I was hard-pressed to rate this one.

I loved the stories within the stories that told the mythologies of the world. The world-building was unique and left one wanting to know more.

The plot was rather thin especially from the middle to the end of the book. It felt unfinished and ended with a cliffhanger. The book was short enough that the 2nd book could have been included. It seems a recent thing to publish a series of shorter books rather than a larger one (GRRM being an exception). I suppose they can get more money that way.

I'm not sure I will get the next book as much as I want to see how the author wraps things up. I just feel cheated by having to get 2 books when they could have been combined.

Frost is a consummate writer. His wordcraft is exceptional. I'm surprised he isn't more well known.

I think he's better at writing short stories as shown with all the stories in this book and the fact that the plot doesn't really seem to move on. You get dribs and drabs after the beginning about the main character Leandra/Jax and her parents. You never find out about her mother at all really. Soter, her mentor and protector in a way, we never know much about at all. I hope that the 2nd book ties all this up, but again I'm worried because it felt cheated out of information in this first book. ( )

A story about stories, from the point of view of a storyteller.

Of course, it's really just one main story, but the lore of the world is interwoven throughout in a more-or-less seamless manner. However, I'll admit I misinterpreted the tone of the book because of the opening "story", and was rather confused when I realized this fantasy tale does not shy away from dark and uncomfortable territory.

As someone who's not necessarily a fan of the "folk tale" style employed by the insert stories, I often found myself waiting for the main plot lines to return, though some were alright. ( )

This is a review for both books, Shadowbridge, and the second part, Lord Tophet. This is essentially one big book that should be read together, so it makes sense to review both of them at the same time.

First, I love this world. The way the bridges work, the way the world changes from bridge to bridge. I also liked the magic - it is there, but it is subtle. There are also Gods here. They are not quite what you think they should be, nor do they play a large part in this story.

The story follows a performer named Leodora - she is a storyteller, using shadow puppets to tell her story. She is the daughter of a legendary performer and might even exceed her fathers talent. As she gains fame, she attracts unwanted attention.

Its a slow story. Sometimes a bit too slow - sometimes, it is told as a story within a story. This is story of discovering oneself - finding a voice. This is not a traditional fantasy story. No swords, or epic battles. Highly recommended if you want a fantasy story with a modern feel. ( )

I picked this book up because the premise intrigued me, but I didn't expect great things from the story or writing. First books in any new fantasy world always disappoint me because the author almost never has a very firm grasp of the world he or she has created. This wasn't the most solid first novel I've ever read, but I wasn't disappointed. The world Frost creates is unique and colorful, born perhaps of a desire to weave together stories with a traditional mythological flavor. With only half the story told, I can't yet tell whether the individual stories sprinkled throughout the novel have any relevance or if they're just decoration, but I enjoyed the mini-stories, and I enjoyed the overall story. There was more complexity to the plot than I expected, and I am interested to see what the second book brings. It wasn't a terribly long book, so I'm not sure why it needed to be two books in the first place, but there you go. ( )

Very strong, unusual fantasy on a world where everyone lives on a network of giant bridges. This is the first half of the story; Lord Tophet is the second half. Full review of both books here. ( )