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Rift #1

SpiritBridge

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Lose yourself in this epic adventure of discovery, danger and secrets.

Kase’s parents disappeared twelve years ago and a smuggler has just handed him a clue that they’re alive. But where?

The key to unlocking the clue comes at a price. He must retrieve centuries old, magic artifacts from a cursed and spectral battlefield.

Accepting the ominous task, brings Kase face to face with a creature out of a nightmare. Fighting for his life, he barely escapes, but now he is lost and alone.

Facing mounting odds, he forms a brittle alliance with Brell, a Teck bounty hunter, who's tracking a murdering synthetic/human hybrid.

With only his wits and untested magic, the unlikely pair must cross a fractured world of strange and dangerous sorcery, and rogue technology.

You won’t be able to put down this sprawling Epic Fantasy blended with Science Fiction to create an expansive world filled with discovery, danger and mystery.

406 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2023

106 people are currently reading
146 people want to read

About the author

Chris Fritschi

35 books46 followers
Chris Fritschi is a best selling author with a passion for writing gripping stories, engaging characters and building worlds you can get lost in.

Whether fighting the undead with the Grave Diggers team or exploring an epic fantasy world of the Rift series readers are immersed in stories they can’t put down.

Chris and his wife live in their haunted house in Southern California.

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5 stars
50 (54%)
4 stars
29 (31%)
3 stars
9 (9%)
2 stars
2 (2%)
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1 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Profile Image for Rachel.
408 reviews16 followers
July 17, 2022
✨Wow, SpiritBridge. What a breath of fresh air!! I absolutely loved the author’s use of witty sarcasm and clever insults without needing to be crude or vulgar. I don’t mind crude/vulgar humor but I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed genuinely smart humor in my books. The world building, setting, magic, and technology were SUPER interesting and unique.

🗺 The world of this story is quite literally split in half. On one side are the Creeds (magic users) and on the other are the Tecks (technology users). The two sides have hated each other for a long time and almost wiped each other out in a huge war long ago. Both sides blame the other for splitting their world.

🧍🏻The main character, a Creed named Kase Hamerson, is a charming smarty pants with a perfect balance of sass, swagger, and respect. If he’s told he can’t do something, it makes him want it more. Kase is able to smooth talk himself out of any situation and his quick humor made me smile and roll my eyes throughout the book. I think he is definitely morally gray. He’s a liar and a wannabe thief but still has morals.

📜Kase is very interested in exploring ancient artifacts and learning about ancient civilizations. This book is about Kase’s journey to find something important to him and all the people he meets along the way. He won’t reach his destination for a long time so there is definitely some great potential for a lot of books!! I cant wait to read the next one.

❤️ There are a couple love interests with some potential to build but romance is very far from the focus of this book

Tropes
- Reverse grumpy sunshine
- Enemies to “lovers” (more like potential lovers)
- Grumpy yet endearing old men
- Strong female lead

Content Warnings
- war
- death
- brief violence
- brief claustrophobic situation
- psychopathic killers
Profile Image for Beba Andric.
1,575 reviews104 followers
July 1, 2024
This is is the perfect blend of old world and new world, of technology gone wrong, of magic surfacing and of survival of the fittest. Artifacts of a bygone era are a much sort after commodity and the lengths some will take to attain them, well suffice to say, leads to many shady people. A dramatic, sinuous tale guaranteed to have you reaching for a safety belt.

It's been a while since a character captivated me quite as much as Kase. When we were first introduced to him, he was a snotty know it all, 12 years old, inquisitive and not really understanding danger. But then, where is the 12 year old who does? Fast forward 10 years, and lo and behold, he's still the same, impetus, curious to a fault and constantly seeking adventure. Oh boy, there's a classic "be careful what you wish for" screaming at you if ever there was one! Absolutely a dream character, one to really spur on in his wild undertakings. And gosh are they wild! Getting himself into so many life and death situations, his natural ability comes shining through. No, not magic, not any warrior prowess, rather, his quick tongue, his inate reasoning, his ludicrous answers when he's in a jam, which, astonishingly, is his forte. His sheer likeability is what keeps him a hairs length from annihilation, time after time, although there are some who find him darn right annoying. That would be Brell, who Kase stumbles across in his quest to fulfill a contact, a contact which he must undertake if he is to find his mother. The why, the where, the how, will be crystal clear....but you have to read it.

Brell, tough, loud mouthed and dangerous but her spark of humanity is so endearing, although, her reason for aiding Kase had me bark out a laugh! An unlikely alliance forms when the two of them realise they need each other, for very different reasons, but none the less, they do. I loved their banter, unease with the other and how they pool together in the face of danger, of which, there's a ton! As a tech savvy individual from another realm, she doesn't believe in magic and Kase, as a magic user, mistrusts tech. Quite the pair, right?

When they come across Billy, a giggling cute little bot, Brell thinks she has it all in hand, but.... Billy is a bot with a difference.... it's a killer, the murderous trait had not been eliminated in the assembling.

I loved this story so much, it has so many aspects to it, so much richness to the storyline and plot, so utterly enthralling, I didn't put it down until the very last page.
Profile Image for Charlene Mattson.
Author 21 books36 followers
October 3, 2022
This is a fun, brisk paced book that is an interesting blend of fantasy and science fiction. There were some errors in the writing but nothing too distracting.

I liked the characters and the ideas. The ending was a bit detached feeling from the rest of the story though simply because it didn't have a lot to do with the main thrust of the story except as an extra thing that happened to make the main character stronger. I also felt like Billy went out too soon - more could have been done with it.

But all in all a good read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jaslyn Reinsel.
112 reviews
June 21, 2022
Read this if…
🗺 You like Sci-Fi
🗺 You enjoy post apocalypse/end of world-type stories
🗺 You like magic
🗺 You’re interested in advanced technology

MY SYNOPSIS: Kase is a bit of an orphan; yes, he’s been raised by his uncle since his parents disappeared over a decade ago but they aren’t close. So when he has the opportunity to join the thieves guild and go out on a contract that could help him find his parents, he jumps at it. What he doesn’t expect is the adventure he’s about to embark on, how many times he’ll almost die, or the people he’ll meet along the way.

MY THOUGHTS: I received a review copy of this book to read, in exchange for an honest review, so here it is… I didn’t love this book. Part of it is that it turned out to be more Sci-Fi/end of the world than I was expecting, and that’s just not my cup of tea. However, if you like that type of stuff, then you could really enjoy this - especially since it’s the first book in a series. It also seemed like a lot of stuff was thrown into one book, so we were going one direction with the story and then suddenly we were headed a different direction. I also struggled to understand certain parts of the world that was developed - though I think I started to piece it together at the end a bit. Overall, it just wasn’t my cup of tea, but I could see other people really getting into it.
Profile Image for Corinne Marshall.
409 reviews10 followers
February 4, 2022
A very entertaining story with magic, mages, mysteries and secrets, which keeps your interest all the way through to the end. Very descriptive and imaginative. The characters are great, especially Kase and Brell. It's an exciting ride you don't want to miss out on.
31 reviews2 followers
May 18, 2024
Adventuruous. Entertaining. Captivating.

I find it a very interesting book, with few things to imrove but the story will engulf you in and you will find yourself be nostalgic about the many cities and landscapes the characters allow us to knew and see through their eyes. I'm lost specially of mage's rooms and the Squire Town!
There are alot of characters, too many secondary characters, I think. I'd preferred a selection between the ones really useful to the plot and others not worth mention.
Anyway, I loved the descriptions of landscapes, of all the gorgeous places we see through Kase's eyes. It was an hell of adventure! The charcaters never have any time to catch their breath, neither the reader!
I liked the worldbuilding, even if I wish the author would have explored it more, giving us more informations about this new world with three moons and with different tribes with different qualities.

Since his childwood Kase's only interest was his mother journal. He follows her everywhere, lurking for adventures and for new ruins and forgotten place, eager to dive out their secrets. And her mother's journal is the 'cave of wonders' to such misteries, the journal being one too. In fact, Kases mother worries about her child's curiosity and performs codes in her writings so as to leave out Kase's from her business, but all of this only spurred Kase on to find the key to the hidden informations. 'Till a dark night when intruders run in their camp and Kase's mother goes missing.

Ten years later, Kase's will be on the road to find his mother, following her journal provided him from Qynn, a client of him once he was engaged in the Guild of Thieves. Since her mother disappearing, Kase was with his uncle who forbidden him to cross the gates of the city. Kase's could only dream of adventures but now he's willing to find the truth about his mother and to achieve his dream of a life full of thrill and mysteries. With his trustful(or not) companions Kase will embark himself in a difficult and hard mission to the Brood Moors, the ancient battleground where Teck and Creets fought the battle who originated the Rift: and then the world was never the same.
Here Kase will meet Brell. The're so different and yet, in the stubborness of their beliefs, so similar. There is no winner in the battle between magic and technology, there will ne a winner in the battle between a mage and a teck? You will see. Hang on, it will be an unforgettable adventure!
Loss and hope, friendship and treason, magics and bots, nomads and tombs: enjoy!

Thank you for providing me with this free arc, I'm leaving this review voluntarily!
Profile Image for Emma.
49 reviews5 followers
January 17, 2023
I received a digital advanced reader copy of this book from the author for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really liked reading this book. The author, Chris Fritschi, describes the Rift series as having "a dash of Indiana Jones flavor" and I definitely picked up on that throughout the book. Lots of adventure and mystery can be found in this, which made it a very entertaining and fun read.

The world of SpiritBridge is interesting, with technology and magic both being a part of this world. The people are split into two factions, the Creets who hate technology and the Tecks who hate magic, and each side blames the other for the calamity that created a rift in their world. I've always enjoyed the idea of magic and technology existing in the same world so that was another thing that drew me into SpiritBridge. We mostly see the Creets' perspective since Kase is from that faction, but we learn a little more about the Tecks later in the book from the character Brell.

The characters are fun as well, with Kase being cocky and somewhat arrogant, though ultimately having a good heart and sense of justice, and Brell being blunt and constantly annoyed by Kase. It was fun to see Kase and Brell's relationship turn more into friendship throughout the book and I'm looking forward to seeing where it will go in the second book.

Overall, I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a good adventure fantasy with fun characters and an interesting world to explore.
324 reviews8 followers
May 7, 2024
4.5 stars! What a fascinating read! Kase is such an intriguing character to get to know and learn about. This book starts off with an adventurous little boy experiencing tragic loss and moves us forward to this boy becoming a man and getting to strike out on his own, of sorts. He is cunning and sharp of his surroundings but has an innate kindness that continues to shine through. His mouth gets him in trouble, but so far, no more than he can get out of. The bits of humor and sass from all parties are also juat pure delight. Now that book one is complete, I want to know what happens next, I need to know if Kase and his travel companion get his cipher to his journal. As all of history seems to have gotten it wrong, I now wonder what really happened to separate the world. The author does an amazing job bringing you into this world, setting in what could be our future, and making you pick sides as one does when there are sides to a story.
“Travel light,” he’d say. “You never know when you’ll run out of road. That’s where the real adventure starts.”
Profile Image for C.L. Jarvis.
Author 6 books31 followers
January 27, 2023
Witty adventure story. The setting for this was intriguing: a blend of post-apocalyptic with a more traditional sword & sorcery/medieval magic feel.

As a child, Kate traveled with his mother into ruined, abandoned, pre “fall” cities searching for magical artefacts. However, his parents vanished and at the start of the story he was growing into a directionless young man. Until he learned his mother could be alive…

I found Kate rather annoying to begin with (is that a sign I’m getting old and impatient with reckless youths?), but the story was a lot of fun to follow, with exciting treasure-hunting scenes and plenty of banter. The novel ended with a lot of world and backstory still to be unveiled, and I’m interested to see where Kase’s adventures take him next.

I received an advance review copy of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
368 reviews7 followers
April 4, 2024
Received as an ARC, I am leaving my honest review. This epic journey is one of the most unput downable stories I have read. Full of danger around every corner, Ten years later, Kase is determined to find his mother, an accomplished archeologist, who disappeared after a band of thieves finds their camp. What he does to get money for his journey leads to unexpected discoveries of his own, and a chance meeting of a person whose race had been exterminated, or so he thought. Realizing their goals were similar, they join forces for a quest, and a journey full of magic, determination, learned trust and unbelievable discoveries. Breath holding suspense and lots of action follow them as you are pulled into the plot, and a heart pounding storyline. The ending just makes you want to know more
1,308 reviews4 followers
July 10, 2024
This was a very interesting read. A world that has been split by The Rift – one side is non technologic, agricultural, magic using land, the other is all technology, more advances and no magic.
Kase is from the magical side, trying to get more magic to help locate his missing archeologist mother. Brill is a bounty hunter from the technological side looking for a rogue robot. They become unwilling partners.
There is adventure, mystery, sarcasm, humour, magic and robots. A bit of everything.
It was a fun read, looking forward to reading book 2
383 reviews10 followers
December 7, 2022
The first of a series, I really enjoyed it! The world had been split - quite literally - and technology is hated and feared where Kase (the main character) lives. And then he finds he has to deal with it...

It's an interesting post tech/ now magic world and I really enjoyed the world building as well as the various characters. I can't wait to read the next in the series!

I was given a copy of the book and have chosen to review it.
Profile Image for Laci  Steimel.
694 reviews6 followers
December 13, 2022
I loved the world building and setting of this book, and the technology and magic aspects were wonderful as well. Set in kind of a post apocalyptic world, the morally gray main character, Kase, takes a journey to find something important to him, and finds some great characters along the way. Brell is one of my favorite characters, and I love her interactions with Kase! First of a series, and was very well written. Curious to see what comes next!
Profile Image for Joy Parsons.
381 reviews5 followers
July 29, 2024
Great book overall, but it was a little slow for me at the beginning. As I got about halfway is when my interest started holding more as I wanted to see where Kase and Brell were going and how their intertwined stories were going to play out. I look forward to reading more of the series and follow the characters stories as they play out. I definitely want to know how they are going to take care of Kase's contract and Brell's journey to take care of E57.
Profile Image for Vancil C. Thomas.
67 reviews
December 22, 2022
WOW!!! An amazing fantasy story!

What did I like about this story? Everything! Non stop action, bits of hilarious humor, ongoing war between Technology users and Magic users, AI robots and so much more! The cliffhanger at the end……all I can say is - I am reading book two right now!
14 reviews
December 4, 2024
The books starts great, setting up a great world and interesting character motovations. Then it just forgets about all of that.

Everything after the first few chapters seem to be based on coincidences. Things just happen that are then randomly resolved after a few pages with absolutely no impact on the greater story. Nothing has any emotional weight.

Profile Image for Sam.
2,553 reviews41 followers
May 4, 2024
This is a mammoth story! A good length book, something to really get lost in! A well written & thought out plot! Engaging characters & interesting, so much going on, in this well paced & exciting fantasy adventure! A good fun read!
4 reviews
August 2, 2024
Hmmm

I started this book then set it aside. At first I just couldn't get into it. A few weeks later I went back to it and I'm glad I did. I enjoyed the story and look forward to the next book
Profile Image for Sam.
201 reviews
March 10, 2025
That

Was fun. Mr Fritschi certainly has a way with character creation. You like or dislike as easy as reading the next line. I was already a fan thanks to the Grave Diggers. But this start just adds on. See you at the end of the next one. Cheers
135 reviews3 followers
April 2, 2024
Amazing read, I do wonder how Kase is still alive, especially after all the ideas he has.
Profile Image for Corey Baca.
35 reviews
August 19, 2025
started out slow but then picked up speed and I couldn't put it down. felt rushed towards the ending though. on to the second book
2 reviews
February 24, 2025
As good as the book's introduction was everything after felt flat. The primary storyline feels like its just jumping from scene to scene with very little connection

Like suddenly Kase is part of a thieves guild, suddenly there's pirates and suddenly they're refugees. It all feels very abrupt.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews

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