Frost, Greogry: Shadowbridge
Shadowbridge
Writer: Gregory Frost
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 255
I remember when this book came out. The cover caught my eye, but the plot, not so much. Then I saw the book in stores, glanced at it, but still paid no attention. Then sff_sandcastle reviewed it. She absolutely loved the book, and since I know her personally, I decided her review was good enough for me. But by then, I couldn't find the book in stores, so I waited and waited, and finally broke down and ordered it on Amazon. And then I STILL waited to read it.
Until now. Part of what sparked my interest was that the sequel has just been released, so I figured in order to decide if I wanted the sequel, I should get started on the first. So I did. And I wasn't even halfway through the book before I trotted up to Barnes & Noble and bought the sequel.
The premise: Shadowbridge is a world of spans linked together over a world of ocean. Some say the very gods themselves created the spans, others say the very first man dreamed them into being. It's a world of stories, and Leodora makes it her mission to collect them. This brilliant shadow-puppeteer collect tales and stories from every span and entwines them together in her performances, only she's known as the enigma of Jax. Leodora herself is on the run, and so are her companions. She doesn't know how important it is to stay ahead of her past, and the one person who does know won't tell her why.
Spoilers ahead.
I've got to give credit where credit is due. The world-building and settings here are truly fresh, unique and original, especially in fantasy. It took a couple of pages to get used to the terminology, but once I did, I read with pure awe and wonder. Shadowbridge is a world that's familiar, yet also entirely alien. There's much to love about the differences in the culture of each span, about the gods, and of course, the stories themselves. It's a stroke of genius to introduce the world's mythos and history into the novel, related by a shadow-puppeteer whose JOB it is to collect and tell those stories.
But the surface plot is actually rather vague. Thanks to the politics of the world, particularly the current span she's on, Leodora must hide her identity and gender. She's known as Jax, and dresses up so that those who see her masked visage assume her to be male. But there's more to it than that: we learn through detailed backstory that Leodora is on the run from her uncle, but more than that, she's on the run from her father's past, only she doesn't know it yet.
That's one of the things that makes this book unique. Not that she's on the run, but the way that Frost handles the backstory for the important characters. The only true enigma is Soter, as we never get his backstory or his past except in hints, and it makes sense. He's not the most reliable narrator because he's the one harboring all the secrets, and those secrets add a sinister depth to Leodora's parents' past.
Leodora's past was fascinating. She grew up on the island of Bouyan, connected to the span of Ningle. Her mother grew up there before her, and Leodora lives with her grandparents, as well as her aunt and uncle. But an unfortunate turn leads to her grandparents' deaths, which sparks her uncle's anger, and he takes all the blame out on her.
Her past is full of parallel: parallel to her parents, who she learns about from both her aunt and Soter--who lives on the island. That's a nice thing to uncover, as is the world-building. The sea-dragons, the Coral Man. All of it's fascinating.
But Leodora's past isn't the only one we're treated to. We also meet Diverus, a boy born as a mute idiot who's stuck out on the Dragon Beam to be touched by the gods. Nobody expects anything from him, and when the gods do visit, nobody thinks he was given anything at all. He knows better: the world suddenly makes sense to him in a way it didn't before, and he can speak. And, as he later learns, he has the gift of music: he can play any instrument and the songs simply come right out of him. Truly he's been blessed by the gods, and he ends up a musician in Leodora's troupe.
Again, there's so much to love. I was thrilled at how I thought the paidka that Diverus stayed in was merely a brothel, only to learn it wasn't that at all. The afrits were a wonderful addition to the world, as was their purpose. I was fascinated during Diverus's story, and I was sorry to see it catch up to the current plot at hand.
In many ways, this book is very much set-up. We meet our cast, we establish the world, and we get the tease of future conflict. Where the next and final book will take us, I don't know, but I can't wait to find out.
My Rating
Must Have: it's truly one of the more unique, original fantasies I've ever read. It's got a fast pace, and the world-building will leave you in awe. Fair warning though: when you start this book and realize you like it, go out and buy the sequel, Lord Tophet, immediately. Shadowbridge ends as a cliffhanger. It's a good one, but trust me, you're going to want to keep reading until the end, and fortunately, it's only a two book series.
Or maybe that's UNFORTUNATELY. From the first book alone, I can see how Frost might create more books focusing on more characters set in this world, and I have to say, I won't be disappointed if he does.
Next up:
Book: Lord Tophet by Gregory Frost
Graphic Novel: Hellboy Library Edition Volume 1: Seed of Destruction and Wake the Devil by Mike Mignola