$16.95 postpaid within the US. ISBN 0964911329. Cover art by Michael Weaver, mweaver@mindsping.com Scroll down for an excerpt, critical acclaim and ordering info...
"The figure was completely swathed in voluminous grey robes, yet Tomas could not have been more certain of her identity. She was one of the three Fates, the Nornir, who determine the wyrd of every living creature. When Tomas tried to demand her errand, he found himself pinned to his chair as if by a giant's unseen fist--even the gods are subject to the Fates. With inexorable slowness, the Norn moved towards the sleeping twins. A stillness emanated from her, a deafening silence, an oppressive heat. She made no sound at all. Either she had no feet or was floating a few inches above the floor. It must be Skuld, she who ruled the future and whose face was veiled to mortals. She whose name meant Necessity: that which must become. Skuld had come to the twins' name-fastening."(from The Bridge: The Book of Necessity, copyright 1998 Jodie Forrest) "More magic from the pen of Jodie Forrest, whose wondrous tales just get better as her characters deepen, her sense of history intensifies, and her language sparkles like a fine wine." -- Poppy Z. Brite, author of Lost Souls, Drawing Blood, and The Crow: The Lazarus Heart
"A true fusion of Nordic-Celtic mythology that ignites ancient yet living archetypes within our own psyches." -- Jeffrey Wolf Green, author of Pluto: The Evolutionary Journey of the Soul and Pluto: The Soul's Evolution through Relationships
"Her writing is rich, lyrical, intricate: her books are a treasure." -- R.A. MacAvoy, author of The Book of Kells; Tea with the Black Dragon and The Lens of the World
"The Tomas the Rhymer trilogy...is really a mishra: a narrative designed to weld into a unified whole many diverse and even conflicting myths, histories. legends and lore. And it succeeds, both as a novel and as a mishraic narrative... Set partly in Elfland and partly in Saxon England, as always Forrest's prose evokes a feeling like working magic. Time may slip away as it does for mortals in Elfland. This book should come with a warning label: do not open just before bedtime."-- Erin Lale, for Berserkrgangr.
"The final confrontation with Loki brings this exciting, thought-provoking trilogy to a surprising -- yet satisfying -- conclusion." -- Dag Rossman, Nordic storyteller, Skandisk audio cassettes Hammer and Mistletoe and The Ring of Doom. (Dag's work was most important to Jodie in the crafting of this novel. See his article on ancient Norse spirituality, posted on this site: "Ancient Nordic Spirituality."
"Once again I was caught up in Tomas the Rhymer's worlds, in this last book of Jodie's wonderful blend of myth, fact and fiction. Now the twins must fulfill the prophecy of the Norns and the Elves, and build a bridge between Elfland and our world, and restore some kind of balance among the worlds. This will not happen if Loki the Trickster has his way . . . If you enjoyed the first two books, you will find the conclusion satisfying. It also leaves the door into Faerie open for the further adventures of Tomas's children. The introduction contains a fine synopsis of the eight spokes of the pagan wheel of the year. It also contains Jodie's interpretaions of the first 24 Runes of the Elder Futhark. An epic achievement worthy of a sequel. It is intricately plotted and satifsyingly bedevils a devil."—Prudence Priest, Yggdrasil.
This novel also contains a writeup about the eight ancient festivals of the pagan year, and Jodie and Steven Forrest's own version of the interpretive meanings of the Norse Runes used as an oracle. We've done a lot of research on them and experimenting with them....
CAN'T GET ENOUGH NORSE MYTHOLOGY? Check out these other resources on our site:
Dag Rossman's books and tapes available from Seven Paws Press.
Jodie Forrest's Nordic-Celtic historical fantasy trilogy -- The Rhymer and the Ravens: The Book of Fate, $13.95; The Elves' Prophecy: The Book of Being, $16.95; and The Bridge: The Book of Necessity, $16.95 -- is available from our secure online store, from any bookstore, from Amazon.com or from Seven Paws Press, POB 2345, Chapel Hill NC 27515, (919) 929-4287. The novels unfold in Nordic-Celtic ninth century Europe during the Viking Age, and in the mythic realms that parallel it: Elfland and Asgard. For more information about the philosophical framework of the world of these novels, see Dag Rossman's article, Ancient Nordic Spirituality, on this site, and our site's page about The Norse Runes.
Also see Jodie's articles on Odin As Mercury, Astrological Mars and the Norse God Tyr, and Freya As Venus.
The Bridge: The Book of Necessity
