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Abhorsen (Abhorsen #3)

by Garth Nix (Goodreads Author)

4.29 of 5 stars 4.29 · rating details · 44,185 ratings · 794 reviews

When the ninth gate calls, who can resist its summons?

An old evil has arisen - freed from its subterranean prison and seeking to escape the binding silver hemispheres which prevent it from finally unleashing its terrible powers.

Lirael, newly come into her inheritance as the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, knows that the fate of the world is in her hands. With only a vision from the C...more

Paperback, 396 pages

Published January 3rd 2005 by HarperCollins Children's Books (first published January 1st 2003)

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Jan 12, 2008 Osho rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2007

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. + Strong female protagonist; coming-of-age elements; fast-paced action
- Rushed narrative at times; plot issues; character development subsumed by action; multiple points of view, often lapsing into exposition, which also increases the reader’s emotional distance

The third of the Abhorsen trilogy. This is really a “part 2” for Lirael, making the shape of the series a little less of a triptych and more of a single story plus a diptych. A relatively satisfying book, and a reasonable end to the sequ...more

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Aug 14, 2010 Suna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favourites, garth-nix

The messages in this book are brilliant. They are truly about being different from the norm, rather than pretending to be, a trap a lot of YA writers fall into.
(Yes, Scott Westerfeld, I mean you.)

It seems that's because Garth Nix first and foremost wanted to write this story, without the need to shove any polemic down the readers' throat.
And such a story.

Even though her deep unhappiness with her life as an Unseeing Clayr was painfully true, Lirael contemplating suicide, being drawn to Death, was...more

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Apr 03, 2007 Moontail rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Young Adult, Adult

Shelves: readandloved

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 M...more 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. (less)

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Nov 05, 2007 Jillian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: necromancers

Shelves: fantasy, y-a

So now that I'm done with the trilogy I'll say that it was Great. I read the last book so fast, I think I read it in two days? Maybe three. Anyways, the climax is good (and not painfully predictable like book 2) and the characters are developed so well by the end that I was just sucked in. My face even scrunched up at the end when one character... you know. It always happens to someone. The fact that I even thought about crying is quite a feat for an author, since I pride myself on stoicism when...more

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Aug 16, 2011 Levina C. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantastical-fiction, novels

Abhorsen takes three-hundred-plus pages to take Lirael, Sam, the Dog and Mogget from Point A - the Abhorsen's house in the Old Kingdom - to Point B - the Lightening Farm in Ancelstierre. Throughout the book, the main goal was to go there, fast fast fast, hurry hurry hurry hurry. It is much the same in the first book, Sabriel. Some might find it exciting and adventurous but I simply found it tiring.

When they reach Ancelstierre, they must stop stop stop the hemispheres hemispheres hemispheres fro...more

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Feb 06, 2011 Jessica Vitela rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: brainy-chicks-holla, dark-and-creepy, fantasy, fierce-ladies, shed-some-tears, theres-a-prince-yall, ya, war, reviewed-books

Can I just say how shocked I am by how good this book was? I mean, I guess everything that happened in Lirael was necessary in setting the stage for Abhorsen, but man did Lirael put a damper on the Old Kingdom high I got from Sabriel. In book 2, Lirael was mopey, annoying, and the Mary-Sue from Hell. Sam was pretty angsty, too, and the book felt entirely like exposition with no real pay off at the end (with a long ways to go). Needless to say, I approached Abhorsen with distrust and apprehension...more
Can I just say how shocked I am by how good this book was? I mean, I guess everything that happened in Lirael was necessary in setting the stage for Abhorsen, but man did Lirael put a damper on the Old Kingdom high I got from Sabriel. In book 2, Lirael was mopey, annoying, and the Mary-Sue from Hell. Sam was pretty angsty, too, and the book felt entirely like exposition with no real pay off at the end (with a long ways to go). Needless to say, I approached Abhorsen with distrust and apprehension, prepping myself for a letdown.

