Product Description

Book Three of the Sabriel-Lirael-Abhorsen Trilogy.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15361 in eBooks
• Published on: 2003-02-04
• Released on: 2003-02-04
• Format: Kindle Book
• Number of items: 1

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 School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up-The long-awaited confrontation between the evil necromancer Hedge and Abhorsen-in-Waiting Lirael and her nephew Sameth finally takes place in this conclusion to Nix's trilogy. Fans were left hanging at the end of Lirael (HarperCollins, 2001) as they learned that Hedge had magically enslaved a horde of the newly dead and Sam's friend Nick to help him dig up Orannis, a powerful Free Magic being who intended to destroy all life in the Kingdom. Long ago, Orannis had been broken in two and buried deep beneath the earth and Nick has discovered a way to join the two pieces to release him. All the characters from the previous books are here, but Lirael and Sam dominate the action. Lirael is destined to travel into death to find out how Orannis was defeated before and to try to find out how to defeat him once again. The experience leaves her scathed but stronger, and she finds her family, heritage, and her place in the world. Readers discover the real identities of the Disreputable Dog and the cat Mogget but Lirael's mother's actions still remain unsatisfactorily explained. Lirael and Sam have gained confidence in themselves and in their abilities in this title. There are also fewer surprises here, but Nix maintains the nonstop action, imaginative magical descriptions, and high level of violence of the previous titles. It is essential to read the series in order. There is a resolution, but the ending hints that this may not be the last story about the Old Kingdom. Fans will be overjoyed.
Sharon Rawlins, Piscataway Public Library, NJ
Copyright 2003 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

Customer Reviews

Satisfying conclusion to the Abhorsen trilogy
"Abhorsen" is the final novel in Garth Nix's award-winning Abhorsen trilogy. The first book is "Sabriel," and the second in the series is "Lirael." This third novel follows closely on the heels of the second, picking up immediately where "Lirael" left off. Though the first book stands on its own, the second and third in the series should really be read in conjunction with one another, as together they do combine to make one complete story time-line.

"Abhorsen" is the continuation of the quest of Lirael. Though new to her inherited roles as as the Abhorsen-in-Waiting and as a Rembrancer, she is able to deftly walk the veil between life and death. As with many science fiction and fantasy tales, she and her cohorts, Prince Sameth, the Disreputable Dog, and the sometimes dangerous Free Magic cat Mogget, must strive to save the world from impending doom. In this case, they must stop the Destroyer Orannis, along with his necromancer, Dead, and Free Magic minions, before all life is swept from the face of the planet.

"In a very unsettling way, it reminded her of the river of Death. But she did not feel they were in Death, and apart from the growing cold and the peripheral view of the river, all her senses told her that she was firmly in Life, though in a very strange tunnel, far underground."

Nix's descriptions of the land of death are consistent throughout the series, creating a realm of magical realism that is believable and interesting, particularly as the final gateway is faced. He manages to create characters that draw in the reader. This skill holds true even for peripheral characters. I found myself wishing to learn more about each person, while discovering enough to identify with each in some way and be personally invested in their outcome.

The trilogy is deftly wrapped up with "Abhorsen," yet I still found myself wishing that the adventures could continue. I look forward to reading more of Garth Nix's young adult fantasy novels in the future.

Mogget to save the day?
Like the first 2 books in the Abhorsen trilogy this book was excellent. It starts off a bit tragic. However, this is just the beginning of the adventure. In this book you will see Lirael become a mighty Abhorsen. She is a very powerful main character and very likeable. Sameth comes into his own, even his annoying sister is likeable. The Disreputable Dog is her usual mysterious and loveable self. This book is a page turner and the need to get to the end is immense. Mogget will suprise you towards the end. Without revealing the ending, this book has a happy ending but also a very sad ending. This is a must read and defiantly a keeper.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
If LIRAEL lacked in action compared to its predecessor, SABRIEL, ABHORSEN makes up for that by functioning as an extended climax of events from the previous book, focused around the need to find and defeat the necromancer Hedge to stop him from reawakening an old and malevolent power known simply as the Destroyer. The story picks up directly after the end of the previous book, with Lirael, Sameth, Mogget, and the Disreputable Dog in a race against time to stop Sam's school friend, Nicholas Sayre, from going through with his plans to reconnect two large metal hemispheres, which when connected will release the Destroyer. This power, also known as Orannis, was first bound when the Charter was created and is inimical to all forms of life.

ABHORSEN really feels like it ought to have been part of the end of LIRAEL, not only because the latter book is a continuation of the former in terms of plot. It might be possible for a reader to understand LIRAEL having not read SABRIEL, but ABHORSEN does not stand alone in this way. Rather, the characters, plot, and worldbuilding knowledge from the prior book is assumed by the author in this book. This isn't much of a problem, though, because Nix's writing still takes the reader on marvelous adventures. I just wouldn't advise trying to read this trilogy out of order. In fact, even reading this review without knowing the background of the series is probably difficult.

I also felt that some portions of the story moved along too quickly; I would have liked to see a mix of action and introspection, with more character development. However, in comparison to LIRAEL, whose action took place over a period of four years, the major events in ABHORSEN take place over less than a month of time. I recommend reading ABHORSEN directly after finishing LIRAEL for maximum effectiveness.

My biggest problem with this book was that it ended! While the primary concerns of the trilogy were nicely concluded, there were many new storylines and new questions posed that might have been nonessential, but that I still wanted answered--mostly because I don't think Nix is done with these characters, and I want to see more of them! I've got my fingers crossed that Nix will decide to write more short stories in this universe (the short story collection ACROSS THE WALL contains one story set in Ancelstierre), if not more novels. I'd be willing to read anything he'll write!

Reviewed by: Candace Cunard