Jess Avery

The Bridge Kingdom follows Lara - 1 of 13 Maridrinian princesses trained from youth in a hidden compound - as she is married off to the King of Ithicana in order to learn his kingdom's secrets and sabotage his effort to control the Bridge that acts as the main trading route in this warring world. Sandwiched between two kingdoms in the south and two in the north, Ithicana is constantly attacked by those that desire the Bridge for themselves, but Ithicana's constant victories prove them to be a ruthless and formiddable foe. Islands, snakes, ships, storms, and sharks - the aesthetics of The Bridge Kingdom being something that I've rarely read yet somehow enjoyed. Continuing rather uncommon themes is a huge focus on trade, the details of which become very tedious, but by about two thirds of the way through its storyline pays off and its inclusion sets up very realistic reasons for war. Personal tastes aside, the plot and pace of this book is superb, the conversations between characters was well scripted, the writing well done and the themes of secrets and betrayal threaded throughout were handled with an expert touch. Praise is definitely due for the placement of the few intimate scenes in this book.. somehow their placement only added more depth to something already intense. And I can't ignore the world building, I found it rather incredible, especially in the second book when the story takes us back to Maridrina - back to where it all began. I'm excited to leave a 5 star review for The Traitor Queen, as I became much more invested in the world once we left the island and ships and storms behind, yet when the story takes us back to Ithicana for the finale, there are moments when it really does feel like returning home.

It is the 10th annual Hunger Games and Coriolanus Snow and his graduating class have been chosen to be the first ever mentors of the districts 24 tributes. At this time the Hunger Games resembles nothing like the glorious nation-wide entertainment we see in Miss Everdeens trilogy. As such the plot focuses on the establishment and fine-tuning of the games - set as school assignments - in a bid to attract viewers and further involve the Capitol. Accompanying a generous and well paced plot is an incredible cast of characters, though none do we familiarise ourselves better with than the infamous President Snow. The book being told in 3 parts, Coriolanus Snow's humble beginnings, charm, and innocent lies sway you during the first. His brazen, rebel-esque ways, and manipulation both in and out of the arena win you over by the second. Then his self-serving actions and honorless rise to an esteemed capitol man at the end of the third leaves your jaw on the floor. Although the clues are easy to pick up on, the pieces of Snow are pieced together in such a steady and realistic manner that avoids all cliched villain story arcs. The bottom line is that I've never read a villainous character so cleverly created and I'm so glad to have had that privelege. It's hard to write a review and not mention the little artistic tidbits scattered throughout the entire book that hint at Snow's inevitable downfall. Mockingjays and katniss plants... The Hanging Tree song and the Snow family's white roses... They were the tragically beautiful bits of this book, woven so incredibly throughout, leaving the reader in a deep sense of awe. Adding to that depth was a girl in a rainbow dress - a singer, a songwriter and an entertainer whose character was systematically erased by the end... Her erasure undeniably setting off a steadily falling avalanche of Snow. What a breathtaking ballad this book is.