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Shadowbridge #2
Lord Tophet
Daughter of the legendary shadow-puppeteer Bardsham, Leodora has inherited her father’s skills . . . and his enemies. Together with her manager–Soter, keeper of her father’s darkest secrets, and a gifted young musician named Diverus, Leodora has traveled from span to span, her masked performances given under the stage name Jax, winning fame and fortune.
But Jax’s success may be Leodora’s undoing. Years ago, following a performance by Bardsham, the vengeful god known as Lord Tophet visited a horrific punishment upon the span of Colemaigne and its citizens, a reprisal inflicted without warning or explanation. And as the genius of Jax gives rise to rumors that Bardsham has returned, Lord Tophet takes notice and dispatches a quintet of deadly killers to learn the truth behind the mask.
Now, upon the cursed span of Colemaigne, where her father achieved his greatest triumph and suffered his bitterest tragedy, Leodora is about to perform the most shocking story of all.
But Jax’s success may be Leodora’s undoing. Years ago, following a performance by Bardsham, the vengeful god known as Lord Tophet visited a horrific punishment upon the span of Colemaigne and its citizens, a reprisal inflicted without warning or explanation. And as the genius of Jax gives rise to rumors that Bardsham has returned, Lord Tophet takes notice and dispatches a quintet of deadly killers to learn the truth behind the mask.
Now, upon the cursed span of Colemaigne, where her father achieved his greatest triumph and suffered his bitterest tragedy, Leodora is about to perform the most shocking story of all.
222 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
6 people are currently reading
226 people want to read
About the author
Gregory Frost
87 books105 followersGregory Frost is an American author of fantasy, science fiction and thrillers. He taught fiction writing at Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania for eighteen years. A graduate of the iconic Clarion Workshop, he has taught at Clarion four times, including the first session following its move to the University of California at San Diego in 2007. He has also been an instructor for the Odyssey and Alpha Workshops.
Frost has been a finalist for every major fantasy, sf, and horror fiction award. His novelette, "Madonna of the Maquiladora" was a finalist for the James Tiptree Award, the Nebula Award, the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, and the Hugo Award.
His latest novel is RHYMER, the first in the Rhymer series from Baen Books. His previous work, SHADOWBRIDGE, was voted one of the best fantasy novels of 2009 by the American Library Association, it was also a finalist for the James Tiptree Jr. Award.
The historical thriller FITCHER'S BRIDES, was a Best Novel finalist for both the World Fantasy and International Horror Guild Awards for Best Novel.
Publishers Weekly called his Golden Gryphon short story collection, ATTACK OF THE JAZZ GIANTS & OTHER STORIES, “one of the best of the year.” It has now been reprinted in slightly altered form as THE GIRLFRIENDS OF DORIAN GRAY & OTHER STORIES, available through Book View Cafe.
Current short fiction includes "A Hard Day's Night at the Opera" in the Beatles-themed anthology ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, edited by Michael Ventrella and Randee Dawn, and "Episode in Liminal State Technical Support, or Mr. Grant in the Bardo" in THREE TIME TRAVELERS WALK INTO... edited by Michael A. Ventrella; "Traveling On" in the Sept/Oct. 2020 ASIMOV'S SCIENCE FICTION magazine, and "Ellende" in WEIRD TALES #364.
He spent time (did time?) as a researcher for non-fiction television shows on werewolves and the "Curse of the Pharaohs," and acted in a couple of frightening (not necessarily in the sense of scary) indie horror movies.
Gregory Frost is a founding partner, with author Jonathan Maberry, of The Philadelphia Liars Club, a group of professional authors and screenwriters, and one of the interviewers for The Liars Club Oddcast , a podcast interviewing novelists, short story writers, screenwriters, illustrators, and more.
Frost has been a finalist for every major fantasy, sf, and horror fiction award. His novelette, "Madonna of the Maquiladora" was a finalist for the James Tiptree Award, the Nebula Award, the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, and the Hugo Award.
His latest novel is RHYMER, the first in the Rhymer series from Baen Books. His previous work, SHADOWBRIDGE, was voted one of the best fantasy novels of 2009 by the American Library Association, it was also a finalist for the James Tiptree Jr. Award.
The historical thriller FITCHER'S BRIDES, was a Best Novel finalist for both the World Fantasy and International Horror Guild Awards for Best Novel.
Publishers Weekly called his Golden Gryphon short story collection, ATTACK OF THE JAZZ GIANTS & OTHER STORIES, “one of the best of the year.” It has now been reprinted in slightly altered form as THE GIRLFRIENDS OF DORIAN GRAY & OTHER STORIES, available through Book View Cafe.
Current short fiction includes "A Hard Day's Night at the Opera" in the Beatles-themed anthology ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, edited by Michael Ventrella and Randee Dawn, and "Episode in Liminal State Technical Support, or Mr. Grant in the Bardo" in THREE TIME TRAVELERS WALK INTO... edited by Michael A. Ventrella; "Traveling On" in the Sept/Oct. 2020 ASIMOV'S SCIENCE FICTION magazine, and "Ellende" in WEIRD TALES #364.
