The Arben Bridge

by Ellie Rees

Tarley Hillis, a Junior Guard of the centuries old Arben Bridge, has yearned and trained for the job her entire life. It is one of the most coveted and dangerous roles in her city of Miraylia yet no one in the world knows what the bridge and its guardians have been protecting for all this time.

For the past six months guards have seemingly been disappearing into thin air and neither the government or even the bridge's Head Commander know why or where their people are being taken.

Tarley takes it upon herself to solve the mystery and in doing so finds out so much more about the bridge, her city and its secret history than she could have ever imagined.

314 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 6, 2020

About the author

Hello world!

My name is Ellie Rees and I am an up and coming writer (I hope!) based in Cardiff, South Wales. I've loved writing stories ever since I was about six years old and every Friday in primary school meant getting our story books out and writing for an hour. To me it was absolute heaven.

As I grew older I went through many ideas for 'dream jobs' but each one seemed to have a creative focus. For many years I wanted to be an actress but, eventually, I realised that what I loved most about that world was the stories and what I enjoyed most was creating those stories. Once I got to university I undertook a creative writing module as part of my degree and began to take an interest in script writing, something I had never considered before. Now I like to write both film and television scripts as well as prose pieces.

My debut novel, The Arben Bridge, is now on sale via Amazon and I'm very excited to share it with you all!

All the best,

Ellie

P.S As a thriving millenial you can also find me on Facebook (Ellie Rees Likes to Write) and Instagram (@msellierees), do say hello!

Reviews

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly could not put this book down! So many twists and turns which keep you wanting to know more. An amazing first novel by the author, would recommend to everyone!

[Rhian Eleri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an easy story to follow. Clear, yet very ambitious.
This is fantasy, but feels almost real, until all the strange things begin to happen.
Some strong characters that I enjoyed to read about and often found myself wondering what It would be like to live as a hero.
Arben Bridge is hiding an ancient secret. I dare you to read to find out!

[B.T. Keaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the sort of book that makes one want to not only read, but to create a magical world of one's own. Arben Bridge is set in a fictional city (Miraylia). The Arben Bridge has always been in the city, at least in the memory of those currently occupying it. Funnily enough, no one alive can seem to remember why the bridge must be guarded, let alone why it was constructed in the first place. Keen-eyed readers might notice the subtle-Arthurian nods—and not-so-subtle nods—to Gaiman's Stardust. All the same, these nods enrich Rees' story—equally a mix of swords, sorcery, and fantastical technology. The plot hits the ground running when more than one of the guards of the bridge go missing, and the curious & headstrong Tarley takes charge of the situation to find out what's happening before she joins the missing herself. (No spoilers!) 🙌 recommended.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I couldn’t put down. I read it in two days!
The world which the author creates is so immersive, you feel like you have always known Miralyia, it’s streets and the people within it.
The pace of the novel just builds and builds to such a great boiling point, and the characters are really well developed: I adored Tarley - the main character, and was rooting for her throughout.
It’s difficult to write an engaging fantasy novel but this book does such a great job of finding the balance between relatable relationships and an imaginative lifestyle.
100% would recommend. As we are currently in lockdown, there’s no better time to give this new author and debut novel a go! Can’t wait for the next book from this author.

[echo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing review to come soon

[Kyra Fernsby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book! I could hardly put it down, the perfect amount of twists and suspense with a great dose of comedic elements too! There were moments where I got chills while reading, and the characters are so easy to connect with

[alis_readss · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for a book to start reading fantasy, I'll say read The Arben Bridge. This book made me forget I was reading it, it was a smooth and fast paced read, always love a strong and determined female character and Tarley portrayed it very well, this book had amazing plot twists, and it didn't take me long to get absorbed in the whole story. One thing tho I couldn't get my head around all the names (too many) but overall enjoyed this book and surely will be reading more fantasy, thank u Ellie🤍

[Caitlin Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel follows Tarley, someone who has always wanted to guard the Arben Bridge, and how she unravels the mysteries of the city of Miraylia.📚
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The Arben Bridge is centuries old, yet the guards have never known what exactly they’re protecting, and just how dangerous their futures may become. 💚
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If you’re a fan of mystery, of fantasy, and of unexpected twists and turns, you’ll love THE ARBEN BRIDGE. ❤️

[Nicola Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible - I was hooked all the way through, there were so many unexpected twists and turns and yet the story was also seamless beginning to end. Would love to read more about this universe - any chance of a prequel? ;)

[Hannah McAulay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Arben Bridge is set in the fantasy city of Miraylia and is told primarily from the perspective of Tarley Hillis, a guard of the bridge. The bridge has existed for centuries, but very few in the city - even those guarding it - know why it was built or why it needs guarding. Recently, there have been several un-explained disappearances of guards of the bridge, which the head of the city is seemingly at a loss to explain. It’s rumoured that a rebel group who oppose the bridge (The Inquiry) may be the ones behind the disappearances, but no one is sure how or why they are causing guards to disappear. When one of Tarley’s own family becomes the latest to disappear, she decides to take matters into her own hands and find out what’s going on.

I’ve not read many fantasy novels before (pretty much just Harry Potter and a handful of GoT books), and had always thought that it wasn’t a genre I was particularly interested in… so I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the storyline gripped me and by how much I enjoyed this book.

The book is action packed and full of unexpected twists and turns that really caught me by surprise and made me even more keen to carry on reading and find out what happens next.

I enjoyed the way that Rees has combined the old and the new - hover cars and communication by hologram, mixed with old fashioned magic and sword fighting. It felt very different from other fantasy worlds I’ve encountered (in books and films), which are often absent of future technology, focusing on more medieval references.

I also loved the characterisation of Tarley - a strong and fiery lead character, with really interesting development throughout the novel.

I’d really recommend this if you’re a fan of fantasy or looking to explore the genre and, of course, if you are keen to support independent authors!

[Rachel Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Arben Bridge by Ellie Rees is set in the beautiful, mythical city of Miraylia, which I wish existed because if it did I'd be booking myself a trip. The place sounds magical! The premise of the story is that the guards of the bridge are mysteriously disappearing and Tarley, our heroine, decides to poke about and find out what's happening.
The best thing about this story is the concept - I thought it was remarkably unique and I had no idea what the 'secret' was until it was revealed. Job well done Ellie! The writing style was good but for me the pace was a little slow and I would have liked a little humour - just the odd one liner would have lifted the tone.
If you enjoy supernatural adventures that are on the serious side why not give this a go?