Beat the Back-to-School Blues Blog Tour: Bridge of the Gods by Dian Rios (Melissa’s review)

Bridge of the Gods
written by Diane Rios
published by She Writes Press, 2017

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, Walmart, Book Depository, Goodreads

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Did I enjoy this book? So here’s what happened. I promised I’d have this book finished for the blog tour, then promptly forgot about it until two days before I was supposed to post. So obviously I’m reading like a maniac–while folding laundry, while stirring dinner . . . you get the idea. Here’s the thing: this is a book based on a world where mountains decide to fall asleep. Because the only thing less mobile than a mountain is a SLEEPING mountain. Guess what. This is not at all a fast read. It’s downright molasses-in-winter slow.

If I’d have had more time (totally my fault), I’d likely have said how I loved the sleepy, old world pace. I’d have drawn lovely parallels between nature and prose and mentioned how despite the creepy body-collecting ambulances this was a beautiful ramble through both the outdoors and the plot. As it were, though, I just kept thinking to myself, “HURRY UP ALREADY! I KNOW FROM THE BLURB YOU’RE GOING TO GET KIDNAPPED AND SOLD TO VAGABONDS. WE’RE NEARLY HALFWAY THROUGH THE BOOK AND YOU’RE STILL HOME! GET ON WITH IT!”

Though I do feel like Rios waited until the midpoint of the book to really get things started, I did enjoy it. I love Chloe and Shakespeare. I love the idea of “natural magic” instead of wands and spells. I LOVE Mrs. Goodweather (and I sort of want to steal her recipe book). I was hoping for some resolution at the end, but I suppose I’ll just have to wait for the next book to see how things play out.

 

Would I recommend it? I mean, YES, but please make sure you give yourself enough time to enjoy it . . . this is not the sort of book one ought to read on a deadline.

 

 

About the book – from Goodreads: Twelve-year-old Chloe Ashton is an only child living in the remote wilderness of Oregon. She spends her days happily exploring the forests around her home, and is astonished to find the animals seem to know her, to follow her, and even try to speak to her. When a family tragedy results in Chloe’s abduction and sale to the vagabonds, she is taken deeper into the woods, and finds out just how much the animals know. Set at a time when technology is first touching the west, there is an evil rising in the land. The country is under attack, and all creatures, man and beast, must hide. The old legends speak of an ancient, natural magic deep within the mountains and rivers, and as Chloe struggles to survive, she finds that it still exists deep within the forests. Friendship can be found even in the darkest of places, and it doesn’t always come in human form. Bridge of the Gods is a novel for all ages about the magical power of nature, and of finding friendship in the darkest of places.