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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A stunning conclusion, January 8, 2003
Abhorsen starts out with a bang (literally) and only gets better as the story progresses. This book is truly a worthy successor to Sabriel and Lirael. As readers of Lirael will remember, Nicholas Sayre and Hedge the necromancer are digging for the two silver spheres that bind Orannis, the Destroyer. Releasing Orannis will mean, effectively, the end of the world. So, all Lirael, Prince Sameth, and company must do is stop them. Of course, that couldn't be any harder, for they face legions of Dead, Chlorr of the Mask, Hedge, and Orannis himself, who was once the strongest of the Nine Bright Shiners. This volume also finally reveals the true natures of Mogget and the Disreputable Dog, and the gifts of Lirael and Sameth. The whole book is tremendously exciting, building up to a climactic battle that is one of the best I have ever read, reminiscent of the Battle of the Pelennor Fields from The Lord of the Rings. Abhorsen is simply an awesome fantasy book. It is one of the few I deem worthy to be kept on the same shelf as The Lord of the Rings. I highly recommend it to all readers who have read the previous volumes.
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19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A riverine Underworld, January 19, 2003
As in "Sabriel" and "Lirael," Death is a riverine chasm from which the dead can be called back to the living by powerful necromancers. Only the Abhorsen (Sabriel) or the Abhorsen-in-waiting (Lirael) can pass from life into the river of Death, through the eight Gates of fog, whirlpools, waterfalls, and shadow, and do magical combat with the necromancers in their own dark realm... Well, the Disreputable Dog can splash into Death, too and in "Abhorsen" you'll find out who she really is, along with Mogget the bad-tempered cat (who reminds me of some of the grouchier Jack Lemon characters). "Abhorsen" is a worthy conclusion to Nix's Old Kingdom trilogy. Read "Sabriel" and "Lirael" before undertaking "Abhorsen," so that you can familiarize yourself with the Philosophy and Geography of Death. Nix isn't into summarization or repetition. He plunges his reader right into a whirlpool of death, animated corpses, and Charter magic. If you don't already know such characters as the Disreputable Dog, the necromancer Hedge, or his bone-headed companion, Nick, you might never figure out what's going on. This book is a direct continuation of "Lirael," with the ex-assistant librarian and her companion, Prince Sameth carrying on the battle against Hedge and the evil he is digging up at Red Lake. Although Prince Sameth was meant to be the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, heir to the powers of 'The Book of the Dead' and the seven bells, Lirael now takes up that role, and Sam seeks his destiny as a descendant of the mysterious Wallmakers, who built the barrier between the magical Old Kingdom and the mundane kingdom of Ancelstierre. The two will need all of the magic they can conjure up against an enemy that threatens not only the Charter, but all living beings. The swirl and cross-currents of life gradually ebb as the dead pass through gate after gate on Garth Nix's nameless river--a river like Styx or Lethe that runs through each of our subconscious underworlds as a legacy of our water-bound gestation. It is an eerie experience to remember that journey of birth--only this time in the wake of the dead--in this marvelous fantasy trilogy.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic, March 26, 2003
This is a wonderful book that draws you in from the very first words. It is about a young woman named Lirael, not sure about her place in life, until she found her nephew Prince Sameth and she became the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, Prince Sameth inheriting the power of the Wallmakers. Sameth and Lirael, accompanied by the Disreputable Dog and the Free Magic being in the shape of a cat ,Mogget,then set out to travel and save Sam's friend, Nick, who has unconsciously gottten himself mised up in the mess happening near the Red Lake. The necromancer Hedge ,accompanied by Chlorr of the Mask and several thousand Dead Hands, are digging up the silver hemispheres which hold the Ninth Bright Shiner, Orannis, prisoner. Lirael and her companions must get across the Wall to Nick 's LIghting Farm in time to stop the joining of the hemispheres which could mean the end of all life. Sam and Lirael face many difficulties on their way to Edge and even into Ancelstierre. But their strength as Charter Mages helps them along the way, along with the Dog and Mogget.The true identities of the Dog and Mogget are revealed along with several other shocking revelations. This book is fast paced and action packed. I would reccomend this book to everyone. It even leaves a little room at the end for your imagination, or possibly another book.
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