Review: The Bridge by Rachel Lou

Author: Rachel Lou

Length: 244 Pages

Category: Young Adult, Paranormal/Fantasy

At a Glance: I found myself enthralled by the world the author created.

Reviewed By: Taz

Blurb: Everett Hallman might not be the world’s most powerful witch, but he does his part by helping wayward souls find their way to the beyond. Then a feeling Everett can’t explain lures him away from the magical woods near his house, to a local martial arts school. There, he is intrigued when he uncovers remains left by supernatural beings of enormous power, and he cannot resist looking into the mystery.

Everett learns he is a Bridge Master: a witch capable of passing into different spirit realms, but his revelation comes with a new set of problems. First, the powerful witch instructing him disappears, and then he notices something strange about his attractive new friend from the martial arts studio. Worst of all, Everett’s reserves of spell-casting energy continue to deplete. Only one thing is certain—Everett cannot turn his back on this puzzle until he gets some answers.

Review: The Bridge is the first book I’ve read by Rachel Lou. One of the genres I love to read is young adult. This book falls into that category; although, if there were a sequel, I hope it’s an erotic romance since the main character becomes an adult in this story. I found myself enthralled by the world the author created. When reading paranormal books, I’ve tended toward vampire, werewolf and demon/angel stories. This one focused on witches and a creation of the author called hybrids.

Everett was a compelling character. He seemed to not quite fit in his world. He seemed weak, possessing very little energy required for casting spells, and lacking the self-esteem of a witch who would soon realize he is one of the more powerful paranormals who could bridge between the living and demon worlds. Yet, beneath the shell of weakness was strength that slowly unraveled. This I enjoyed reading.

The book was slow for the first half but quickly picked up in pace as the story hurtled towards the action sequence near the book’s conclusion. The internal tension within the main character was believable from someone who is a young adult on the cusp of adulthood. There appear to be two internal battles, one over his growth into his power and another over his interest in Bryce.

There were some aspects to the book I wish had been further elaborated on. In particular, I wish we had learned more about Bryce, Everett’s parents, and the future for Everett in terms of his ability to summon energy on his own to become one of the most powerful witches around. Most specifically, I wish the attraction and pull between Everett and Bryce had been more fully developed. Their attraction was clear. More scenes with the two of them and their growing attraction would have upped the tension for the final battle.

This said, the book does not advertise as an erotic romance and was an enjoyable read, one I was able to take in while soaking in the beautiful summer vitamin D from the sun.

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You can buy The Bridge here:
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