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flighty's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the stories deep in witches and folklore and mythology. The rest I started skimming through by the end of each story.
madhatter360's review against another edition
3.0
I liked most of the stories. There was only one that I didn't finish.
hilaryjsc's review against another edition
4.0
Came for the Old Kingdom novella, stayed for the stellar collection of other short stories.
nightshade_novels's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I've been meaning to read this book for years. I was excited to see some more from the Old Kingdom and whatever other random short stories Nix has come up with.
- To Hold the Bridge: It's interesting to see a story based to the north of the Old Kingdom. So much of the series is based in the south, around the border with Ancelstierre, that it is easy to forget that there's another country to its northern border too. I was expecting things to go wrong, leaving Morghan to defend the bridge, but it still took me by surprise. I really enjoyed this short story, but would have loved it to have been longer. I grew surprisingly attached to Morghan and would have loved to have seen what he got up to in the time jumps and after the story.
- Vampire Weather: This was a fun little story. I really liked the set up and the realisation that the village is seemingly way behind the rest of the world and therefore the vampires only remaining food source. I'm not quite sure how I felt about the ending. I kinda think him getting staked or going with Jane would have been preferable to his aim at revenge.
- Strange Fishing in the Western Highlands: This was such a strange story. I had to look up who Hellboy was. Now I'm wondering if this story would make more sense to me if I knew more about Hellboy. It just feels a bit out of place to have this story here, when it's clearly part of a bigger franchise, even if Nix did write it.
- Old Friends: I liked this one. It was suitably creepy and intriguing. I'm still not quite sure what was going on, but I'd read more of it.
- The Quiet Knight: I really enjoyed this one. It was a fun little story and I liked Tony's character.
- You Won't Feel a Thing: I thought this world felt familiar as I was reading it, I wish the author's note explaining that it is part of the same world as Shade's Children was at the start instead of the end, then I'd have spent less time trying to figure out why it felt familiar. But it was an interesting little addition to that world.
- A Handful of Ashes: This was a really cool story. I'd happily read a full novel about these characters and their time at the college. I was surprised that their plan went exactly as they said it would though. That rarely happens in stories.
- The Big Question: While I did enjoy this one, not much really happened. Or rather, a lot happened but it was just described almost in a long list, so it wasn't overly exciting to read. It was hard to get invested in anything when everything was brushed over so quickly.
- Stop!: This one was fun. I could see hints of Nix's writing in the Old Kingdom series here. It felt very much like the people south of the wall trying to fight the dead with ineffective weapons.
- Infestation: I liked this one too. I was surprised by a second vampire story in this book, but it was interesting and with a weird alien twist to it.
- The Heart of the City: I wasn't too impressed with this story. I'm not quite sure what the point of it was. Other than some angels fighting through humans.
- Ambrose and the Ancient Spirits of the East and West: I'm not sure I really liked this story either. I think Ambrose had earned the right to be left alone to recuperate. I'm not sure how I feel about them basically forcing/tricking him into having his PTSD cured, while also knowingly stealing a year of his life just so they can use him again.
- Holly and Iron: Considering this is a short story, the first part dragged and I ended up putting the book down for a while. The second half was really fun though.
- The Curious Case of the Moondawn Daffodils Murder: As Experienced by Sir Magnus Holmes and Almost-Doctor Susan Shrike: This one was fine. I'm not usually a fan of mystery stories, especially Sherlock style ones. I'm getting more and more frustrated with the unanswered questions in these stories. I want to know what the yellow pill is for. It feels very much like I just read a chapter out of a longer book, rather than a self-contained story.
- An Unwelcome Guest: A twist on the Rapunzel story, this one was a bit of fun. Not too amazing, but an acceptable short read. I liked the witches character and her increasing frustration at Rapunzel abusing the loopholes was amusing.
- The Highest Justice: I actually really enjoyed this one. It was slightly creepy, it was fun and it had a nice protagonist. The young guard was a nice character too, even though he's seen only briefly. The imagining of a unicorn in this way was really cool. I'd like to read more from this world.
- Master Haddad's Holiday: This was a fun little story which I really enjoyed. I'd love to know more about this universe and follow more of Haddad's adventures now that he's a master.
- A Sidekick of Mars: I didn't enjoy this one. The sci-fi element could have been interesting but not paired with the western element. I didn't like the protagonist and therefore wasn't really interested in what was happening to them.
- Peace in Our Time: I swung wildly between enjoying this one and not enjoying it. The world building is really interesting for such a short story and I'd love to read a whole book based in this world, but the actual story itself left too many questions unanswered.
I've no idea what I thought of this book as a whole. Some of the stories were really good and some were not. I've definitely decided that I'm not a fan of the short story format though (which is weird, because I do love the Warhammer anthologies). I loved the addition to the Old Kingdom world, so for that alone this book is worth it, but I'd be more inclined to just reread that story in the future and maybe a few of my favourites of the others, but not the whole book.
- To Hold the Bridge: It's interesting to see a story based to the north of the Old Kingdom. So much of the series is based in the south, around the border with Ancelstierre, that it is easy to forget that there's another country to its northern border too. I was expecting things to go wrong, leaving Morghan to defend the bridge, but it still took me by surprise. I really enjoyed this short story, but would have loved it to have been longer. I grew surprisingly attached to Morghan and would have loved to have seen what he got up to in the time jumps and after the story.
- Vampire Weather: This was a fun little story. I really liked the set up and the realisation that the village is seemingly way behind the rest of the world and therefore the vampires only remaining food source. I'm not quite sure how I felt about the ending. I kinda think
- Strange Fishing in the Western Highlands: This was such a strange story. I had to look up who Hellboy was. Now I'm wondering if this story would make more sense to me if I knew more about Hellboy. It just feels a bit out of place to have this story here, when it's clearly part of a bigger franchise, even if Nix did write it.
- Old Friends: I liked this one. It was suitably creepy and intriguing. I'm still not quite sure what was going on, but I'd read more of it.
- The Quiet Knight: I really enjoyed this one. It was a fun little story and I liked Tony's character.
- You Won't Feel a Thing: I thought this world felt familiar as I was reading it, I wish the author's note explaining that it is part of the same world as Shade's Children was at the start instead of the end, then I'd have spent less time trying to figure out why it felt familiar. But it was an interesting little addition to that world.
- A Handful of Ashes: This was a really cool story. I'd happily read a full novel about these characters and their time at the college. I was surprised that their plan went exactly as they said it would though. That rarely happens in stories.
- The Big Question: While I did enjoy this one, not much really happened. Or rather, a lot happened but it was just described almost in a long list, so it wasn't overly exciting to read. It was hard to get invested in anything when everything was brushed over so quickly.
- Stop!: This one was fun. I could see hints of Nix's writing in the Old Kingdom series here. It felt very much like the people south of the wall trying to fight the dead with ineffective weapons.
- Infestation: I liked this one too. I was surprised by a second vampire story in this book, but it was interesting and with a
- The Heart of the City: I wasn't too impressed with this story. I'm not quite sure what the point of it was. Other than some angels fighting through humans.
- Ambrose and the Ancient Spirits of the East and West: I'm not sure I really liked this story either. I think Ambrose had earned the right to be left alone to recuperate. I'm not sure how I feel about
- Holly and Iron: Considering this is a short story, the first part dragged and I ended up putting the book down for a while. The second half was really fun though.
- The Curious Case of the Moondawn Daffodils Murder: As Experienced by Sir Magnus Holmes and Almost-Doctor Susan Shrike: This one was fine. I'm not usually a fan of mystery stories, especially Sherlock style ones. I'm getting more and more frustrated with the unanswered questions in these stories. I want to know what the yellow pill is for. It feels very much like I just read a chapter out of a longer book, rather than a self-contained story.
- An Unwelcome Guest: A twist on the Rapunzel story, this one was a bit of fun. Not too amazing, but an acceptable short read. I liked the witches character and her increasing frustration at Rapunzel abusing the loopholes was amusing.
- The Highest Justice: I actually really enjoyed this one. It was slightly creepy, it was fun and it had a nice protagonist. The young guard was a nice character too, even though he's seen only briefly. The imagining of a unicorn in this way was really cool. I'd like to read more from this world.
- Master Haddad's Holiday: This was a fun little story which I really enjoyed. I'd love to know more about this universe and follow more of Haddad's adventures now that
- A Sidekick of Mars: I didn't enjoy this one. The sci-fi element could have been interesting but not paired with the western element. I didn't like the protagonist and therefore wasn't really interested in what was happening to them.
- Peace in Our Time: I swung wildly between enjoying this one and not enjoying it. The world building is really interesting for such a short story and I'd love to read a whole book based in this world, but the actual story itself left too many questions unanswered.
I've no idea what I thought of this book as a whole. Some of the stories were really good and some were not. I've definitely decided that I'm not a fan of the short story format though (which is weird, because I do love the Warhammer anthologies). I loved the addition to the Old Kingdom world, so for that alone this book is worth it, but I'd be more inclined to just reread that story in the future and maybe a few of my favourites of the others, but not the whole book.
moddey_dhoo's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
geldauran's review against another edition
4.0
Particular favorites include: To Hold the Bridge, A Handful of Ashes, Infestation, and Holly and Iron.
annamcc_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
charlibirb's review against another edition
2.0
I only read the story that had to do with the Sabriel world. This particular story was totally skippable. I didn't see how it really tied in in any meaningful way, and it was pretty boring. The story in Across the Wall made a lot more sense. Am I missing something?
milliebot_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.5
My motivation for reading this was the title story, To Hold The Bridge. I'm rereading the series but wanted to do it chronologically. This was a nice little story that gives some background to the lore of the world of the Abhorsen series. I don't think you need to read it to enjoy the main trilogy (or Clariel), but if you are a big fan of the world, then I think it's worth adding to the larger picture. What I would really love is an Old World shorts collection - I know there are a couple other shorts out there that aren't published in books, plus there's another story in Across the Wall; it would be nice to have them all in one volume.
