Gregory Frost

Shadowbridge — (2008) Publisher: Sprung from a timeless dream, Shadowbridge is a world of linked spans arching high above glittering seas. It is a world of parading ghosts, inscrutable gods, and dangerous magic. Most of all, it is a world of stories. No one knows those stories better than Leodora, a young shadow-puppeteer who travels Shadowbridge collecting the intertwining tales and myths of each place she passes through, then retells them in performances whose genius has begun to attract fame ... and less welcome attention. For Leodora is fleeing a violent past, as are her two companions: her manager, Soter, an elderly drunkard who also served Ledora’s father, the legendary puppeteer Bardsham; and Diverus, her musical accompanist, a young man who has been blessed, and perhaps cursed, by the touch of a nameless god. Now, as the strands of a destiny she did not choose begin to tighten around her, Leodora is about to cross the most perilous bridge of all–the one leading from the past to the future.

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Shadowbridge

Gregory Frost graduated from Clarion Workshop, authored five novels and the critically-acclaimed short story collection Attack of the Jazz Giants & Other Stories, and has been a finalist for nearly every major award in the fantasy field including the Hugo, the Nebula, the James Tiptree, and the World Fantasy Award.

Impressive, but what did I think of Shadowbridge? Well, for the most part I enjoyed reading Shadowbridge and while I may have liked the novel, I can’t say that I loved it.

It was the concept that really grabbed my attention. Gregory Frost’s book introduces a world that is comprised mainly of ocean and the Shadowbridge, a seemingly never-ending bridge that is divided into numerous spirals and spans, each with their own unique set of cultures, wonders and stories. Into this fascinating milieu we have Leodora, a young woman masquerading as a man, who in turn is becoming the most popular shadow-puppeteer since the legendary Bardsham. Shadow-puppeteers are storytellers who use puppets and shadows to convey the many astonishing tales of Shadowbridge, but also they are collectors of stories — and that was the device that I found most appealing in Mr. Frost’s book. You see, while the main narrative focuses primarily on Leodora and her troupe (reconnaissance man Soter and Diverus the musician) the novel is frequently interjected with various fables and stories-within-stories which I found to be Shadowbridge's most compelling aspect.

In particular, I really enjoyed the different short stories, which included “The Tale of Shumyzin,” “The Tale of Creation,” “Bardsham’s Tale,” “The Emperor,” “How Death Came to Shadowbridge,” and “The Story of Missansha.” In addition to those, we also get to relive Leodora’s coming-of-age tale that chronicles her journey from gutting fish in a backwater village to becoming a great shadow-puppeteer. Moreover, we get to learn Leodora’s connection to Bardsham, why her deceased mother was known as the ‘Red Witch,’ and a bit about the process that goes into shadowplaying. Perhaps my favorite story of all though was Diverus’ which relates the boy’s extraordinary metamorphosis from a mute, deficient child into a god-blessed musician who can play any instrument with euphoric results. Specifically in this tale I was impressed with the idea of the dragon beam — a designated place where people go to worship in hopes that the gods will grant them gifts — and the paidika where Diverus was employed, which offered a unique addiction for its clientele.

Because of the stories-within-stories format I was reminded of Catherynne M. Valente’s The Orphan’s Tales, which was one reason that I enjoyed Shadowbridge. Unfortunately, unlike Ms. Valente’s duology, I thought Frost’s novel faltered in a couple of key areas. First and foremost was the characterization. Of the three main characters, only Diverus really connected with me but, strangely, once his path crosses with Leodora’s he sort of becomes a forgotten third wheel which is a real shame because he had some interesting dynamics to offer such as his newly awakened awareness and the ‘dreamlife’ that he experiences when playing music. Soter, meanwhile, got the least amount of face-time and was also probably the most generic character in the book. ‘Nuff said. Then there’s Leodora. While there’s no doubt that Leodora is the book’s main protagonist, her most distinguishing features are her profession and her heritage. Take those away and there’s really nothing special about the girl as a character, especially compared to the much more intriguing Diverus.

Secondly, I had a problem with the worldbuilding. As fascinating a world as Shadowbridge is, the author doesn’t spend that much time establishing its uniqueness apart from the mythology. I mean sure, we get enough information to know that each span is a bit different from the other, that societies exist under the bridge, that many wondrous creatures co-exist in the world like gods, sea dragons, demigods, avatars, elves, Kitsunes and mer-folk, but for the most part, it’s just superficial glimpses. For instance, what do we actually learn about the spans that we get to visit?...Ningle’s people are superstitious and enforce a strict policy regarding their women; most of Vijnagr pertains to the dragon beam and the paidika that we learn about in Diverus’ tale; Hyakiyako is haunted by a mysterious parade; and Colemaigne was once “made of spun sugar and other confections” and contains fountains with wine in them. Interesting stuff to be sure, but where are all of the religions, laws, philosophies and other aspects that could have been explored? Perhaps it’s just me, but I thought Gregory could have done a lot more with the world of Shadowbridge.

Finally, as far as the prose and structure of the book, I once again found myself comparing the novel to The Orphan’s Tales, and once again Shadowbridge comes up a bit short. Starting with the prose, Gregory Frost is a talented writer, don’t get me wrong, but his writing style seemed to lack the poetic elegance that made Ms. Valente’s duology shine so much. It’s not that Frost doesn’t have the capability because a number of the short stories in Shadowbridge really stand out; it’s more that the book lacks any consistency. This is also a problem with the structure of the novel. Between juggling the main narrative and interjecting the various ‘fables,’ the book just didn’t seem to fit together seamlessly and as a result, the pacing was a bit disjointed. This also extends to the book's ending; There is a cliffhanger. Nothing wrong with that, except the novel doesn't seem to come to a natural stopping point. I’m only speculating here, but I’m thinking that Shadowbridge was originally written as a single volume and then split into two parts (Lord Tophet being the second). If that's the case, then I think the ending to Shadowbridge needs a little bit more work.

Despite all of the comparisons to The Orphan’s Tales, Gregory Frost’s new book definitely distinguishes itself from other novels and is one of the many reasons why fantasy lovers looking for something a bit different to read should consider Shadowbridge. An imaginative backdrop, fascinating mythology, and plenty of mysteries to unravel in the next volume — the fate of Bardsham and Leodora’s mother, Soter’s tale, The Coral Man, the Agents, a demigod’s warning — are all convincing arguments as well. Granted, I thought the execution was a bit sloppy, and a couple of areas noticeably suffer, but I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending the book, because if you can look past these issues, I think you’ll find Gregory Frost’s Shadowbridge to be a unique and memorable reading experience that will be even more fulfilling if Lord Tophet completes the tale. —Robert Thompson

Lord Tophet

Creatively Shadowbridge is a marvelous work of invention, embodied by the imaginative Shadowbridge setting — a world of linked spiraling spans of bridges on which all impossibilities can happen — the intriguing art of shadow play, and the many enchanting tales and fables that are interwoven into the main narrative. Yet because of issues that I had with not being able to emotionally connect with the characters, worldbuilding that I felt could have been more penetrating, uneven pacing and narrative structure, and an unsatisfying cliffhanger, my feelings for the novel were mixed. Alas, reading Lord Tophet did not make me appreciate Shadowbridge any more than I already did, but the duology’s conclusion is a far better novel than its predecessor.

Upon finishing Shadowbridge I speculated that it would have been wiser if the story had been released as a single novel instead of a duology. How wrong I was. By limiting the story’s setup — which includes introducing the world and characters, developing backstory, and establishing themes — to Shadowbridge, Lord Tophet was better able to focus on telling an engaging narrative and rewarding the reader…and the difference between the two books is just astounding. Where Shadowbridge felt like a disjointed collection of short stories that overshadowed the main narrative and seemed to go nowhere, Lord Tophet is able to immediately dive into the meat of the story which involves the title character, Tophet — the god of Chaos — and his role in both Leodora’s past and her future, while resolving conflicts and providing answers. And as a direct result of Lord Tophet not having to deal with any setup and concentrating instead on completing the duology, plotting, pacing, structure, and even prose is significantly tighter and more cohesive than it was in Shadowbridge.

Creatively Lord Tophet is just as, if not more, imaginative than its predecessor with Edgeworld, the Brazen Head — a talking pendant that speaks in riddles “or at least in ways that are most obscure” — and the inverted world of Pons Asinorum, a world that threads all worlds, some of the novel’s most memorable creations. Stories meanwhile, remain just as important and fascinating as they were in Shadowbridge, and my favorite part of the duology. The key difference this time is that the stories actually complement, instead of overshadow, the main narrative, which by itself reads like a fable including a poetic quality to the writing, insightful moral lessons, and a satisfying fairy tale-like ending that both resolves issues and tantalizes with unspecified resolutions. As far as the actual stories — “The Tale of the Two Brothers,” “The Tale of Meersh and the Sun God,” “The Dream of a Fortune,” “Soter’s Tale,” and “Tophet’s Tale” — there’s not as many of them in Lord Tophet as there were in Shadowbridge, but the highly amusing “Tale of Meersh and the Sun God” featuring Penis is a personal favorite, while the tales of Soter and Tophet are two of the most powerful stories in the duology because of the shocking answers they provide.

To nitpick, characterization and worldbuilding is still not as deep as it could have been, there’s a romance in the novel that could have used a little more development, and parts of the story are predictable because of the mythological nature of the book. But because Lord Tophet is so much more well-rounded than its predecessor, it was a lot easier to ignore such issues this time around and just enjoy the ride.

Shadowbridge has been lauded for its imagination and storytelling, described as award-worthy, and praised as a classic-in-the-making, and such acclaim is not wholly without merit. But comparatively, Lord Tophet is a much better novel. It is also a different novel, so while Shadowbridge may provide the groundwork and is necessary to the duology, and Lord Tophet is a direct continuation of Shadowbridge, the two novels should be treated individually. After all, it is Lord Tophet that actually delivers the payoff — including answering such questions as the fate of Leodora’s mother and father, the secrets that Soter has been hiding, The Coral Man, the Agents, and a demigod’s warning — and does so spectacularly. So if you haven’t read Shadowbridge yet or had difficulties with the novel, you may want to reconsider.
—Robert Thompson