He spent time (did time?) as a researcher for non-fiction television shows on werewolves and the "Curse of the Pharaohs," and acted in a couple of frightening (not necessarily in the sense of scary) indie horror movies.
Gregory Frost is a founding partner, with author Jonathan Maberry, of The Philadelphia Liars Club, a group of professional authors and screenwriters, and one of the interviewers for The Liars Club Oddcast , a podcast interviewing novelists, short story writers, screenwriters, illustrators, and more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
November 22, 2023
So it turns out that if you read _Shadowbridge_ that you do indeed want to have this sequel standing by.
Frost plays with the familiar and the unfamiliar. The spans and spirals and Dragon Bowls and cultures are outré in the best way and there are all kinds of weird things going on, but you drill down into that and see familiar elements, and the stories these people tell each other and that Leodora obsesses over certainly rhymes with stories we know.
Like every good story where the protagonist comes of age, it has the core where the elders hide or protect the protagonist from evil, and that protagonist must first demonstrate the failure of that plan, or at least show the expiration of it so that she can take on the battle.
Lord Tophet as an adversary is the vaguest of creatures kept long in the shadows. His appearance and all the explanations that Soter has hidden and Tophet's own story all crash together in an end-loaded climax whose revelations have no time to individually resonate. I suspect that a second reading would pull out the connections and establish the arc.
Ultimately, a very satisfying experience, and I am of two minds regarding more stories of Shadowbridge. On one hand it feels like the setting could stand further exploration--especially as to the next step of the protagonists' lives--but on the other, as the Lion Pendant says, Time is that which ends.
Frost plays with the familiar and the unfamiliar. The spans and spirals and Dragon Bowls and cultures are outré in the best way and there are all kinds of weird things going on, but you drill down into that and see familiar elements, and the stories these people tell each other and that Leodora obsesses over certainly rhymes with stories we know.
Like every good story where the protagonist comes of age, it has the core where the elders hide or protect the protagonist from evil, and that protagonist must first demonstrate the failure of that plan, or at least show the expiration of it so that she can take on the battle.
Lord Tophet as an adversary is the vaguest of creatures kept long in the shadows. His appearance and all the explanations that Soter has hidden and Tophet's own story all crash together in an end-loaded climax whose revelations have no time to individually resonate. I suspect that a second reading would pull out the connections and establish the arc.
Ultimately, a very satisfying experience, and I am of two minds regarding more stories of Shadowbridge. On one hand it feels like the setting could stand further exploration--especially as to the next step of the protagonists' lives--but on the other, as the Lion Pendant says, Time is that which ends.
May 18, 2010
Lord Tophet: A Shadowbridge Novel by Gregory Frost- This is the last book of a two book adventure. The first book is called Shadowbridge. Gregory Frost's other works include; Attack of the Jazz Giants and Other Short Stories, Fitcher's Bride, The Pure Cold Light, Tain, Remscela, and Lyrec.
WARNING: Spoilers for Shadowbridge will be present.
The story picks up right after what ended Shadowbridge. We find Leodora, a shadow-puppeteer under the stage name of Jax who is growing in fame, passing out after stepping into a Dragon Bowl, these are places in which gods grant gifts to the people of the Shadowbridge. She finds herself in Edgeworld, the dimension of the gods, or at least that's the conclusion she's under. While there, she has to make a choice, which is never given or explained to her or the reader. After choosing, she is whisked away back to Shadowbridge and her troupe. The mystical musician, Diverus, and her adviser/ promoter, Soter, hurry to pick up her passed out form and take her away before the people of Colemaigne, the span the troupe is currently on, become nosy and violent to find what was gifted. As they take her away, the troupe come across a theater owner named Orinda who takes them back to her theater for safety. As they make their way there, they noticed that Colemaigne is changing. What it once was, a run down ruin of a span, is changing back into the wonder of a place it used to be. When the troupe arrive at Orinda's theater, Orinda informs Soter and Diverus what happened after Soter's last visit when he was with the famous shadow-puppeteer Bardsham, who is Leodora's father. She tells them that show business acts are banned from the span because of what Bardsham caused after Bardsham's troupe left. But since the span was returned to normal by whatever Leodora did, the ban is lifted and the show business can go on again. When Leodora finally awakes, she finds that she has some sort of amulet she didn't have before and discovers it can talk and give her advice, but only in vague riddles. After performing a few times, she and Diverus explore the town and look for stories of the span. She wants to find out more about what she seen before passing out, a dark city beneath the span. As the troupe performs, Leodora's fame continues to grow enough that the ones who caused Colemaigne's ruin come for Jax, thinking that it's Bardsham.
Negatives:
1) Rushed Scenes. Every once and a while, there seemed to be a rushed sequence of events. Usually mundane things that made some of the story and actions hard to follow. For example, towards the middle of the story, Leodora and Diverus are being 'entertained' by a group of people. Everything is fine and understandable, but it soon goes into confusing territory. The leader of these people starts to go off on some tangent that I honestly could not follow and I still can not understand anything that was said. This is due because it was just rushed and hastily explained. This rushed feeling happens a lot it seemed.
2) Vague Descriptions. What goes hand and hand with some of the rushed sequences are some of the descriptions and explanations. Most of the descriptions are wonderful and vivid, yet at the same time there were things that were hard to grasp and visualize. The best example is almost everything that is described in the inverted span. Yes, it would be a little hard grasp the concept that up is down and the sea is sky and most of it was described and explained fairly well. Yet, there were times that things needed a little more detail added. For instance, the fire puppets. You have a full book and a half that has very few things magical and suddenly we are thrown into a world of magic? It wasn't terrible, just disorienting in how these things were described and explained. The whole inverted span just felt vague, and maybe that's the point.
3) One Book. Honestly, this should not have been a two book adventure. The books themselves only are around two hundred to about two hundred and twenty pages apiece. Seeing as the first book is really just filled with stories and back story, and this book expects you to recall most of the first. It just was a poor way to do it.
Positives:
1) Story. Finally, there is a point. I said above that Shadowbridge is basically tales and back story, and everything related to an adventure in that book could have been the prologue of this book, it's nice to see something happen. Don't get me wrong, I loved the tales and back stories in Shadowbridge, but it was missing something. The plot itself is way to simple. Basically, Bardsham made a fool out of a 'god' and that 'god' went after him, and only recently learned of the daughter, Leodora. To put it simply, it's satisfying to actually have something happen other than tales. What I'm trying to say is that it was nice to have a plot.
2) Soter. In the first book, I honestly could really care less about him. He was just a drunk that thought things were out to get him, a one note character. In here he's more defined and a lot more interesting. His tale, towards the end was just wonderful and added a meaning to the story. He's the more memorable of the characters.
3) Left Unsaid. What wasn't said just felt right. The whole time that Leodora and Diverus were in the invert span, what happened in their absence was mostly left up to the reader. The scenes that took place in their absence just set up everything that was going on in Colemaigne. It just felt right. Even the ending felt right. The story felt like one of Jax's tales, where what happens next is a different story.
Side Notes:
1) Characters. Leodora and Diverus as characters fell flat it seemed. Nothing, except a love interest, was adding to them at all. At times, it seemed like they would grow and develop more, but it never went through.
2) Shadowbridge. I really love this setting. It's exciting and I really hope there would be more stories about it someday.
3) Cover Art. It's just like the first, but grittier and darker. I like the general lack of bright colors and it's a stark contrast to Shadowbridge's cover.
Overall: 3/5
Final Thoughts:
Truth be told, this is more of a 3.5 out of 5. This isn't a bad novel by any means, it's just generic. While I liked the fact there was a plot, it was simple and honestly kind of boring. It just was nice to have a point. The characters weren't all that engaging as they were in Shadowbridge. They just were missing everything that made them unique. However, Soter did become more of a character that I like. I do like the feel of the book and how it left you wondering what happens next. Because of that, it kept the spirit of Jax's short tales and how they ended. But the thing that bothers me the most is that it's two books. If it was one full length novel, it would have been wonderful and better. And at times, it felt like it was meant to be one novel. Simply put, it's just average.
WARNING: Spoilers for Shadowbridge will be present.
The story picks up right after what ended Shadowbridge. We find Leodora, a shadow-puppeteer under the stage name of Jax who is growing in fame, passing out after stepping into a Dragon Bowl, these are places in which gods grant gifts to the people of the Shadowbridge. She finds herself in Edgeworld, the dimension of the gods, or at least that's the conclusion she's under. While there, she has to make a choice, which is never given or explained to her or the reader. After choosing, she is whisked away back to Shadowbridge and her troupe. The mystical musician, Diverus, and her adviser/ promoter, Soter, hurry to pick up her passed out form and take her away before the people of Colemaigne, the span the troupe is currently on, become nosy and violent to find what was gifted. As they take her away, the troupe come across a theater owner named Orinda who takes them back to her theater for safety. As they make their way there, they noticed that Colemaigne is changing. What it once was, a run down ruin of a span, is changing back into the wonder of a place it used to be. When the troupe arrive at Orinda's theater, Orinda informs Soter and Diverus what happened after Soter's last visit when he was with the famous shadow-puppeteer Bardsham, who is Leodora's father. She tells them that show business acts are banned from the span because of what Bardsham caused after Bardsham's troupe left. But since the span was returned to normal by whatever Leodora did, the ban is lifted and the show business can go on again. When Leodora finally awakes, she finds that she has some sort of amulet she didn't have before and discovers it can talk and give her advice, but only in vague riddles. After performing a few times, she and Diverus explore the town and look for stories of the span. She wants to find out more about what she seen before passing out, a dark city beneath the span. As the troupe performs, Leodora's fame continues to grow enough that the ones who caused Colemaigne's ruin come for Jax, thinking that it's Bardsham.
Negatives:
1) Rushed Scenes. Every once and a while, there seemed to be a rushed sequence of events. Usually mundane things that made some of the story and actions hard to follow. For example, towards the middle of the story, Leodora and Diverus are being 'entertained' by a group of people. Everything is fine and understandable, but it soon goes into confusing territory. The leader of these people starts to go off on some tangent that I honestly could not follow and I still can not understand anything that was said. This is due because it was just rushed and hastily explained. This rushed feeling happens a lot it seemed.