AND WHAT IS THIS? LIRAEL UP IN HERE WITH A DECENT PERSONALITY AND ACTUAL CHARACTER GROWTH? SAM COMING OF AGE AND SHAPING UP LIKE A BOSS? MOGGET AND DOG REMAINING THEIR FLY SELVES AS THEY FACE THE CRAZIEST PLOT EVER? Alright, my capslock!Harry moment has passed. And I might have exaggerated a smidge, but seriously. This book was pretty epic. Dare I say, more epic than Sabriel? (Come on! The last third of the book I kept saying, “Whatever are they going to make it out of this!” or “As if someone ain’t gonna die right now!” and “There’s no way! NO WAY!”—and the first two-thirds of the book I had already been on the edge of my seat!).

Now, I’d like to address something that I haven’t really mentioned in my previous reviews of the series. Most noticeably in books 1 and 3, there are really great and subtle messages sent about the gender stereotypes we’ve picked up in our lifetimes. Plenty of my favorite action heroines (be it movies or books) have to inevitably come up against some douche who refuses to answer to a girl of all things (or remember that awesome scene in RotK when Eowyn’s like, “I am no man! You look upon a woman!” and the audience goes crazy and everyone’s fist-pumping?). But, like, the story can be set 200 years in the future, in space, and some jerk acts like it’s the craziest thing in the world to see a woman save the day. That sucks, no doubt, but almost worse is when the story is set in an alternate freaking reality (usually fantasy with magic and dragons and crap), and people are still shamelessly sexist. Like, really, screenwriter/author? It made sense to you to make this completely fictional world hate women, too? But wizards live forever and stuff, right?

In the Abhorsen trilogy, the roles of men and women are pretty evenly distributed between the sexes. There are both male and female royal guards and it ain’t no big thang, some tribes have matriarchs and others patriarchs, and the people of the Old Kingdom answer to the female Abhorsen and the King with equal loyalty and reverence. I mean, that just makes sense to me. If magic has existed in a world since the beginning of time, than freaking equal rights should have as well.

Anywho, all-in-all, a fantastic book. It somehow successfully made me love Lirael after raging against her so much before, it totally does justice to anything left wanting regarding the mythos of the world in Sabriel (you get to see all of the nine gates of Death, so awesome!), and it kind of outdoes the final battle scene of Sabriel as well…a great conclusion! (Although I wouldn’t say no to another book in the series…)
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Jul 30, 2008 Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

A continuation of the prior book, Lirael, Abhorsen picks up in the middle of the action, as Lirael and Sam get ready to face what lies ahead. They know they need to rescue Sam's friend Nick, but they have no clue as to the Evils they will face on the way. Through turmoil and heartache the two must draw on every strength they possess, but will they prevail against the Destroyer?

I did like this book, but the whole time I knew I was reading it because of the unfinished Lirael. So, it's just as well...more

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Sep 09, 2007 Krissa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So everything I held against Book Two, Lirael, was released in Abhorsen. The book races, literally and figuratively - I read it in a day. The climax is beautiful, BEAUTIFUL, with all the characters you love and hate from all three books playing their part with some powerful punches. It also drags torturously through some characters' descents into madness which is, well, maddeningly written, curse Nix and his talent.

I adored this trilogy and wish people would stop resisting me forcing it upon th...more

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May 08, 2011 Debora rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, fisicamente_posseduto

E così si conclude la triolgia di Garth Nix.
Misteriosa, affascinante, ambigua ma assolutamente impalpabile.

Da leggere, rileggere e ricordare.

Recensione dettagliata al più presto!

________________________________

Questa volta ho deciso di fare un'unica riflessione complessiva su tutti e tre i volumi (Sabriel- Lirael- Abhorsen) perchè trovo questa saga decisamente complessa ma meritevole di essere letta.

Iniziamo con il dire che Sabriel, il primo, potrebbe essere benissimo considerato un'opera autoco...more

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Nov 24, 2010 Margaret Mcgaffey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Abhorsen is the third book in a series, and it says something about the author� s skill that when I opened my mind to his world, I had no trouble at all following what was going on. (Admittedly, that� s a skill of mine, but if the author hasn� t put the hooks in place, I� m just as lost as someone who can� t do that.) The story is an end of the world/good vs. evil tale with likeable characters who are struggling to handle what they� ve been given. Both of the main characters, Lirael and Sam, gre...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Jacobmartin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wanted to give this three and a half stars, but that is a rating that says less that I'm deliberately hating on this book as much as I'm frustrated that really good ideas are used but there's that abrupt rushed ending I always hate in fantasy novels, they don't feel like they've ended properly and just stop in the end of a plot and even the provided epilogue didn't satisfy me much either. It felt like the author checked his word count and felt his editor was going to prune things if he didn't...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Grianne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, garth-nix

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Be'...che dire?...carino.
Sicuramente interessante la struttura della magia...i negromanti, le campane, la magia della carta, i fulgidi...davvero bella come idea...peccato per il contesto e soprattutto per i personaggi.
Rimangono piatti purtroppo, l'eroe/eroina, il cattivo, gli aiutanti...siamo nel perfetto schema fantasy visto e rivisto.
Davvero un peccato perchè ripeto l'ambientazione mi è proprio piaciuta, ma non c'è introspezione,
***RECENSIONE PER L'INTERA TRILOGIA***

Sabriel e Lirael sono q...more Be'...che dire?...carino.
Sicuramente interessante la struttura della magia...i negromanti, le campane, la magia della carta, i fulgidi...davvero bella come idea...peccato per il contesto e soprattutto per i personaggi.
Rimangono piatti purtroppo, l'eroe/eroina, il cattivo, gli aiutanti...siamo nel perfetto schema fantasy visto e rivisto.
Davvero un peccato perchè ripeto l'ambientazione mi è proprio piaciuta, ma non c'è introspezione,
***RECENSIONE PER L'INTERA TRILOGIA***

Sabriel e Lirael sono quasi lo stesso personaggio, con la stessa storia. Si salva un po' in questo il secondo volume, Lirael, in cui la ragazza vive secondo il suo carattere, riusciamo a capirla, i suoi pensieri, la sua malinconia. Ma il terzo volume è la replica del primo. Fatto salvo per la "storia d'amore" tra Petrus e Sabriel sono identici. Ovvio le vicende sono differenti, ma ragioniamo sulle protagoniste...pur avendo background molto differenti entrambe scoprono in maniera inaspettata di essere l'abhorsen e reagiscono con coraggio e forza andando incontro a temibili nemici senza minimamente vacillare.
Trovo che Lirael, che si era dimostrata un personaggio carino e interessante nel secondo libro, sia completamente schiacciata dalla storia nel terzo volume. Perde ogni tipo di identità diventando di fatto Sabriel.
Anche la storia del Rimembrante...poteva essere un bel punto da sviluppare...invece niente, questa capacità serve soltanto alla fine per scoprire come risolvere l'inghippo. Niente di più. Era una bella idea, o quantomeno poteva esserlo se fosse stata sviluppata.
Aggiungo che non voglio massacrare questi libri, ai quali cmq dò 3 stelline e mezzo...so che in parte dipende dal fatto che io amo le saghe molto molto lunghe e la loro conseguente complessità, quindi tendenzialmente trovo "scialbe" e poco sviluppate quelle corte, a meno che non siano davvero sorprendenti.
Quindi per quanto riguarda questa trilogia posso dire che tutto sommato mi è piaciuta, certamente è migliore di tantissime altre. Se vi piace il fantasy, quello classico in particolare, sicuramente piacerà anche a voi.(less)

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Dec 18, 2012 Dorothea rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Abhorsen is the second half of the story begun in Lirael. I prefer its predecessor, but mainly because the climax of the story doesn't quite work for me. Apart from this, Abhorsen is just as good and has some lovely touches.

I like how flashes of Sabriel and Touchstone's journey are woven in -- and how Nix kept Lirael the real protagonist, rather than making this book Sameth's story -- and how we gradually learn the details of Nick's situation -- and the Abhorsen's journey through all the gates a...more Abhorsen is the second half of the story begun in Lirael. I prefer its predecessor, but mainly because the climax of the story doesn't quite work for me. Apart from this, Abhorsen is just as good and has some lovely touches.

I like how flashes of Sabriel and Touchstone's journey are woven in -- and how Nix kept Lirael the real protagonist, rather than making this book Sameth's story -- and how we gradually learn the details of Nick's situation -- and the Abhorsen's journey through all the gates and precincts of Death (which I think also appeared in Sabriel, but I found so interesting and finally beautiful here).

