To Hold the Bridge

April 13, 2015
The title novella, set in Nix’s Old Kingdom, is the gem of this collection of 19 stories, all previously published in recent years. It concerns Morghan, a penniless young man determined to win a job as a cadet for the Bridge Company, a corporation dedicated to the construction of a gigantic bridge. To do so, Morghan must demonstrate his talents with both weapons and magic. Later, he will find himself in the midst of a deadly nighttime assault on the Bridge by the evil Dead. In Vampire Weather, a boy living in a quasi-Amish community must defend himself from the charms of a pretty girl in cahoots with the monsters of the title. A Handful of Ashes describes an attack against a Harry Potter–like boarding school, and The Heart of the City concerns yet another attack, this one on a magical, early-17th-century Paris. Invariably well-written and featuring engaging characters throughout, these stories are all a pleasure to read, though a few are somewhat rushed. Even so, Nix’s fans will treasure this collection. Ages 13–up. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management.