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 b...
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Apr 08, 2009
♠Shane
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Oct 28, 2008
David
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Apr 28, 2011
Annie
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I liked this book. The writing wasn't as beautiful as I hope for in fantasy novels. But his world building was thorough and very interesting. I went back and forth between liking the characters and not, which I think reveals how fully formed they are.
I really liked the whole Charter marks and Free Magic stuff. I think it made a fascinating world and sense of magic. I liked that, just because Lirael was good with Charter marks, didn't make her all powerful; that there were weakne More...
I really liked the whole Charter marks and Free Magic stuff. I think it made a fascinating world and sense of magic. I liked that, just because Lirael was good with Charter marks, didn't make her all powerful; that there were weakne More...
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Apr 18, 2011
Jessica
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Jan 04, 2011
Osho
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Aug 03, 2008
Echo
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It took me a while to get around to reading this book, even though I rushed out and bought it immediately after finishing Sabriel. The up side to that is in the meantime, I'd bought Abhorsen as well. That important. Sabriel was a good stand-alone novel. Lirael and Abhorsen are not. In fact, I'd recommend that before you read Lirael 1) you read Sabriel first and 2) you have a copy of Abhorsen ready to pick up as soon as you finish Lirael. Lirael ends in the middle of something, and the two
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Nov 01, 2008
Nicole
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I'm not a huge fantasy person, but I'm always up for a kick-ass heroine such as Lirael. I thoroughly enjoyed the first 2 books in this trilogy, mostly because they appeal to my morbid streak. Death portrayed as a river with 7 gates? Sending the Dead back into Death using necromancer bells? What's not to like here?
Decent writing, excellent story, not-quite-typical (and therefore appealing) fantasy story. Not to mention book covers by the Dillions. I will read almost anything tha More...
Decent writing, excellent story, not-quite-typical (and therefore appealing) fantasy story. Not to mention book covers by the Dillions. I will read almost anything tha More...
Jan 05, 2010
I bought this as soon as I'd finished Sabriel, the first in the trilogy. I still found it to be a page-turner, but I didn't enjoy it as much.[return][return]Sabriel is a stand-alone book. Obviously you're set up for a sequel, but the story is resolved. It has a kick-arse female protagonist, an unusual and well-realised world, and a cracking pace.[return][return]Lirael, on the other hand, is a much longer book with a much slower pace, and much of it is occupied by the whining of two teenage pr
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Jan 08, 2012
Liz
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"Lirael" picks up some fourteen years after "Sabriel" ended. Sabriel and Touchstone may have defeated the Dead and saved the kingdom once, but it was only a stopgap measure. There are other, far worse things out there that want control of the Kingdom, magic, and all the lives they can take. Sabriel and Touchstone (now Queen and King of the Kingdom) do what they can to stem the tide of destruction, but this time it's up to the next generation to take the fight to the Dead thin
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Dec 02, 2011
Majanka
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Fourteen years have passed since Sabriel deveated the evil lurking behind The Ninth Gate in the first book in the series, but still there are powers of darkness at work in The Old Kingdom – powers so ancient and devastating that this time, the powers of the Abhorsen alone might not be enough to deliver the kingdom from evil. With Sabriel running off on Abhorsen-duties and King Touchstone working around the clock to keep the kingdom in check, and re-establish old orders long forgotten, it might b
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Aug 06, 2011
Elaine
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You guessed it, the sequel to Sabriel. I read it when I was sick, finished it in 1 day. It is that good.
This book focuses on 2 people, the title character, Lirael, and Prince Sameth. Lirael is a daughter of the Clayr, a community of people who can see the future. But while most attain the Sight at around 11 years old, she is 14 and increasingly depressed. Her mother, a Clayr, died when she was very young, and her father is a mystery. Her own appearance is unlike virtually all of the other Clayrs More...
This book focuses on 2 people, the title character, Lirael, and Prince Sameth. Lirael is a daughter of the Clayr, a community of people who can see the future. But while most attain the Sight at around 11 years old, she is 14 and increasingly depressed. Her mother, a Clayr, died when she was very young, and her father is a mystery. Her own appearance is unlike virtually all of the other Clayrs More...
May 27, 2011
R.L.
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Mar 22, 2011
Maree ♫ Light's Shadow ♪
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I was quite surprised and pleased when I read this book after reading Sabriel. I thought Sabriel was a good adventure, but I had a lot of problems with the characters and the situations they found themselves in. I had a few problems with it in this book, but not as much as before.
First off, I thought Lirael was a fantastic character with a lot more depth than Sabriel, stemming of course from a difficult childhood and how everyone around her was gaining her heart's desire except for h More...
First off, I thought Lirael was a fantastic character with a lot more depth than Sabriel, stemming of course from a difficult childhood and how everyone around her was gaining her heart's desire except for h More...