2) Vague Descriptions. What goes hand and hand with some of the rushed sequences are some of the descriptions and explanations. Most of the descriptions are wonderful and vivid, yet at the same time there were things that were hard to grasp and visualize. The best example is almost everything that is described in the inverted span. Yes, it would be a little hard grasp the concept that up is down and the sea is sky and most of it was described and explained fairly well. Yet, there were times that things needed a little more detail added. For instance, the fire puppets. You have a full book and a half that has very few things magical and suddenly we are thrown into a world of magic? It wasn't terrible, just disorienting in how these things were described and explained. The whole inverted span just felt vague, and maybe that's the point.
3) One Book. Honestly, this should not have been a two book adventure. The books themselves only are around two hundred to about two hundred and twenty pages apiece. Seeing as the first book is really just filled with stories and back story, and this book expects you to recall most of the first. It just was a poor way to do it.
Positives:
1) Story. Finally, there is a point. I said above that Shadowbridge is basically tales and back story, and everything related to an adventure in that book could have been the prologue of this book, it's nice to see something happen. Don't get me wrong, I loved the tales and back stories in Shadowbridge, but it was missing something. The plot itself is way to simple. Basically, Bardsham made a fool out of a 'god' and that 'god' went after him, and only recently learned of the daughter, Leodora. To put it simply, it's satisfying to actually have something happen other than tales. What I'm trying to say is that it was nice to have a plot.
2) Soter. In the first book, I honestly could really care less about him. He was just a drunk that thought things were out to get him, a one note character. In here he's more defined and a lot more interesting. His tale, towards the end was just wonderful and added a meaning to the story. He's the more memorable of the characters.
3) Left Unsaid. What wasn't said just felt right. The whole time that Leodora and Diverus were in the invert span, what happened in their absence was mostly left up to the reader. The scenes that took place in their absence just set up everything that was going on in Colemaigne. It just felt right. Even the ending felt right. The story felt like one of Jax's tales, where what happens next is a different story.
Side Notes:
1) Characters. Leodora and Diverus as characters fell flat it seemed. Nothing, except a love interest, was adding to them at all. At times, it seemed like they would grow and develop more, but it never went through.
2) Shadowbridge. I really love this setting. It's exciting and I really hope there would be more stories about it someday.
3) Cover Art. It's just like the first, but grittier and darker. I like the general lack of bright colors and it's a stark contrast to Shadowbridge's cover.
Overall: 3/5
Final Thoughts:
Truth be told, this is more of a 3.5 out of 5. This isn't a bad novel by any means, it's just generic. While I liked the fact there was a plot, it was simple and honestly kind of boring. It just was nice to have a point. The characters weren't all that engaging as they were in Shadowbridge. They just were missing everything that made them unique. However, Soter did become more of a character that I like. I do like the feel of the book and how it left you wondering what happens next. Because of that, it kept the spirit of Jax's short tales and how they ended. But the thing that bothers me the most is that it's two books. If it was one full length novel, it would have been wonderful and better. And at times, it felt like it was meant to be one novel. Simply put, it's just average.
July 16, 2019
A very enchanting conclusion to an awesome adventure.
Some books just grab hold and don't let go. We can't always explain why the images the words create make us feel the way they do, and that's okay. I believe that there are some stories that are meant to be felt; and a book about a storyteller creating such emotions for her audience is very fitting.
I felt this book. I felt Leodora wanting to be whole, to be loved, to have the things that have eluded her all of her life. Because underneath it all, she's just a girl. I felt Diverus feeling free enough, after a lifetime of slavery, to make his own choices. To love Leodora to the point of worship. I felt Soter grapple with his guilt for all of the things denied Leodora. I felt that he loved her and protected her the best way he knew how.
My journey with them was amazing and I am content.
Some books just grab hold and don't let go. We can't always explain why the images the words create make us feel the way they do, and that's okay. I believe that there are some stories that are meant to be felt; and a book about a storyteller creating such emotions for her audience is very fitting.
I felt this book. I felt Leodora wanting to be whole, to be loved, to have the things that have eluded her all of her life. Because underneath it all, she's just a girl. I felt Diverus feeling free enough, after a lifetime of slavery, to make his own choices. To love Leodora to the point of worship. I felt Soter grapple with his guilt for all of the things denied Leodora. I felt that he loved her and protected her the best way he knew how.
My journey with them was amazing and I am content.
January 23, 2022
I am still trying to figure out how I feel about this book After a shaky start, I wound up really enjoying the first book, and was eager to read this one. I had grand hopes of finally getting the backstory to everything. And while that did happen, sort of, I felt it fell a bit flat. I read another review that said some scenes felt rushed, and this is quite true.
I still am not real sure what the Upside Down world is, or what happened there. Maybe I just didn't grasp what was being said, but I finished the book feeling a bit... blah.
That said, I still am happy to have read it and get the closure for the first book.
I still am not real sure what the Upside Down world is, or what happened there. Maybe I just didn't grasp what was being said, but I finished the book feeling a bit... blah.
