![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
Book Review: Lord Tophet (Shadowbridge Book Two) by Gregory Frost
Title: Lord Tophet (Shadowbridge Book Two)
Author: Gregory Frost
Published: New York: Ballantine Books, 2008
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 222
Total Page Count: 64,810
Text Number: 186
Read For: sequel to Shadowbridge, recommended by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
calico_reaction, checked out from the library
Short review: Continuing where Shadowbridge left off, Lord Tophet follows Leodora and her companions as they begin on a new spiral, storytelling and rebuilding Leodora's reputation. But this time, Leodora is marked by the gods and tracked by Lord Tophet himself, who seeks to destroy Leodora and will bring entire spans to ruin just to reach her. This sequel (more accurately, the second half of a single story) puts less emphasis on premise and world building and greater emphasis on plot and themes. As a result, it lacks some of the magic conjured by the world of Shadowbridge, but it tells a stronger story. That story didn't quite capture me, but it's good overall and an enjoyable conclusion to the Shadowbridge duology. I recommend both books.
It's a rare day when I prefer world building to storytelling, but today I do. The world of Shadowbridge, so vividly created in the first book, is remarkable, imaginative, and truly magical. Lord Tophet expands that world with new settings and backstory, but for the most part it leaves world building behind to focus on the plot. This is a necessary change, of course, but still a sad one. I miss discovering the world of Shadowbridge, and I wish that its new aspects uncovered in this sequel were a better fit to prior exploration. Much of the world building that exists concentrates not on Shadowbridge but on its mythical underworld, skewing the story in an unexpected and, sadly, less interesting direction. Meanwhile, the plot that fills and finishes the book walks directly into the territory of history (and Leodora's father) and magic, gods, and underworlds. As a result, the plot is vast and meaningful—but it also strays a bit too far from Leodora. Finally, the book ends abruptly, nearly abandoning Leodora and instead emphasizing the themes which (although strong) aren't as interesting as a character would be.
While Shadowbridge, despite being all concept and no execution, captured me in its rich and imaginative world building, the plot of Lord Tophet, despite its wonderful themes and overall strength, failed to have the same effect. It didn't capture and delight me—to the same extent, anyway. It's still quite good, though: it's a welcome second half to the story, the emphasis on plot develops into some truly admirable themes about the powers of creation, destruction, and the ability to chose between the two, and the world of Shadowbridge remains, if in less detail, still magical and engaging. I wish that the story had of this second book had remained closer to the premise of the first (and I wish that the two books had been published in one volume), but I still enjoyed Lord Tophet and the Shadowbridge duology as a whole. I recommend both books, because the world building is simply too wonderful to pass up and they deserve a wider audience.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
Author: Gregory Frost
Published: New York: Ballantine Books, 2008
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 222
Total Page Count: 64,810
Text Number: 186
Read For: sequel to Shadowbridge, recommended by
calico_reaction, checked out from the libraryShort review: Continuing where Shadowbridge left off, Lord Tophet follows Leodora and her companions as they begin on a new spiral, storytelling and rebuilding Leodora's reputation. But this time, Leodora is marked by the gods and tracked by Lord Tophet himself, who seeks to destroy Leodora and will bring entire spans to ruin just to reach her. This sequel (more accurately, the second half of a single story) puts less emphasis on premise and world building and greater emphasis on plot and themes. As a result, it lacks some of the magic conjured by the world of Shadowbridge, but it tells a stronger story. That story didn't quite capture me, but it's good overall and an enjoyable conclusion to the Shadowbridge duology. I recommend both books.
It's a rare day when I prefer world building to storytelling, but today I do. The world of Shadowbridge, so vividly created in the first book, is remarkable, imaginative, and truly magical. Lord Tophet expands that world with new settings and backstory, but for the most part it leaves world building behind to focus on the plot. This is a necessary change, of course, but still a sad one. I miss discovering the world of Shadowbridge, and I wish that its new aspects uncovered in this sequel were a better fit to prior exploration. Much of the world building that exists concentrates not on Shadowbridge but on its mythical underworld, skewing the story in an unexpected and, sadly, less interesting direction. Meanwhile, the plot that fills and finishes the book walks directly into the territory of history (and Leodora's father) and magic, gods, and underworlds. As a result, the plot is vast and meaningful—but it also strays a bit too far from Leodora. Finally, the book ends abruptly, nearly abandoning Leodora and instead emphasizing the themes which (although strong) aren't as interesting as a character would be.
While Shadowbridge, despite being all concept and no execution, captured me in its rich and imaginative world building, the plot of Lord Tophet, despite its wonderful themes and overall strength, failed to have the same effect. It didn't capture and delight me—to the same extent, anyway. It's still quite good, though: it's a welcome second half to the story, the emphasis on plot develops into some truly admirable themes about the powers of creation, destruction, and the ability to chose between the two, and the world of Shadowbridge remains, if in less detail, still magical and engaging. I wish that the story had of this second book had remained closer to the premise of the first (and I wish that the two books had been published in one volume), but I still enjoyed Lord Tophet and the Shadowbridge duology as a whole. I recommend both books, because the world building is simply too wonderful to pass up and they deserve a wider audience.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.