Veena’s review of Bridge of Dreams (Ephemera, Book 3) by Anne Bishop
Paranormal Romance published by ROC 6 Mar 12

Epic battles between Good (Light) versus Evil (Dark) and the fundamental knowledge that light cannot exist without the dark to reflect it is the stuff that fantasy novels are woven from. In Bridge of Dreams, Anne Bishop continues Lee’s journey from where she left off in Belladonna, starts Danyal’s journey from the introduction in The Voice and brings in Sholleh, Zeela a Zhahar and a host of other supporting characters that will hopefully feature in stories for the future.

Lee is Glorianna Belladonna’s brother and is feeling left out of her life as she deals with the aftermath of defeating the darkness that was the “eater of the world.” Lee’s resentment and jealousy starts to create a distance between his sister and friends and other family. “Be careful what you wish for, it might come true” is never truer when heart’s wishes lead Lee into darkness and pain.

Danyal is a Shaman, or a spirit guide, whose readiness and willingness to open his heart and mind to Lee’s stories about landscapers and bridges creating opportunities and choices for him may have far-reaching consequences.

Sholleh Zeela a Zhahar is a tryad of three aspects that share a single core. They are a blend of light and dark with fears, wishes, dreams, honor, and duty. This is as much their journey as Lee and Danyal’s. Zhahar finds a kindred soul in Lee and a level of acceptance which she has never before received outside her people. Her choices and wishes will create interesting opportunities for her tryad as well as for Lee.

Anne Bishop weaves together the classic battle for supremacy between dark and light, introducing new characters, revisiting old characters and places that you’ve visited in the previous books. It’s fun to see changes that have resulted in old places from choices the people in them have made. In order to fully enjoy the story, it is important to have read the previous books in the series, most particularly the recently released short story, The Voice. Ms. Bishop’s imagination calls to my mind and heart and I enjoyed traveling in her world with her characters for the duration of the book. I look forward to more stories in this world.

Grade: A

Summary:

When wizards threaten Glorianna Belladonna and her work to keep Ephemera balanced, her brother Lee sacrifices himself in order to save her—and ends up an Asylum inmate in the city of Vision, far away from all he knows.

At the same time, a darkness is spreading through Vision—a darkness that hides its nature from the Shamans who tend the city and its people. Danyal, one of the Shamans, oversees the Asylum. A man whose heart is searching for its own dreams, he is intrigued by Lee’s ravings about Bridges and Landscapers and wizards. With the help of Zhahar, a Handler with her own dark secrets, Lee’s body and mind improve, and his words begin to make a terrible kind of sense—giving Danyal and Zhahar a glimpse of a world unlike anything they have seen.

As Danyal, Lee, and Zhahar work together to uncover the danger threatening Vision, they will be forced to look beyond themselves—and within themselves—to discover who they are…and how dangerous they can be.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series: