L'Héritier Insoumis

The Bridge Kingdom #3

by Danielle L. Jensen, Annaïg Houesnard (Translator)

Soldate dans l'âme et héritière d'un empire, Zarrah a fondé sa vie sur deux certitudes. La première est que la famille Veliant a assassiné sa mère. La deuxième, que sa quête de vengeance mettra chacun d'entre eux dans la tombe. La Guerre sans fin entre Maridrina et Valcotta fait rage depuis des générations, tuant par milliers et créant d'innombrables orphelins parmi le peuple de Zarrah. Alors, quand elle reçoit le commandement de la cité convoitée de Nerastis, elle est prête à tout pour détruire les forces maridriniennes qui s'opposent à elle. Et pour tuer le prince Veliant qui les dirige. Cependant, une rencontre de hasard avec un Maridrinien anonyme et étrangement attirant amène Zarrah à se demander si les violences qu'elle a commises au nom de la justice n'étaient pas plutôt des crimes. Et chaque nuit, quand elle rejoint cet homme, elle trouve dans ses bras une passion ardente, ainsi qu'un terrain d'entente. Mais lorsque les identités sont révélées au grand jour, Zarrah doit décider si elle donnera une chance à la paix... ou si elle répondra à l'appel des tambours de guerre. Une captivante histoire alliant Fantasy épique, intrigues guerrières et romance sensuelle dans l'univers du Pont des Tempêtes  ! « Une série à ne surtout pas manquer. N'allez pas simplement la chercher : courez-y. » Jennifer L. Armentrout, Le Sang et la Cendre

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Audiobook, Fantasy Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Fiction

552 pages, Hardcover

First published May 24, 2022

About the author

Join Danielle's mailing list for exclusive content, giveaways, and new release alerts: https://danielleljensen.com/newslette...

Danielle L. Jensen is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Fate Inked in Blood, A Curse Carved in Bone, and the Bridge Kingdom, Dark Shores, and Malediction series. Her novels are published internationally in twenty-one languages. She lives in Calgary, Alberta, with her family and guinea pigs.

Reviews

[Danielle Jensen]

TW: Profanity, violence, torture, explicit (consensual) sexual content, suicide, alcohol and drug consumption, character death, and references to past child abuse. This list may not contain everything that readers might find triggering. If you have any questions or concerns about content, please feel free to ask in the comments of this review or to message me directly, and I'll respond as swiftly as possible.

[₊ ˚ ale ࿓ ♡ ⋆｡˚]

"perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash and A Court of Silver Flames"

don't you dare to disrespect the bridge kingdom like that

[jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

ugh. this series. the entertainment value of it is just sooo high. and while reading about lara and aren would have been my preference, i did enjoy following two new characters in zarrah and keris.

this book takes place during the events at the end of book #1, all of book #2, and a little blip of time afterward. which totally gives this the vibe of being a #2.5 kind of book (filler), rather than a full on #3. BUT! the little extras along the way, details that werent included in the first two books, plus the new POVs, totally sets this up for a really good #4 with new plot progression, so i understand the decision.

i always enjoyed DLJs world-building and court politicking, but this book really steps it up a notch. which is hard to do considering much of the information presented in this is already known to the reader. but the narrative does a great job at expanding the scheming and planning and enhancing the characterisation and connections.

im really looking forward to the next book (which sounds like the plot will focus on a prison heist!), so fingers crossed the wait wont be long!

↠ 4.5 stars

[spring ~♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate to be one of the only hater of this book, but let me do the honour.
where do i even start?
the characters? all assholes.
the plot? you mean the 673 pages of nothingness? where basically the author repeats Traitor Queen's plot in different words and you know every single thing that's gonna happen because you have already read TTQ? yeah.

first of all,
THERE IS INSTA LOVE.
not once, but twice.

firstly, Keris falls for this one girl called Raina after talking to her for 3 seconds in like chapter 3 or 4. and then Raina dies. And suddenly Keris loses the love of his life. which is sooooo bizarre like bro why are you vomiting like your father is a notorious killer who tortured people in front of you his whole life. and Keris be like "omg i met the love of my life 3 seconds ago and she died and omg is my father.....evil?" 😦

anyway, then he meets Zarrah after a few pages and they have the blandest meet cute ever and their conversation goes something like this:
Keris: i read books and i think war is not the solution.
Zarrah: omg you're so right. you know what? i think war is evil too.
Keris: REALLY?????!!!
Zarrah: Omg bingo!!
then they kiss and realize they are soulmates.
this all happened for like 200 pages. that could easily fit within like 20 pages I'm not joking.

now, Zarrah. For a girl who was raised in a battlefield, with a sad sad past, lots of revenge plot in her brain, is an incredible warrior she surely is useless and bland. you'd think with her background she'd plan 2/3 battle strategies that would blow your mind like Annabeth Chase did. right? you'd be wrong.
this idiot girl hates gowns (but the author is careful to mention she doesn't hate gowns she just hates how gowns are a form of "control") girl is literally the biggest micro pick me ever.
not to mention, she gets caught in the enemy territory for sleeping with the enemy then nearly dies then gets captivated and gets locked up in a harem room. and all she does for 500 pages is complain about how unfair it is that she has to wear gowns and walk in the garden. girl could not do anything to escape herself. could not assassinate ONE single villains within the palace. This is a low blow but America Singer would've done better.

every other female characters either dies or is a villain. because, duh.
no I'm not joking. EVERY SINGLE FEMALE CHARACTER DIES. OR TURNS OUT TO BE A VILLAIN AND THEN DIES.

Lastly, what do i even start with our boy Keris. This guy thinks he is better than everyone because he read books. Which is fair, because honestly? relatable.
but the thing is, I haven't seen him reading a book once in any chapter. So he might be one of those pick me boys who pretend to like books to look superior. I might be onto something chat

Keris is the biggest narcissist ever with a personality of a vegetable. He is apparently a mastermind with lots of bookish knowledge and very very clever. You know he is clever because every single character will tell you he is clever until you start believing them just so they'd stop mentioning it. All Keris did in the entire book is attempting to save Zarrah from a confided room, Zarrah who is already a soldier, knows fighting and stuff. and not exactly locked up 24/7. Keris came up with approximately zero plans btw.

anyway, i know i've already shit talked about keris a lot but unfortunately i've more to say.
the empress Petra who emotionally and to some extent I'd say physically abused Zarrah since page one, refused to save her, refused to do any negotiations for Zarrah's sake, told Zarrah it would be better to die than get SA-ed, never showed any remorse.
and during the "big reveal" Keris found out Petra is *gasp*.....a villain. 😦 Keris, the scholar, the intellectual with 225 IQ, the nerd, the clever one, the mastermind didn't see it coming. 😦😦

I'll end my ranting with a quote:

“I knew you’d never say yes. Knew that you’d never agree to running away when so much rode on your return. That your conscience would never allow it. And as much as I hate that, it’s also one of the reasons I love you. If you’d said yes, it would have made you like me. And I could never love someone like me.”

cute, Keris. But I agree with you. I could never love you either.


pre-read review:
What feels illegal but isn't?
-Authors not releasing the next book of the series.

[Clace · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was soooo good!! rtc.
___
I'm kinda more excited to read Kerris and Zahrahs story which is surprising since I gave Lara and Arens arc 5 stars 😭 but these two are such intriguing characters 🤭 I love them already.

Buddy reading with Hoda

[SK · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A lifetime wouldn’t be enough. Eternity wouldn’t be enough. Not when I want to map every star in the sky with you in my arms."

Wow. Just wow. I thought I loved the Bridge Kingdom but I never expected to LOVE this one with such intensity. I have no words to say, it was perfect🤌

The world building is even more intricate and so amazingly done. The characters have so much more depth compared to the last two books. Lara and Aren were so good together, their love was full of longing towards each other. But Keris and Zarrah have that raw emotion, that yearning and passion for each other. Their forbidden romance burns with love and desire❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

"No matter what the future brings, know that you hold my heart."

It was interesting to see the events of The Traitor Queen from Keris and Zarrah's POV. It brought so much more to the story and a new in-depth perspective on the side characters and their narratives. Because my last read was the Traitor Queen itself, this book did seem a tad slower to me, more like a recap in places but still intriguing, regardless.

Coming on to Zarrah, she's full of grace, honour, loyalty and such a badass. It's really hard not to love her. She carries herself with integrity and it's genuinely so good to read. Also, she's a romantic at heart.

"Sleep easy, then. My nights are yours and yours alone."

I get it, it sounds a bit lustful but the raw desire behind her words made that sentiment so pure.

Keris, a guy who in his own words "Prefers books to swords" is a king (of my heart 👀). The man carries himself with dignity, is always contemplating, is a total lovey dovey (and one who doesn't shy away). He radiates sexiness. The way his mind works throughout the book is so noteworthy. And I admire the lengths he would go to protect Zarrah. It's swoon-worthy!!

“I love you, Valcotta. I will have you or I will have no one, because where you go, my heart goes with you.” 🥺❤️‍🔥

If I could quote all the beautiful lines he said, I would.

I did however hope for more emotion from Keris when it came to Lara, I sense some hostility between the two siblings but it's definitive we'll get to see them resolve it in the next book, which I CAN'T WAIT FOR!!

The cliffhanger had me crying. I had a feeling that it might be a brutal one from the start and it really was. So keep tissues ready whenever you read this one. My expectations for the next book are going to HIGH!!!

[Lucie V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

✅ Characters
✅ Enemies to lovers
✅ Forbidden love
✅ Scheming and politics
✅ World-building
✅ Plot
✅ Sexual tension and smut
✅ Gorgeous cover
✅(🆗) Pace
❗️❗️ Kind of cliffhanger

_______________________

Second read/listen:
I listened to the audiobook this time around, and I struggled a little more to remain engaged in the plot. I think a part of it is because this book is more about politics and scheming than fighting and action. The other part is the fact the events in this book happen at the same time as what happens in The Traitor Queen, meaning I knew what was coming, and had to listen to scenes I’d just heard because I’d just finished re-listening to the audiobook of The Traitor Queen.

Overall though, I still enjoyed this reread very much, and Keris is intense and swoonworthy in his way. I will reread the fourth book now, in preparation for Anha’s book that will be released on Audible in only 2 weeks.

_______________________

Strong 4 stars

I did not remember much from Keris and Zarrah from the previous books, so I reread the first two books before reading The Inadequate Heir. Still, it felt like I was meeting them for the first time. The glimpses of them we saw in The Traitor Queen are only the surface of their complex personality and dynamics.

His eyes burned. “I’m sick of war. Tired of the endless fighting. It’s the reason I was going to Harendell—not because of the books, but because I can’t stomach any more killing. I wanted a different life.”

This book overlaps with The Bridge Kingdom and The Traitor Queen. It starts at the end of The Bridge Kingdom, when Keris travels through the bridge to go study philosophy, only to learn that it was a ruse to gain access to the bridge, and ends a little after Ithicana manages to defeat Maridrina's fleet at the end of The Traitor Queen. Keris is the leader of Maridrina's forces in the city of Nerastis, while Zarrah is the leader of the Valcottans. Each side controls one half of the city, and all they have been doing for years is pushing each other, trying to attack and take back a few miles of land, only to lose them a few weeks later. Keris is fed up with death and the war and refuses to fight and kill anyone, and while Zarrah is full of hatred toward Maridrina, she also wants what's best for her country and her people, and the war is only killing more and more people, without any true gain for Valcotta or Maridrina.

“Peace is like a dance,” he said softly. “It only works if both partners are listening to the same music.”
And Maridrina only knew the drums of war.

Keris’ ideals are far from his father's. He is tired of living in a nation at war and tired of the useless deaths of his people and Valcotta's people, all because Silas and the Empress are both too stubborn and proud to try to make peace with each other. Keris is brilliant, and secretly quite good with a weapon, even though he is not a warrior. Despite seeking peace and being kind and empathetic, he has a ruthless side that comes out when someone he loves is threatened. He would not hesitate to start a war and burn a whole city to save those he loves, and I found that this trait made him a little morally grey at times, and gave him a complexity that I like. He's sexy, cunning, fiercely protective, and also sweet at times, making it hard not to love him.

Though in truth, even if they’d stood side by side the entire voyage, the result would’ve been the same: the taciturn silence of two men well aware that each wished the other dead.

I liked being able to see more of Silas and Keris' tense relationship, and also see how Serin is the real puppeteer in the capital. He is a sadistic prick, but I have to admit that he is quite cunning and he seems to always have a contingency plan, and a way to get the upper hand. He is also good at manipulating others into doing his dirty work. Silas sadly was not very interesting, and what we saw of him was pretty much the same as what we saw in the first two books. He is selfish and obsessed with the bridge, and while I was a little surprised to see that he might not completely hate Keris, I was not very impressed by the rest of him.

Forgotten the reason she was seeing him, which was to facilitate an end to raids across the border. To stop the senseless slaughter of civilians. Not to fall in bed with a Maridrinian who was more handsome than any man had a right to be.

Zarrah, like most female characters in this series, is strong, and brave, and she's a kickass warrior. Her goal in life has always been to kill as many Maridrinians as possible so she can get revenge for her mother's death, but she slowly comes to realize that killing everyone will not change her mother's tragic death, and most of all, killing everyone means killing innocent civilians, and soldiers that are fighting a war they want no part in. Both sides are full of hate, but no one really knows who started the war, and how it could ever end. They are just determined to fight forever if that's what it takes because abandoning the fight would make them look weak and would be a slight against their honor.

“God help me, Valcotta, you undo me like none other.”
“Because you are mine.” She didn’t care that logic said such a dream was impossible. “And no one else’s.”

The romance between Keris and Zarrah starts slowly. I like how they kept on meeting, without knowing each other's true identities. The first half was a slow burn and a mix of love and angst, mostly because Zarrah knew that she was betraying her aunt by falling in love with a Maridrinian. The smut was spicy and hot, and it was perfect. They went from being attracted to each other, to still being attracted, but also being repulsed or shocked by each other's identity, to caving to their desires and trying to be together anyway. I love their intense and forbidden love, and just like Lara and Aren’s story, the second part of Zarrah and Keris’ duology will be full of anguish, hatred, and mixed feelings, and I can’t wait for it!

“I do want to remake the world so that I can be with you. So that I can get down on my knees and ask you to be my wife. So that I can put a crown on your head and make you my queen. So I can build a shrine and worship you as my goddess. I want all of these things, yet I face a future with none of them, and I don’t know whether I want to fall on my own blade or burn everything to ash because I do not want to let you go.”

There is a lot of politics in this book, and the fact that the second part mostly happens at the same time as Aren's imprisonment in The Traitor Queen was very interesting, but it was also a downside for me. I loved seeing all the politics and scheming involved in Aren's rescue from Keris's point of view, but at the same time, some parts felt longer because I knew already what would happen to Zarrah and Aren. I have to say though that the ending was a little unexpected, and I am very eager to see what will happen next. I am hoping for some bonding time between Keris and Lara, and I hope that we will get to see them work together.

“You told me once that if you truly believe in something, you should be willing to suffer for it. To die for it. Well, I think that if you truly believe in something, you should live for it.”

1. The Bridge Kingdom ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. The Traitor Queen ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Follow me on Instagram 🙂

[ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[toointofiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Matters of the heart do not bow to logic or reason. Anyone who does not understand that has either never lived or is devoid of a heart themselves."


Spice Meter: 🌶️🌶️🌶️


This book is a whole other level of awesome. Sure, The Bridge Kingdom and The Traitor Queen are fantastic, but this goes beyond that. The plot is obviously fantastic but with enemies-to-lovers and forbidden romance in the mix. As if individually they aren't sexy enough as is. I also liked getting different perspectives of The Traitor Queen's events and reading about Lara and Aren from Zarrah's and Keris's points of view. Besides, the ending is such a major cliffhanger it had me crying, screaming, and throwing up. Now I'm just a numb little heap on the floor. That means I loved it.

Moreover, Silas might be a sick bastard but his kids sure are hot as fuck. They are deeply damaged too, and that's also their dad's fault. Much like his sister, Keris is a master manipulator, as well. As if being gorgeous isn't enough, Keris is also brilliant, strong, even though he doesn't show it, and passionate. He is also willing to do anything for those he loves. My favorite thing about him is that he is an adorable nerd who loves reading books so much he carries books with him at all times, and literally takes a huge trunk full of books anywhere he travels to. He is one of us, except prettier. What's even more significant about him is that he truly believes in peace and the benefits that come with putting a stop to The Endless War, something none of his family members, Lara excluded, believe.

Furthermore, Zaraah is an honorable soldier, brave, and loyal to her kingdom. She is beautiful and strong, and if she ever wants to carry me around bridal style, I would not be opposed to the idea. Similar to Keris, she is surrounded by people who would rather exterminate an entire nation instead of choosing peace. In spite of being raised to hate Maridrina and its people blindly, as well as having her own vengeance to enact, she is more than willing to choose peace if it means saving innocents. She is such a genuinely kind person, despite killing for a living, and a total badass warrior princess.

Additionally, Keris and Zarrah have such a beautiful relationship. They are two people who should've never fallen in love. They are not just citizens of enemy countries, they are both soon-to-be rulers of those countries. Yet, instead of killing each other, they share an understanding of the horrors they enact on their people and a dream that they could somehow end it. There's so much passion and angst between them, so much longing and tension. I loved that for a while they didn't know each other's names, they just called each other Maridrina and Valcotta, and they didn't need names to fall in love. They risked their lives for that love as well as their kingdom and they are paying for both.

Lastly, I was a little disappointed I didn't read about Lara and Aren as much as I would've liked to, but since there are a whole six bonus chapters dedicated to them I can't be mad for long. I also wish Keris and Lara's relationship would've been different, but they have their own issues to work though, and I still have hope that they will resolve them in the next book.

[Ali L · Rating 5 out of 5]

The daddy of all simps hates his life so he spends most of his time trying to figure out if killing his father is plausible. His father absolutely should be killed, as this is the third book in a row of him being a major douche to everyone. Prince Simp meets a hottie who works for the opposing side of the war and things go bow chicka bow wow. This is all further complicated by his sister, the star of the two previous books, changing her mind about wanting to kill her husband, who will be very angry with her when everything settles down. This may be a good time to mention that this book and The Traitor Queen happen concurrently so if you like seeing Aren in distress, you’re in for a double treat. Keris is the epitome of “I didn’t ask for all this” and Zarrah just wants him to die until she really, really doesn’t. Annoyed when your enemies-to-lovers aren’t very enemy-y? Have I got great news for you!

[✨ Helena ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, Danielle has the honour of being the author I love enough to actually give in and read the audiobook for out of sheer desperation! 😅 (I’ve shelved this as the hardback though because I’ve already preordered the gorgeous Faecrate edition 😘).

And let me tell you…I’m not particularly keen on audiobooks in general (I need to pet the pretty books on my shelf and slam them down on my bed in frustration when I tell characters to do something and they do they exact opposite), BUT I LOVED THIS ONE! Especially for the sound effects! It made me feel like I had a film on in the background as I was going about my day. And one chapter in particular had a sound effect that made me go…😭😩 (You’ll know what I’m referring to when you give it a listen). They seemed so real!

As for the actual book itself…obviously, I loved it!

Move over Aren, because Keris is HERE TO STEAL SOME HEARTS. He’s defo the epitome of the antihero who’d let the world burn for the people he loved. Whether or not he’s a true antihero is up to your interpretation, but he’d do whatever it took to protect those precious few he cared about. Contrary to Aren’s brawn and combat prowess, Keris is very intelligent and cunning, much like his sister, Lara. Sexy, smart and protective? This man is the total package. Oh and let’s not forget he’s the heir to the throne, too. What are the downsides to this man? Ummm literally none. Get yourself a man who’ll put your well-being above the entire bloody world haha. 🤣

Zarrah was someone I really came to respect and admire as the book progressed. She’s very steadfast in her beliefs, almost to a fault, but when faced with evidence that what she was raised to believe may in fact not be the reality, she was always quick to absorb that new information and do what she felt was right. Unlike Lara, who, as much as I adore her, had intrinsically rather self-serving qualities at first, Zarrah genuinely wanted to help those who couldn’t help themselves and was a natural-born leader. Despite coming from a royal family of her own, she was also a highly-trained soldier who could kick some serious arse, which served as a perfect foil to Keris, who preferred to fight with his words instead. 💥

Together, I really loved the two of them and the high-stakes politics that drove the plot of this novel…and I cannot WAIT for the sequel. What made it even more perfect were some cameos from familiar faces we’ve come to both love and hate.

This is a perfect addition to the Bridge Kingdom series, and I highly recommend picking it up ASAP! 😁

[Gillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I love you, Valcotta. I will have you or I will have no one, because where you go, my heart goes with you.”

I adored this book! This was a brilliant and action-packed fantasy romance about revenge, love, honor, the cost of power and family. The Inadequate Heir follows Zarrah as she goes on a mission to do whatever it takes to destroy Maridrina and kill the prince. Then Zarrah meets a Maridrinian who causes Zarrah to question everything she believes in. When she discovers his true identity she must make a difficult decision, whether to choose peace or to continue the war that has been fought for generations.

This book is told from Zarrah and Keris's perspective. I was completely immersed in this fantastic world that the author created from the first page. The world building is excellent, I could tell that the author put a great deal of thought into creating this intriguing world and it really showed in the author's writing. This book had everything I wanted in fantasy romance including enemies to lovers romance, awesome characters, political intrigue and amazing chemistry between the two main characters. The pacing was perfect and the plot was so interesting! The characters were so complex and relatable. My favorite character is Zarrah she is fierce, brave, resilient, strong, and will do anything to protect the people she loves. I loved Zarrah's character development, she grew so much from the beginning till the end and she learned so much about who she is and what matters to her. I really liked Keris, he is charming, very handsome, strong, clever, smart and stubborn, but there were times that I didn't agree with his decisions. I really related to Keris's love of reading and Zarrah's love for her family. The chemistry and tension between Zarrah and Keris was amazing! The author is a great writer, the descriptions of the characters and the setting helped me clearly picture everything in my head. The ending was so exciting and shocking! I recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, romance, enemies-to-lovers romance, and amazing characters.

[naz · Rating 5 out of 5]

OKAY THE ANGST AND THE FORBIDDEN VIBES WERE AMAZINGGGG ! I can’t wait to start the next one (libby i beg)

Full review pending




I loved the first two books and I finally got my libby I can't wait for her story!!!

what I love most about these stories is that they are FEEL relatively short, and this one is 600+ pages PFFFF let's see how fast I read this one

[Leonie · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4,5 stars)

"Kiss me!"
"God help me, Valcotta, you undo me like no other."
"Because you are mine. And no one else´s."

This is a two POV book, told by the POV´s of Keris and Zarrah.

I absolutely loved both of them. Zarrah is such a badass warrior, general of Valcotta and a strong woman. Keris, heir apparent to Maridrina, likes books more than swords and is more a man of logic and intelligence then fist fights.

