of people. We start to see that he didn't have as much choice in the matter as it may seem. He will do whatever it takes to protect his family, and his men, from danger. This was the part that was accurate for the Roman Empire but still made me not enjoy the book as much as I could have otherwise.

But, I found it to drag at some points and I wish there was more to the imperalism. I did like that there were side characters and depictions of gay characters, different skin colours, and a variety of body types, shapes, and ages. However, this was mainly in the side characters and I would have liked more in that sense. And while our main female character was depicted as a woman of colour, it wasn't glaringly obvious that she was anything other than "white."

TLDR: I have the sequel already, so I'm definitely going to read it! I do really enjoyed Jensen's novels and think that she has a unique gift to really have her characters emote on the page. I can't wait to see what comes from the rest of the series and the fallout (and come back together) of our main characters.

Have you read this one? Are you excited for the finale?
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12 Jul 2019

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays: THE BRIDGE KINGDOM by Danielle L. Jensen

12 July 1 Comments

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays

introduces readers who are unfamiliar with the Adult SF/F genre to books, authors, and discussions all about the vast expanse of the world of Adult SF/F!

THE BRIDGE KINGDOM

Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Series: The Bridge Kingdom #1
Source: Audible
Publisher: Context Literary Agency, LLC
Publication Date: October 16, 2018


Summary:
What if you fell in love with the one person you'd sworn to destroy? 

 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?
Purchase:
Amazon | Chapters | TBD

This is ADULT Fantasy just so everyone is aware. But I definitely really enjoyed it. The audiobook probably helped that fact because you got the emotions and tone of the voice for the characters which I really enjoyed. I thought that this was a really good novel and I am looking forward to the next!

 I think there was a lot of really good political action in this one. I liked learning more about the different countries, their boundaries, and how they interacted with one another. I think the alliances and breaking of them were great and I look forward to seeing how it plays out in the future.

 I loved the setting and the worldbuilding of this one too. The details were astounding and I felt like I was there the entire time. I loved traversing the world with Lara and Aren. I felt immersed in the world the entire time and look forward to learning more about it in the future!

 Honestly there was a lot of goodness in this one. I really enjoyed reading it, learning about the characters, and seeing how it played out in real time. However, I know if I had been reading it in physical or ebook format, I would have stopped at about 30% because I was a little bored. The narrators definitely made this one.

 I will say though this is a super slow burn romance and every time I wanted them to get it on, they did not get it on. So be prepared for that!

What are some of your favourite Adult SFF books?
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