The Bifrost Bridge
Book Blast
and Review by
my daughter,
Samantha
About the Book
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| The Bifrost Bridge |
Title: The Bifrost Bridge | Author: James Bradley Clarke | Illustrator: Marcus Gran | Publication Date: January, 2013 | Publisher: Wynwidyn Press | Pages: 92 | Recommended Ages: 8+
Summary: The Bifrost Bridge is a Viking princess fairy tale intertwined with Norse mythology. Silya, the feisty ten year old Princess of Norway, eagerly awaits the arrival of her cousin and best friend, Princess Hedda of Denmark. The princesses are both looking forward to the summer solstice celebration, but trouble lurks in their future as magical villains see the girls as being vital for their deadly conspiracy. Hedda and Silya find themselves cast into a dangerous adventure filled with fire giants, female warrior angels and the God of Thunder.
Purchase
Amazon | Wynwidyn Press Books
Samantha Morley's
Review (age 13)
Review (age 13)
The Bifrost Bridge
Being the bright and lovely princess she is, Silya of Norway captures the hearts and thoughts of her kingdom.
The Bifrost Bridge is the telling of a great adventure that Silya, along with the help and companionship of others, found herself in. The beginning showed me at once just how much Silya is loved and it gave me a feeling of great warmth. Silya's parents, King Harald and Queen Lena, seem to enjoy showing Silya how precious she is to them.
As you delve further into the book, you get to meet the many people Silya seems fond of or attached to, such as Hedda, Princess of Denmark, or Silya's pony, Draumer, or even a magical squirrel. I was pleasantly surprised with how much mythology went into the book and I believe this triggered my interest even more. Another surprise I had was that after I finished the book, only then did I read the foreword and author’s name and it baffled me that the author is a male. It did not occur to me that anyone other than a female could have written this story and it was an enjoyment to the end.
It occurred to me that many people will ignore a good book simply because it is too long, but The Bifrost Bridge was long enough to make you feel satisfied, but short enough for you to know that you can finish it.
The Buzz
"A delightful and endearing adventure that winds Norse mythology and two young girls through a whirlwind of danger, friendship and standing up to evil-doers. The Princess heroines, Silya and Hedda, engage the reader with their charming day to day life at the celebrated summer solstice festival in ancient Norway... The book moves along easily and the characters are likable at once. A fun read for the parents, and challenging enough for the children because it may have a few new words and characters they may not know. It is an adorable story that will soon become a favorite." ~ 5 Star Review, Janet, Amazon
"Bifrost Bridge is a beautiful fairytale, mixing legend and adventure and creating a wonderful reading experience for both children and adults alike. I read this to my 7 year old daughter, and my 10 year old daughter read it for herself; both of them were captivated by the story. My 7 year old loved the idea of two princesses being such close friends, and my 10 year old loved all of the action and suspense in the story. I enjoyed the Norse mythology woven into the tale. It's a wonderful family story. I will be reading it to my sons next!" ~ 5 Star Review, Rebecca F., Amazon
"When I first looked into this book, I was sure that the world of fairy tales had been overdone so many times that I wouldn't see much difference between this one & my other classic favorites that I enjoyed over the years with my children... However, I was proven wrong.. This is such a beautiful and entrancing fairy tale! Mr. Clarke takes the often repetitive world of fairy tales and adds an elegant, dramatic twist to it, producing an epic and moving adventure that children will forever cherish! My daughter and I read it together and had many nights where we just didn't want to put it down! His characters, including the feisty Silya, are memorable and seem so very real! It's a hard thing to do that with children's fairy tales and again, I commend Mr. Clarke for releasing a wonderful new fairy tale to pass on to generations to come!" ~ 5 Star Review, Vicky R., Amazon
About the Author:James Bradley Clarke
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| James Bradley Clarke |
James Bradley Clarke is a graduate of Hiram College, The University of Houston, and the University of Michigan. He currently resides in Oxford, Ohio, where he works as an academic librarian for Miami University. He grew up near Ann Arbor, Michigan, and he has spent most of his life in the Great Lakes region.
The Bifrost Bridge is Clarke’s first work of fiction. The children’s book was first developed as stories Clarke started telling to his two daughters back in the summer of 2003. Both girls shared a love for classic princess fairy tales, so he invented original princess characters for both of them. As residents in Riverside, Illinois, Clarke’s family lived in walking distance of the Brookfield Zoo where the girls regularly admired the Norwegian fjord horses. When he learned this ancient breed of horse was used by the Vikings, a specific medieval setting for the stories came into focus.
As a Hiram College student, Clarke had developed a love for the epic poems of Homer and Virgil, so he chose to borrow from mythology to provide magical elements. The girls became instantly enamored with these stories and they insisted on developing new adventures for the two Nordic princess characters. The first draft of a manuscript was produced during the summer of 2005. Clarke’s daughters were delighted with the bound copy they received as a Christmas gift later that year, so he began the process of becoming an author. Clarke has a love for history and a taste for plot driven stories about extraordinary individualism. Themes of fortitude and self-determination lay at the heart of Clarke’s writing interests.
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* $25 Book Blast Giveaway *
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Disclaimer: We received a free copy of this book for our computer in exchange for a review. This review was done by my daughter, Samantha Morley (age 13), and all opinions are her own.
