Bridger – Megan Curd
21 December, 2011
Author: Megan Curd
Publisher: Soul Fire Press
Published: June 4th 2011
Pages: 245 (e-book)
Summary: (Goodreads)
Ashlyn McVean doesn’t believe in fairy tales. That is, until Ashlyn is thrown into the crosshairs of grudges her grandmother created long ago. After finding out she is one of two people able to cross between faerie realms, Ashlyn is faced with trying to understand her abilities, along with navigating a new relationship with her boyfriend, Liam. As if being on a centuries old hit list and dealing with crazed pixies isn’t enough, her new abilities mean trouble for Liam. Knowing her new life puts everyone she loves in danger, Ashlyn must decide what’s most important in her life between friends, family, love, and ultimately, realms.
FOUR OUT OF FIVE STARS ****
This is a book that grabbed me by the ankles from the start to the finish and honestly held me captive until the very last sentence. It was a joy to read and such a refreshing change from the other books I’ve been reading lately. This novel well and truly spoke to me and I simply cannot wait to read the second book in the series. Megan Curd is a new writer to me and one that I will be keeping my eye on from now on as she is simply marvellous at what she does!
Personally, I haven’t actually read many books that involve faeries. Heard about them, read synopsis’ of them, seen films about them but actually read them? No. So, what I cannot say for certain is that this book was different from other faerie novels but I will say that it was certainly unique to me. I absolutely loved the world(s) that Megan created in this book and understand that her imagination goes above and beyond. In short, her imagination is an inspiration to me.
Unfortunately, while this world is magnificent and I loved learning about all of the different magical creatures mentioned, all hailing from Irish folklore (just an added love, in my opinion), there were also some hiccups here and there. The story starts quite literally with the death of Ashlyn’s father and while, at the time, she is broken up about it all. This is the first and only time that her father is mentioned, seemingly forgotten with all the new information about the supernatural world. This may have been simply because there was too much going on but it seemed that her dad meant the world to her and then it was like she barely even noticed when he wasn’t there. It just didn’t seem natural. There were a few other odd bits that understandably helped to continue moving the plot along but could have done with a bit more fleshing out.
However, luckily, these few things do not deter from the wonderful story as a whole. It is a story with twists and turns thrown at you at almost every corner and while some things were a little obvious and you expected them to happen, the anticipation of it all just made me want to read more which was nice. Not to mention that the romance in this book was played out really well. At first I was a bit worried that it was going to jump into it a little too fast but then it pulled back and then it got realistic and interesting and it was just, really well done and not too sickening or unbelievable. I also really like Liam and Reece so that is always a plus!
Character wise, I was really impressed. Everyone was really thought out and it wasn’t just Ashlyn that grew and changed as the book progressed. While, yes, this did happen and we were shown a strong and power-driven character in her, I honestly felt the transformation of her grandmother was so much more powerful. I fell in love with her as the story continued going and cannot wait to read more about her. I also loved Roslin and Antony
All in all, this story was just such a good read and I am so glad that I got a chance to read it. I was given the chance to do so through the Read 2 Review scheme on the PNR and UF Goodreads group and I am just extremely happy for this. It was a book that I would recommend to others in a heartbeat because it was just such a lovely, brilliant read!
Faye
One Comment
Brodie
I’ve only read three faery series… which I suppose is still a fair amount, but when compared to the other stuff I read, not as great in number! But I loved what I discovered and am ALWAYS eager to dive back into the world of fey. So that this has faeries is an instant hook for me! And I like that you say while some of the twists were obvious, it’s the anticipation that grips you.
Fantastic review, thanks for putting this book on my radar!