"The answer to both is the same. I prefer books to swords."
"You aren´t alone in that."
"In having a fondness for large libraries?"

I absolutely loved the chemistry between them, the romance is absolutely everything. The trope definitely is Forbidden love and it was done absolutely excellent. I liked their fighting and bickering, the tension really was high between them at all times.

I loved the side characters as much as I loved them in the first two books of the Bridge Kingdom series, except for Silas, him I hate with my whole heart. I asbolutely loved Yrina, she was such a good friend and soldier to Zarrah. Definitely loved their bond and liked how close they seemed. I am still not sure how I feel about Otis, but his character was written really well and the backstory fit so perfectly. I didn´t like Bermin, he feels so slippery. But all of the side characters were written amazingly well and each had their own backstory and a certain depth to them.

The plot of this was really good, it was so interesting to see the events of "The traitor queen" happen from Keris and Zarrahs perspective. Although I have to say I feel like the plot was a bit slow at times due to reading about some events happening twice. I absolutely loved the world building, it is so well done and I liked all the political schemes happening. The plot always kept twisting and always kept me on the edge of my chair. Also to leave us with that cliffhanger? That´s just brutal Danielle!

Overall it was an amazing read and I can´t wait for the fourth book in the series to be released. With that cliffhanger I hope the wait isn´t too long....

trigger warnings: dysfunctional family, torture, trauma and a lot of war and killing

[✩ Yaz ✩ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

“God help me, Valcotta, you undo me like none other.”

“Because you are mine. And no one else’s.”

The Inadequate Heir is the third book of the Bridge Kingdom series but it debuts new protagonists and the events of this book occur on parallel to The Traitor Queen

It features a forbidden romance between two sworn enemies, both heirs honed to be weapons at cruel hands but are led by different ideals. Keris is bookish and hopes for peace and Zarrah is her aunt's lethal general led by a desire for vengeance for the death of her mother.

“I’d fallen for you before I knew your name. You are everything I can never be. You are powerful and strong and brave. You make me believe I can be better. You give me hope. You are my hope.”

Zarrah and Keris fell for each other knowing well that their love is their damnation. If someone caught an whiff of their affair, they've would've died a painful death.

I liked Zarrah and Keris but I didn't get attached to them as I did with Lara and Aren. Maybe it's because this book was loaded with politics more so than the duology. I love political intrigue and court drama but too much of it can put a strain on the story.

There were moments that made me hold my breath because any slip from Zarrah and Keris would've had severe consequences.

I think my main issue with the book is the events because they all happen in parallel with The Traitor Queen, so it felt to me I was rereading the events of TTQ through different POVs. It didn't serve the plot of this book well even though I mostly enjoyed Zarrah and Keris's time at the Harem.

I have high hopes for the next book since the events that will unfold will be new and the plot will benefit from it.

[monica ✨ romantasyreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS WAS SO GOOD KERIS CAN TAKE ME ANY DAY

[Cecily · Rating 1 out of 5]

Never in a million years did I think I would be saying this about a book in this series but here goes nothing: “Wow, I’m glad this is over”

This book was everything I dislike in stories to avoid saying plain out ‘hate’.

While I understand that Danielle wanted the book to run parallel to the Traitor Queen it really didn’t do the story any favors because basically we were rereading the same story and I mean the EXACT SAME STORY with actual conversation that went down in the exact same way as they did in TTQ but then from different points of view. You can basically say that TTQ was a spoiler for this entire book which..yeah.. that ain’t it though. At least not for me.

Because we have seen Zarrah and Kerris in TTQ and knew where each character was at a certain point in time and what they were doing we basically knew all the twist and turns that were going to happen just not how it went down exactly which actually doesn’t matter at that point either because as I said we know the key moments in the story and how they played out already. And I feel like charging readers to read the same story twice is ..yeah.. that it ain’t it. It also made the story incredibly boring to follow because you already knew what was going to happen.

I also am not a huge fan of the characters. Zarrah was okayish but her constant mention of “yeah I was born on the battlefield/raised on the battlefield/grew up on the battlefield” yeah girl you’re soldier we get it. Now move on.

And Keris, wow what an annoying character which is surprising because Danielle writes good characters. I loved every single character in the first two books down to the snakes on the islands. But Kerris.. wow… he is arrogant but he has nothing to show for himself that justifies his arrogance.

He thinks he’s this grand manipulator but … isn’t really? He’s constantly scrambling to put two and two together while pointing out how stupid everyone around him is which only makes him look dumb. I know Danielle was going for smart snobbish character but all Kerris turned out to be was pretentious.

And his goals and ambitions felt forced and unrealistic. He encounters this Ithicanian soldier in the bridge and sorta fools around with her and she dies in his father’s attack and suddenly her dead eyes are all he can see, all the motivation he needs to fuel his anger against his father. This unknown girl. Who he has known a total of two seconds. To whom he has spoken 3 sentences. K bye.

Then he meets this stranger in this city torn apart by war and apparently she is the ONLY person ever to see eye to eye with him about bringing peace to said war-torn land. This man who goes out and speaks to strangers EVERY NIGHT and sleeps around with COUNTLESS of women has finally found ONE PERSON that agrees that the war is senseless. In a land torn apart by said war. Where countless have lost families and loved ones. Only one other girl that agrees with him that war might not be sensible. Again BYE.

And then this unrealistic fiery love he feels for her that triggers him to kill a soldier (something he has never done before because he hates killing), to fight his one loyal brother who conveniently dies, to turn on his aunt (the one person who had always stood up for him against his father if we can believe the story), to abandon his disabled little sister who he had promised he would go back for… see where I’m going with this? All for this unknown woman who seems to be good in bed. It makes no sense.

