To Hold The Bridge by Garth Nix

To Hold The Bridge by Garth NixTo Hold the Bridge by Garth Nix
Published by Allen & Unwin
Published on May 27th 2015
Pages: 487
Format: ARC
Source: Allen & Unwin
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4 Stars

Far to the north of the magical Old Kingdom, the Greenwash Bridge Company has been building a bridge for almost a hundred years. It is not an easy task, for many dangers threaten the bridge builders, from nomad raiders to Free Magic sorcerers. Despite the danger, Morghan wants nothing more than to join the Bridge Company as a cadet. But the company takes only the best, the most skillful Charter mages, and trains them hard. For the night might come when even an untried young cadet must hold the bridge alone against the most devastating of foes...

Here is a collection of Garth Nix's best short fiction, including an Old Kingdom novella and stoies set in the worlds of Shade's Children and A Confusion of Princes, showcasing this hugely popular author.

I received a copy of this book from Allen & Unwin in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I’ve been trying to figure out how to review this book for a while now. Do I talk about each short story separately, can I rate them individually? While it pleases my analytical mind to do so, I decided against doing that because this collection is offered in a bound book and therefore should be treated as such. But in doing so, because of the diversity in terms of narrative, stories and characters, I can’t do my normal in-depth review.

So instead I’ll talk about the collection as a whole.

Garth Nix has always had a special place in my heart. Not only is he an Australian author, but he’s also one of the few men who can write convincing teen girls. Although I haven’t read his other offerings, I have read the Abhorsen/Old Kingdom trilogy a few times, and have utterly adored it since my childhood.

Nix has a way of writing that is simple but at the same time magical. He draws you in and leaves you breathless with descriptions, voice, and characters. This collection proves that his expansive imagination is as vivid as it is broad. He mixes traditional story elements with original elements and brings a new back story that makes his world building utterly believable. He also has submitted several fanfic stories which at first I thought was a bit weird but he must have permission to do so, so who am I to complain? They only serve to highlight what this master storyteller is capable of doing.

The glimpses into some of his other works were also intriguing, although I’m still not sure if I want to read those books – purely because I’m a YA reader who prefers female leads and I know the others are middle grade and/or male leads. It’s just a personal taste thing.

Overall if you can get over the surprise of just how big this book is and realise it’s chock-full of familiar and unfamiliar elements, and if you can bring yourself to trust Nix to hold your hand throughout this collection (as I strongly recommend you do), you’re in for a treat.

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Nemo
Nemo

About Nemo

A lover of kittens and all things sparkly, Nemo has a degree in English Literature and specialises in reviewing contemporary, paranormal, mystery/thriller, historical, sci-fi and fantasy Young Adult fiction. She is especially drawn to novels about princesses, strong female friendships, magical powers, and assassins.

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