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Empire of Bones #1
Bridge of Swords
Sendatsu is a hunted man. His people, even his own father, want him dead. Cast out of his home, he finds himself in a strange new land, desperate to find a way to return to his children.
Alone in the land of Vales, Sendatsu is forced to rely on his talents as a fighter to survive. His skills are welcomes by two fugitives - Huw and Rhiannon - who are hurrying to alert the peaceful people of Vales to an impending invasion. When no one will believe them, Sendatsu becomes the wildcard in a fight for freedom.
Three centuries of lies and deceit are about to burst into bloody life around Sendatsu - when the last thing he wants is to be a hero.
Alone in the land of Vales, Sendatsu is forced to rely on his talents as a fighter to survive. His skills are welcomes by two fugitives - Huw and Rhiannon - who are hurrying to alert the peaceful people of Vales to an impending invasion. When no one will believe them, Sendatsu becomes the wildcard in a fight for freedom.
Three centuries of lies and deceit are about to burst into bloody life around Sendatsu - when the last thing he wants is to be a hero.
515 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
11 people are currently reading
633 people want to read
About the author
Duncan Lay
32 books47 followersDuncan Lay is a layout designer and headline writer at the Sunday Telegraph (Australia). He has always worked in journalism and has worked for a number of different newspapers and media outlets. He lives on the Central Coast of NSW with his wife and two young children.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 10, 2017
When I started this book, I didn't realise that it was the first of a second trilogy by the author. However, I don't think this really mattered, as it seemed to be self-contained in this trilogy. Just by the way, does anyone write single-volume fantasy any more? That said, I quite enjoyed it, it's been quite a while since I read a proper fantasy and this one is definitely that. It tells the stories of Sendatsu, an elf who is attempting to discover why elves and humans have been separated; Huw, a bard from Vales, who is trying to save his countrymen from the king of Forland; and Rhiannon, a dancer whose father has been trying to use her as a bargaining chip with the Forlish king. It's a different concept, these elves are not your usual fantasy elves, and works well.
January 2, 2026
Really good story, characters and fantasy world. The build up of strength of defending forces, was brilliant. Slowly getting stronger and better trained.
The only trouble is I feel it could have been written with half the pages. I felt there was a lot of repeated padding. How many times we had to be told the characters regretted their lies and past bad discretions? Then going over how they will feel when all is revealed. OK I get it.
Still will read the second book. In a few months time =)
The only trouble is I feel it could have been written with half the pages. I felt there was a lot of repeated padding. How many times we had to be told the characters regretted their lies and past bad discretions? Then going over how they will feel when all is revealed. OK I get it.
Still will read the second book. In a few months time =)
July 20, 2017
I liked the concept of a fusion between northern european and northern asian.
February 9, 2021
Characters are very annoying and I started to enjoy the storyline until it became repetitive and predictable
January 13, 2014
This and more reviews, interviews etc are on Dark Matter Zine, an online magazine. http://www.darkmatterzine.com. This review was written by Rebecca Muir for Dark Matter Zine.
Bridge of Swords is the first book in a planned trilogy, Empire of Bones. Sendatsu is a high status elf, son of a member of the Council. His life is a life of privilege but also of sorrow. His life now revolves around his children. After discovering an ancient scroll, Sendatsu becomes entangled in a power struggle between the Council and the Magic Weavers. Fearing for his life, he flees through the magic barrier into the human world. There he meets a bard, Huw, and a dancer, Rhiannon, who beg him for help to save Huw’s people from invasion. Sendatsu is a skilled fighter, unmatched among the humans. However, he is not interested in being a hero – he simply wants to get home to his children. The lives of three become more and more entwined, however, and Sendatsu finds himself caught up in the events around him.
