Tag: Author: Garth Nix

Review: Goldenhand

Posted 10 October, 2016 by Lianne in Books / 4 Comments

Goldenhand (Abhorsen #5)
By: Garth Nix
Format/Source: eARC courtesy of the publishers via Edelweiss

Lirael is no longer a shy Second Assistant Librarian. She is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, with Dead creatures to battle and Free Magic entities to bind. She’s also a Remembrancer, wielder of the Dark Mirror. Lirael lost one of her hands in the binding of Orannis, but now she has a new hand, one of gilded steel and Charter Magic.

When Lirael finds Nicholas Sayre lying unconscious after being attacked by a hideous Free Magic creature, she uses her powers to save him. But Nicholas is deeply tainted with Free Magic. Fearing it will escape the Charter mark that seals it within his flesh and bones, Lirael seeks help for Nick at her childhood home, the Clayr’s Glacier.

But even as Lirael and Nick return to the Clayr, a young woman named Ferin from the distant North braves the elements and many enemies in a desperate attempt to deliver a message to Lirael from her long-dead mother, Arielle. Ferin brings a dire warning about the Witch with No Face. But who is the Witch, and what is she planning?

Once more a great danger threatens the Old Kingdom, and it must be forestalled not only in the living world, but also in the cold, remorseless river of Death.

Oh goodness, the fifth book is upon us! I’m so happy that it follows the events of the original Abhorsen trilogy (as Clariel (review) was IMO not a very good outing) and reacquainting with old friends (which also works out perfectly as I had just re-read the original trilogy earlier this year). I was fortunate to be approved of an eARC of this book courtesy of Harper Teen via Edelweiss. This book will be available on 14 October 2016.

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Review: Clariel

Posted 21 July, 2016 by Lianne in Books / 6 Comments

Clariel (Abhorsen #4)
By: Garth Nix
Format/Source: eBook; my purchase

Sixteen-year-old Clariel is not adjusting well to her new life in the city of Belisaere, the capital of the Old Kingdom. She misses roaming freely within the forests of Estwael, and she feels trapped within the stone city walls. And in Belisaere she is forced to follow the plans, plots and demands of everyone, from her parents to her maid, to the sinister Guildmaster Kilp. Clariel can see her freedom slipping away. It seems too that the city itself is descending into chaos, as the ancient rules binding Abhorsen, King and Clayr appear to be disintegrating.

With the discovery of a dangerous Free Magic creature loose in the city, Clariel is given the chance both to prove her worth and make her escape. But events spin rapidly out of control. Clariel finds herself more trapped than ever, until help comes from an unlikely source. But the help comes at a terrible cost. Clariel must question the motivations and secret hearts of everyone around her – and it is herself she must question most of all.

And here we are, at the latest book set in the Old Kingdom. It wasn’t required for me to re-read the first Abhorsen trilogy first as this book is set long before the events of Sabriel (review) but I wanted to reacquaint myself wtih the world before plunging back into the world. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to mention before the cut that this book is set some 600 years before Sabriel’s birth but some elements will tie in to the preceding books. May contain some SPOILERS to both this book and the series to date!

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Review: Abhorsen

Posted 20 July, 2016 by Lianne in Books / 2 Comments

Abhorsen (Abhorsen #3)
By: Garth Nix
Format/Source: Mass market paperback; my purchase
My first review of the trilogy

The Ninth was strong and fought with might, But lone Orannis was put out of the light, Broken in two and 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. . . .

And here we are at the last book I had to re-read from the original trilogy. So the last book, Lirael (review), was a lot slower than I remembered but it certainly expanded on the universe first introduced in Sabriel (review). But I remember a bit more from this book than the last one so revisiting it should be interesting 🙂

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Review: Lirael

Posted 19 July, 2016 by Lianne in Books / 2 Comments

Lirael (Abhorsen #2)
By: Garth Nix
Format/Source: Mass market paperback; my purchase
My first review of the trilogy

Lirael has never felt like a true daughter of the Clayr. Now, two years past the time when she should have received the Sight that is the Clayr’s birthright, she feels alone, abandoned, unsure of who she is. Nevertheless, the fate of the Old Kingdom lies in her hands. With only her faithful companion, the Disreputable Dog, Lirael must undertake a desperate mission under the growing shadow of an ancient evil.

So, fun fact about my experience reading Lirael and Abhorsen: much as I adored Sabriel (review), I didn’t get around to reading the other two installments to the first trilogy until much, much later (I can’t even remember how much later, to be honest). I guess like any instance where a sequel appears after a very enjoyable first novel, I was worried that Lirael wasn’t going to live up to Sabriel (spoilers: I loved it). Unfortunately I don’t remember much about what happened in this novel save for what happened to a favourite character and what the Disreputable Dog was like, lol, so I totally welcomed this re-read 🙂

Contains SPOILERS if you haven’t read this book & series as I will be referring to some events!

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Review: Sabriel

Posted 18 July, 2016 by Lianne in Books / 6 Comments

Sabriel (Abhorsen #1)
By: Garth Nix
Format/Source: Mass market paperback; my purchase

Sent to a boarding school in Ancelstierre as a young child, Sabriel has had little experience with the random power of Free Magic or the Dead who refuse to stay dead in the Old Kingdom. But during her final semester, her father, the Abhorsen, goes missing, and Sabriel knows she must enter the Old Kingdom to find him.

The Abhorsen trilogy is one of my favourite fantasy series–one of my favourite books–ever. I first encountered Sabriel when I was around 13 years old, in the early years of its publication and in the early years of my foray into the fantasy genre. I’ve re-read it a few times over the years but not in more recently that I’ve gotten around to reviewing it here (Correction: Apparently I did, but I rolled it all in one). I recently got a hold of Clariel and decided to re-read the trilogy (even though Clariel takes place before the events of the first trilogy and thus isn’t necessary) just to remember everything that’s happened, or in the case of Sabriel, just re-live the experience of Sabriel and her journeys with Mogget and Touchstone 🙂

Contains some SPOILERS ahead!

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