Ponte de Sonhos

Ephemera #3

by Anne Bishop

Quando os magos ameaçam Belladonna e o seu trabalho para manter Efémera em equilíbrio, o seu irmão Lee sacrifica-se para a salvar — e acaba por ser internado num Asilo na cidade de Visão, longe de tudo o que conhece. Ao mesmo tempo, umas estranhas trevas parecem estar a espalhar-se — uma escuridão que esconde a natureza dos Xamãs que cuidam da cidade e da sua população. Danyal, um dos Xamãs, é o responsável pelo Asilo. Mas talvez por estar a tentar descobrir os seus próprios sonhos, Danyal sente-se intrigado pelos aparentes delírios de Lee. Com a ajuda de Zhahar, uma mulher com os seus próprios segredos tenebrosos, a mente e o corpo de Lee melhoram, e as suas palavras começam a fazer sentido. Em breve, Danyal e Zhahar começam a vislumbrar o mundo como nunca haviam imaginado. Quando Danyal, Lee e Zhahar se unem para descobrir o que ameaça a cidade, serão obrigados a olhar para além de si mesmos — e para dentro de si mesmos — para descobrir quem são… e até que ponto podem ser demasiado perigosos.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, Magic, Dark Fantasy, Demons, Fantasy Romance

448 pages, Paperback

First published March 6, 2012

About the author

Anne Bishop lives in upstate New York where she enjoys gardening, music, and writing dark, romantic stories. She is the author of over twenty novels, including the award-winning Black Jewels Trilogy. She has written a new series, the Others, which is an urban dark fantasy with a bit of a twist.

Crawford Award (2000)




Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[M— · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm just going to have to admit that Ephemera is my least favorite of Bishop's works and be done with it. As excited as I had been to learn of the development of a Lee-centered book to round out this trilogy, I'm a bit nonplussed to discover it crammed with so many other viewpoint characters it hardly feels Lee-centered at all. I wonder if Bishop slipped her grasp of him, and indeed of the whole world, between the writing the first book and writing this last. Two and half stars.

As happenstance, I read this novel during a weekend my boyfriend came over to visit, which is not an action I recommend. I'm still infatuated enough I'm in the mindset of wanting to appear cool and suave at all times in order to attract a potential sex partner despite the fact we've been actively knocking boots for over a year now and learned ages ago we are both at times deeply silly people. He plays a game of sneaking glances at whatever book I'm reading at the time, and the random sentences he found had him looking at me in bewilderment and commenting how if he had to read this he'd stab his eyes out. I'm pretty sure my stock of cool points crashed and burned. (This isn't for you! Go back to watching sports! Don't judge meeee!)

Recommended only for fans of this series; recommended for die-hard fans of Bishop. Newcomers to her writings, as always, are recommended to start with Daughter of the Blood.

[Kristina Circelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was torn between a 3 and 4 rating for this one. 4 because I love Anne Bishop (especially the Black Jewel series), and a 3 because I don't think Bridge of Dreams quite lives up to her awesomeness.

Parts of the book are fantastic. The introduction of the new race is fascinating and I'm still trying to imagine what that would be like. I also love the wild child and the entire concept of the world being alive in that sense. I got a kick out of those scenes. Bishop does an incredible job there, and in weaving the stories together in a way that ties in past books while building on the new story.

But other parts just don't do it for me. First, there doesn't seem to be any spark between Michael and Glorianna. They seem kind of...empty together. I also missed the old Sebastian and felt like his character was kind of pushed to the wayside to focus on Lee. There also seemed to be a lot of repetitiveness or useless scenes (how many times are we going to be told that Glorianna split herself in two??) that, if cut, would have made the book much shorter. Toward the end it also felt like the SaDiablo family was seeping into the story and was way too similiar in their family relationships, making it a bit distracting.

The biggest issues, though, were the end. First, everything happened really fast and with hardly any climax at all. The books build up to this huge moment, and then, it's over. It was kind of a let-down. The other issue is between Lee and Zharar. There was pretty much no resolution here and with all the questions that are raised, we need some answers. Seriously, way to leave people hanging. I don't know if there is a spin-off of this book or another one in the series planned (don't see how there could be though), but I was left wanting more, and not in a good way.

[Marlene Teixeira · Rating 2 out of 5]

This trilogy has an interesting concept of a world building, but it focused too much on romance it irked me.
The male love interest were always so sure about persuing a life with the females, no questions asked, she is the one i want period, and it irked me, because i didnt see them fall in love, it just was there in a blink of an eye. Bottom line, i didnt care for any of the couples. Every single protagonist had the same desire to find love, it became repetitive.
As for the big bad, it was really over by the 2nd book? Damn, and i didnt noticed ? I even felt sorry for him, how odd!
The last book is a bit better, it brings the tríade to the table which is interesting, but lacks development once again.

[Sonia Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Já passaram uns anos desde que conheci o mundo Efémera e as lembranças já eram poucas e vagas; custou-me um bocado reconhecer Efémera e as suas particularidades.

Foi um prazer acompanhar Lee na sua viagem por Visão e os percalços que lhe foram acontecendo entre os quais, conhecer Zhahar e as suas irmãs e, de certo modo, a reconciliação com a irmã, Glorianna Belladona e com o seu companheiro Michael.

A possibilidade (ou impossibilidade) de um relacionamento com Zhahar foi o que mais me prendeu; como seria possível Lee ter um relacionamento romântico, de longa duração pelo menos, com um aspeto de uma Tríade? Questão complicada.

[Patrícia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opinião do blogue Chaise Longue: http://girlinchaiselongue.blogspot.pt...

Com Filha do Sangue, Anne Bishop tornou-se um dos nomes mais adorados da fantasia, principalmente no que a gótica concerne. Uma autora com uma voz única, alguém inimitável e genial, Anne tem-nos passado o seu gosto por histórias densas e românticas através das suas próprias palavras, através de personagens que nos marcam e nunca mais esqueceremos. Para além da escrita, dedica-se a jardinagem e tem um certo apreço a música bem como a sua intimidade. Apesar de não ser das autoras mais presentes, é inegável o apreço que os fãs sentem por ela.
Oito anos depois de a Trilogia das Jóias Negras lhe ter reservado um lugar como uma das autoras de fantasia de maior sucesso, Anne deu a conhecer ao mundo uma nova realidade através de Sebastian, o primeiro volume da trilogia de Efémera, um lugar onde o coração tudo decide até onde daremos o próximo passo. Uma trilogia que tem dividido os seus leitores mas que mantém a alma negra e gloriosa das suas obras, ela chega, pensámos nós, agora ao fim, com Ponte de Sonhos.
Antecedido pelo conto A Voz, este terceiro volume foi publicado no ano passado pela primeira vez e é traduzido agora para o nosso país, para gáudio dos fãs.
Ele viveu sempre na sua sombra. Foi o seu protector, o seu melhor amigo, a metade que sempre a compreendeu e aceitou mas perdê-la, vê-la sacrificar tudo, estilhaçou a parte dele que sempre a amou como só o melhor e o mais fiel dos irmãos pode. Mas para a salvar, para manter aquilo porque ela quase se destruiu, ele é capaz de se quebrar e separar de tudo o que sempre conheceu. Louco, construtor, professor, Lee vai compreender um seu lado que nunca viu, vai ver o seu coração, liberto da sombra poderosa, como nunca pensou ver. Numa paisagem desconhecida, onde o que conhece tem outro nome mas o mesmo poder, o construtor de pontes de Belladonna vai descobrir quem é, o amor improvável e a amizade nascida da adversidade e compreensão mas para o fazer tem de combater um mal que ainda não está erradicado.
Anne tem um jeito, um talento para dar vida a mundos inimagináveis que ninguém consegue igualar e Efémera é um daqueles casos em que a sua imaginação supera tudo o que nem poderíamos sonhar. Novos conceitos e espécies ganham vida através de sentimentos e gestos tão próprios de Anne, que, apesar da estranheza que um mundo onde pontes apenas nos levam onde o coração manda e não a razão e onde paisagens são construídas por desejos e anseios, parece que estamos onde sempre pertencemos, num local onde tudo nos é familiar, onde a forma como sentimos é peculiar mas entendida. Mais uma vez, a autora enreda-nos numa narrativa complexa, densa e obscura onde o melhor caminha lado a lado com o pior, onde o bem e o mal se diferem por intenção e objectivo, onde os bons são tão ou mais perigosos que os maus.
Almas atormentadas que perderam o rumo, corações divididos entre dever e anseios, vivem num lugar onde os sonhos são loucura, onde os desejos são anormais e onde o mal que não escapou à purga de Belladonna chegou. Aqui a visão não é um sentido conjugado aos olhos, a verdadeira visão é aquela que nos permite ver a fundo o interior das pessoas, os seus sonhos e terrores, é aquela onde nos vemos realmente como somos. A cegueira é mais complexa do que nos parece, não nos permite conhecer a verdade da alma, a razão do coração. Ao longo desta leitura, família, amor e amizade são colocados à prova através de desafios que um coração solitário, uma mente abandonada, um corpo desencontrado têm de desbravar sozinhos pois apenas a solidão, a perda total pode levar-nos ao verdadeiro rumo de nós próprios.
Não sendo o melhor trabalho de Anne, Ponte de Sonhos tem os melhores ingredientes das suas obras mas, fica a faltar algumas explicações sobre determinados assuntos, um fecho mais sólido que seria de esperar do fim de uma trilogia. A partir do fim, tudo começa a acontecer muito rápido e as últimas páginas, apesar de mais lentas, acabam por deixar algumas dúvidas. Mas acaba por ser um livro satisfatório, onde alguns desenrolares surpreendem e, mais uma vez, a família tem um peso enorme, proporcionando-nos muitas das cenas caricatas entre amigos, irmãos, amantes, pais e filhos, que só Anne nos sabe dar. Ou seja, este livro não desilude mas deixa algo inconclusivo no ar que faz parecer ainda não ter terminado por aqui as aventuras em Efémera.
As personagens, como sempre, são estonteantes, magníficas, densas e complicadas, com alguns acrescentos bem surpreendentes. Aliás, as surpresas chegam-nos do lado das novas personagens, sendo que uma delas bem nos deixa pensar e acaba por conseguir concentrar toda a nossa atenção. Como acontece quando seguimos sagas, rever personagens já conhecidas é sempre um prazer principalmente quando, mesmo mudados, conseguem transmitir-nos as mesmas sensações de antes. Belladonna, continua, mesmo não estando tão presente, a ser a grande personagem de Efémera mas Lee ao dar-se a conhecer mais profundamente, conquista-nos e mostra que também consegue ser um bom protagonista.
Ponto positivo, por último, à forma como a autora utilizou elementos de A Voz neste livro. Reencontrar e conhecer melhor algumas personagens do conto e puder saber o que lhes aconteceu, foi uma prenda muito querida da autora que só posso apreciar. As ligações entre conto e livro são construídas com perícia, sem desvendar muito para quem não leu o conto e permitindo a quem leu notar os elementos existentes em ambos.
Sendo a minha autora preferida, Anne nunca me desilude mas confesso que esperava um pouco mais deste livro e, ao mesmo tempo, anseio para que haja mais. Ponte de Sonhos é uma porta aberta a verdadeira visão, aos ensinamentos do coração e, mesmo não sendo o melhor, é um livro obrigatório na estante de qualquer bishopiano.

[Joana Gonzalez (Elphaba) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quem ainda não teve o prazer de descobrir as várias obras publicadas pela Saída de Emergência de Anne Bishop não compreenderá a minha devoção por esta autora, sombria e sedutora, que espelha com as mais belas palavras pesadelos, luxuria e verdades incontornáveis em mundos inimagináveis.
Mundo de Efémera era, até ler Ponte de Sonhos, a sua série/trilogia que menos me tinha tocado enquanto leitora, embora, irrevogavelmente, o seu trabalho seja de excelência, como sempre, com bons cenários, magníficas personagens e emoções fortes. Agora, após reflexão, creio que tal se devia ao facto de esta ser uma das suas narrativas mais cruas, mais exigente, porque no surreal encontrei menos ficção e em cada semente fantástica um anseio puro do coração.

É impossível resumir este enredo em poucas palavras, ele é um todo com origem no passado que finalmente se compõe, mas vou tentar…
Imaginem que existe em vida quem crie o espaço, a terra, o mundo, de acordo com as necessidades de cada um, até do ser mais vil, é um alguém que controlando esse pedaço de terra lhe dá forma à imagem dos que nela habitam. Imaginem que existe em vida quem construa pontes, pontes que ligam as terras, pontes que definem o ali e o agora como algo ilimitado e alcançável. Imaginem, todos vós, que o vosso destino, e quem sabe o vosso lar, é o vestígio mais profundo e desconhecidos que reside no vosso coração num determinado momento, num momento que pode definir a existência ou a morte. Por fim, imaginem, imaginem e cuidem os vossos anseios porque em Efémera, do inferno ao paraíso, tudo se encontra a um bater de asas de uma borboleta capaz de equilibrar este mundo maravilhoso.

Os seres, nesta realidade ficcional, são muito diversificados; há construtores de pontes, paisagistas, músicos do coração e demónios, tantos, todos tão horríveis quanto sublimes, como os magos, assustadores, como os humanos, a eterna raça crucial mas por vezes ignorante quanto ao que a rodeia. Todos, sem excepção, têm as suas batalhas repletas de perigos para enfrentar, de conquistas, mas a maior guerra é silenciosa, aterrorizadora, ela tem que ver com escolhas, com sentimentos que todos têm, quem sabe ambíguos, dentro de si.
Este é, diria Michael, um livro feito de muitos que se diferenciam e se completam, numa melodia perfeita e única como a singularidade que os define. Já Glorianna Belladona diria que este é um livro feito das mais duras opções, que nos dividem e caracterizam e, se por ventura, estivéssemos no Antro, sob a guarda de Sebastian, este dir-nos-ia que este livro se compõe de medo, êxtase e paixão, riscos de sempre que nos dão sentido.
Mas este livro em particular é de Lee, de Zhahar e de Danyal, três que ainda não se encontraram, que ainda não travaram as suas lutas pessoais dependentes dos que já passaram. Esta é a sua história composta de dissonâncias que procuram a harmonia, forçosamente indecifrável no presente Asilo na cidade de Visão e, certamente, esperançosa, porque enquanto houver esperança existirá futuro e Efémera nunca esquece os que lhe pertencem.

Sei que não vos disse muito sobre o que realmente trata este livro, até agora, mas a complexidade que o caracteriza, que caracteriza Efémera, não me permite dizer mais sem vos revelar o todo que seria, para mim, impossível de expor por palavras. Digo-vos, ainda assim, que nesta narrativa encontrarão o amor por todas as coisas, entre casais, família, na simplicidade ou no inexplicável. Encontrarão felicidade e lágrimas, porque os caminhos nem sempre serão justos para aqueles que o leitor aprende a estimar, mas não deixa de ser o caminho necessário para que as personagens se reconstruam e se aceitem nas suas atitudes e opções. E encontrarão, também, lugares comuns nas palavras de Bishop, porque essa é uma das suas mestrias, expor através do surreal verdades palpáveis, por vezes com brutalidade mas muitas vezes com a resignação de que não se pode mudar o inato.

Em relação ao fantástico, este é indescritível. E em relação às suas arrepiantes criaturas merecem destaque os demónios, os que se confundem nas sombras e os que são uma individualidade e ao mesmo tempo três, como as Tríades, mas atenção que o mal aqui não é obrigatoriamente demoníaco - é apenas o que é -, é uma escolha. E provavelmente, por isto, nesta história o que realmente poderá assustar quem lê não tem contornos sobrenaturais, mas sim verdadeiros, em atrocidades que conhecemos independentemente de quem as comete.

Os cenários são de sonho, ou de pesadelo, por vezes. São dotados de uma beleza como só esta senhora consegue criar e com pormenores, requintes, feitos para maravilhar em lê. No entanto, sendo esta uma autora de equilíbrio, não é de espantar que muitas vezes me tenha deparado com o oposto, com a ausência total de fascínio por locais tristes, mas as coisas são como são.

Sem saber o que mais vos posso dizer, resta-me aconselhar este livro a todos os que tenha lido os livros anteriores do Mundo de Efémera, pois este é o mais sublime e proporciona um final perfeito. E para quem ainda não leu, recomendo a trilogia a todos os amantes de fantasia, mas de fantasia à séria, para mentes abertas e prontas para se deixar arrebatar por algo que é incomparável.

Opinião completa em: http://historiasdeelphaba.blogspot.pt...

[E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lee is a rare Bridge and brother to the supremely powerful Glorianna Belladonna. In this chapter of the 'Ephemera' series he must face the feelings that he has had since his beloved sister has become both Glorianna and Belladonna and deal with the lack of resonance he's experiencing and the feelings of resentment he has toward Michael the Magician whom he feels has replaced him in her life. A supreme sacrifice thrusts him in the midst of a city named Vision which is being overrun by the darkness. It also brings him into contact with Zhahar who is one of the Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar tryad and has her own mission to conduct. Ephemera, the powerful entity that Michael has nicknamed 'wild child', is still learning about what she can...make that...what she SHOULD and should NOT do. Lee meets new allies who help him learn painful lessons about his heart's desires even as he struggles to help them overcome the evils that are threatening to destroy those who resist the Dark.

A richly textured and complex read filled with imaginative expansions on the Ephemera universe. Ms Bishop's complex women with their ongoing struggles to balance their darker nature with the positive aspects of themselves color the intriguing lands that she creates so adeptly. I enjoyed the Tryads and their unique difficulties as well as the wonderful flowering of the various relationships between all of the characters. The intriguing antics of Ephemera as she tries to parse all that is required of her and her interpretation of the heart wishes of various personages enriches this beautifully poetic read which was a fantastic addition to an impressive series.

[Rita Verdial · Rating 4 out of 5]

Já não lia Bishop há muito tempo e depois de pegar neste livro e progredir na sua leitura apercebi-me de quantas saudades já tinha.
Anne Bishop é uma das minhas escritoras favoritas e pegar num livro dela faz-me sempre sentir em casa, em família.

O Mundo Efémera é provavelmente, a minha série menos predilecta da autora. Depois de Belladonna, um bom livro com um GRANDE final mas um personagem masculino que me tirou do sério e não era suposto, temos Ponte de Sonhos, uma boa história e um livro que me fez gostar mais de Michael e que me recordou a afeição que tinha por outras personagens.

Gostei de rever Belladonna e a sua luta para manter o equilíbrio entre a Luz e a Escuridão dentro de si mesma, Sebastian e o seu instinto protector e o Provocador, que sempre me consegue tirar uma gargalhada. Mas o destaque neste livro vai para Lee, o irmão de Gloriana. Gostei muito de acompanhar a sua jornada, que foi em grande medida interior. Lee não só descobre o amor, como consegue finalmente entender-se a si próprio e às decisões da sua irmã que tanto o perturbaram.

Ficámos também a conhecer novas personagens como Danyal, Kobrah, Zahar e suas irmãs pertencentes a uma nova raça, as tríades: "Três que são uma e uma que são três".
Tive pena de não saber mais sobre o Provocador e Kobrah, bem como mais sobre o destino das Tríades, não só as protagonistas como as restantes e penso que tudo isto fazia falta à narrativa.

Apesar de na recta final ter abrandado um pouco, foi no geral um belíssimo livro e fez-me gostar muito de revisitar Efémera e as suas paisagens. "Viaja com leveza, pois o que levas contigo torna-se parte da paisagem".

[Barbara ★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the first two books in this series but I read them years and years ago so I wasn't sure what to expect from this unexpected sequel. I'm actually embarrassed to say that I don't remember Lee from the previous books. Apparently he wasn't a strong enough secondary character to leave any impression but then again the fact that I can remember anything about these books after 4+ years says a lot.

I had problems with Lee's jealously over his sisters happiness at finding a man and supplanting Lee (or so he thinks) in her affections. For some reason her darkness really throws him for a loop which is strange since they are both from the same Dark and Light parents so if she has Dark, why doesn't he realize that he does as well? In this particular world, your emotions and feelings decide where you reside so it wasn't strange to find Lee in Vision where darkness was taking over.

I really liked Zhahar, Sholeh and Zeela and enjoyed their path to maturity. On the other hand, their mother, ugh, what can I say.

This story was definitely out there and something I had never experienced before in my limited fantasy readings. This is a world that I would definitely return to and follow Lee, Glorianna and Sebastian's exploits against the Dark Guides. I was under the impression that this was the conclusion to the Ephemera series but it didn't end that way so here's hoping for another installment.

[Gardavson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half of the book was a 5 star, the last half a 3, so I settled for an overall 4. In the first half, Lee struggles with accepting his sister as she is now, with being split into light and dark with less or no middle ground. I understood his struggle. Belladonna would be a difficult personality for someone of balance to accept. He meets Zhahar, who is a very interesting character, and Danyl, whom I liked very well. The last half got too caught up in boundaries and borders and resonations that were a struggle for me to follow or really care about. Lee got pushed a bit to the side, and Zhahar started to lose a bit of interest for me once I got a view of her race as a whole. In the end, I felt the connection between book and reader thinned as things got too technical and less emotional. I also didn't like the ending, a little too pat for Zhahar and then inconclusive. Still love Bishop.

[Maaike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to gush about this book a lot but I will keep it short. I absolutely loved it! It has been a while since I was this occupied with a book. It was standing on my shelves for ages, because I was worried that I forgot too much about the first books and I was afraid this one would not make any sense without the previous knowledge. But that was not needed. I enjoyed the characters enourmously, Bishop really is a master is describing darkness and light in persons. And the world is unbelievably interesting. So happy I read this, a bit sad it's finished already and feeling stupid for waiting this long...

[keikii Eats Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

82 points/100 (4.25/5 stars)

Glorianna Belladonna is back from sacrificing herself to save the world, but she didn't come back whole. Her brother, Lee, is upset because he doesn't quite have his sister back. He goes walking to check his Bridges when he is beset by wizards, and he sacrifices himself in order to keep them away from his home. He ends up in an asylum when Shaman Danyal finds he isn't quite as insane as thought, and helps him to recover. Then, there is something about Lee's Handler, Zhara, as well.

Bridge of Dreams wasn't needed in the Ephemera series, yet it is much appreciated. This comes five years after Belladonna, which leaves us with a satisfying ending. You can guess how things would have gone from there. Yet, this story is appreciated, because we like to see everything wrapped up in a tidy bow.

Ephemera has never been about the grand story. The series has focused more on life, and the family we have been introduced to more than anything. This doubly true with Bridge of Dreams, since there is no real big evil to defeat anymore, that is gone. Now it is just the little evils, that we face every day. The darkness in the heart of every man, woman and child. Sometimes, though, this makes for a bit of a boring story, like when Lee is taking a vacation in the Asylum.

Technically, there is a novella, The Voice, that comes before this story. It introduces a few characters. However, I don't feel like you need to read it prior to Bridge of Dreams at all. It is an amazing story, though, and I really do recommend it if you have been enjoying this series.

This is a much more harsh, dark book than the last two. Lee is struggling with his life, and the feelings he has for those around him. He is mad at everyone, but he is mad at himself, too. His entire family feels like they are losing him, and he feels like he is losing them. So what happens? He is taken from them, tortured, crippled, and locked away where he never knows what will actually happen to him long term. It is rough, and it is difficult to read. Anne Bishop does dark fantasy very well.

Bridge of Dreams adds something new to the Ephemera world, the Tryad. I find this race incredibly interesting (and sort of aggravating because not all my questions about how this race even functions is answered!). It is a race where there are three distinct people, who have their own likes, dislikes, and even looks, who share a common core body. How cool is that?? Also how does anything get done! I already feel like I don't have enough time for me, and there is only one of me! The book brings up some...interesting sexual questions, too. They aren't answered.

Sholeh Zeela a Zhara is part of this Tyrad race, yet she doesn't quite fit with them in the way sometimes just don't fit where they came from in Ephemera. The problem is, is that the place the Tryad come from is cast adrift from the rest of Ephemera, and their land is dying because of it. This is the first time we've come across any place in Ephemera that has no ties anywhere, and it has some interesting implications with it. Especially since their race is so biased against everyone else. 

The Shaman Danyal is interesting, and we meet him in The Voice for the first time. He is a lot like Michael. Doesn't know what he is, exactly, until Lee tells him. He has changed into this new type of Shaman, he wasn't always this. It makes it harder to learn how to have the control necessary. Danyal is a very good man, who has to make some hard choices. Sometimes good men can be boring, though.

Ephemera is more of a character in Bridge of Dreams than the first two. It is adorable. It is like a small child that everyone has to look after and everyone loves. It is very mischievous. I loved the Eater of the World as a character, and I love Ephemera. Wonder what that says about me.

Overall, this is more a story of healing. It isn't about defeating some big bag anymore. That has been done, the Eater of the World has been contained once again. This is the aftermath. Glorianna has to heal, to become whole again. The world has to heal, from the evils it endured, even if they were only for a short time. Everyone to come together again to be a family. Plus, there are hardly any Landscapers left, so everyone left is having to take on more than they should and it is a strain. I wish more stories would focus on healing the aftermath, than pretending that everything is happily ever after right after it ends.

I really enjoyed Bridge of Dreams, and I really enjoyed Ephemera. It has been such an interesting, wild journey.

To read more reviews in this series and others, check out keikii eats books!

[Kathy Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Lee's book. He has spent his life as a Bridge - connecting different landscapes - and as a support for his sister Glorianna Belladonna. However, the changes that have gone on in his sister's life have made him feel both jealous and unnecessary.

After an angry fight, he is determined to get away. But he is overtaken by wizards who want to use him to get to his sister. The only way he can think to save her is to deny her and travel a bridge to a place he has never seen. There he is tortured and blinded by the wizards until they put him in the asylum which houses those who are mentally ill.

Lee meets Danyel who is a shaman for his people and who, unknown to himself, is a Guide similar to Belladonna and Michael. Lee also meets Zhahar who is one aspect of a tryad who was sent to this new world - Vision - in order to form a connection for her world.

There is a romance between Lee and Zhahar that has also sorts of troubled - mainly from her end - since a tryad falling in love with a one-face is an absolute taboo on her world and has dire consequences for anyone who falls in love.

This had great world building as more parts of Ephemera are revealed and Ephemera itself has an entertaining role in the story. The whole idea of people who are tryads - three people sharing one body - was fascinating.

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great book, I'm so glad that all the cousins had happy endings, and I enjoyed the end of this series so much! (Though honestly, the way that Anne Bishop has been publishing series, it could get another book!)

[Debrac2014 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good ending to the series! I didn't care for the beginning but I enjoyed the rest of the story.

[Lise · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read. Love this author

[Burcin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptionally mesmerizing. The short story at the end killed me.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to begin with this, Bridge of Dreams made me really happy to read. I've read everything Anne Bishop has ever published. And I've enjoyed all of it. I thought until recently that there wasn't going to be another Ephemera book, and I am glad that this was the third.

Bridge of Dreams centers on Lee, Glorianna Belladonna's brother, and what happens after Belladonna's return from the landscape where she trapped the Eater of the World. Essentially, without giving anything away, Lee leaves Glorianna's landscapes and all those familiar to him and winds up in a city called Vision, where you can only find what you can see. Which has a lovely way of sieving the light and dark currents of people's hearts, but doesn't ensure that people find the place where their heart yearns to be.

In Vision, Lee meets Zhahar and Daynal. As the city becomes darker, and there are parts vanishing into the Dark, Daynal, Lee and Zhahar are forced to make life-altering decisions for not only their futures, but the futures of others' as well.

---

I was slightly concerned that since it had been so long since I read the two previous Ephemera books that I wouldn't know what was going on in Bridge of Dreams, but Bishop recaps enough of the action of the previous books in the beginning that I didn't feel bereft of details that I might have needed.

So I fully recommend this sequel to anyone who enjoyed the previous books in this series. And I recommend this series (even though Sebastian (Ephemera #1) is a little rough around the edges) to any fantasy fans. Bishop's world-building is consistent and richly saturated while being unique to her stories. And her characters are three dimensional and interesting. Fantasy fans should definitely pick up her books.

[Ubiquitousbastard · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, there is a reason why this book took me nearly three years to finish: it just wasn't very good. I mostly enjoyed the first too books of the series, so I thought that the same would happen here. But for me, Anne Bishop's usual formula did not work here. I think what makes her personal cliches work is the strength of the characters involved, but here I could not connect with almost any of them, and none of them seemed to offer anything new or compelling. Having a three-in-one person doesn't create an interesting character(s?), they still have to be interesting on their own merit, which was not the case here. Alright, I also confess that I loathe prison-esque story lines. Sometimes I've read them done right, but most of the time I'm so annoyed by the staleness of the situation that I feel like I have to fight through the plot.

Maybe it's the whole getting older thing, but I'm not as into the weird family dynamics which Anne Bishop makes so key in her works. When I was fifteen, having adults getting scolded and sent to do chores for misbehavior made sense in some way, now...it's weird and oddly juvenile. And the fact that everyone who pairs up with someone automatically loves everyone else in the weird extended family.

Which brings me to my last, and probably least important complaint. I thought that the whole thing with Lee coming back after all that torture and blindness and such would have gotten a tad more sympathy from his super close and caring family. It's more like they told him what a jerk he was being and expected him to start doing what they wanted him to do, as in previous books. Um...shouldn't he get over the whole trauma thing first? Maybe? Not that I liked him that much in this book, but it only seems decent.

Overall, thank god that's done. It wasn't so bad to start with, but 100 pages in it became a battle to read.

[Elena Johansen · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ page 102. The worldbuilding in this third book is even more convoluted and repetitive than in the first two, and it's got a serious case of Talking Head Syndrome--I felt like this first hundred pages were 90% dialogue.

I liked the second book less than the first, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised the third book is even worse.

[Rosana Maia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Ponte de Sonhos" foi uma das minhas leituras natalícias. Se por um lado o Natal foi bom para pôr algumas leituras em dia, por outro não sobrou muito tempo para escrever estas opiniões. Assim, já com alguns meses de atraso vou tentar pôr as inúmeras opiniões em dia!

Para quem não sabe "Ponte de Sonhos" é o terceiro e último volume da trilogia Efémera de Anne Bishop. Assim, como seria de esperar é um pouco dificil falar desta obra sem a mínima referência às anteriores.

Livro após livro, Anne Bishop não desilude. A sua escrita continua a encantar e a envolver o leitor, levando-o por uma viagem extraordinária neste mundo que é a fantasia. Como podemos ler na sinopse, desta vez Anne Bishop leva-nos para outra parte de Efémera, uma parte até então desconhecida e à custa disso leva-nos também a conhecer novas personagens com características muito peculiares.

Desta vez, temos como personagem de destaque Lee, o irmão de Glorianna Belladonna. Para salvar a irmã e toda a família dos magos, Lee sacrifica-se, sofrendo inúmeras consequências. Através de Lee, a autora ensina-nos o que é o amor, que nem tudo se vê com os olhos, concluindo mais uma vez que "A esperança do coração reside em Belladonna".

Em conclusão, Anne Bishop possui uma mestria nata para a escrita de fantasia e, por isso, recomendo vivamente a leitura das suas obras a todos os apaixonados por este belo género literário! :)


http://bloguinhasparadise.blogspot.pt...

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world is broken into pieces. Lee and his family are charged with connecting the pieces and maintaining a balance within them, guiding the childlike spirit of the world, Ephemera. But darkness threatens and it has its heart set on Lee's sister. To protect his family, Lee hurls himself into a disconnected piece of the world where he is brutally attacked. There he encounters Daniel and Zhahar, who are threatened by darkness in their own way. Will the three of them be able to fend off the darkness and find a way home for Lee? Only if they can learn to trust themselves and each other.

A story of fantasy, filled with intricate details, danger, 3rd book in the Ephmera series provides something of a steep learning curve for new readers, but enough detail is provided for the work to stand alone. Narrator Holter Graham takes on a very large cast of characters with ease. Recommended for readers of fantasy that prefer an immersive, alternative reality such as those created by Mercedes Lackey, Christopher Paolini or James Owen.

[Sonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was not a strong, well-defined plot. It has been a long while since I’ve read Sebastian and Belladonna, so I can’t remember if the writing style was the same, but it wasn’t clear to me who was the main character. Based on the title, the main character should have been Lee, but Danyal and Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar seemed to receive equal time.

I was interested in what happened next for all the characters, which kept me reading. But overall, the story was not interesting. To me, this book is not a must read for this series. In my opinion nothing significant occurred in this book that a fan of this series needs to know.

I love Anne Bishop and I will continue to read her books, but this one was just OK for me.

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1 sentence? I loved it.

Having read some of the reviews that there was too many viewpoints or too confusing with Tryads and stuff, I decided to revisit the entire Ephemera series. Starting from The Voice, Sebastian, Belladonna and finally, Bridge of Dreams. And it worked great in my opiniion.

This book starts out with the pain and misgiving from Lee that he lost his sister. I enjoyed reading his struggles, and his pain that he couldn't or wouldn't accept what his sister is right now. The book gives enough depth on the pain and struggles that Lee has to go through as a Bridge for Belladonna and also as her brother.

There's enough whimsical-ish feeling and general silliness in the book to make this uniquely Anne Bishop. And its one of the reason why I so enjoy her work.

[Caroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gave this an honest go, but I just can't get interested in this series again. Belladonna was a rough read for me, and I'd forgotten a decent amount of what had gone on in that and Sebastian, but I'm finding I don't really care. I love, love, love her Black Jewels series, and the Tir Alainn series is a solidly fun fantasy romp. I'm not going to spend any more time on Ephemera.

[Margarida · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have enjoyed all of Bishop's books to date, but i really struggled with this one. This is the third book in the trilogy and was promoted as being from the view point of Lee, but, there were too many characters, too many voices and POV - all too confusing.

This hasn't been an issue for an author such as Bishop, but it made for a very hard confusing read.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never expected a third book and didn't even know there was one until years after it was released. But I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I don't think it's as good as her Black Jewels Trilogy, but then again, what is? But I do think it's her second best series, and I feel like it's really underrated.

[Doranna Durgin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the whole Tryad concept, above and beyond all the other goodness...

[Tina Kayser · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love Anne Bishop! I hope we dont have to wait too long for her next book.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just can't say anything bad about Anne Bishop. I lovelovelove her books and this is no exception.