This is a longish book but it is very hard to put down. The characters, especially the three protagonists, are explored and developed really nicely. When I started the book, I wasn’t sure that I really liked Sendatsu or Huw, but they both grew on me throughout the book. At first, Sendatsu comes across as weak, unwilling to stand up to his father but also unwilling to make his life useful by working for him. In his dealings with the other elves, and his early dealings with the humans, I kept wanting to tell him to man up, and then feeling bad because that is essentially what his abusive father was saying too. As the book progresses, however, Sendatsu is forced into situations where he must act, and he grows into himself. Huw, too, has always been taunted as being weak, and he too must find his strength.
The book explores some complex and powerful issues. The role of fatherhood is one. All three protagonists have been shaped, for good or bad, by their fathers, and then by their absence. Sendatsu’s fatherhood is shown to be a big part of who he is too. Then there is the theme of deceit. Centuries old deceit by the elves and lies told to each other by the protagonists both play a big part in the story. Deceit is shown to be damaging and destructive, forcing people to act in ways they don’t want to and shouldn’t. Heroism is also explored – what it takes to be a hero, and what being a hero really means.
I did find myself getting frustrated at certain parts of the book, mostly with how certain characters were behaving. As I finished the book, however, I found that I had quite enjoyed it. I recommend it to people who like epic fantasy with very real, very human characters. However, make sure that you pick it up when you have a lot of time to sit and read – it is hard to put down. Also, it finishes on a big cliff hanger, so make sure you can get hold of the next book, Valley of Shields, as you finish this one.
Bridge of Swords is the first book in a planned trilogy, Empire of Bones. Sendatsu is a high status elf, son of a member of the Council. His life is a life of privilege but also of sorrow. His life now revolves around his children. After discovering an ancient scroll, Sendatsu becomes entangled in a power struggle between the Council and the Magic Weavers. Fearing for his life, he flees through the magic barrier into the human world. There he meets a bard, Huw, and a dancer, Rhiannon, who beg him for help to save Huw’s people from invasion. Sendatsu is a skilled fighter, unmatched among the humans. However, he is not interested in being a hero – he simply wants to get home to his children. The lives of three become more and more entwined, however, and Sendatsu finds himself caught up in the events around him.
This is a longish book but it is very hard to put down. The characters, especially the three protagonists, are explored and developed really nicely. When I started the book, I wasn’t sure that I really liked Sendatsu or Huw, but they both grew on me throughout the book. At first, Sendatsu comes across as weak, unwilling to stand up to his father but also unwilling to make his life useful by working for him. In his dealings with the other elves, and his early dealings with the humans, I kept wanting to tell him to man up, and then feeling bad because that is essentially what his abusive father was saying too. As the book progresses, however, Sendatsu is forced into situations where he must act, and he grows into himself. Huw, too, has always been taunted as being weak, and he too must find his strength.
The book explores some complex and powerful issues. The role of fatherhood is one. All three protagonists have been shaped, for good or bad, by their fathers, and then by their absence. Sendatsu’s fatherhood is shown to be a big part of who he is too. Then there is the theme of deceit. Centuries old deceit by the elves and lies told to each other by the protagonists both play a big part in the story. Deceit is shown to be damaging and destructive, forcing people to act in ways they don’t want to and shouldn’t. Heroism is also explored – what it takes to be a hero, and what being a hero really means.
I did find myself getting frustrated at certain parts of the book, mostly with how certain characters were behaving. As I finished the book, however, I found that I had quite enjoyed it. I recommend it to people who like epic fantasy with very real, very human characters. However, make sure that you pick it up when you have a lot of time to sit and read – it is hard to put down. Also, it finishes on a big cliff hanger, so make sure you can get hold of the next book, Valley of Shields, as you finish this one.
August 27, 2012
Bridge of Swords is the first book in Duncan Lay's second trilogy, Empire of Bones. It is set about three hundred years after the Dragon Sword Histories (The Wounded Guardian, The Radiant Child and The Risen Queen), however you definitely need not have read the first series for this one to make sense. Given the large time gap, there are no common characters and in the interim the face of the world has changed significantly so that even those who have read the first series will find it relatively unfamiliar at the start.
