More Short Stories!

To Hold The Bridge, by Garth Nix. A collection of short stories.

I have read a lot more collections of short stories this year than I usually do. They’re a pain to review, since I tend to forget specific stories. This one was brought to my attention by the fact that it’s got a story from the Old Kingdom in it. So, let’s get cracking!

To Hold The Bridge, an Old Kingdom story – I believe this is set years before Clariel, though it’s possible that it takes place some time between Clariel and Sabriel. It’s not important, as the story is very self-contained, focusing on a new recruit to the defenders of a massive bridge (still under construction). The story is fairly straightforward, but offers us glances at what life in the Old Kingdom is like for those not part of the great bloodlines, and also some antagonists that aren’t dead. I would certainly not be adverse to reading more about this!

Vampire Weather – It’s foggy, and that means that there are vampires about! A bit of mystery, a bit of ignorance, and an interesting look at the direction life would take if plagued by vampires. Not my favourite in the collection, but by no means bad.

Strange Fishing in the West Highlands – A story about a perfectly normal doctor and a fishing trip with Hellboy. Yeah, that Hellboy. Pretty fun, plenty of destruction and an old god or two.

Old Friends – I think this one went over my head a little. I’m sure it’s a reference to something, but I can’t figure out what. Still a good story about facing up to the inevitable, but I couldn’t shake the feeling I was missing something.

The Quiet Knight – A wonderful story about being different and being a teenager, set in the modern day. One of my favourites in this collection.

You Won’t Feel A Thing – This story is set in the same world as Shades Children, which I haven’t read. It’s set well before, but does a good job of making me want to track down a copy. It’s about a toothache.

A Handful of Ashes – Set in a school of magic, with a nefarious plot and courageous students! Likable characters and a magic system that’s well explained for a short story mean that I couldn’t not enjoy this.

The Big Question – The story of a journey, and of life, this one tells of both the best and worst of humanity. It’s a little more abstract than most stories, but still interesting,

Stop! – I don’t really know. A man walks into a restricted zone It was okay, but there wasn’t much to it. Kind of an interesting concept, but saying more will give away the main point.

Infestation – Vampire hunting, in a world where organised Vampire Hunts are a thing. A weird concept, but the protagonist makes it work. Also has a very interesting twist, but that would be telling.

The Heart of the City – Set in France in the sixteenth century, the soldiers of King Henri IV escort a vital package across Paris. Some very interesting concepts and themes here make this story one that seems like the opening to a greater tale.

Ambrose and the Ancient Spirits of East and West – A retired agent prepares to re-emerge into the world, but his old enemies and allies have other plans. A strange combination of duty and compulsion drive this story, with some questionable ethics thrown in for good measure. Pretty good.

Holly and Iron – This is one of those stories where I wish there was more of it to read. There are clear influences from Robin Hood, but the story isn’t much like the legend. There’s loss, gain, desperate gambles, and sacrifice. Also some awesome magic. Why must this be only a short story? Probably the best in the collection.

The Curious Case of the Moondawn Daffodils Murder: As Experienced by Sir Magnus Holmes and Almost-Doctor Susan Shrike – Sherlock Holmes’ second cousin is unleashed to assist with an investigation. This is another story I wish there was more of, since there are some great concepts in there. Absolutely great.

An Unwelcome Guest – A witch tries to get rid of a squatter. Turns traditional fairy tails on their head, in a hilarious manner. Also an interesting take on Rapunzel.

The Highest Justice – A princess and her unicorn friend seeking justice. Given the premise, the story has a surprisingly mature theme. Still very good though, just not what you’d expect from unicorns and princesses.

Master Haddad’s Holiday – I’m pretty sure this is a prequel to A Confusion of Princes, a book about, well, a lot of princes. It also serves to illustrate the sheer badassitude of Haddad, even compared to other assassins in this universe. I need to read A Confusion of Princes again…

A Sidekick of Mars – The story of the unknown sidekick of John Carter. I haven’t read the Barsoom series, but this certainly shows its protagonist in an unflattering light! Probably would have more impact for those who’ve read the original.

Peace in Our Time – Excellently written. You need to read it to get the full impact. That might be a bit of a cop-out for a review, but this one’s all about figuring out what’s happened.

Phew, that’s the lot. Why are there always so many stories in these collections? Overall, this is worth picking up just for To Hold The Bridge if you like the Old Kingdom series. The other stories are generally of high quality, with a few real gems. Definitely worth a read whatever you’re fond of reading.

Next up, a tragedy.

Order and Chaos

Clariel, by Garth Nix. A prequel to the Old Kingdom series.

Phew, that was a bit of a break. Apologies, there have been several issues. Computer troubles, busy with work, being a lazy git, and so on. Anyway…

The Old Kingdom series is another of my favourites, thanks in part to wonderful worldbuilding, and the peculiarity of where magic works. I won’t go into more than basic details, but essentially there are Charter magic (representing order and life), and Free magic (representing chaos and death). Good people don’t tend to use Free magic, with a few exceptions who are key to the other novels but don’t really feature in this book. There are also creatures of Death, either reanimated corpses or malevolent spirits, and beings of pure Free magic, who seek the destruction of life in all its forms (those are the bad guys).

Anyway, this book is set many, many years before even the historic events of Sabriel. The Old Kingdon is already around, and magic is the same, but the differences are in the attitude to magic and the world are very different. Charter magic is unfashionable, rather than a guiding light in the dark, and Free magic is more of a myth than an ever-present threat, for example. It’s an interesting perspective, and definitely shows how the world could have got to the state it’s in in Sabriel.

In the style of most of the novels so far, this one takes its name from its heroine: Clariel. A very likable character, and one who I really look forward to seeing again in a later book – I got the impression that her story was only just beginning, despite everything.

Overall, it’s a great book. I’m not sure if it’s better to start here or with the original trilogy of Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen. Either’s valid; you’ll miss out on some cool references reading Clariel first, but I imagine you’ll get them in reverse when you reach Sabriel and Lirael. Actually, yeah, read this one first.

Next up, more short stories.