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Dec 06, 2010
Raylee
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I love this book! This novel follows the stories of Lirael and Prince Sameth as they struggle to assume the roles the world expects them to fulfull. As the only clayr without the sight Lirael is lonely until she discovers her talent for charter magic and calls the disreputable dog to her as her companion. Lirael continues to improve in her magical abilities until she is called by the heads of the clayr because they have seen her filling a special mission. Prince Sameth is expected to take over h
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Sep 30, 2010
Vernon
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Book one, Sabriel, was interesting enough to make me want to read this book, but I was a bit disappointed. I think what happened was Garth Nix had this great idea for a long story, but was unable to break it up nicely into a trilogy. This book was not complete in and of itself. It does not have a clear climax; it does not have any resolution; it is not a satisfying read all alone. Now I have to read book three just to have closure on the story.
That said, the Lirael character is usu More...
That said, the Lirael character is usu More...
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Sep 10, 2010
Cate
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Again like Sabriel this book is good on plot and imagination but a little short on detail, character development and explanation.
Also the similarities between Sabriel and Lirael were a bit to close for my liking - even though they are meant to be sisters.
The Disreputable Dog was a little too convenient at times, resolving difficult moments in the drama timely and far too easily. On the other hand, as the story fits together I do like how the Dog figures in the overall pl More...
Also the similarities between Sabriel and Lirael were a bit to close for my liking - even though they are meant to be sisters.
The Disreputable Dog was a little too convenient at times, resolving difficult moments in the drama timely and far too easily. On the other hand, as the story fits together I do like how the Dog figures in the overall pl More...
Aug 30, 2010
Khan
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Quite an amazing book. I was surprised to find such a gem in the YA section.
In a way it made me think of Twilight, but in a good way. The thing is that like Twilight the book consists of 3/4 of characterization. Normally this is the point such books fail at. It makes the character come alive especially the protagonist named Lirael. It also brakes up the characterization with some action, so the reader doesn't get bored, which was one of the complaints I had about Twilight. As I said it More...
In a way it made me think of Twilight, but in a good way. The thing is that like Twilight the book consists of 3/4 of characterization. Normally this is the point such books fail at. It makes the character come alive especially the protagonist named Lirael. It also brakes up the characterization with some action, so the reader doesn't get bored, which was one of the complaints I had about Twilight. As I said it More...
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Jul 15, 2010
Brian
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Like its predecessor, Sabriel, Lirael is a remarkable feat of imaginative storytelling. Utterly gripping, it is, in Philip Pullman's words, 'fantasy that reads like realism'.
It's a continuation of the story that began with Sabriel, though the point of view has moved to that of a teenage girl growing up among the Clayr, an almost exclusively female society all of whom share an ability to forsee future events - all except Lirael, that is. She waits and waits for the gift of Sight, the More...
It's a continuation of the story that began with Sabriel, though the point of view has moved to that of a teenage girl growing up among the Clayr, an almost exclusively female society all of whom share an ability to forsee future events - all except Lirael, that is. She waits and waits for the gift of Sight, the More...
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Jul 14, 2010
Amanda
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This is the second book in the Abhorsen trilogy, although events have moved on from the first book (Sabriel). We pick up the story about twenty years after the end of Sabriel - she and Touchstone are now, respectively, the Abhorsen and King of the Old Kingdom.
One part of the story deals with their son, Sameth. He has attended school in Ancelstierre and grown up there, with only occasional trips back into the Old Kingdom. It is generally expected that he will follow in the footsteps of More...
One part of the story deals with their son, Sameth. He has attended school in Ancelstierre and grown up there, with only occasional trips back into the Old Kingdom. It is generally expected that he will follow in the footsteps of More...
Jun 26, 2010
Fence
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This is the sequal to Sabriel, and begins fourteen years after those events. The main star is, as the title suggests Lirael. She celebrates her 14th birthday as the story starts, and we learn that she, although one of the Clayr, cannot See. The Clayr are people with the gift to see the present, and also to see possible futures. Because she has not yet awoken she is treated as a child while those younger than her get to put on the white clothes of adulthood, she remains in blue. Always apart and
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Jun 17, 2010
Akie
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I returned to this series recently, since I've never been able to finish it when I was younger. Apparently my reluctance was well-founded. The universe of the Abhorsen trilogy is quite fascinating: magic and technology coexist but do not mix, with the amusing result that the Southern kingdoms resolutely ignore the threats of arcane death magic that spill over from the Wall between the two regions. Sabriel was decent and an excellent introductory novel. Characters, conflict,& finite & continuing
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Dec 19, 2009
Cynthia
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The 2nd in the Trilogy feels completely different than Sabriel, until you get further in. It's very introverted (like Lirael) and overflowing with feelings of not fitting in (sooooo emo). Interesting change of pace.
Lirael is a completely different character from Sabriel. She's diffident, shy, angry, and never felt familial love. She's the misfit, emo, quiet girl eating her lunch in the bathroom whereas Sabriel was the golden girl/chosen one. It's wonderful seeing Lirael grow int More...
