Title: The Big Question
Author: Garth Nix
In: To Hold the Bridge (Garth Nix)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: But the path down to the cave followed a very narrow, very steep, and very slippery ledge.

A young man asks a wise woman ‘what else is there in the world?’ He finds his answer in the most intensive journey of a lifetime.

What else is there in the world? It’s a question that we all ask ourselves, especially when we’re growing up. Or at least, it’s a question that I ask myself on an almost daily basis. Is there more to the world? What else can I experience? Is my small life secluded, or peaceful?

In The Big Question, Nix takes the question of ‘what else is there?’ and sends a young boy on a journey to manhood. Not just to discover the answer to his question, but to experience the world, love, loss and the realms of humanity.

Sometimes it’s difficult to write a short story that spans years, it is a lot of time passing and information to slot into just a few small words. But this is beautifully done and has turned a simple coming of age story into one that I would love to read again and again and again.

Image source: Goodreads

Title: You Won’t Feel a Thing
Author: Garth Nix
In: To Hold the Bridge (Garth Nix)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: Or at least it was only useful for one thing.

A young boy has a toothache and his visit to the dentist goes nothing like planned.

Nobody likes going to the dentist, and honestly, after reading this short story, I’m not really keen on going to the dentist again… EVER.

The beauty of this story is not only that its short, but it leaves you wanting so much more. Nix’s creation of a dystopian world where there are only children alive is kind of brilliant. Especially when the story is about coming of age in a difficult situation. Well, for some of the characters… yet, there is still an adult tone and message through the tale that I absolutely LOVE.

Although this story kind of makes me terrified of going to the dentist, it also reminds me that some things just shouldn’t be put off. Sometimes you are better off getting help when you need it, and not just toughing out the pain. Actually, it was a good reminder that I should stop putting off some of my responsibilities and actually make my own appointments (isn’t the “I don’t have time” excuse, kind of like “the dog ate my homework”??)

Image source: Goodreads

Title: A Handful of Ashes
Author: Garth Nix
In: To Hold the Bridge (Garth Nix) & Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron (Jonathan Strahan)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: Raised in the college, she regarded the involvement of any of the university authorities as a very last resort, and the Chancellor… well, the less he had to do with the College, the better.

Mari and Francesca are sizars – poor students allowed to study witchcraft at Ermine College in return for menial work. Despite the few hours they can dedicate to reading and learning, they are both talented at magic, and determined to graduate. When some of their wealthier schoolmates invoke powerful magic laws to humiliate them, they unleash more than they bargained for. Can the sizars save the college? The future of Ermine College is at stake!

Caste systems and the different tiers which we find ourselves in based on our socio-economic status have always been something that fascinate me. And, it obviously fascinates so many other people – after all, there are a lot of stories which use this as one of their themes. And, as always, Garth Nix takes this difference in people’s standing and writes an incredible story about it.

We all have had to go to school and study, in some format or another, and I loved the setting of the academy in A Handful of Ashes. The role of the sizars is no more than a servant with educational privileges, and the ways in which they are ridiculed by the other members of the school is cruel. Yet, it is the returning of the ancient rules that really bring havoc upon the College. It is a great reminder that you should always look to the future, not continue to reflect on the past. After all, there is nothing we can do to change it, and bringing it back can certainly call forth many dangers.

Image source: Goodreads

Title: Old Friends
Author: Garth Nix
In: To Hold the Bridge (Garth Nix)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: They always knew beforehand, the carriers of water and hewers of wood.

Good friends are important to everyone, but sometimes you mostly just need the help of old friends.

There’s nothing like old friends.

I loved the reminder that no matter how far you travel, or where you go in life – old friends will always be there for you. When they can. Nix’s fantasy spin on this message was just perfect. It is incredibly difficult to describe just how fantastic this short story was. I loved the message of friendship and the main character’s desperation to reconnect with people from his past. And the eventual way in which they were reunited made it easy to realise that just how important and integral friends are to our existence.

Yet, all is not as it seems – there is a great and unpredictable twist to the end of the story and although it is kind of perfect, it certainly wasn’t what I expected.

Image source: Goodreads