Garth Nix, To Hold the Bridge: a tale of the Old Kingdom and other stories Allen & Unwin, June 2015, 488pp., $19.99 (pbk), ISBN 97817423316559
While I admit that short stories (although some of them are not so short in this particular book) are not normally my preferred form of literature, I have to say that I did enjoy this collection. I have been a long time fan of Garth Nix’s work and this collection certainly showcases his ability, in so many different ways. To Hold the Bridge he writes tales of the future, fantasy, horror, science fiction and realism all set into a wide range of time frames, while always maintaining the empathetic creation of such real characters, ones that readers can immediately relate to. One of the joys of this collection is the spontaneity and articulate nature of the writing along with the amazingly varied content that Nix has managed to put together, what an imagination! I found one story a night was a good recipe to get maximum enjoyment for this book. Once you begin, the pace and strength of the narrative makes you feel compelled to finish to find out what happens. It would be enjoyed by many older readers.
reviewed by Sue Clancy
