Review of The Bridge to Magic
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- Ngozi Onyibor
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Review of The Bridge to Magic
Humans and the gods and guardians of magic have lived in peace for ages until an unfounded fear of magic and its carriers caused a war between them. So Syn'Moreg, Lord of the Abyss, sundered the world into two and gave one half to magic and the other half to humans. All was well in the human world again for a while until an ever-approaching blight began wiping out everything in its path. Humans, plants, and animals, the invisible plague spared none. Terren is the only human community standing between the blight and The Bridge to Magic.
The years spent hustling to earn her keep on the streets of Terren, like her fellow orphans, have trained Elika to spot those on their way to take the bridge to their uncertain end. But on this particular night, she was especially sick of the bridge and everything and everyone it had taken from her and her community after she watched it claim its latest victim. Like many residents of Terren who were socialized to detest magic, she believed magic and anything with an atom of it was responsible for all their woes. So her anger led her to stab the bridge with a dagger. But instead of not budging as it had always done, it did something it had never done before: it bled. What does this mean for her and the future of Terren?
One of the best qualities of The Bridge to Magic is how well the author juxtaposes the best and worst of humanity. From the orphans who scavenge for food and share whatever they find with their pack of fellow orphans to the nobility living in the Golden Circle who hoard food that can feed the whole country for years, the story is rife with portrayals of what humanity could be and what it is.
The characters are another appealing element of the book. Their behaviors show the duality of human nature; people are rarely all good or all bad. Mite, for example, cares deeply for his pack members and works hard to protect them, especially Elika, and wouldn't hurt any of them. However, he isn't above doing morally reprehensible things to others. Despite his flaws, I utterly loved the texture of Mite's character. He is brilliant, practical, and can hold his own against anyone. But, sadly, he didn't have a dedicated story arc.
Though I like the novel, I have a grouse with its narrow focus. The story has several characters, but the author, Alex Thornbury, centered the story on Elika. Whenever other characters were featured, it was usually related to her interactions with them. As a result, a significant portion of the novel is filled with her angst about everything going on in her life and community, which can get a bit exasperating after a while. If the author had given the other characters their own stories, it would give the reader a break from the main character, making the story richer and more diverse. Since this is the first book in the Sundered World series, I'm hoping the narration in subsequent installments will shed light on the unique experiences of more characters.
I enjoyed reading the book, but I wish the other characters had gotten more attention. And that is the only reason I'm rating the book 4 out of 5 stars. Although I noticed some errors, the editing has a clean, professional feel. I recommend the book to readers that love fantasy novels with a healthy dose of magic.
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The Bridge to Magic
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