There are three central characters in Bridge of Swords: Sendatsu the elf, Huw the bard and Rhiannon the dancer. Sendatsu found himself inadvertently at the centre of a conflict among his secluded people and travelled into the human world to help resolve it. Throughout the story, he misses and pines for his young children whom he was forced to leave behind. The focus on the relationship between father and young children is not something that is often a strong element of fantasy writing, perhaps to its detriment — in fact the only other example I can think of is in Lay's Dragon Sword Histories. Lay's writing shows that positive father figure and heroic fighter need not be mutually exclusive characteristics.
Huw, the bard from Vales, travelled to the Forlish king's court to play the lute. While there he became enamoured of the talented dancer Rhiannon and also learnt about the king's plans to subdue and conquer Vales. Compelled to leave court and warn his homeland, he convinces/tricks Rhiannon into coming with him. In the course of events, they team up with Sendatsu and find themselves helping Velsh villages mount defences against the Forlish.
I liked that none of the main characters were perfect people and enjoyed watching them grow throughout the book. As I'm one for moral shades of grey characters, I enjoyed the two men more than Rhiannon. Although she definitely grows during the story, she goes from naïve to more worldly without really doing anything morally ambiguous, unlike the other two.
Something Lay does well is write about the minutiae of battles. I don't mean the blow by blow account — although that's good too — I mean the details of the preparation and organisation. I noted in in the Dragon Sword Histories and it shone through again in Bridge of Swords. I really appreciate the attention to detail and the research that obviously goes into the world-building.
All in all, I definitely recommend Bridge of Swords to fantasy lovers, especially those that enjoy fight scenes. And enjoyable read which left me hanging for the next book — especially after that cliffhanger ending, yeesh.
4.5 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog, Tsana's Reads.
There are three central characters in Bridge of Swords: Sendatsu the elf, Huw the bard and Rhiannon the dancer. Sendatsu found himself inadvertently at the centre of a conflict among his secluded people and travelled into the human world to help resolve it. Throughout the story, he misses and pines for his young children whom he was forced to leave behind. The focus on the relationship between father and young children is not something that is often a strong element of fantasy writing, perhaps to its detriment — in fact the only other example I can think of is in Lay's Dragon Sword Histories. Lay's writing shows that positive father figure and heroic fighter need not be mutually exclusive characteristics.
Huw, the bard from Vales, travelled to the Forlish king's court to play the lute. While there he became enamoured of the talented dancer Rhiannon and also learnt about the king's plans to subdue and conquer Vales. Compelled to leave court and warn his homeland, he convinces/tricks Rhiannon into coming with him. In the course of events, they team up with Sendatsu and find themselves helping Velsh villages mount defences against the Forlish.
I liked that none of the main characters were perfect people and enjoyed watching them grow throughout the book. As I'm one for moral shades of grey characters, I enjoyed the two men more than Rhiannon. Although she definitely grows during the story, she goes from naïve to more worldly without really doing anything morally ambiguous, unlike the other two.
Something Lay does well is write about the minutiae of battles. I don't mean the blow by blow account — although that's good too — I mean the details of the preparation and organisation. I noted in in the Dragon Sword Histories and it shone through again in Bridge of Swords. I really appreciate the attention to detail and the research that obviously goes into the world-building.
All in all, I definitely recommend Bridge of Swords to fantasy lovers, especially those that enjoy fight scenes. And enjoyable read which left me hanging for the next book — especially after that cliffhanger ending, yeesh.
4.5 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog, Tsana's Reads.
August 10, 2012
Sendatsu is cast away from his home, sent to a new land in hope to finding the secret to why the elves locked themselves away from the humans centuries ago. As an elf who has lived 'behind the wall' in Dokuzen all his life he knows nothing of this strange world, only that he must return to his children at home soon. He is soon found by two fugitives Huw and Rhiannon who have their own agendas and motivations. Soon Sendatsu is a wildcard for freedom as lies unfurl and the truth is revealed.
The setting and the world is absolutely beautiful and breath-taking from the lush and eloquently crafted elven-buildings in Dokuzen to castles and spires in the 'human world'. Duncan Lay really sets you up for a fast paced adventure and his writing is superb. There is an element of brutality, slight gore and warfare that I quite enjoyed and acted like a constant theme through the novel. The warfare was executed neatly with small plot developments and snippets of characterisation frequently occurring. I loved the personalities of the elves and their darker side that was always evident. The magic-weavers (elves with strong magical abilities) were again executed brilliantly as a group and as individuals and really added to that supernatural element. Sendatsu was a great main character and the contrast between his blood-lust and his care for his children was an interesting and well-developed combination.
The novel itself was quite long exceeding five hundred pages yet events never seemed to drag on and characters still developed meaning in their journey. The plot is intricate and you learn the names of many areas in short periods of time as well interesting history which was great to read about. Huw, the companion that Sendatsu meets was an interesting character that developed slowly. I often found, though, that some of his decisions were strange and un-realistic. Rihannon was a great female character who was incredibly brave and was ready for any challenge and really helped move the plot forward. The relationship between these three characters was at the fore-front of the novel and really added to the mystery and intrigue.
Overall, this is an epic fantasy that contains incredible world building, brilliantly developed characters with key qualities and a great mixture of warfare. Bridge of Swords is a must read and I'm absolutely sure you will love it especially those who love high fantasy!
For more reviews please visit my blog: Possession of Books
The setting and the world is absolutely beautiful and breath-taking from the lush and eloquently crafted elven-buildings in Dokuzen to castles and spires in the 'human world'. Duncan Lay really sets you up for a fast paced adventure and his writing is superb. There is an element of brutality, slight gore and warfare that I quite enjoyed and acted like a constant theme through the novel. The warfare was executed neatly with small plot developments and snippets of characterisation frequently occurring. I loved the personalities of the elves and their darker side that was always evident. The magic-weavers (elves with strong magical abilities) were again executed brilliantly as a group and as individuals and really added to that supernatural element. Sendatsu was a great main character and the contrast between his blood-lust and his care for his children was an interesting and well-developed combination.
The novel itself was quite long exceeding five hundred pages yet events never seemed to drag on and characters still developed meaning in their journey. The plot is intricate and you learn the names of many areas in short periods of time as well interesting history which was great to read about. Huw, the companion that Sendatsu meets was an interesting character that developed slowly. I often found, though, that some of his decisions were strange and un-realistic. Rihannon was a great female character who was incredibly brave and was ready for any challenge and really helped move the plot forward. The relationship between these three characters was at the fore-front of the novel and really added to the mystery and intrigue.
Overall, this is an epic fantasy that contains incredible world building, brilliantly developed characters with key qualities and a great mixture of warfare. Bridge of Swords is a must read and I'm absolutely sure you will love it especially those who love high fantasy!
For more reviews please visit my blog: Possession of Books
December 14, 2014
I received this book as the result of a FirstReads giveaway.
First off, my apologies for taking so long to review this book. While the book is thick, it was not the reason for my taking so long to read it. Life sometimes gets busy and sometimes it involves personal loss, such as what happened in this case.
I would be lying in saying I loved this book from the first page. In reality, it took me about 50 pages in until I started to enjoy it. ( My 10th grade teacher always told me to give a book 70 pages before you gave up on it. Great advice!) With that said, I believe it was just a lot of groundwork that needed to be laid for the rest of the book.
I enjoyed the main and supporting characters. They are realistic enough for a fantasy and I appreciate that his female characters are not all damsels in distress but able to fight in battle, as well. I enjoyed the differences pointed out between elf and human and the questions that arose in my head. Were they that different? Who was really in more danger? Is the antagonist really as bad as I think? Are they an antagonist? Yes...no...maybe? Village life was believable as was the elf way of life.