That said, I still am happy to have read it and get the closure for the first book.
February 15, 2021
It took me a bit to get into this one. Mostly because it has been so long since I read the first book and tried very hard to remember what had happened in that one. This was a great work of fiction. Very sci-fi, very entertaining. The only problem I had is that you do not find out who Diverus truly is. You get his true name, and that may have been something that I don't remember from the first book. But there is a part where Sotor tells Leodora about herself and who Diverus really is. But he doesn't go too into detail. So I feel I was left hanging...
July 25, 2023
I'd call this more the second half of Shadowbridge than I would call it a sequel. Frost picks up right where he left off, and we finish the story. Readers who were frustrated by the story breaks and backstory in the first book will probably be relieved by the more consistent forward momentum of this one. I rather liked both.
February 12, 2022
I thought it was ok - but it's a book I would recommend those who like slow fiction, and stories within stories. Basically, Leodora finds out what happened to her father (.
August 22, 2019
Never quite lives up to the highs of its predecessor. Soter’s tale is a gem, but the whimsy of Shadowbridge is left behind for the (lackluster) conclusion of the plot.
May 25, 2020
Tiptree shortlist 2008. This one and Shadowbridge might have made one mildly interesting novel if all the dull bits had been pruned.
October 17, 2025
A satisfying conclusion to Shadowbridge.
April 20, 2017
(review originally posted on my livejournal account: http://intoyourlungs.livejournal.com)
Back in February, I read Shadowbridge for calico_reaction's February Dare and really liked it. Before I even finished Shadowbridge I went out and bought Lord Tophet. I had originally intended to read Lord Tophet as soon as I finished Shadowbridge, but March got super hectic with school and then April was even worse. I suppose I could have read it a bit sooner than now, but oh well, it doesn't really matter, because I finally got to it! I'm glad I didn't wait much longer to read this, because Lord Tophet picks up *right* where Shadowbridge left off (which was a huge cliffhanger by the way.)
My number one favorite thing about this duology is its focus on stories, and how stories/fables/tales/whathaveyou can shape a people and a culture, and how stories change over time because of culture. It also helps that these stories are some of the most beautifully realized fairy tales I've ever read. They're all imbued with this magical quality that I found mesmerizing. Leodora's story, while not written in quite the same way, feels very much like these tales that she conveys to the people through her puppets -- it's full of magic. The only story I found kind of odd was the story of Meersh and his talking penis. That ... uhh.. caught me off guard? Still a great tale, I've just never read a story with so much focus on a talking male member.
Leodora has definitely made it on my list of "Favorite Literary Heroines". She's headstrong and resourceful without having to fall into that "female badass" mold. No wonder Diverus had such a crush on her -- she is quite the lady. Soter drove me crazy with how mean he was to Diverus, who did nothing to deserve it, and with his overall surliness. He did however redeem himself quite a bit by the end when he finally spills the beans to Leodora about her parents' demise and his relationship to them both.
There's a bit of romance between Leodora and Diverus, and while I do think they'd make a very cute couple, I'm glad Frost didn't focus on it TOO much. I'm not sure why I feel that way, but I do, and I think Frost handled it perfectly.
And the ending. How I love the ending. It was seriously perfect. :)
Final Verdict: This is a very short review, but I'm really not too sure what else to say. Most of my feelings for this book were said in my review of Shadowbridge, and really, this feels like I'm reading the same book, seeing as its a very, VERY direct sequel. Frost has created a unique vein of fantasy with these two novels that highlight the magic behind stories and their malleability. The world-building, like the first volume, is stellar and has all kinds of magic and wonder at every turn that I absolutely loved. Like Pullman, Frost blows me away with his imaginativeness. This duology also boasts a cast of memorable characters, especially Leodora, whom I love quite dearly. I definitely recommend everyone to check this series out; it's just too bad it was published as a duology when it really could've been one volume. That being said, for the love of god, do NOT read Lord Tophet without having read Shadowbridge first. You'll be very, VERY confused if you do.
Back in February, I read Shadowbridge for calico_reaction's February Dare and really liked it. Before I even finished Shadowbridge I went out and bought Lord Tophet. I had originally intended to read Lord Tophet as soon as I finished Shadowbridge, but March got super hectic with school and then April was even worse. I suppose I could have read it a bit sooner than now, but oh well, it doesn't really matter, because I finally got to it! I'm glad I didn't wait much longer to read this, because Lord Tophet picks up *right* where Shadowbridge left off (which was a huge cliffhanger by the way.)
My number one favorite thing about this duology is its focus on stories, and how stories/fables/tales/whathaveyou can shape a people and a culture, and how stories change over time because of culture. It also helps that these stories are some of the most beautifully realized fairy tales I've ever read. They're all imbued with this magical quality that I found mesmerizing. Leodora's story, while not written in quite the same way, feels very much like these tales that she conveys to the people through her puppets -- it's full of magic. The only story I found kind of odd was the story of Meersh and his talking penis. That ... uhh.. caught me off guard? Still a great tale, I've just never read a story with so much focus on a talking male member.
