Across the Bridge of Ice

Keira Leichman is recovering from the broken ankle she suffered after being lost in a freak snowstorm, though she is having trouble staying off of her feet as much as she should. She is plagued by strange dreams, and awakening powers she can’t explain that seem to be tied to the strange telescope that her friend Jake carries. Keira steals the telescope, and through it she sees the silver city from her dreams. When a bridge forms between the city and her world, she is drawn across it, along with Jake’s younger brother Daniel. The city of Shar is a place of magic, but also one in the grip of a strict regime that fears and has dire plans for the humans of Earth, and returning home may be more perilous than Keira and Daniel imagine.

Across the Bridge of Ice is a fairly straightforward Young Adult novel; teens find themselves in a strange magical world and both rebel against adult authority and discover new maturity through wielding unforeseen powers and interacting with unfamiliar places and people. The second book in this series, it will be more rewarding for a reader familiar with the first book, as much of the suspense and excitement seems to refer to and build upon the first book’s events, which the reader should remember even if Keira can’t.

The story is largely world-driven, with character development sometimes being left on the back burner to simmer until needed while the world-building main dishes receive more constant attention. This lets the reader explore the mechanics of this magical new place, but it does sometimes lead to rather sudden shifts in thought and attitude among the characters. Nonetheless, Across the Bridge of Ice is a solid YA read and an interesting exercise in world-building.