Anyway, this is a decent collection. There were some stories I really loved, others that were fine, and a couple that I just didn't gel with, mostly for "being unable to properly visualize the world or understand the terms reasons." There were none that I deeply disliked, though I will say the sci-fi group of stories were the ones I connected with the least. For me, Nix's strong suit lays more towards fantasy.
Some faves:
Vampire Weather - an interesting look at modern vampires paired with a community who scorns technology and modernity
Old Friends - elder beings (gods, even?) living in our modern world, but waging a war across time; it was a little melancholy, but the ending gives hope
A Handful of Ashes - witches who must also work as servants in a magical boarding school (there are more schools for wizards than witches, so their opportunities are even more rare) discover a plot to bring back some old ways that could bring doom to the school; wow I really loved this and feel it could easily be a novella, if not a full-length novel. I was interested in the magic system and types of magic and I just want more!
Infestation - another twist on vampires, but with a dash of sci-fi; here's another one I'd love to read more of. I liked the main character and once he reveals what's going on with the vampires, I was interested in learning more about the history of how they came to be on Earth and this particular hunter's travels.
Holly and Iron - a gender-bent, extra-magical take on The Sword in the Stone; I appreciated how different types of magic were woven into this story and the main character's family
...Moondawn Daffodils Murder - a mini murder mystery case to be solved by the cousin of Sherlock Holmes and one "almost doctor" sidekick; this brings an occult twist to Sherlock's realm and I really wanted to know more about the cousin, Magnus. Again, I need more!
An Unwelcome Guest - a lighthearted, humorous look at Rapunzel where the witch isn't the villain; this was cute and creative and once again, I'd love to spend more time in this world.
A Sidekick of Mars - Snippets from the adventures of John Carter of Mars, but told by the unmentioned Lam Jones; I don't know jack about John Carter - I vaguely remember a movie preview and I don't plan to read the books. But honestly, I would read a whole book from Lam's perspective. I might have looked up the synopsis for the first book way back in the day and decided Carter wasn't someone I cared to read about and I feel like Lam confirmed that with his tale of their initial meeting. I liked the old west vibes and Lam's down to earth (LOL) perspective. I also appreciated how this tale ended.
Anyway, this is a decent collection. There were some stories I really loved, others that were fine, and a couple that I just didn't gel with, mostly for "being unable to properly visualize the world or understand the terms reasons." There were none that I deeply disliked, though I will say the sci-fi group of stories were the ones I connected with the least. For me, Nix's strong suit lays more towards fantasy.
Some faves:
Vampire Weather - an interesting look at modern vampires paired with a community who scorns technology and modernity
Old Friends - elder beings (gods, even?) living in our modern world, but waging a war across time; it was a little melancholy, but the ending gives hope
A Handful of Ashes - witches who must also work as servants in a magical boarding school (there are more schools for wizards than witches, so their opportunities are even more rare) discover a plot to bring back some old ways that could bring doom to the school; wow I really loved this and feel it could easily be a novella, if not a full-length novel. I was interested in the magic system and types of magic and I just want more!
Infestation - another twist on vampires, but with a dash of sci-fi; here's another one I'd love to read more of. I liked the main character and once he reveals what's going on with the vampires, I was interested in learning more about the history of how they came to be on Earth and this particular hunter's travels.
Holly and Iron - a gender-bent, extra-magical take on The Sword in the Stone; I appreciated how different types of magic were woven into this story and the main character's family
...Moondawn Daffodils Murder - a mini murder mystery case to be solved by the cousin of Sherlock Holmes and one "almost doctor" sidekick; this brings an occult twist to Sherlock's realm and I really wanted to know more about the cousin, Magnus. Again, I need more!
An Unwelcome Guest - a lighthearted, humorous look at Rapunzel where the witch isn't the villain; this was cute and creative and once again, I'd love to spend more time in this world.
A Sidekick of Mars - Snippets from the adventures of John Carter of Mars, but told by the unmentioned Lam Jones; I don't know jack about John Carter - I vaguely remember a movie preview and I don't plan to read the books. But honestly, I would read a whole book from Lam's perspective. I might have looked up the synopsis for the first book way back in the day and decided Carter wasn't someone I cared to read about and I feel like Lam confirmed that with his tale of their initial meeting. I liked the old west vibes and Lam's down to earth (LOL) perspective. I also appreciated how this tale ended.