The conflicts of good versus evil, and even, evil versus evil and good versus good keeps the book interesting. With all of that said, do not think that the book will be too confusing to read or follow. It is well written and keeps the reader enthralled with what is going on.
In regards to editing, there were only two small mistakes in the book that were minor enough to skip over without losing sense of the sentence or needing to reread the line again.
I did find the personal conflicts may have lasted too long but when weighed against the outcome and seeing how it could tie in with the plot, one could excuse it. Discovering closer to the end, that I was reading book one of a series, had me shouting out at 2AM that I needed to know more, NOW! How could you leave us hanging like this, Lay?
Will I be looking for book 2? You betcha!
First off, my apologies for taking so long to review this book. While the book is thick, it was not the reason for my taking so long to read it. Life sometimes gets busy and sometimes it involves personal loss, such as what happened in this case.
I would be lying in saying I loved this book from the first page. In reality, it took me about 50 pages in until I started to enjoy it. ( My 10th grade teacher always told me to give a book 70 pages before you gave up on it. Great advice!) With that said, I believe it was just a lot of groundwork that needed to be laid for the rest of the book.
I enjoyed the main and supporting characters. They are realistic enough for a fantasy and I appreciate that his female characters are not all damsels in distress but able to fight in battle, as well. I enjoyed the differences pointed out between elf and human and the questions that arose in my head. Were they that different? Who was really in more danger? Is the antagonist really as bad as I think? Are they an antagonist? Yes...no...maybe? Village life was believable as was the elf way of life.
The conflicts of good versus evil, and even, evil versus evil and good versus good keeps the book interesting. With all of that said, do not think that the book will be too confusing to read or follow. It is well written and keeps the reader enthralled with what is going on.
In regards to editing, there were only two small mistakes in the book that were minor enough to skip over without losing sense of the sentence or needing to reread the line again.
I did find the personal conflicts may have lasted too long but when weighed against the outcome and seeing how it could tie in with the plot, one could excuse it. Discovering closer to the end, that I was reading book one of a series, had me shouting out at 2AM that I needed to know more, NOW! How could you leave us hanging like this, Lay?
Will I be looking for book 2? You betcha!
August 19, 2014
Sometimes the name of the leading character in a novel can make all the difference to me –I mean how great is the name Katniss Everdeen? I had one of those ‘name moments’ while reading Bridge of Swords by Duncan Lay. The protagonists name is Sendatsu, his name will not leave my thoughts, I keep saying it over and over again, I try to sleep and his name pops into my mind Sendatsu, Sendatsu! Lay has obviously created a memorable character. Its not just names that makes this fantasy novel memorable, Bridge of Swords is the first in the Empire of Bones trilogy, and it is an epic novel with a tale to tell.
Sendatsu is an elf, who passes through a protective barrier that shields the Elfan world from the human world; he was forced into the unfamiliar world to find the answer to the loss of Elfan magic. Sendatsu becomes involved with two humans named Huw and Rhiannon, these two characters provide the novels subplot. Wars are being fought in the human world and no matter how hard Sandatsu tries to stay uninvolved his warrior skills come to the aid of many and his involvement is set.
The plot and subplot explore the themes of power, greed, family and love. The themes are gently woven between the beautiful, cultural, Japanese like Elfan world to the raw, gritty, rough, medieval human world. Duncan Lay is a talented and skilled writer who manages to bring scenes to life. His action scenes are the breath holding, edge of your seat type, that have you page turning for more.
I have some catching up to do as the third book in the series was recently released, but am looking forward to see how the story unfolds.
Interview with the Author http://bookgirl.com.au/drinks-with-2/...
Sendatsu is an elf, who passes through a protective barrier that shields the Elfan world from the human world; he was forced into the unfamiliar world to find the answer to the loss of Elfan magic. Sendatsu becomes involved with two humans named Huw and Rhiannon, these two characters provide the novels subplot. Wars are being fought in the human world and no matter how hard Sandatsu tries to stay uninvolved his warrior skills come to the aid of many and his involvement is set.
