Tarnish: Bridge over Clouds [Paperback]

Paul Escu (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 9, 2000

In this first part of Bridge over Clouds, entitled Tarnish, we are presented with a location, Nimaroa, about to be invaded by dark elves intent on vengeance. There lies a deep apathy amongst the Dukes of Nimoroa, knowing that doom is upon them. One man wants to rule all, Duke Ineal of Obrav. Enter four young survivors: Ogatu, Maneuric, Betrus and Pavel whose lives are about to be changed by a mysterious man they call Dragon-eye. In the midst of adolescence, they struggle to comprehend what happens, not knowing why the whole world has suddenly turned against them. But their minds slip away into torment as the situation turns from bad to worse.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Paul Escu was born in Brãila, Romania. He moved to the United Kingdom at nine years of age and has been on a journey of discovery of the circus he calls life. He is currently working on his first anthology of poems as well as a collection of short stories.

Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (June 9, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595098568
• ISBN-13: 978-0595098569
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,184,554 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Unpredictable Fantasy that Leaves You Reeling!, December 17, 2001

By 

Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 109,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Tarnish: Bridge over Clouds (Paperback)

Cautious: This book contains much vulgar and coarse language, in a very uncensored way. This is essential to the writing style, rather than an attempt to make the reader's experience unpleasant.

I read relatively little fantasy, so please take my review with a large grain of salt.

Tarnish has a most unusual structure and style that engage you more deeply than would otherwise be the case. Much of the book is written as stream of consciousness, which places you inside the emotions and meandering thoughts of the characters. Yet the style of this writing varies a lot. So, you will sometimes be primarily taken from emotion to emotion . . . while other times you will simply flit from focus to focus and have your own emotional reactions. If one were to gauge this book merely from its writing style, there would be much to praise.

The plot is often difficult to follow. Many sections lead off with internal thoughts that could be those of any one of several characters. After figuring out which character was being written about ("he" is ambiguous in a book with many male characters), I often had to reread the same section to fully appreciate what the author was describing.

The book is marred by more than the usual number of typos, which required me to reread sections in order to identify what was meant.

As the last two paragraphs suggest, this book could have used a better editor.

The story itself is an intriguing one. The plot reminded me of the richness of all those Shakespearean plays where the characters need to go into the forest of Arden to work out their problems with the help of a little magic. But instead of the typical "humans interacting with fairies" style, Tarnish seems to suggest that the humans have the potential for magic, too.

You will either love or hate the book's ending. It builds to a bigger cliff-hanger than I recall reading in many years. What will happen next? I'd love to know. Hopefully, the sequel will be available soon.

After reading this book, think about how much your experiences in life are influenced by where you place your attention. Researchers tell us that we only act on about 2 percent of the cues around us. What would happen if you were more deliberate in selecting the 2 percent that you will pursue?

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A vibrant and exciting fantasy world, February 2, 2001

By 

Duane Simolke "author, The Acorn Stories, Deg... (Lubbock, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tarnish: Bridge over Clouds (Paperback)

Paul Escu uses poetic language to capture the thoughts of his characters, sometimes listing emotions and sensory perceptions as they flood over those characters. The first chapter focuses on Ogatu, who introduces us to the landscape and the conflicts in the novel's fantasy world. During subsequent chapters, the narrator also looks into the minds of other characters, bringing us further into the action while showing us how the characters feel about each other.

The novel progresses quickly, introducing us to mythology as needed for the plot. After their homes and families fall to violence, Ogatu and his friend Betrus find themselves becoming mercenaries in the service of a seemingly nameless stranger. Soon, the stranger changes the lives of other people as well. During the latter part of the novel, the poetic language I mentioned before begins to take over, transforming the novel in unexpected ways. Throughout the novel, Escu provides his readers with a vibrant and exciting fantasy world.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Artistic, January 15, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Tarnish: Bridge over Clouds (Paperback)

It's interesting to note how Escu uses Romania as the background for his attempt at mythology. He seems to lay down vital points and then build whole scenarios out of relatively unknown places. Therefore, his work seems to be aiming at opening the minds of the democratic West.

The plot is engaging but leaves a bitter taste for the reader to swallow. All characters are equal and I found it difficult to distinguish between an evil character and a good character - they're just characters. The language is musical and used to create moods and shocks. By the end, one is supposed to look between the lines, in the spaces, to find the true meaning of the work, and this is highly ambitious.

Compared to the rest, Tarnish rises and sinks unlike anything before it.