Then we have his so called ambitions that turn to ash as soon as he needs to obsess over said woman. He was all about not letting innocents die up until he wanted to run away with her instead of seeing his plans through and end the war. Up until it meant letting her save Ithicana, something she WANTED and CHOSE to do. But nope, then all thoughts of saving the innocents disappeared and it was a big fuck you to Ithicana all because of his incredibly strange and creepy obsession to ‘protect’ this grown woman who never failed to remind us that she was a ‘warrior’. He was so panicked about them shooting his sister on the beach but then gave her a big middle finger when he told his father to attack Eranahl and kill everyone, his sister included. So much for brotherly love.

And then he accuses Aren of thinking with this d*ick because Aren fell for Lara but proceeds to fool around with Zarrah in the garden where they get caught by his brother. But Aren is the one that thinks with his d*ck? The lion, the witch and the audacity of this b*tch!

So Kerris was a big no. He was a coward pretending to be a clever narcissist which he was CLEARLY NOT.

I was also tried of the self pity parties of coulda woulda shoulda. The “if I had done this I could have avoid that” or the “I should have arrived sooner and all these people would not have died”. Well you DIDN’T so get OVER IT ALREADY.

This whole book just kept dragggging and dragggginggg on and on. 56% was Zarrah’s captivity in Vencia and Kerris’s pathetic and unsuccessful attempts to get her out.

And then at the end of the book of course we learn that the REAL VILLAIN is the empress (even more so than Silas) because of course she is. Now that Silas is dead of course we need another monster for our heroes to fight. I suppose it might be good to mention that there are more foes other than evil rules…but okay…

And my god the cheesiness in this book was so cringe. Constant mentions of “counting the stars, thanking the stars, laying in his arms under the stars, the shining and twinkling and magical stars”… BIG, MAJOR, EYE-ROLLING-OUT-OF-THEIR-SOCKETS CRINGE.

I actually counted how many times the book mentioned stars, the answer: 24.

Anyways, all in all the whole book was incredibly boring. I look forward to the next book because while this one was entirely about Zarrah’s captivity and Kerris’s attempt to save her, the next book will be about Zarrah’s… captivity… and Kerris’s attempt to… save her…

…oh look at that well I guess I will not be reading the next book after all!

I will just pretend that only the first two books exist and live blissfully content.

1.5 stars

[Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

⚡️ I did a flash read. This is basically a retelling of Book 2 but from the POV of Zarrah and Keris. They are the main characters and they are the lovers but it is a tempestuous relationship - enemies to lovers, then back to enemies, then back to lovers, back to enemies, back to lovers, and on it goes. People jump out of windows a lot. Even at the very end there are still people jumping out of windows. Nothing is resolved by the last page. Zarrah and Keris are estranged. The Empress and Zarrah are at each other’s throats, literally, and that fight does not end well. So the series is on to Book 4 which has not yet been published.

⚔️ Recommended for those who are completionists and for those who are into Zarrah and Keris. Lots of action and love scenes but I don’t think it has the sparks, fire and smoke of the first two in the series.

[Rachel Rowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book of the series so far 🌟 Keris and Zarrah are memorable, well rounded and easy to root for. And that cliffhanger! Ughhhhh

The bulk of this book takes place concurrently with The Traitor Queen (which wasn’t at all what I expected.) Danielle does a GREAT job picking up the threads of Keris and Zarrah’s story from that book and weaving it into a full and compelling tale.

Also a very good balance of plot vs romance…in the previous books, I felt a little bored by the political details occasionally, but not the case at all here.

When is the next one out???

[Krysta ꕤ]

time to continue this series 🧡

[Grace Arango · Rating 5 out of 5]

ORIGINAL REVIEW (2021):

Sorry not sorry: Keris>Aren

Don't want to compare them two but I think I would have loved Aren more if he and Lara had some couples therapy after The Traitor Queen that we could read about lol.

The Inadequate Heir is without a doubt, the best book in this series and it is now what makes me love it. I wasn't feeling too connected when reading the first two books and now I kind of know why:

A world of this scope and the trauma these characters have faced prior to this story and the story itself needs more time. This book is LONG and long for great reason! I feel like Danielle REALLY knocked this story out of the park and I'd do anything for more long books from her!

Also, the plot twist - I'M DYING TO KNOW HOW IT WILL BE RESOLVED!

This book officially has me obsessed with this series, and I think it's about time.

REREAD THOUGHTS (2023):

I reread this to recap before reading The Endless War (which FINALLY came out this year) I still agree what everything I said in 2021 XD

[Kezia Duah · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHEN IS THE NEXT BOOK?!!!! I’m about to freaking riot. Enemies to lovers to enemies/ forbidden love? With a war?? Plus betrayals??? Yes, please!!!!!!

This was really really good! I honestly don’t remember Zarrah and Keris from the previous books, which I loved by the way. So for me, it basically felt like I was reading about brand new characters. Some scenes from the second book were woven into this book, so if you still want more connections with the previous stories, you will definitely still get it.

Zarrah is such a badass character. She always thinks things through before acting, avoiding most of the second embarrassment we get from some characters.

Kerris and Zarrah’s relationship could have definitely used a bit more slowburn. That would have definitely boosted this story to the full 5 stars.

That ending though, whew! I can’t believe I actually have to wait for the next book.

At times I felt this story went on for ages, but it was still worth the read. I would recommend. I would say you don’t have to read the previous two books to understand this.



‼️SPOILERS‼️
Keris and Zarrah were so hot, however the issue I have is that they fell in love way too easily and fast. They are literally from waring countries, and you mean to tell me that after like two or three meetings, they were willing to go on a date and then be intimate with each other while risking a lot, I call bullshit! They were still cute though. When she threw up after realizing it was Keris, I choked so hard.

Also, Keris sacrificing Ithicana to save Zarrah’s life was stupid. Especially since their “love” wasn’t developed in the best way possible. I liked the twists though.

[Muffinsandbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madame Danielle L.Jensen, y a PAS à écrire des bangers comme ça en fait.
Sans grande surprise, gros coup de coeur pour ce roman. Je ne dirai pas que je l'ai plus aimé que les du premiers parce que Aren et Lara seront toujours number one dans mon coeur, mais vraiment, quelle pépite ! Keris et Zarrah sont incroyables, leur histoire sublime et tellement tragique, j'ai trop souffert et maintenant faut attendre la suite pour souffrir encore plus ??? IT'S NOT FAIR. J'ai trop aimé tous les côtés politiques, retournements de situations, trahisons et surtout, les protagonistes qui changent leurs plans, retournent leurs vestes et seraient prêts à tout pour sauver leur love interest... AAAAH C ÇA QU'ON VEUT ! Sans rire, c'est une pépite, cette saga est juste incroyable et maintenant, j'ai trop hâte d'avoir le tome 4 pour voir comment tous mes bébous vont être réunis et comment ils vont kick some ass. ❤️

[cyra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Drumroll please…
The award for my least favorite DLJ book goes to The Inadequate Heir!

This isn’t necessarily mean that it’s a bad book. I just love Danielle’s books so much that they are usually four or five-star reads for me. Giving one of her books three stars hurt my soul but I have to speak my mind. (This review will have spoilers and they will be tagged so you can still avoid them. Just be mindful that GoodReads app sometimes glitches and show them anyway.)

THE ROMANCE
This is more of a preference but I’m a sucker for a slow burn and this book was not it. It wasn’t insta-love but it sure was close to that. They were in love after meeting for a few hours over four nights. This behavior fit Keris, more on that later, but Zarrah? My girl should’ve been better than that. She should’ve been smarter than that.

THE REVEAL
This is a minor spoiler since we all know they were bound to find out about each other’s identities. My issue was how fast it had happened. Zarrah finds out about Keris’s identity at 30%. I honestly wanted the tension to build up more before this happened so I was disappointed when it happened early on.

THE SPICE
Danielle used to steer clear from spice so this book having smut caught me off guard not gonna lie. I feel like she started writing smut because BookTok is into it nowadays. Her smut writing skills are top tier, she killed it but it felt weird from time to time just because it felt forced. I believe this book wasn’t written with smut planned in mind so those scenes were added afterward which threw me off the story multiple times.

I especially have a huge issue with one specific spicy scene. So Zarrah gets caught and becomes a prisoner of Keris’s father. She makes a revenge plan which will probably get her killed in the end. So to say goodbye to this cruel cruel world, she bangs Keris’s hand out in the open through BARS ON THE FUCKING WINDOW. Let’s put aside the fact that it is impractical and uncomfortable but she jeopardized her lifelong mission and her lover's life to get HAND-BANGED. Keris should’ve used that hand to slap some sense into her because that was not it.

THE “I DON’T HAVE A TITLE FOR THIS BUT I STILL HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT”
Aside from the spicy scenes that were very unnecessary, there were a lot of missing emotions. Throughout the book, they both lose people who were important and dear to them. Zarrah loses her best and only friend and Keris’s only brother who loved him dies. And yet they were hardly ever phased by those? After they got over the initial shock and feelings, they were just out and about living their lives and were okay? These two were ready to burn the world down for each other but couldn’t care less about other people.

Now to the characters…

Keris, The Horny Heir
I usually don’t like men and I have a lifelong hatred for Danielle’s MMCs but Keris… Keris! That idiot made me want to scream. Throughout the book, he kept mentioning ideals and lifelong plans to make a better kingdom just to end up like his father, or worse. I may be overreacting a bit since his father was a psychopath with a god complex but hear me out when I say this, Keris can easily cross that line for Zarrah. The whole book this asshole was talking about peace and ending the war and saving the innocent and shit like that only to throw it all out and condemn innocent people to their inevitable doom for the sake of Zarrah. And it was against her wishes I might add. I swear to gods, even fictional men can be insufferable. He could’ve respected Zarrah’s choice, the woman he claims he loves, and save a whole kingdom in the process but no. Not to mention the ending! Even when he was a whole king with the power to help his people as he swore he wanted to, he was ready to and will drop everything to go to Zarrah’s aid. His whole thought process goes like this: I am so smart and so strong and I want world peace and I will work for this after I get the pussy.

Zarrah, The Traitor Queen Remix
Falling for the person you were supposed to kill is and always will be fun so the title is a joke. However, I do love how almost all of Danielle’s characters do this. Talk about a favorite trope. I want two things for Zarrah; First I want her to have her revenge on Keris for the burden he had put on her and her life for his own selfish ideas. Second, I want her to be FUCKING FREE. She was locked up for the majority of this book when she should’ve been out there fighting and beating ass. Just when she broke free she gets LOCKED UP AGAIN at the end of the book meaning she’ll be a prisoner in the next book either. I am so tired of Zarrah being locked in like a wild animal behind bars and Keris will risk anything and everyone to break her free. Like, give me a break.

So in the end, this is not a bad book. Just not my favorite one especially when I know Danielle can do so much better. Speaking of, y’all should check out her Dark Shores series because they are elite.

[Sanja ✵ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 2.5 stars.
The Bridge Kingdom is one of my favorite series, but I’m always a bit hesitant when a series change main characters.

But I choose to remain hopeful, because I seriously missed this world and it’s characters. And Jensen writes a good book.

However, I went into this book expecting the story from the previous books to continue. But The Inadequate Heir takes place in the same time as The Traitor Queen. And I could’ve been fine with that, if I got a new and fresh story, just set during the same time. But the main characters Keris and Zarrah spent the majority of the book in the same place as the previous main characters, Aren. Which made me feel like a read a book I had already read. I already experienced these events, but with characters I liked more. The book didn’t grip me and I didn’t feel excited, because I knew what was going to happen.

I also didn’t really connect with either Zarrah or Keris. They were fine, but not at all as gripping as Lara or Aren. I mean, Zarrah is supposed to be a fierce warrior, but when she realizes she’s been manipulated and lied to her whole life, she rolled over like a kicked puppy. I wanted her to fight back!

And some of the steamy scenes just left me confused. I can’t for the life of me make out the positions they were supposed to be in. Can someone draw me a picture?

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ I need the next book ASAP!!!!!!!

Listened to this on audible and wow, that was good! This was only my second audio book and I’m impressed with the narrators. Well done!

The story is a well written story and follows the events of the Bridge Kingdom duology but in Zarrah and Keris POV. It's filled with action, espionage, backstabbing, passion, murder, and more! Plus, there’s a ton of spice, so get ready romance readers. 🥵🔥

I’m for sure going to reread this when I can get my hands on a physical copy and come back to finish the review.

[J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was awful!!
I grew tired of:
- repeating the same sentences,
- constant use of the word ''Valcottan'',
- descriptions of the stomachs of fearless warriors who turn to every disturbing thought or scene,
- insulting women in the worst way,
- bloodthirsty female protagonist who pretends to know her way around, but reconsiders her every decision,
- a sneaky man from the shadows who knows every secret and is a first-class torturer,
- an empress driven only by hatred,
- another tyrant king whom everyone hates, and most of all a direct heir.

An heir who plays a villain in public, but is actually a misunderstood romantic bookworm and thinks with his c**k, of course.

The plot is stretched, the dialogues are pathetic ... the only bright spots are the King and Queen of Ithicana.

I really couldn't wait for it to end. I struggled, but I didn't want to give up. The beginning was promising, but it soon became unbearable. In the end, I wanted to pull out my own hair ...

The first two books in the series blew me away. The story was nicely rounded off.
Book no.3 is completely redundant. And the sequel has been announced ... Yuck!

I feel bad that the last read of year 2021. turned out to be a real disappointment.
Two stars... BARELY!

[❀ Rose ❀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75-4 ⭐️

Although I really enjoyed it, I have to say that I definitely preferred the first two books. I think my biggest problem with this one was that it had a lot of politics- which would have been fine, except it was all the politics and problems that happened in the first two books (so we already knew about them and were just reading them again). Jensen still managed to give us a fresh perspective though and it was fun seeing the story from Zarrah and Keris’ point of vue. Again, the only problem being that what happened in two full books (The Bridge Kingdom & The Traitor Queen) was squished into one book (this one). However, I can already tell that the next installment will be great. I love heist stories or stories that have to do with liberating someone from an impossible place. Anyway, happy reading everyone!

[❁ lilyreadsromance ❁ · Rating 5 out of 5]

*deep breath*

Oh how this book destroyed me in the best way.

This book is about Keris, Lara's (previous books heroine) brother, the heir to the Maridrina and his reluctance path to becoming the next king. Our heroine is General Zarrah Anaphora, the presumed heir to the rival kingdom of Valcotta. The plot of this book happened during the same timeline as the second book, so make sure you read the other two books first because why wouldn't you? So basically, it's your typical enemies to lovers.

Except, it was better and more complex. I mean, what I love about this book was that it was complex enough to understand without making it overly descriptive and boring. These characters were fleshed out and I love every single moment where their characters having to change to adapt to the situation.

Oh and Keris? He's the archetype of character that I always love to see in a fantasy book. You know, the strategist, manipulative, easily underestimated and deceptively cruel if he wants to be. Because, at the end there, he kinda scared me because to sacrifice an island filled of innocent civilians for the safety of one woman is kinda... worrying..

Anyway, I think I love this book more than the first two books in the series. Maybe because of the mind games and palace politics, which is totally my thing if you don't know.

Final advice, don't read it if you can't handle cliffhanger. Because wtfffff abeuuwsbhekbeheb

P.s. actually do read it though. Let's suffer through waiting for the next book together. It's amazing.

[Elena Rodríguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Peace is like a dance. It only work if both partners are listening to the same music. ”

Estoy molesta. Supongo que será otra opinión impopular lo mío con esta saga, pero bueno, de perdidos al río uno se tira con todo el equipo. Iba a ponerle 3.5 pero del cabreo que me he cogido haciendo la reseña y soltándolo todo se queda en 3.

Me explico, la historia me estaba gustando, la autora lo estaba haciendo bien. Los protagonistas son carismáticos los dos y hay un claro desarrollo de sus personalidades y el romance a lo largo de la novela. Hasta ahí todo bien. Sin embargo, no pude dejar pasar dos cosas:

“I know your pain better than anyone, my love. Your grief is my own. And together, I promise we will have revenge on Silas Veliant”.

En primer lugar, las escenas de fan service. Para mi hay una diferencia entre poner una escena subida de tono en un momento dado porque es lo que se requiere y otra en situaciones que lo que menos te puedes esperar es eso. Yo creía que era yo la que tenía un problema y estaba comportándome como una monja de clausura, pero he comentado estas escenas con amigos y ellos me miraban como si estuviesen bromeando con ellos y me dijeron que esas escenas estaban fuera de lugar. Menos mal que no soy la única que lo piensa, que así que el problema no es mío y eso me hace sentir mejor. Lo juro.

“Have you ever had an idea lodge in your thoughts like a spark, and rather than your efforts ectinguishing it, they only cause it to burst into flame ? And for those flames to illuminate the world in such a way you half wondered if you’d been blind before .”

En segundo y último lugar está que siento que la autora ha reciclado trama con respecto a sus dos primeras novelas y eso es algo que no quiero perdonar porque siento que ha sido un copia y pega, sobre todo en las partes decisivas de la historia.

A pesar de todo voy a seguir leyendo la saga porque quiero saber que sucede, pero bueno, iré con la guardia alta. Al mismo tiempo entiendo porque este libro tenga tanta fama, pero como he dicho hay cosas que yo no puedo soportar y tenia que decirlas porque sino no me quedaba tranquila.

“May we meet again in the Great Beyond”.