Novel Delights in 2008 By Dave Truesdale

Fantasy: Shadowbridge by Gregory Frost

January of 2008 saw the Del Rey publication of Gregory Frost's wonderful Shadowbridge. The title world is a creation unique, I believe, in fantasy. An immense world-spanning bridge encircles this water world, beneath which are vast oceans dotted with a few scattered islands. Young Leodora has escaped her harsh life as a lowly fish-gutter on one of these bits of land under the towering bridge, as well as the punishments of her cruel step-father, and with the aid of a mentor figure (a kindly old drunk who once aided her dead father), sets out with her trunk of assorted string puppets and various paraphernalia to inherit her father's mantle, as that of a world-renowned, legendary puppeteer. Her travels along the endless and mighty spans of the bridge and its myriad peoples (each with their own cultures, ways, and laws) give her the stories and myths from which she weaves her spellbinding puppet shows. It is through these puppet shows (often filled with myth, satire, and wry local commentary) that Frost deftly reveals much of the planet's history. He can thus provide backstory while simultaneously moving the current story forward, and pulls it off without a hitch.

Leodora's only other companion is a young boy, Diverus, who may or may not be able to speak with the gods, and who provides the hypnotic music for her magical puppet shows. He is a musical savant, able to play any instrument at will, and his talent not only serves Leodora well, but entangles him in some decadent intrigue which forms one of the most memorable sections of the story.

Overarching Leodora's personal story and that of her small traveling troupe are sinister enemies and forces; forces which reveal themselves more and more as the tale progresses, the knowledge of which only Soter, her drunken manager and mentor, is fully aware. Searching for her own life (and perhaps on the way destined to become even greater than her father) and on the run from her shadowy, enigmatic enemies, we get a sense of dramatic tension and foreboding, the dark revelations and threats slowly revealed first as hints, then more direct and deadly. But it is Frost's rich descriptions, attention to detail, and overall stylistic flair, his line-by-line way with words that give the story another dimension entirely, granting Shadowbridge the justice its concept demands. This is one of the most innovative and rewarding fantasies I've come across in some time.

The publisher decided to break the novel into two parts, however. The second part is published separately as Lord Tophet. Be that as it may, Shadowbridge is easily worth your coin.

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