Leodora has definitely made it on my list of "Favorite Literary Heroines". She's headstrong and resourceful without having to fall into that "female badass" mold. No wonder Diverus had such a crush on her -- she is quite the lady. Soter drove me crazy with how mean he was to Diverus, who did nothing to deserve it, and with his overall surliness. He did however redeem himself quite a bit by the end when he finally spills the beans to Leodora about her parents' demise and his relationship to them both.
There's a bit of romance between Leodora and Diverus, and while I do think they'd make a very cute couple, I'm glad Frost didn't focus on it TOO much. I'm not sure why I feel that way, but I do, and I think Frost handled it perfectly.
And the ending. How I love the ending. It was seriously perfect. :)
Final Verdict: This is a very short review, but I'm really not too sure what else to say. Most of my feelings for this book were said in my review of Shadowbridge, and really, this feels like I'm reading the same book, seeing as its a very, VERY direct sequel. Frost has created a unique vein of fantasy with these two novels that highlight the magic behind stories and their malleability. The world-building, like the first volume, is stellar and has all kinds of magic and wonder at every turn that I absolutely loved. Like Pullman, Frost blows me away with his imaginativeness. This duology also boasts a cast of memorable characters, especially Leodora, whom I love quite dearly. I definitely recommend everyone to check this series out; it's just too bad it was published as a duology when it really could've been one volume. That being said, for the love of god, do NOT read Lord Tophet without having read Shadowbridge first. You'll be very, VERY confused if you do.
September 11, 2008
Continuing where Shadowbridge left off, Lord Tophet follows Leodora and her companions as they begin on a new spiral, storytelling and rebuilding Leodora's reputation. But this time, Leodora is marked by the gods and tracked by Lord Tophet himself, who seeks to destroy Leodora and will bring entire spans to ruin just to reach her. This sequel (more accurately, the second half of a single story) puts less emphasis on premise and world building and greater emphasis on plot and themes. As a result, it lacks some of the magic conjured by the world of Shadowbridge, but it tells a stronger story. That story didn't quite capture me, but it's good overall and an enjoyable conclusion to the Shadowbridge duology. I recommend both books.
It's a rare day when I prefer world building to storytelling, but today I do. The world of Shadowbridge, so vividly created in the first book, is remarkable, imaginative, and truly magical. Lord Tophet expands that world with new settings and backstory, but for the most part it leaves world building behind to focus on the plot. This is a necessary change, of course, but still a sad one. I miss discovering the world of Shadowbridge, and I wish that its new aspects uncovered in this sequel were a better fit to prior exploration. Much of the world building that exists concentrates not on Shadowbridge but on its mythical underworld, skewing the story in an unexpected and, sadly, less interesting direction. Meanwhile, the plot that fills and finishes the book walks directly into the territory of history (and Leodora's father) and magic, gods, and underworlds. As a result, the plot is vast and meaningfulbut it also strays a bit too far from Leodora. Finally, the book ends abruptly, nearly abandoning Leodora and instead emphasizing the themes which (although strong) aren't as interesting as a character would be.
While Shadowbridge, despite being all concept and no execution, captured me in its rich and imaginative world building, the plot of Lord Tophet, despite its wonderful themes and overall strength, failed to have the same effect. It didn't capture and delight meto the same extent, anyway. It's still quite good, though: it's a welcome second half to the story, the emphasis on plot develops into some truly admirable themes about the powers of creation, destruction, and the ability to chose between the two, and the world of Shadowbridge remains, if in less detail, still magical and engaging. I wish that the story had of this second book had remained closer to the premise of the first (and I wish that the two books had been published in one volume), but I still enjoyed Lord Tophet and the Shadowbridge duology as a whole. I recommend both books, because the world building is simply too wonderful to pass up and they deserve a wider audience.
It's a rare day when I prefer world building to storytelling, but today I do. The world of Shadowbridge, so vividly created in the first book, is remarkable, imaginative, and truly magical. Lord Tophet expands that world with new settings and backstory, but for the most part it leaves world building behind to focus on the plot. This is a necessary change, of course, but still a sad one. I miss discovering the world of Shadowbridge, and I wish that its new aspects uncovered in this sequel were a better fit to prior exploration. Much of the world building that exists concentrates not on Shadowbridge but on its mythical underworld, skewing the story in an unexpected and, sadly, less interesting direction. Meanwhile, the plot that fills and finishes the book walks directly into the territory of history (and Leodora's father) and magic, gods, and underworlds. As a result, the plot is vast and meaningfulbut it also strays a bit too far from Leodora. Finally, the book ends abruptly, nearly abandoning Leodora and instead emphasizing the themes which (although strong) aren't as interesting as a character would be.
While Shadowbridge, despite being all concept and no execution, captured me in its rich and imaginative world building, the plot of Lord Tophet, despite its wonderful themes and overall strength, failed to have the same effect. It didn't capture and delight meto the same extent, anyway. It's still quite good, though: it's a welcome second half to the story, the emphasis on plot develops into some truly admirable themes about the powers of creation, destruction, and the ability to chose between the two, and the world of Shadowbridge remains, if in less detail, still magical and engaging. I wish that the story had of this second book had remained closer to the premise of the first (and I wish that the two books had been published in one volume), but I still enjoyed Lord Tophet and the Shadowbridge duology as a whole. I recommend both books, because the world building is simply too wonderful to pass up and they deserve a wider audience.
August 11, 2016
This is the sequel to Gregory Frost's book SHADOWBRIDGE, and while you don't necessarily have to read the first one before this one, you ought to. In fact, you ought to have both of them in hand, because the first novel ends on a cliffhanger.
This is a fantasy story for people who love fantasy, and for people who love stories. The world of Shadowbridge is multicultural and multivaried land where gods-created spans criscross the seas between islands. Each span has a dragon bowl, a shallow vessel extending out over the edge. Sometimes, the gods will come and give blessings to anyone who happens to be standing in the bowl. The gods also curse, however, and that's the main focus of this novel.
Leodara, performing under the name Jax, is a shadow puppeteer whose fame has been growing as people compare her to her talented father Bardsham. Bardsham and Leodara's mother disappeared under mysterious circumstances, and Leodara thinks she's come to the root of those circumstances when she and Diverus (the troupe's musician) come to a ruined temple, now made whole again when Leodara--okay, I'd better stop here, because it's going to spoil the plot for anyone who's read the first one and wanted to know what happened.
The story of Jax is not the best part of this novel. Sure, Jax has love and adventure and death and tragedy and escape and all that, but I feel that the real strength of the novel is in the folktales that dot the novel like raisins in pudding. How you feel about this novel will depend largely upon how much you like folktales. They do feel like folktales more than anything else, bare bones plot with caricature-like figures and implausible events. It feels like reading the mythology of a foreign culture. If you like folktales, you'll probably love this aspect of the novel. I don't care for folktales, so this was kind of a drawback for me.
I adore the fact that the heroine is a puppeteer. I've read oodles of stories about talented musicians, whose music is somehow good enough to alter reality, but I've never heard of a puppeteer's art being lauded in comparable terms. I also enjoyed the multivaried sort of monsters. Mermaid-like creatures have mouths full of fish-teeth, sphinx-like creatures entrance you into pleasure and then suck out your soul. Dark gods turn people to stone. I also liked the relation to the people and their stories, the way that stories contain a grain of truth which Jax uses to--but I won't spoil that part for you. Find out for yourself.
This is a fantasy story for people who love fantasy, and for people who love stories. The world of Shadowbridge is multicultural and multivaried land where gods-created spans criscross the seas between islands. Each span has a dragon bowl, a shallow vessel extending out over the edge. Sometimes, the gods will come and give blessings to anyone who happens to be standing in the bowl. The gods also curse, however, and that's the main focus of this novel.
Leodara, performing under the name Jax, is a shadow puppeteer whose fame has been growing as people compare her to her talented father Bardsham. Bardsham and Leodara's mother disappeared under mysterious circumstances, and Leodara thinks she's come to the root of those circumstances when she and Diverus (the troupe's musician) come to a ruined temple, now made whole again when Leodara--okay, I'd better stop here, because it's going to spoil the plot for anyone who's read the first one and wanted to know what happened.
The story of Jax is not the best part of this novel. Sure, Jax has love and adventure and death and tragedy and escape and all that, but I feel that the real strength of the novel is in the folktales that dot the novel like raisins in pudding. How you feel about this novel will depend largely upon how much you like folktales. They do feel like folktales more than anything else, bare bones plot with caricature-like figures and implausible events. It feels like reading the mythology of a foreign culture. If you like folktales, you'll probably love this aspect of the novel. I don't care for folktales, so this was kind of a drawback for me.
I adore the fact that the heroine is a puppeteer. I've read oodles of stories about talented musicians, whose music is somehow good enough to alter reality, but I've never heard of a puppeteer's art being lauded in comparable terms. I also enjoyed the multivaried sort of monsters. Mermaid-like creatures have mouths full of fish-teeth, sphinx-like creatures entrance you into pleasure and then suck out your soul. Dark gods turn people to stone. I also liked the relation to the people and their stories, the way that stories contain a grain of truth which Jax uses to--but I won't spoil that part for you. Find out for yourself.
May 8, 2009
"Lord Tophet" (Del Rey, $14, 216 pages) is a worthy conclusion to the Shadowbridge duology, but since it's billed as "A Shadowbridge Novel," Gregory
Frost may be only beginning his exploration of a world that consists of
spiraling bridges on an ocean planet, bridges that go nowhere but to other bridges and the occasional small island.
There are gods and magic and, of course, it's a pre-industrial society, but
Frost does quite a bit with the familiar setup, and his two-book saga is a
fascinating and satisfying tale of a young puppeteer of great talent and her
search for her identity and her future. It's a necessity to begin with
"Shadowbridge," and in fact, read the books back to back, as it wouldn't have
been much of a stretch to combine them into one volume.
Frost concluded this duology rather definitively, so if he does return to the
world, he will have to begin another tale entirely -- and if it's as successful
as "Shadowbridge" and "Lord Tophet", it will be something to look forward to.
Frost may be only beginning his exploration of a world that consists of
spiraling bridges on an ocean planet, bridges that go nowhere but to other bridges and the occasional small island.
There are gods and magic and, of course, it's a pre-industrial society, but
Frost does quite a bit with the familiar setup, and his two-book saga is a
fascinating and satisfying tale of a young puppeteer of great talent and her
search for her identity and her future. It's a necessity to begin with
"Shadowbridge," and in fact, read the books back to back, as it wouldn't have
been much of a stretch to combine them into one volume.
Frost concluded this duology rather definitively, so if he does return to the
world, he will have to begin another tale entirely -- and if it's as successful
as "Shadowbridge" and "Lord Tophet", it will be something to look forward to.
February 19, 2016
Having not read the two books immediately back to back, it took some time to get back into the rhythm of Frost's entirely unique storytelling style. I'm not sure why they weren't published as one book because this second book is not a "stand alone" book. Journeying through these spans with Jax and her company felt like following Alice down the rabbit hole and then through the looking glass in this conclusion to Shadowbridge. It is extremely well written and is by no means a "quick read." There is an epic quality to it that made me feel like I had really accomplished something when I had completed the two books. The ending was complete, but not as tidy as I would have liked, the only thing keeping it from being a five-star read for me.
November 20, 2008
Lord Tophet is the second and last book in the Shadow Bridge setting. This novel finishes telling the tale of Leodora and her past. I have to say I enjoyed the second book more than the first. In this novel there are not as many short stories told in the main tale, which means that there are not as many pause in the main story. The tale moves at a faster pace and has more action. I found myself enjoying how Leodora story and her parents past unfold in the novel. My only big disappointment is that the concept of the shadow bridge is not explored that much. I think it is an interesting setting for a fantasy tale
July 9, 2016
I have muddled feelings!
On one hand, I grew really fond of the characters in the end and their stories became meaningful to me, but it seems like the serious (particularly this one) is either rushed or not tied up right. I don't feel satisfied with the ending, I want to know more about how things settled. I also feel like the threat in the books was vague and added later on in the writing process, so it didn't mean anything to me. I liked reading these books but I feel like some things could have been much improved with more threading and depth.
On one hand, I grew really fond of the characters in the end and their stories became meaningful to me, but it seems like the serious (particularly this one) is either rushed or not tied up right. I don't feel satisfied with the ending, I want to know more about how things settled. I also feel like the threat in the books was vague and added later on in the writing process, so it didn't mean anything to me. I liked reading these books but I feel like some things could have been much improved with more threading and depth.
September 20, 2008
This is the second book of the Shadowbridge series, and apparently, the final one, which is kind of annoying. Why couldn't this have just been all one book? It seems dumb to make it two. Anyway, it was good, consistent with the first one. Nothing crazy or outstanding, just pleasantly entertaining.
August 3, 2021
I'm still not entirely certain how I feel about this series. On the one hand, I love the world it's set in - on the other hand, I'm fairly ambivalent about the story. It seemed rushed at times, and I didn't feel quite satisfied by the ending. I feel like my opinion might change after a reread, though...
UPDATE: Nope, still unsatisfied after a reread. Oh well.
UPDATE: Nope, still unsatisfied after a reread. Oh well.
August 3, 2013
A wonderful conclusion to the 2-book series. The finale gives answers to all the burning unresolved questions that have built up along the way, and I must say, they are not predictable nor disappointing.
October 2, 2009
Full review at Mostly Fiction: Mostly Fiction
Author interview at Science Fiction and Other ODDysseys http://sciencefictionmusings.blogspot...
Author interview at Science Fiction and Other ODDysseys http://sciencefictionmusings.blogspot...
June 20, 2009
The ending fits, but it feels like about 3/4 of the way through this one Frost realized he had to wrap it up and gave us an infodump followed by an immediate conclusion. The pacing at the end was very different from the rest of the book.
July 29, 2009
The second of the Shadowbridge "duology"; here we finally find out - sorta - what happened in the past that caused the assumed death of Lea/Jax's parents. I found myself being rather impatient with this book ("just get to the punchline already!"). Again 2 stars.
January 3, 2010
Ugh. Absolutely no reason for the two books to have been split in two. Ugh.
The romance between Diverus and Leodora was absolutely awful.
The mirror city was stupid.
The evil chasing after them was dumb.
A lot worse than the first book.
The romance between Diverus and Leodora was absolutely awful.
The mirror city was stupid.
The evil chasing after them was dumb.
A lot worse than the first book.
July 26, 2010
Very enjoyable. What I'm enjoying most about this series is the way Frost uses the embedded stories to tell us more about the world. Plus, it's nice to see a puppeteer protagonist with a fairly decent understanding of how puppetry works.
September 3, 2008
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2008
so far, i am enjoying this as much as shadowbridge...
January 21, 2009
The ending was very sudden, but it was an amazing book still. I love the little romance between Leodora and Diverus, it's very sweet. Too bad we didn't get to see them expand that relationship.
February 3, 2009
For all the build up and twists, it just didn't satisfy my interest.
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