‘The Inadequate Heir’ by Danielle L. Jensen
Title: The Inadequate Heir
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
Series: 3 of 6 book series
Synopsis
Zarrah, duty-bound heir and general to Valcotta, and Keris, crown prince of Maridrina, are sworn enemies. When they fall in love under the cover of night, it’s not only their hearts that are at risk, but their very kingdoms.
Content Warnings
General Rating: Adult (18+ / TV-MA)
Spice Rating: Severe
Brief nudity chapter 3, post-sex scene in chapter 5 (nothing explicit), very explicit in chapters 30, 50, 69, 70; frequent references to sexual desire
Violence Rating: Severe
Corpses hanging from a wall, physical and psychological torture, death by suicide, manslaughter, war, blood and injury
Profanity Rating: Severe
Frequent use of f*ck and c*ck
Book Review
Overall rating: 3/5 stars
What I Liked
Zarrah has a deep moral compass. She’s thirsty for revenge against Maridrina, but is conscious of not hurting anyone else in the process. Together with Keris’ pacifism, there may be an end to the Endless War that doesn’t result in bloodshed for all. I liked that both characters aim for peace in the midst of generational war between their nations.
“To allow the rats to triumph over those who have been our friends for the sake of our own gain sits poorly with me, regardless that it provides us with the advantage.” (38)
I was also a fan of their Romeo and Juliet romance before Zarrah’s capture and travel to Vencia. The story is original up until this point and I enjoyed getting to know Zarrah and Keris on the basis of their separate roles and then friendship and romance.
What I Didn’t Like
The Inadequate Heir goes over the same events as The Traitor Queen from Keris and Zarrah’s POVs, so you know what will happen. It’s just from a different perspective. Several hundred pages are spent in the exact same place as in The Traitor Queen.
This book is also a LOT more spicy than the previous two books. See content warnings above. Neither character is able to think about anything other than sex, which I found terribly distracting to the narrative and less-than-convincing of their love. Lust? Sure. Love? Not so much.
“If there are words for how I feel about you, I’ve never heard them. Never seen them written in any of the thousands of books I’ve read.” (502)
Major Themes
Honour and Shame: Zarrah’s character and Valcottan culture revolves heavily around honour and shame. Zarrah appeals to her soldiers’ honour to fight on behalf of Ithicana instead of sacking Vencia. The empress is described as having “weighed strategy over honor.” (574)
Truth and Lies/Betrayal: The initial revelation of their identities necessarily runs through the motions of “you lied to me about who you are.” It’s a tiresome trope, and I appreciated that Jensen moved through it fairly. A deeper betrayal happens near the end, and this one will take book four, The Endless War, to address more properly.
The lives of the many versus the life of the one: Keris and Zarrah approach this dilemma from different angles, which allows the reader to explore the nuances of the argument. When faced with the choice to save kingdom or the one they love, which one will they choose?
Writing Style
Jensen’s style engages with confidence and emotional immersion in the internal conflict of Keris and Zarrah. This book is less politically heavy than her others, but still requires management of many pieces as the heist is organized between various factions, each with their own agendas.
Tropes
Enemies to lovers
Star-crossed lovers
Political intrigue
Redemption arc
Books like this
Romeo and Juliet
The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen
See More Reviews
A romantic fantasy about an arranged political marriage, a forbidden love, and courtly scheming