Book Review: The Traitor Queen by Danielle L. Jensen

The Traitor Queen

Danielle L. Jensen

The Bridge Kingdom, #2

Publisher: Del Rey

Published Date: September 1, 2020

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fiction

416 Pages / 10 Hours 13 Minutes

Date Read: January 4-9, 2026

Format: 🎧

Source: Audible

Keep in mind this is a continuation of a series and by discussing this, you may encounter spoilers if you have not read the previous book. As always, if you prefer a spoiler free review please read my quick review instead of the in depth review below.

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About the Book

Lara has been exiled as a traitor, watched her kingdom be taken by her father, and found that her husband has been taken captive in Maridrina. He is being kept alive as bait to lure her in. She now must fight to free the man she betrayed and win back her throne, people, and the man she loves.

Quick Review (Spoiler Free)

I could not put this one down. Book one pulled at my heart and this one definitely made me feel all the feels. I love Lara and Aren’s relationship from the beginning. It was so nice to see their journey and how it ended. There were so many ups and downs along the way with this story. The pacing was great and the story never felt stagnant. I also love how this book set up the remainder of the series. It definitely drew me in.

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Now, let's get into the details!!

(Note: Some text may appear to be blocked out, just highlight that text to read it.)

I could not put this one down. Book one pulled at my heart and this one definitely made me feel all the feels.

I love Lara and Aren’s relationship from the beginning. It was so nice to see their journey and how it ended. There were so many ups and downs along the way with this story. The "she's not my wife" moments with Aren almost became a little pushy in this one but other than that the dynamic shifting throughout the book made it bearable. I really liked getting to see how they both had to deal with the consequences of their actions from book one.

The pacing was great and the story never felt stagnant. I also love how this book set up the remainder of the series. It definitely drew me in. I really liked that I didn't feel like anything was left off or any time was lost between the two books. I like that the relationships between Lara and the supporting characters were addressed as it brought each one back in to the story and watched how the big scene at the end changed everything for all of them.

The war felt strategically thought out with the characters motives. There was a scene in the desert of Maridrina that felt like an odd addition to the story. I guess it makes sense with the push-pull that they go through in this half but still it just felt a little out of place. But outside of that, I really enjoyed the book as a whole. I was sitting on the edge of my seat when Lara finally got her moment with her father.

Narration Comments

Lauren and James did a great job with the second half of their duology. They gave another great representation of the characters emotions.

Ratings