Lirael is a completely different character from Sabriel. She's diffident, shy, angry, and never felt familial love. She's the misfit, emo, quiet girl eating her lunch in the bathroom whereas Sabriel was the golden girl/chosen one. It's wonderful seeing Lirael grow int More...
Jun 09, 2009
Amy
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This is the sequel to Sabriel and starts nearly 14 years after the events in Sabriel.
Lirael is a daughter of the Clayr, a mysterious group of women whose special powers allow them to see the future. Lirael does not feel like she belongs. She's black-haired and pale-skinned, while her cousins are all blond and tanned. Her mother died mysteriously away from the clan, and she doesn't know who her father is. And most important- she does not yet have the gift of sight.
Sameth is a prince More...
Lirael is a daughter of the Clayr, a mysterious group of women whose special powers allow them to see the future. Lirael does not feel like she belongs. She's black-haired and pale-skinned, while her cousins are all blond and tanned. Her mother died mysteriously away from the clan, and she doesn't know who her father is. And most important- she does not yet have the gift of sight.
Sameth is a prince More...
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Jan 22, 2011
Deanna
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Jul 11, 2010
Kate
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This is the second book in a trilogy and is clearly a bridge between one and three. I am not exactly sure why but there is something in this series that really grabs me I just love it!
Lireal is set fourteen years after Sabriel and due to the events in the first book the old Kingdom has had a brief period of calm with things beginning to prosper. Things are again becoming other worldly, dead are rising again with the aid of a yet unknown foe. Sabriel and Touchstone have had two chi More...
Lireal is set fourteen years after Sabriel and due to the events in the first book the old Kingdom has had a brief period of calm with things beginning to prosper. Things are again becoming other worldly, dead are rising again with the aid of a yet unknown foe. Sabriel and Touchstone have had two chi More...
Mar 18, 2011
Jamie
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So, what did I think of this book?
Frankly, I think this series is one of the best written stories I've read. I still have fond memories of reading Sabriel, and this book will find a place in my heart and mind right along with the first book.
Lirael was a nice surprise in the series. Even though it continued along with the first story, it contains different main characters in a different time. You get to see Sabriel and Touchstone much older and actually ruling their Kingd More...
Frankly, I think this series is one of the best written stories I've read. I still have fond memories of reading Sabriel, and this book will find a place in my heart and mind right along with the first book.
Lirael was a nice surprise in the series. Even though it continued along with the first story, it contains different main characters in a different time. You get to see Sabriel and Touchstone much older and actually ruling their Kingd More...
Sep 08, 2009
Becky
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This was a very interesting follow up to Sabriel. I read it relatively quickly, and really enjoyed it.
Lirael, the character, doesn't know who she is, or why she is different from the other girls of the Clayr, which is a group of people who have the ability to see into the future, or possible futures. She just knows that she IS different. She soon joins up with The Disreputable Dog, fights fun creatures who are trying to eat her, and goes exploring... And thus we begin tagging along More...
Lirael, the character, doesn't know who she is, or why she is different from the other girls of the Clayr, which is a group of people who have the ability to see into the future, or possible futures. She just knows that she IS different. She soon joins up with The Disreputable Dog, fights fun creatures who are trying to eat her, and goes exploring... And thus we begin tagging along More...
Nov 14, 2011
sabisteb
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No Mother, no father, no sight
Vierzehn Jahre sind vergangen seit Touchstone und Sabriel das alte Königreich befriedet haben. Lirael, eine Clayr ohne die Fähigkeit in die Zukunft zu sehen, arbeitet in der großen Bibliothek der Clayr. Dort borgt sie heimlich jedes Buch, dessen sie habhaft werden kann und beginnt sich die verborgenen, geheimen und gefährlichen Bereiche der Bibliothek und die Magie zu erschließen, während sie sich in ihrer täglichen Arbeit mit den normalen Gefahren einer B More...
Vierzehn Jahre sind vergangen seit Touchstone und Sabriel das alte Königreich befriedet haben. Lirael, eine Clayr ohne die Fähigkeit in die Zukunft zu sehen, arbeitet in der großen Bibliothek der Clayr. Dort borgt sie heimlich jedes Buch, dessen sie habhaft werden kann und beginnt sich die verborgenen, geheimen und gefährlichen Bereiche der Bibliothek und die Magie zu erschließen, während sie sich in ihrer täglichen Arbeit mit den normalen Gefahren einer B More...
Oct 13, 2011
Ben
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I remember that the first time I read Lirael, I was quite frustrated with how long it took me to get into the story (or was it that it took so long for the story get get underway?). Either way, the lengthy setup leads to a great payoff. Lirael seems to be such a different protagonist than Sabriel was--and it's true, she's different, all right--but she turns out to be perhaps more compelling than her predecessor.
Like Sabriel, Lirael is also full of unconventional fantasy elements: th More...
Like Sabriel, Lirael is also full of unconventional fantasy elements: th More...
Jul 07, 2010
Mandy
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