TO HOLD THE BRIDGE
By Garth Nix. Allen and Unwin. $19.99.
To Hold the Bridge brings together 19 previously published stories by bestselling Australian author Garth Nix. The title novella, set in his "Old Kingdom" world, follows a classic fantasy theme, as a young cadet in the Bridge Company finds himself the last defender of the bridge against dark magic. A similar scenario plays out for a young apprentice witch in A Handful of Ashes, after an ancient evil takes over the headmistress of a Hogwarts-like college. In The Quiet Knight, a shy student uses his medieval role-playing to save the day in an American high school. Nix's empathetic characterisation and plot vitality will particularly appeal to a YA readership .
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
THE FIELD OF THE CLOTH OF GOLD
By Magnus Mills. Bloomsbury. $35.
Magnus Mills' eighth novel takes its title from the meeting of Henry VIII and Francis 1 in 1520, but typically, given Mills' surreal literary tradition, it has only a field in common with that famous event. The nameless narrator pitches his tent in an isolated field but it soon it fills up with a variety of strange characters, including Thomas, a druid like figure, and the regal Isabella. Collegiality quickly disappears after one group divides the field with turf walls and sectarian tensions erupt. Mills' deadpan fable effectively satirises contemporary Britain and attitudes to immigration, multiculturalism and social change.
THE VAGRANT
By Peter Newman. Harper Voyager. $29.99
Peter Newman's debut novel The Vagrant has another enigmatic main character. In a war-torn broken land, the "Usurper" and his demonic hordes have emerged triumphant. The Shining City is the last bastion of humanity, but its Seraph Knights are severely weakened. Enter the silent "Vagrant", who, with his powerful legendary sword, is the last hope to save humanity. Curiously, he is accompanied by a baby, and a goat to provide her milk, which surprisingly works as a plotline. While there are clearly echoes of the fantasy novels of Michael Moorcock, Stephen King and Stephen Donaldson, The Vagrant is a compelling read for diehard fantasy fans.
