Review | Abhorsen by Garth Nix

And, that’s a wrap! … though, not really. I’ve placed a library reserve for Clariel and Goldenhand. The saga will continue. Eventually.

OK. Let’s talk Abhorsen —

Abhorsen is the final book of the original Old Kingdom trilogy, picking up only hours after the end of Lirael. Unlike the slow-to-build Lirael, the book jumps straight into the action — literally with a bang, as ** spoilers ** Sabriel and Touchstones are assassinated over the wall. What follows is a fast-paced zombie-filled quest, with both Sam and Lirael racing to save the world from a nameless/faceless/bent-on-destruction baddie.

Ugh.

So, this is an Old Kingdom story … and, almost by default, is epic and magical, and wonder-struck. It’s such a rich world, and the charter magic system is complex and amazing. But, then we have this rather-clichée bad-guy-who-wants-to-destroy-the-world trope …

Things I liked:

We get to learn Touchstone’s real name. And this alone is begging for a fanfiction … I’m sure someone has written a cute fluffy follow-up fanfic … it must exist somewhere.

Sam grows into his own. Sam goes through a bit of a transformation in Lirael — but, this book is where he really finds himself and embraces his über-cool identity. He becomes confident and grounded, and works some very amazing charter magic. There must be some sort of fluffy follow-up fanfic somewhere …

The description of the ninth gate … which makes things far less scary.

Things I disliked:

Lirael? OK. Still on the fence. While Lirael also goes through an immense amount of character growth, there’s just … something about her that didn’t click the same way Sabriel’s character did.

The Baddie. Though this book is rather epic in scope, the antagonist and the ending feels very Hollywood cliché: beam of light in the sky, and almost certain doom. The defining thing about Sabriel and Lirael — what makes them special — isn’t the baddie’s potential for great evil, but the personal connections. Kerrigor in Sabriel is such an intriguing villain NOT because he’s one of the greater dead, but because of his personal connection to both Sabriel and Touchstone. In Lirael, it’s fascinating watching Sam struggle with his fears regarding the necromancer — and Lirael struggle to find a place. While there’s a ton on the line in Abhorsen — life, the universe, yadda yadda — it doesn’t carry the same emotional wallop as the other books because the antagonist is too distant and too one-dimensional.

Favourite quote:

I have never known what to tell anybody. Except that it is better to do something than nothing, even if the cost is great.

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The Details:

• The Book: Abhorsen by Garth Nix
• Published: 2003, Harper Collins
• My Copy: via the College Reading Room
• Read date: October 20-21, 2019
• Rating: ★★★☆☆
• You should read this if you like … charter magic
• Avoid this if you dislike … “evil” as a cardinal personality trait