Bridge of Souls by V.E. Schwab, published in 2021, is the third book in the City of Ghosts series, a middle-grade paranormal adventure following Cassidy Blake, a young girl with the rare ability to traverse the boundary between the living and the dead. Set in the vibrant, ghost-infested streets of New Orleans, this installment deepens the spectral stakes as Cassidy confronts her darkest and most dangerous adversary yet – a soul collector bent on claiming her spirit.
Plot Summary
In the heavy heat of New Orleans, where music slips between the cracks of cobblestones and ghosts breathe from behind every wrought-iron gate, Cassidy Blake arrives with her ghost-hunting parents, the Inspecters, and her best friend, Jacob – who happens to be a ghost himself. The city pulses with stories, some sung, others buried. Cassidy can see them all. Ever since she nearly drowned and crossed into the Veil, the place between life and death, she’s been able to walk through walls that separate the living from the dead. Now, something in New Orleans feels different. Darker. Hungrier.
The Hotel Kardec is their temporary home – draped in velvet, rich with Spiritist history, and shadowed by whispers. Jacob, once flickering and faint, is gaining strength. He turns pages, draws in fog, casts reflections. His presence is no longer limited to Cassidy’s perception. The rules are shifting. Cassidy is meant to send ghosts on, to sever their threads and guide them to rest. But how can she do that when the ghost she loves most is tethered to her side?
Their guide, Lucas Dumont, leads the group through the haunted heart of the French Quarter – past voodoo shops, cemeteries, restaurants with bleeding walls of memory. The city is a patchwork of histories and hauntings, and in it, Cassidy feels the Veil’s thrum more intensely than ever. During a routine outing for her parents’ show, a skeleton-faced figure in black appears in the crowd. Eyes hollow, presence bone-deep cold. Cassidy screams. But no one else sees. No one but her.
They begin filming, visiting places where spirits linger – the Place d’Armes hotel, once a schoolhouse scorched by fire, now echoing with the laughter and screams of children who never made it out. Muriel’s restaurant, where history clings to the walls and ghosts gather in layers, each memory stacked atop another. In Muriel’s séance room, Cassidy crosses into the Veil and meets the spirit of Pierre Jourdan, a gambler who lost his home and then his life. He becomes violent, desperate to reclaim what was taken. Cassidy uses her mirror pendant, a tool of truth and closure, to send him on.
But something stalks the Veil. A force beyond any ghost she’s encountered. When she opens the curtain between worlds, Cassidy senses not just the trapped spirits but something watching. Following. Waiting.
At Café du Monde, her parents meet with Lucas, who explains that New Orleans breathes ghosts. It was born of fire and flood, rebellion and sorrow. Spirits here aren’t just echoes – they linger. That night, Cassidy and her family attend a séance at the Hotel Kardec, led by the enigmatic Master of Spirits, Alistair Blanc. The room is thick with velvet and shadow. Cassidy feels the tug of the Veil, but it is no longer gentle. It pulls hard.
Jacob begins to change. His hand feels warm. His touch transfers life. In the Veil, he glows more brightly. Cassidy doesn’t know whether this means he’s growing stronger or more dangerous. Lara, a fellow in-betweener, texts from across the sea, warning Cassidy to be careful. The longer Jacob stays, the more he becomes.
As they delve deeper into the city’s ghosts, they arrive at the LaLaurie Mansion, infamous for cruelty and unrest. The Veil wraps tightly around it, coiling with dread. Inside, Cassidy confronts the truth: the figure she saw – the one with no eyes, no voice, only hunger – is not a ghost. He is something older. Something worse.
He is the Emissary of Death.
He does not belong to the Veil. He walks within it, hunting souls like Cassidy’s. He whispers to the dead, urging them to turn. He tempts Jacob, stirs his loneliness, promises memory and form. Cassidy watches as Jacob is drawn to the Emissary’s voice, struggling to resist.
Cassidy realizes the Emissary is targeting her, because she is not dead – but not entirely alive. An in-betweener. The perfect soul for him to claim.
Desperate for answers, she seeks out the Society of the Black Cat, a secretive organization Lara had once mentioned. Through hidden symbols and whispered clues, Cassidy finds their headquarters tucked away beneath the city’s twisting alleys. There, she learns that the Emissary is not a ghost, but a being forged from forgotten souls – one who preys on those who walk too close to death.
To defeat him, Cassidy must lead him to the Bridge of Souls – a crossing deep within the Veil where spirits can be severed from the world. But to do so, she must lure him with what he wants most: her own soul.
The plan is perilous. Jacob, more tangible than ever, begs her not to go. But Cassidy knows she can’t let the Emissary keep hunting. Not in this city. Not in the next.
She steps through the Veil and faces the Emissary on the spectral bridge. He towers, skeletal and endless, a shadow woven from despair. Cassidy holds the mirror to him, and for a heartbeat, he falters. But he does not disappear. Unlike ghosts, he is not bound by memory. He is hunger itself.
Jacob intervenes. He pushes the Emissary back, offering himself as bait. Cassidy screams – not out of fear, but love. She will not lose him. Not like this. She reaches into the Emissary’s chest, searching for something solid. She finds only darkness. And then, she sees the thread – faint, ancient, pulsing.
She grabs hold.
Cassidy speaks the words of power, the ones she’s spoken to every ghost she’s helped. Look and listen. See and know. This is what you are.
The thread burns in her hand. The bridge shakes. The Veil howls. The Emissary screams, and with a shudder, he is undone. His form collapses into ash and wind, scattered across the bridge and beyond.
Silence follows.
Jacob is still there.
But he is fading.
Cassidy holds him, tears in her eyes. She knows what must come next. She must set him free before he fades into something else – something he was never meant to become.
They walk together to the edge of the Veil, to the place where life and death part ways. Cassidy lifts the mirror. Her voice trembles, but it is steady. Jacob smiles, a little sadly. He steps forward. And then, he is gone.
Cassidy returns alone.
Back in the city, jazz plays under the stars. Her parents don’t know what she’s lost. The world keeps turning. But the air feels lighter. The Veil quieter.
Cassidy takes out her camera, focuses the lens. In the distance, a black cat watches from a rooftop. The ghosts may be gone, but the work is never over.
She clicks the shutter.
The picture blinks.
And the next chapter begins.
Main Characters
Cassidy Blake: The brave and introspective protagonist, Cassidy can move between the world of the living and the Veil – the ghostly realm of the dead. Her bond with her ghost friend Jacob, formed when he saved her from drowning, allows her to sense and interact with spirits. In Bridge of Souls, Cassidy wrestles with the growing strength of the Veil, the emerging threat of a soul-hungry entity, and her own fears about what she may become if she doesn’t act in time.
Jacob Ellis Hale: Cassidy’s loyal best friend and resident ghost. Ever since he saved Cassidy’s life, their fates have been intertwined. In this book, Jacob begins to grow more corporeal, gaining unsettling new powers. This development forces Cassidy to question whether he might become a danger – not just to others, but to himself. His sharp wit and loyalty provide balance to the story’s darker elements.
Lara Chowdhury: A fellow in-betweener and ghost hunter, Lara serves as a guide and foil to Cassidy. Though often blunt and pragmatic, she provides critical knowledge and helps Cassidy make sense of her abilities. Their complicated relationship evolves with mutual respect as Cassidy faces deeper supernatural threats.
Cassidy’s Parents: Known publicly as “The Inspecters,” Cassidy’s ghost-hunting parents host a paranormal travel show, unaware of their daughter’s true connection to the spirit world. Their enthusiasm for history and hauntings adds a layer of charm, though their obliviousness also highlights Cassidy’s isolation.
Lucas Dumont: A local guide in New Orleans with a calm demeanor and deep knowledge of the city’s haunted history. He becomes a helpful, grounded ally for Cassidy and her family during their explorations of the city’s eerie locations.
The Emissary of Death: A terrifying, shadowy antagonist unlike any spirit Cassidy has encountered. He doesn’t belong to the Veil – he hunts within it. His chilling presence raises the stakes dramatically, as Cassidy must decide between preserving her life or sacrificing everything to stop him.
Theme
Life and Death: At the heart of the series lies the delicate boundary between the living and the dead. Bridge of Souls confronts this theme more directly than its predecessors, exploring the ethics of intervention in the natural order, the grief of letting go, and the terror of losing one’s soul to darkness.
Friendship and Loyalty: Cassidy and Jacob’s bond remains the emotional anchor of the story. The strain caused by Jacob’s increasing powers and Cassidy’s responsibilities as an in-betweener tests their connection. Ultimately, loyalty and sacrifice define their friendship.
Fear and Courage: Fear manifests in both supernatural threats and internal doubts. Cassidy’s journey requires confronting both external evil and her own anxieties about failing, changing, or losing the people she loves. Courage is shown not in fearlessness but in perseverance despite fear.
Coming of Age: Cassidy’s path through the Veil mirrors her growth as she transitions from dependent child to responsible, decisive young hero. Her choices grow heavier, her awareness deeper, and her identity more defined by purpose than by circumstance.
The Power of Story and History: The richly textured backdrop of New Orleans reinforces how personal and collective histories haunt us. From jazz legends to tragic fires, the city’s layered past becomes a living character, showing how memory and myth intertwine.
Writing Style and Tone
V.E. Schwab’s writing in Bridge of Souls is evocative and atmospheric, blending brisk pacing with lush, immersive description. Her narrative voice, told through Cassidy’s perspective, maintains a balance between youthful wonder and eerie unease. The language is accessible yet thoughtful, marked by vivid imagery, particularly when describing the sensory experiences of the Veil and the haunted streets of New Orleans. The metaphors and reflections are age-appropriate but emotionally resonant, creating a haunting yet hopeful tone.
Dialogue plays a vital role in shaping the characters’ personalities and relationships. Schwab’s prose frequently leans into humor and sarcasm, particularly through Jacob’s quips and Cassidy’s internal monologue, which lighten the darker themes and build relatability. Moments of terror and suspense are grounded by these interactions, making the emotional arcs just as engaging as the ghostly encounters. The tone transitions skillfully from lighthearted banter to chilling dread, capturing the dual nature of growing up in a haunted world – full of shadows, but not without light.
Quotes
Bridge of Souls – VE Schwab (2021) Quotes
“Death will come for us again, one way or another. We can't live in fear of it. That's no way to live at all.”
“Fear is a perfectly rational response, the body’s way of telling you not to do something.”
“History is written by the victors. How can we know what really happened if we weren’t there? We are, all of us, speculating...”
“Things can be repaired. People are harder to fix.”
“But it’s not about doing what’s easy. It’s about doing what’s right.”
“Everywhere you step, everywhere you stay, was once home to something—and someone—else.”
“You'll make the choice you need to make, not the one you want.”
“Friends don't let friends get snatched away by creepy skeletons.”
“It’s easy to get lost in the space between worlds. It’s like dreaming. Sometimes you forget what is and isn’t real.”
“Most people don’t believe in a thing unless they see it for themselves. And if they see it, they’ll believe it, even if it isn’t real.”
“Once, I stole from Death. I'm ready to do it again.”
“Stories have a way of making the world feel bigger”
“You will have to choose one road, but when you do, the other will be lost. There is no victory without defeat, so you do not want to choose at all, but you must. And no matter what you choose, you will lose something. Or someone.”
“The living are so squeamish when it comes to the dead,” Philippa says. “Sometimes the dead are squeamish, too,” says Jacob.”
“Cats are drawn to the supernatural. They’re often seen as omens, portents of danger, but they’re also amulets against it. Cats make excellent protectors. They’re very brave.”
“Lara moves like a girl on a mission. I mean, we are on a mission, but she always walks this way. Like she knows where she’s going. Even when it turns out she doesn’t.”
“Eventually, it will come back and tray again. That's what Death does.”
“And I will not be dragged into the dark.”
“I don't mind cemeteries. They're usually pretty peaceful, at least for me.”
“Right now, I’m just glad to be alive.”
“Cats make excellent protectors. They’re very brave,” she adds, scratching Amethyst behind the ears. I picture Grim, sitting like a bread loaf in a pool of sun. Once, a bug landed near him, and instead of pouncing on it, he got up and walked away.”
“Oh sweet holy no,” says Jacob at my side.”
“Nothing can predict your future, Cassidy, because futures aren’t predictable. They’re full of mysteries, and chances, and the only person who decides what happens in them is you.”
“Once is a glitch, an accident. No reason to be worried.”
“Edinburgh, the first city we went to for the show, was damp and gray, a city of old stones and hidden paths, it's history right on the surface.”
“It’s hard to live in a place like this and not believe in something, but I prefer to focus on the history.”
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