The world building here is very detailed but the characters felt under-developed in comparison. Holly and Iron–A story that borrows elements from the plot of Robin Hood and King Arthur blended with a world where natural magic and iron magic oppose each other. I hope Ambrose survives whatever comes next and I’d love to see more of him. When supernatural creatures and old colleagues come knocking, Ambrose realizes leaving his past behind may not be an option anymore. It doesn’t go according to plan, of course.Īmbrose and the Ancient Spirits of East and West–Ambrose is recovering from a wartime (World War I) injury in the English countryside and hoping his days as an agent are far behind him. The Heart of the City–A rather tedious story set in seventeenth century (or thereabouts) France where agents of the king work to corral and harness a dangerous angel’s power. I would love to see this picked up for television. It was incredibly cinematic and richly detailed. Judas as an alien and first ever vampire hunter. There are hints here that the figure in question is an alien or even a dragon. When a mysterious figure shows up an atomic bomb test site in the desert he leaves a trail of destruction in his wake. This one was interesting but because the story covers such a large scope of time (most of Avel’s life), it is a bit hard to connect with the characters. The Big Question–Full circle story about a young man named Avel who leaves his village seeking wisdom and answers from a wise woman only to realize he doesn’t need to seek answers from someone else. Possibly my favorite story in the collection. A delightful story about never accepting your lot and doing your part to make the world better. When an old bylaw is established that threatens their position at the school–and the very safety of the school grounds–Mari and Francesca will have to take matters in their own hands to save the day. Unlike most of the rich students, Mari and Francesca work in the kitchens to afford their tuition. This is a short, dark story.Ī Handful of Ashes–Mari and Francesca are students at a private boarding school for witches. The Highest Justice–Princess Jess summons Elibet, a unicorn to dispense high justice after her mother the Queen is murdered. This story was a bit short but entertaining. Few things amuse me as much as stories about Live Action Role Playing. The Quiet Knight–Tony embrace his LARPing character’s heroism to find his voice in the real world. An alien is making a home on the coast of a small town when he realizes his enemies are coming for him. Old Friends–This story skewed on the older end (adult character, adult themes as it were) and was excellent. I would like to see the anthology where this was originally published just for curiosity’s sake. I love how Dark Horse does such weird things with their properties and it was kind of fun reading a prose story about a character usually seen in comics. Strange Fishing in the Western Highlands–A strange story about Malcolm MacAndrew’s first encounter with Hellboy (yes, that Hellboy). When Amos meets an alluring girl near the mailbox in the thick fog of vampire weather his life is irrevocably changed. Vampire Weather–Amos lives in a secluded community that does not hold with modern technology or vaccinations. I’m not sure if this story is circa Clariel, Sabriel, or Abhorsen but I hope we eventually see more of the Bridge and Morghan in a future book. His training as a new cadet is quickly tested when he has to hold the bridge against a necromancer’s Free Magic attack. To Hold the Bridge: An Old Kingdom Story–Morghan has few prospects when he arrives at The Worshipful Company of the Greenwash Field and Market Bridge. Instead of trying to review the entire collection in a few sentences, I decided to give smaller reviews of each story: Like most short story collections, this one had its strengths and its weaknesses. I was especially pleased that some of the stories included were ones not easily found in US editions. Although To Hold the Bridge collects previously published stories, many of them were new to me and will likely be new to other readers as well. To Hold the Bridge (2015) by Garth Nix is a collection of some of Nix’s previously published science fiction and fantasy short stories as well as a new Old Kingdom novella.
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