Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Bridge of Souls
The Quickening Book III

by Fiona McIntosh



      Wyl Thirsk just isn't feeling himself these days - he has been so many other people! Following the exciting events in Myrren's Gift & Blood and Memory (both also reviewed on this site) he jumped into the body of his sister Ylena. Fynch found out - to his cost - about Elysius and the Thicket, Aremys has found Lothryn (who also isn't the man he was) and King Celimus is just getting worse and worse. Somehow grubby enchanter Rashlyn and Celimus have got to be defeated and Wyl reunited with Valentyna, but everything just keeps going wrong...

This has been a real page-turning trilogy, full of surprises. There is nothing new in here with regards to background and characters, but the story keeps bubbling merrily along and juggling the events in several locations. The narrative jumps about from place to place, looking in on what is happening to a group of characters before moving on. Perhaps that is part of the trick, for nothing is ever focused on long enough to become boring.

Those in search of more introspective fare might point out the cookie-cutter characters, brave and self-sacrificing goodies, and sneering, gloating baddies. Ultimately caught up in the book's magic spell, I found it easy to care about many of the folk, although more gray characters might be a good thing amongst the exclusively black or white. This has been the usual trio of tubby tomes and the fattest yet but it is a fairly quick read, especially for books with a lot packed into them. This is good, old-fashioned fantasy brought up to date for modern tastes with plenty of court intrigue amongst the questing and magic. More, please.

The Book

Orbit (Time Warner UK)
December 2005
Paperback
1841493759
Fantasy
More at Amazon.com US || UK
Excerpt
NOTE: Some violence

The Reviewer

Rachel A Hyde
Reviewed 2006
NOTE:
© 2006 MyShelf.com