The Bifrost Bridge
by James Bradley Clarke
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. Can the princesses save themselves and their kingdoms, or will the forces of chaos overwhelm and destroy them? Age Range: 8 – 12 years
My Review:
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest and fair review.
Let me start out by saying I can not wait for my 4 year old daughter to read this when she is older. It is a wonderful tale of adventure and strong female characters.
Hedda and Silya are taken on an unexpected adventure that tests their courage and strength. I felt transported to a world where mythology comes to life. The little girl in me loved the woman heroine aspect and lets face it who doesn’t love Norse Mythology. It is a wonderfully written story and there is a rich depth of characters. Besides the princesses you have the gods of Asgard, Trolls, Loki, The King and Queen and lets not forget the guards. The head guard Hermod plays a important role (sorry you have to read it to find out more). My imagination was taken over with the story and the illustrations helped to fuel the fire. This is a must read. It is a perfect book for mother and daughter to share.
I absolutely love the fact that this started out as a bedtime story for James Clarke’s daughters and hope there are more adventures for Hedda and Silya in the future. 
G- A truly pure fairytale
About the Author:
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.
THE MODEST VERGE 