Review: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐛𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐋. 𝐉𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐧

- 4 stars - 🌟

I'm so happy I finally started this series, it was coming up in my recommendations so often! I loved it - not as much as I would have liked, as I had high hopes, but I enjoyed and devoured it pretty quickly.

The Bridge Kingdom is definitely an addictive read, the story followed me even after I closed the book. The worldbuilding is very unique, brutal and beautiful at the same time, very well described and intricate, it felt like the Ithicana island itself was a character of the book. I could almost feel the Tempest Seas, storms, hear the thunder and see all the greenery. If only it wasn't so dangerous and deadly...

There was a constant tension throughout most of the book. Which takes me to the why I didn't love it as much as I would have liked. The intrigue was dragged out too much in my opinion. I can't say more without spoilers, let's just say I would have liked for some revelations and changes to happened sooner. Lara's belief in what she thought was right and her stubborness to stick to her plans was almost irritating at some point. Let's open our eyes a little, shall we?*smh*

So maybe it took me a while to like her, but she was one badass FMC. Strong, lethal, sharp tongued (or like Aren liked to say, "venom-tongued") but also witty and fun. I loved the banter and the way she clashed with Aren at every turn. Delicious!

Aren is...*sigh* Pure awesomeoness. Definitely one of my most favorite heroes ever, I almost feel like she didn't deserve him. Oops. The way he fought, strategized, sacrificed and did everything for his people right in the middle of the battlestorm, not some throne room, was perfection. His faith in Lara, his team, his people and belief in a better future when literally everything and everyone was against him was heartbreaking.

And then the ending..*sob* I kinda saw it coming, but I didn't expect it to happen the way it did. I'm going to take a moment to catch my breath and dive right into the second book. This one was very intense.

Bonus points for the supporting characters! 💫 I loved how they each had their own part to play in the big scheme of things and how they had their own glowing personality. Plus, their quips always added fun and lightness to the scene.