In “Bridge of Souls,” Victoria E. Schwab delivers a haunting conclusion to her Cassidy Blake trilogy that pushes both her characters and readers to confront the ultimate boundary between life and death. Set against the vibrant, mystical backdrop of New Orleans, this final installment elevates what began as a middle-grade ghost story into a profound meditation on mortality, friendship, and the choices we make when faced with impossible odds.
The Road So Far: A Trilogy of Spectral Adventures
For those who haven’t followed Cassidy Blake’s supernatural journey from the beginning, the series began with “City of Ghosts,” which introduced us to Cassidy—a girl who gained the ability to cross into the Veil (the realm between the living and the dead) after a near-death experience. Accompanied by her ghost best friend Jacob, who saved her life but remained tethered to her as a result, Cassidy navigated the haunted streets of Edinburgh while her paranormal investigator parents filmed their TV show.
The second book, “Tunnel of Bones,” took the adventure to Paris, where Cassidy confronted a dangerous poltergeist in the City of Light’s infamous Catacombs. Each book expanded both Cassidy’s abilities and the complexity of the supernatural rules governing her world, with the help of Lara Chowdhury, a fellow “in-betweener” who became an uneasy ally.
“Bridge of Souls” raises the stakes dramatically. No longer facing just trapped spirits, Cassidy must now confront an Emissary of Death itself—a being determined to correct what it sees as an anomaly: Cassidy’s continued existence in the world of the living.
Welcome to the Most Haunted City in America
One of Schwab’s greatest strengths as a writer is her ability to transform settings into characters in their own right, and New Orleans proves to be her most evocative canvas yet. The city comes alive with its:
- Jazz-filled streets and boisterous parades
- Cemeteries with above-ground tombs and complex histories
- Tangled Veils where multiple hauntings overlap and intersect
- Voodoo shops and séance rooms pulsing with supernatural energy
Schwab captures the essence of New Orleans as a place where the boundary between life and death feels permeable, where history sits heavily on every street corner, and where celebrations of life dance alongside memorials to the dead. This setting becomes the perfect backdrop for Cassidy’s most profound challenge yet—confronting Death itself.
The Skeleton in the Black Suit
What elevates “Bridge of Souls” beyond its predecessors is its antagonist. The Emissary of Death is a genuinely terrifying creation—a skull-faced figure in a black suit who speaks in a rasping whisper and can simply reach into Cassidy to reclaim the life she “stole” when she survived her accident.
The Emissary operates with the cold, impersonal inevitability that makes the best horror villains truly frightening. It’s not malicious; it’s fulfilling a cosmic function:
“We have seen you, little thief. Light burning in your chest. Once you stole from us. And once you fled. But now you cannot hide.”
This antagonist forces Cassidy to confront the fundamental truth she’s been avoiding: that her continued existence represents an imbalance in the natural order. Death comes for everyone eventually—she’s just been granted a temporary reprieve.
Friendship Across Boundaries
At its heart, this trilogy has always been about friendship—particularly the unusual bond between Cassidy and Jacob. In “Bridge of Souls,” this relationship reaches its emotional crescendo as both characters must confront difficult truths:
- Jacob is becoming more corporeal, more powerful—potentially more dangerous
- His connection to Cassidy might be making her more visible to Death
- The solution to their problem might require severing their connection
The addition of Lara to their duo creates a compelling triangle. Where Jacob represents emotional attachment and impulsiveness, Lara embodies pragmatism and duty. Their dynamic provides both tension and humor throughout the story, especially as Lara and Jacob begin to develop a reluctant respect for each other.
One of the most touching aspects of the book is how it portrays the complexities of friendship—not just the joy and companionship, but the fear of loss, the willingness to sacrifice, and the growth that comes from caring for someone different from yourself.
The Bridge of Souls
The titular bridge is both literal and metaphorical—a physical crossing point between worlds and a symbol of the choices Cassidy must make. Schwab creates a haunting landscape where:
- The bridge stretches endlessly into mist
- Time and memory blur together
- Past traumas replay like dreams
- Choices have consequences that ripple between worlds
The sequence on the bridge represents some of Schwab’s most imaginative writing in the trilogy, creating a liminal space where the rules of reality bend and break. Here, Cassidy must confront not just external threats but internal ones—her fears, her attachments, and her understanding of what it means to be alive.
Strengths and Weaknesses
What Works Brilliantly
- Atmospheric Excellence: Schwab’s ability to create a sense of place is unmatched in middle-grade fiction. New Orleans breathes on the page, from its beignets to its burial grounds.
- Character Development: Cassidy’s growth across the trilogy reaches a satisfying culmination as she learns to balance her responsibilities with her personal attachments.
- Accessibly Profound Themes: The book tackles weighty subjects—mortality, sacrifice, balance—in ways that remain accessible to younger readers without talking down to them.
- Humor Amid Darkness: Despite the increasingly high stakes, Schwab maintains Jacob’s quippy humor and Cassidy’s wry observations, providing necessary relief from the tension.
Where It Falters
- Pacing Issues: The middle section of the book feels somewhat repetitive as Cassidy and her friends visit various haunted locations without advancing the plot significantly.
- Convenient Society: The introduction of the Society of the Black Cat, while intriguing, sometimes feels like a too-convenient source of exposition and solutions.
- Underdeveloped Parents: Despite being paranormal investigators, Cassidy’s parents remain largely in the dark about their daughter’s abilities, creating a disconnect that becomes increasingly difficult to justify.
- Simplified Resolution: The final confrontation with the Emissary, while emotionally satisfying, resolves somewhat more easily than the build-up might suggest.
Final Verdict: A Worthy Conclusion
“Bridge of Souls” successfully completes Cassidy Blake’s journey, delivering a conclusion that honors the characters’ growth while exploring deeper themes than its predecessors. Schwab demonstrates her versatility as a writer, crafting a story that works on multiple levels:
- For younger readers: An exciting ghost adventure with relatable characters
- For older readers: A thoughtful exploration of mortality and friendship
- For series fans: A satisfying resolution to character arcs and mysteries
While the book isn’t without flaws, they’re easily overshadowed by its strengths—particularly its atmospheric setting, compelling antagonist, and emotional core. The Cassidy Blake trilogy ends not with a whimper but with a resonant exploration of what it means to live, to die, and to exist somewhere in between.
For Fans of…
If you enjoyed the Cassidy Blake trilogy, you might also appreciate:
- “Small Spaces” by Katherine Arden (for its similar blend of friendship and supernatural horror)
- “Lockwood & Co.” by Jonathan Stroud (for its ghost-hunting teams and British humor)
- “The Graveyard Book” by Neil Gaiman (for its thoughtful approach to death in middle-grade fiction)
- Schwab’s own “Shades of Magic” series (for older readers ready for her adult work)
The Schwab Effect
Victoria Schwab (who publishes adult fiction as V.E. Schwab) continues to demonstrate why she’s become such a beloved figure in contemporary fantasy. Her ability to write across age categories while maintaining her distinctive voice—atmospheric, character-driven, and conceptually fascinating—is on full display in “Bridge of Souls.”
The Cassidy Blake trilogy serves as an excellent entry point for younger readers who might eventually graduate to her YA works like “This Savage Song” or her adult novels like “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.” Throughout all her work, Schwab demonstrates a preoccupation with boundaries—between life and death, between worlds, between versions of ourselves—that resonates deeply with readers of all ages.
“Bridge of Souls” concludes a trilogy that, like its protagonist, exists in a liminal space—between middle-grade and YA, between horror and fantasy, between entertainment and philosophy. It’s a fitting end to Cassidy’s story and a reminder of why Victoria Schwab remains one of the most versatile voices in contemporary fantasy.