The plot and subplot explore the themes of power, greed, family and love. The themes are gently woven between the beautiful, cultural, Japanese like Elfan world to the raw, gritty, rough, medieval human world. Duncan Lay is a talented and skilled writer who manages to bring scenes to life. His action scenes are the breath holding, edge of your seat type, that have you page turning for more.
I have some catching up to do as the third book in the series was recently released, but am looking forward to see how the story unfolds.
Interview with the Author http://bookgirl.com.au/drinks-with-2/...
May 11, 2013
The fascinating things in this book are, firstly, the characterisation. Lay excels at presenting the relationships which develop between these three characters, with warmth and insight. They are all charmingly flawed. Sendatsu has been bullied by his father into a sort of passive selfishness. Rhiannon has such a ludicrously inflated vision of the perfection of Elves that she can see nothing at all of the reality; she is slightly ridiculous although loveable – a beautiful singer and dancer who has unknowingly been groomed by her ambitious father to be sold to the king of Forland. This king, Ward, is sneakily attacking Vales by sending raiders in the hope that the Velch will ask him to protect them from his own raiders – yes, it is the complexity we like! Rhiannon hopes to go to the enclosed land of Dokusen and dance with the Elves.
For full review click here: http://newtownreviewofbooks.com/2012/...
For full review click here: http://newtownreviewofbooks.com/2012/...
September 6, 2012
I bought it today and met the man himself! I've only read a short amount into it so far, but I'm finding the writing style to be descriptive and the plot to be an interesting one.
I generally don't read fantasy unless it is suggested by a friend whose taste in novels I approve of, and I also find elves to be a rather dull set of characters. Not in this case though. The idea that Sendatsu's people are not the elves they claim to be is pretty compelling.
There's a lot of potential and I don't see how the author could disappoint with the interesting characters and setup for the plot. So if you see this book around I definitely advise that you pick it up! I'll update this once I finish it with an actual review.
I generally don't read fantasy unless it is suggested by a friend whose taste in novels I approve of, and I also find elves to be a rather dull set of characters. Not in this case though. The idea that Sendatsu's people are not the elves they claim to be is pretty compelling.
There's a lot of potential and I don't see how the author could disappoint with the interesting characters and setup for the plot. So if you see this book around I definitely advise that you pick it up! I'll update this once I finish it with an actual review.
December 4, 2014
I am grateful to Harper Voyager for the goodreads giveaway copy I won. This is a high fantasy tale with elements of Welsh and Asian history/culture mixed in. It is definitely a coming-of-age tale that I would have enjoyed more in my teens-thirties, but as you can tell from my reading history, I have read a lot--and I have come of age. Character is what draws me in and while the world and the magic system are interesting, I wasn't fond of any of the characters. I will keep an eye on the author, though, and as you can tell from the many 4 star reviews, younger people especially will find much of interest in this well-written saga.
March 22, 2013
Overall, an interesting plot. However, some of it so predictable it is a bit shameful. I would probably read the second book when it comes out, but if I never did, I don't know that I would be upset by it.
May 15, 2013
I really tried to like it, as I'm always chasing new authors....but it just didn't grab me. The setting seems derivative and a little contrived and the characters weren't holding my attention.
Still, I'll try again in a few months and see if I've been too harsh.
Still, I'll try again in a few months and see if I've been too harsh.
January 21, 2013
I can't stop reading it-help, must eat!!
Read
November 6, 2012Thoughly enjoyed this.
May 12, 2014
Characters annoyed me to no end, not woeful but not amazing either.
April 25, 2014
So glad I bought the second book the same time as the first one! I need more.
May 12, 2016
Great book with interesting elf vs human dynamic.
Can't wait to see more of the elf-lands in the next one!
Can't wait to see more of the elf-lands in the next one!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews