June 8, 2012
Duncan Lay’s latest book offers something for new and old readers. While it’s set in the same world as his previous ‘Dragon Sword Histories’ and features some of the same elements, Bridge of Swords concerns new characters and is set on a completely different continent. Readers of Lay's earlier books will also recognise the magic and theology, but the book stands perfectly well on its own. One of the most enjoyable elements of this book is the culture of the elves, which is heavily inspired by feudal Japan and the Samurai. It offers an opportunity for some interesting culture clashes between the elven protagonist and the more traditional Anglo-Celtic culture in which he finds himself trapped. In Dokuzen, the land of the elves, the magic is fading. Each generation seems less able than the last and some elves wonder if the magical barrier that protects them from the rest of the world may one day fail too. When Sendatsu unintentionally learns that everything he has been told about the purpose of the barrier and even his own identity as an elf may be a deliberate lie, he sets in motion a series of events that will see him cast out from his home. Forced to seek the truth among the humans beyond the barrier he is drawn into a desperate struggle to save the people who may have the answers he seeks. This is a fast-paced action fantasy that will appeal to fans of Feist and Gemmel.
Stefen Brazulaitis is a freelance reviewer and the owner of Fantastic Planet, a specialist genre fiction bookstore in Perth