Customer Reviews

Above the Veil (Seventh Tower)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The fourth installment of the Seventh Tower series accelerates the reader to new levels of excitment as Tal and Milla go their own ways. Tal is forced to work with the rebel underfolk called Crow to try to find his lost father and save both the Castle and the Dark World from Susin and the evil plot he's hatching. Milla returns to the ice and must then lead an assualt on the Castle. Both Tal and Milla grow inside, but their worlds are coming down around them. As the plot thickens, Tal and Milla's situations become more desperate. The end of this book, like the last three, leaves the reader on the edge. But, this time the reader is even farther out that before. The fifth book isn't due out until August. I don't think I can wait.

I really like this book. The series certainly doesn't get boring and this book continues the epic very well. Above the Veil doesn't start off as slow as the other 3. This one starts off with Tal and Milla in the underfolk levels and from there they meet a rebelious underfolk group with less than 10 people in the "society". Not much later Milla heads home and Tal along with one of the rebellious underfolk head up the red tower to find and free the keeper so that Tal can free his father from the orange tower. Milla heads to the ice and finds herself with a surprise beyond everything she ever hoped for. I think that this book has set the stage for a lot of action for the following books ahead. I can't wait for the next ones.

Garth Nix dazzles The Seventh Tower series yet again with the fourth heart stopping book in the series : Above The Veil. Tal and Milla's journey is harsh and dangerous. Darkness rages from Milla and hopelessness brews in Tal. As they desperately search for Ebbitt, Milla longs to return to the Ice, her original home. But their mission is now at a delay. Rebel Underfolk are beginning to appear in the Chosen's Castle, while a vast conspiracy lurks about in the Castle. Lead by Crow, Tal must seek his trust to reach above the Veil, while Milla's own fate is uncertain. Their adventure has turned from brutal to life threatening, and now they are in greater danger then ever before. And the battle has just grown fiercer. What began with the first intense adventure now continues with the epic fourth book in this wonderful, elaborately written series, with the most surprising and unexpected twists of all.

Th entire series of The Seventh Tower books are very original and interesting. I highly recommend them for anyone that likes fantasy. Also, I highly recommend you read the books IN ORDER. They won't make sense if you read them out of order and you will spoil some surprises. However, this fourth book is the most intense and exciting, so far. I just hate having to wait until August for book 5! As for any parents that are wondering, I am a parent and these books are totally acceptable for upper elementary and older. No sex, no bloody violence, no cussing.

Tal and Milla have found the Codex and have escaped from Aenir, but now Sushin's guards are looking for them. They escape and are taken to the Freefolk Fortress, the home of the Underfolk who don't like being slaves, and meet an untrustworthy ally, Crow. Crow and Tal are going to climb through the veil in order to find a keystone, there are seven and they are the only things that keep the creatures of Aenir from taking over, which will help him free his father. Milla is determined to leave and tell all that she has learned to the Crones. But if she does, the Crones will most likely wage war on the Chosen and try to take over the castle, and that would mean that Tal would once again become her enemy. And in the Icecarl world the only way to deal with enemies is to kill them before they kill you. This book, like the others, answered just enough questions to get you hooked and left enough unanswered to make you want more. It was really entertaining and I can't wait for the next one.

WOW! This is an amazing book. I've read all of the books in the series (actually, I've read them twice) and I really like the way the story stretched farther and farther, the characters changing drastically. I also found slight careless mistakes in this book-- Nix claimed that Milla's eyes were grey, while in the first book, they were green. Also, I felt this book was a change. For some readers, they might box their expectations by judging the characters, but Nix's other pieces show that he is capable of the amazing, so don't be surprised if the plot or characters swerve around drastically. In this book, Tal and Milla are still on the run from the maniacal Sushin, and encounter a rebel gang of underfolk. Milla feels the compelling urge to return to the ice--her characteristic flame slightly dimmed. But everything starts to fall into place in this book, paving the way for a possible ending that I believe will leave each reader breathless.

In the fourth book of the six book series Seventh Tower Tal and Milla discover a secret band of Underfolk who call themselves "Freefolk", with Crow as their leader, in the help to protect the veil. Tal reunites with his uncle Ebbit who has been living in hiding with the Freefolk since Tal left for Aenir. Tal also reunites with his old Lectourium teacher Jarnil who he thought died years ago. Together the figure out the truth about the not so human Sushin and figure out part of his only greater evil plan.

Meanwhile, Milla decides to go to see the Shield Mother and tell her about all that she has learned and the danger of the veil falling apart, then she will give herself to the ice. However things go terribly wrong as Milla kills the Shield Mother who attacked her because she had a spiritshadow. Milla thinking she will be severly punished instead become the leader of all Icecarls and becomes a War Chief and is to lead them on the mission to take over the castle and forever secure the veil.

While Milla is sorting out her army Tal and Crow set out on a mission to protect the veil. However betrayal by both boys lead to tragedy. This was as excepted another great book by Garth Nix. I highly recommend it!

As usual, Nix writes another great book. As a book from the Seventh Tower books, it follows the characters Tal and Milla throught their adventure to... to... well, the main goal is pretty vague, but Milla plans to become a Shield Madien, though in the last book, her dream was shatterd by taking a spiritshadow in the shape of a stormshepard (don't ask...) from the world of Aenir. So basically in this book, her goal was to report to the mother crone and then giver herself to the ice.

Tal's plan, as always is to restore his family. Rescue his brother, cure his mother, rescue his father, and protect his sister, though he never seems to do any of these things because he's caught up in a battle between Aenir and the world he and Milla grew up in, away from the sun, below the veil.

Another complication (as if they didn't already have enough): A band of humans who don't believe themselves as underfolk, but as Freefolk (has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?) give them troubles along the way to find Tal's uncle Ebbitt.

Yet another fact I forgot to mention: "Sunmaster" Sushin (basically the guy who is ready to make Tal's life horrid, as well as his family's) who doesn't seem quite... how should I say this?... human... Sad to say, he holds so much power throughout the towers.

Well, Milla escapes from the castle while Tal is climbing the tower with Crow (a freefolk). Along the way, Milla kills a Sheild Madien who tries to kill Milla because of her spiritshadow and that Sheild Madien just happens to be the Sheild Mother (Milla's absolute rolemodel)... who knows what will happen? All I can say is this: Don't ever, ever, ever read this book without reading the first several. It gets too confusing (as if I haven't confused you enough already), believe me.

If you've been following the series this one will be impossible to put down. The plot intensifies, Tal's problems continue to spiral out of control, and the consequences of even one mistake on his part could spell doom for his world.

Tal and Milla seperate early in the book, and Tal is the main focus through most of it, which means loads of character development for him. The author writes each character, though particulerly Tal in this book, not as a thirteen year old boy, but as a human being, caught in frightening events, and handed burdons that seem impossible to bear. Thus, every time Tal triumphs, it seems a triumph to the reader as well, rather than a predictable outcome.

But, despite the excellently developed characters, this book is mainly about action and plot, which is written just as well. Definitely read this series from the beginning, and you won't regret it when you do. :-)

Thank-you! The Seventh Tower Series is older, but the kids love it. Garth Nix (the author) is unique in is book-writing abilities. The adventure is there, but it is not cookie-cutter style and pat. Interesting point of view. Great for younger readers because does involve the action without over-the-top violence.