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Selling Water By the River #1
Bridge of Dreams
In the city of Maras-Sund, where magic has been outlawed, children are being born with raw magical talents, including Issel, a young water-seller from the poorest part of the city, who could hold the key to rescuing his people from the conquerors who have oppressed the people. Reprint.
448 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
1 person is currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
Chaz Brenchley
119 books80 followersChaz Brenchley has been making a living as a writer since he was eighteen. He is the author of nine thrillers, most recently Shelter, and two major fantasy series: The Books of Outremer, based on the world of the Crusades, and Selling Water by the River, set in an alternate Ottoman Istanbul. A winner of the British Fantasy Award, he has also published three books for children and more than 500 short stories in various genres. His time as Crimewriter-in-Residence at the St Peter's Riverside Sculpture Project in Sunderland resulted in the collection Blood Waters. He is a prizewinning ex-poet, and has been writer in residence at the University of Northumbria, as well as tutoring their MA in Creative Writing. His novel Dead of Light is currently in development with an independent film company; Shelter has been optioned by Granada TV. He was Northern Writer of the Year 2000, and lives in Newcastle upon Tyne with a quantum cat and a famous teddy bear.
Also known as author Daniel Fox.
Also known as author Daniel Fox.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 19, 2008
Great style as in the Outremer series kept me reading this one despite un-engaging setting, action and characters. I will try book 2 and hope it gets more interesting, but so far it's a by the numbers fantasy set in a middle eastern locale with a Sultan, Janissaries, harem, oppression of women and subject people, and water magic
August 25, 2014
4.5 stars.
I first read Chaz Brenchley many years ago (probably late 90s) having picked up Tower of the King's Daughter somewhere, maybe at random in a second hand bookshop? I loved it completely and tore through the rest of the series from the library. About 7 years ago or so I went to Fantasy Con in Nottingham mainly because Neil Gaiman was going to be there, and Chaz Brenchley was there too. He was an insightful speaker and I always love getting to hear an author speak as it makes it even more enjoyable to read their work (on the whole). I think there was some sort of raffle at the con, I recall that pretty much everyone there manage to leave with at least one book and by luck or by crafty design, I managed to leave with what at the time was Chaz's latest book, I think before it was on general release.
Lord knows why it took me so long to get around to reading it, but finally I did! As always, Chaz builds a wonderful fantasy world that initially seems known but slowly reveals itself to be a little more other than the world we know. I recall the magic being much less overt in Outremer and loved how finely he balanced that, but then I also loved the water magic that he's built for this new world and the creepiness of the titular bridge and the Shine it emanates.
The political machinations were interesting but not as complex or nuanced as I might have expected, however they gave enough believable and opposing motivations to keep things interesting.
As always, the world was woven beautifully by Chaz's lyrical prose style. Just occasionally it can be a bit much, but on the whole it gives a wonderful feel and cadence which enriches the story as a whole.
Will definitely be reading on in the series.
I first read Chaz Brenchley many years ago (probably late 90s) having picked up Tower of the King's Daughter somewhere, maybe at random in a second hand bookshop? I loved it completely and tore through the rest of the series from the library. About 7 years ago or so I went to Fantasy Con in Nottingham mainly because Neil Gaiman was going to be there, and Chaz Brenchley was there too. He was an insightful speaker and I always love getting to hear an author speak as it makes it even more enjoyable to read their work (on the whole). I think there was some sort of raffle at the con, I recall that pretty much everyone there manage to leave with at least one book and by luck or by crafty design, I managed to leave with what at the time was Chaz's latest book, I think before it was on general release.
Lord knows why it took me so long to get around to reading it, but finally I did! As always, Chaz builds a wonderful fantasy world that initially seems known but slowly reveals itself to be a little more other than the world we know. I recall the magic being much less overt in Outremer and loved how finely he balanced that, but then I also loved the water magic that he's built for this new world and the creepiness of the titular bridge and the Shine it emanates.
The political machinations were interesting but not as complex or nuanced as I might have expected, however they gave enough believable and opposing motivations to keep things interesting.
As always, the world was woven beautifully by Chaz's lyrical prose style. Just occasionally it can be a bit much, but on the whole it gives a wonderful feel and cadence which enriches the story as a whole.
Will definitely be reading on in the series.
July 15, 2008
Bridge of Dreams is set in the city of Sund, crushed under the might of the city of Maras, whose inhabitants have raised a bridge to cross the river between them--a bridge shaped by magic from the dreams of captured children. The bridge has corrupted the river it spans, and in turn the water-magic of the Sundain--yet the magic still lingers in scattered practitioners, and in a young boy who makes his living as a waterseller on the streets. Issel's magic has been tainted by the Shine, the corruption that the bridge has caused within the river, and he lives in fear of further corruption warping him physically to match the tainting of his gift. Yet his power's a strong one. As he becomes apprentice to one of the last surviving adepts of the Sundain, he begins to learn that he may indeed be the only way that his people can throw off the yoke of their conquerors.
Meanwhile, Jendre, daughter of a Marasi general, becomes the latest wife of the Sultan while her beloved little sister is forced into the ranks of the children whose dreams maintain the bridge. Jendre must contend with the politics of the harem as well as an attempt on her husband's life--and her own illicit love for the son of the pasha, who escorted her to be wed. Through it all, she is determined to somehow find and save her sister.
Water is prominent all throughout this story, and like water, the pacing of it slowly builds: a few scattered trickles at first, then a thin stream, and finally the promise of a shattering tide when the peak of the action is reached. The tales of Issel and Jendre are two separate currents, not yet merging by the end of this story--I'm sure that's to come in the next book, since resolution is not yet achieved at the end of this one. But I will be greatly looking forward to picking up River of the World, and in the meantime, for Bridge of Dreams, five stars.
Meanwhile, Jendre, daughter of a Marasi general, becomes the latest wife of the Sultan while her beloved little sister is forced into the ranks of the children whose dreams maintain the bridge. Jendre must contend with the politics of the harem as well as an attempt on her husband's life--and her own illicit love for the son of the pasha, who escorted her to be wed. Through it all, she is determined to somehow find and save her sister.
Water is prominent all throughout this story, and like water, the pacing of it slowly builds: a few scattered trickles at first, then a thin stream, and finally the promise of a shattering tide when the peak of the action is reached. The tales of Issel and Jendre are two separate currents, not yet merging by the end of this story--I'm sure that's to come in the next book, since resolution is not yet achieved at the end of this one. But I will be greatly looking forward to picking up River of the World, and in the meantime, for Bridge of Dreams, five stars.
March 1, 2025
Chaz Brenchley's "Bridge of Dreams" is a carefully crafted fantasy world, full of mystery and detail. However, despite its rich world-building and elaborate plot, the novel has a few notable drawbacks that hindered my overall enjoyment.
One of the primary challenges I faced while reading "Bridge of Dreams" was the difficulty in immersing myself in the story. The narrative often felt dense and confusing, making it hard to connect with the plot and the characters. The abundance of detailed descriptions and extended passages sometimes felt like they wandered, causing the pacing to slow considerably.
None of the characters managed to truly capture my attention. Among them, the water seller stood out slightly more, but even this character did not add enough interest to make a significant impact on my reading experience. This lack of compelling characters made it difficult to invest emotionally in the story.
Furthermore, the writing style contributed to the feeling that the words ran on too much. While Brenchley's prose is undeniably beautiful and evocative, it occasionally became overwhelming. The lush descriptions and intricate details, though admirable, often detracted from the forward momentum of the plot, leading to moments of frustration.
In summary, "Bridge of Dreams" is a novel with undeniable merits, including a vividly imagined world. However, its dense narrative, lack of engaging characters, and sometimes overwhelming prose made it a challenging read. While I can appreciate the craftsmanship behind the story, it ultimately fell short of fully capturing my interest.
One of the primary challenges I faced while reading "Bridge of Dreams" was the difficulty in immersing myself in the story. The narrative often felt dense and confusing, making it hard to connect with the plot and the characters. The abundance of detailed descriptions and extended passages sometimes felt like they wandered, causing the pacing to slow considerably.
None of the characters managed to truly capture my attention. Among them, the water seller stood out slightly more, but even this character did not add enough interest to make a significant impact on my reading experience. This lack of compelling characters made it difficult to invest emotionally in the story.
Furthermore, the writing style contributed to the feeling that the words ran on too much. While Brenchley's prose is undeniably beautiful and evocative, it occasionally became overwhelming. The lush descriptions and intricate details, though admirable, often detracted from the forward momentum of the plot, leading to moments of frustration.
In summary, "Bridge of Dreams" is a novel with undeniable merits, including a vividly imagined world. However, its dense narrative, lack of engaging characters, and sometimes overwhelming prose made it a challenging read. While I can appreciate the craftsmanship behind the story, it ultimately fell short of fully capturing my interest.
December 16, 2007
Took me a while to get into this book - the pacing is slow but the author is introducing quite a few characters, etc. I am intrigued by the tale of the waterseller more than any other character and find it very slow when it is not dealing with that character. However, I expect good things from this author as I love his stuff and know to stick with it - dont expect to be disappointed with the second book
November 22, 2008
It took a while to get into the author's odd rhythm, but once I did, with the exception of a few sour notes, the writing had a musical quality. I enjoyed this story and the characters, but the prose was too wordy for me and I was really let down by the fact that Book One is not a stand-alone story.
March 14, 2009
This was a random grab at the library, and I was pleasantly surprised. A very imaginative and rich fantasy world, with a grim political reality and an unflinching attitude towards the characters. Definitely worth reading.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews