Abhorsen (Old Kingdom, 3)

From Publishers Weekly An explosive prologue sets the stage for Nix's riveting continuation of the story begun in Sabriel and Lirael. While newcomers might find the intricate plotting and the rituals of the Charter Magic off-putting at first, Nix rewards their efforts. Returning characters Lirael, former Second Assistant Librarian of the Clayr and now an Abhorsen-in-Waiting (the Abhorsen's "birthright and charge [is] to maintain the borders of Life and Death"), and her nephew, Prince Sameth, along with Disreputable Dog and the mysterious white cat, Mogget, are ensorcelled in the Abhorsen House by a Dead creature, Chlorr of the Mask, who is in league with the evil necromancer Hedge. They break out to try and rescue Sam's old friend, Nicholas Sayre, who has been tricked by Hedge into digging up Orannis, the Destroyer; if Hedge's plan succeeds, the evil now contained by two separate hemispheres will join and annihilate all life. The grotesque imagery of the Death realm provides a haunting note, which Nix offsets by the brightness of the main characters' quest to defeat the Destroyer. At once an allegory regarding war and peace and a testament to friendship, this thought-provoking fantasy also resolves the true identities of the popular Dog and Mogget characters-and suggests that Nix may still have more tricks up his sleeve. Ages 12-up. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Booklist Gr. 7-12. Although Lirael (2001) begins years after events in Sabriel (1996), Abhorsen picks up right where Lirael left off, as Lirael and Sameth, the son of the Abhorsen Sabriel, continue their battle to contain the long-imprisoned Destroyer. It's a hardscrabble battle against the forces of the dead, which have been assembled by the sinister necromancer Hedge, and once again Disreputable Dog and Mogget (the elemental in the form of a cat), play major roles, as does Sameth's good friend Nick, who is forced into the service of the Destroyer. Lirael, the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, must traverse the dangerous Gates of Death to discover how the Destroyer was defeated in the beginning, so that the process can be repeated in the present. The tension throughout the story is palatable, and despite a solid, satisfying conclusion, Nix leaves himself a bit of room to revisit his intricately designed universe--a course followed by many writers of book sets that are first envisioned as fantasy trilogies. Sally Estes Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved “Breathtaking, bittersweet, and utterly unforgettable.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) — Publishers Weekly (starred review) — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Praise for SABRIEL: “Rich, complex, involving, hard to put down, excellent high fantasy.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Nix has created an ingenious, icy world. The action charges along at a gallop. A page-turner for sure.” — ALA Booklist (starred review) “By turns rousing, charming and slyly funny, Sabriel is an engaging tale that slays sexual stereotypes along with its monsters.” — San Francisco Chronicle Sabriel is a winner, a fantasy that reads like realism. Here is a world with the same solidity and four dimensional authority as our own, created with invention, clarity, and intelligence. I congratulate Garth Nix. And I look forward to reading his next piece of work.” — Philip Pullman “A wonderful new fantasy filled with rich and complex imagery.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) “Nix’s monsters are scary and repulsive, his sense of humor is downright sneaky, and he puts his heroine through engrossing physical and emotional wringers. This book is guaranteed to keep readers up way past their bedtimes.” — School Library Journal “A compelling fantasy. The story is remarkable for the level of originality and leaves readers to explore for themselves.” — Horn Book Magazine Praise for LIRAEL: “Riveting.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Superb characterization." — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) — Publishers Weekly “The action charges along at a gallop--a page turner for sure.” — ALA Booklist (starred review) The Ninth was strongand fought with might,But lone Oranniswas put out of the light,Broken in twoand buried under hill,Forever to lie there,wishing us ill. So says the song. But Orannis, the Destroyer, is no longer buried under hill. It has been freed from its subterranean prison and now seeks to escape the silver hemispheres, the final barrier to the unleashing of its terrible powers. Only Lirael, newly come into her inheritance as the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, has any chance of stopping the Destroyer. She and her companions -- Sam, the Disreputable Dog, and Mogget -- have to take that chance. For the Destroyer is the enemy of all Life, and it must be stopped, though Lirael does not know how. To make matters worse, Sam's best friend, Nick, is helping the Destroyer, as are the necromancer Hedge and the Greater Dead Chlorr, and there has been no word from the Abhorsen Sabriel or King Touchstone. Everything depends upon Lirael. A heavy, perhaps even impossible burden for a young woman who just days ago was merely a Second Assistant Librarian. With only a vision from the Clayr to guide her, and the rather mixed help of her companions, Lirael must search in both Life and Death for some means to defeat the Destroyer. Before it is too late. . . . Garth Nix is a New York Times bestselling novelist and has been a full-time writer since 2001, but has also worked as a literary agent, marketing consultant, book editor, book publicist, book sales representative, bookseller, and as a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve. Garth’s many books include the Old Kingdom fantasy series, beginning with Sabriel and continuing to Goldenhand ; the sci-fi novels Shade’s Children and A Confusion of Princes ; the Regency romance with magic Newt’s Emerald ; and novels for children including The Ragwitch , the Seventh Tower series, the Keys to the Kingdom series, and Frogkisser! , which is now in development as a feature film with Fox Animation/Blue Sky Studios. Garth has written numerous short stories, some of which are collected in Across the Wall and To Hold the Bridge . He has also cowritten several children’s book series with Sean Williams, including TroubleTwisters and Have Sword, Will Travel. More than six million copies of his books have been sold around the world and his work has been translated into forty-two languages. You can find him online at www.garthnix.com. Read more