The weakness comes from the apocalyptic scale of the story's climax. Lirael et al. discover that they're racing against time to pit their untried powers against an ancient evil that will literally destroy the world if not stopped. The racing against time part is fine -- it provides for much of the book's structure, and gives it a consistent sense of urgency and excitement.

The problem is that there are all these other threads in the story -- coming of age, Lirael's relationship with the Disreputable Dog, Mogget's untrustworthiness, family members uncertain of one another's safety, the fate of Nick who is being used as the ancient evil's avatar and (simultaneously and somewhat bewilderingly) being set up as a potential future love interest for Lirael .... mostly interesting in themselves, but completely insignificant in light of the imminent-yet-barely-preventable destruction of the world. And Nix makes room, in this apocalyptic climax, to weave in or at least acknowledge all of these threads. Some of them (like the resolution of Mogget and the Dog's stories) fit in well -- but the rest, when recited by family members reuniting in the nick of time prior to the conclusion of the battle, sound oddly like one of those family Christmas card letters:

Greetings this holiday season! Mum and Dad had a nasty scare in Ancelstierre this year while on a diplomatic mission, but escaped unscathed. Ellimere has really shown promise as the Heir of the land, coordinating everything beautifully in her parents' absence. Sameth has had a difficult year, discovering that he's not meant to be the Abhorsen-in-Waiting after all, but we're proud that he has 'found a different path but one no less important' [actual dialogue from this scene!]... However the year's challenges aren't yet over as the whole family is about to fight through horrible dangers to perform a possibly-effective spell to subdue the Destroyer of the Universe. We hope you and yours have a safe and happy Christmas, love from the Old Kingdom.

I have no idea how Nix might have written this differently -- it's not like I want to ignore all the smaller things -- so perhaps this is just an inevitable problem about a plot with such enormous stakes.

I feel similarly about the Southerlings, here and in Lirael -- they're a large population of refugees who are being forced to move about due to political turmoil in Ancelstierre, and who are being killed en masse by Old Kingdom necromancers to use for evil ends. Ethically speaking the things that happen to the Southerlings are about the same as the threat of the Destroyer (since the magical destruction of the entire world by an ancient evil entity is not something I have any real-life appreciation for, my scale of evil actions tops out with genocide), and I find that same element of unreality in Nix's writing about both. Lirael and Sameth's attitude to the Southerlings, is, necessarily, "oh no here are more of these folks, they're probably about to be killed horribly, let's try to save them but every moment we lose here might mean the Destroyer's victory." Which is very awkward for me -- if we must have murder on such a scale, couldn't we take a little time to contemplate it with due gravity? At times I see that Nix is trying to retain human sympathy for the Southerlings, to avoid making them simply a plot device, but short of making the novel much longer by introducing a new subplot with individual Southerlings as protagonists, there's not much that could have improved things, and I wish he could have somehow left it out.(less)

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Nov 14, 2012 Maren rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A very good finale, losing one star only because it ends quite suddenly not long after the climax, and I at least would've preferred a bit more falling action and resolution*.

Aside from that, though, this rather fantastic finale to the Old Kingdom/Abhorsen series does not disappoint. A truly awesome** antagonist, strong characters that are still so very human, and no shortage of action, adventure, and magic along the way, with just enough wry wit and sarcastic comments to keep the story and the...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Corinne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Abhorsen is the final book in a trilogy (a fantastic trilogy, I might add). It follows Sabriel and Lirael, both of which I highly recommend.

Abhorsen begins exactly where we have left off in Lirael - the Destroyer is on the verge of regaining its' infinitely destructive powers and only Lirael and Sam, with the help of their magical animal companions, are able to stop it. I worry that this little description sounds trite, but be very aware that these are NOT light books. Death is, as in the other...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crème-de-la-crème, fantasy

WOW. When I finished this book, a whirlwind kicked up and thew me fifty feet away. Yeah, I'm saying this book blew me away. With the all the excitement and action, I ended up with whiplash. I be wearing a neck brace for weeks.

And it all started out making me giggle. In the very front, where the map is, there's a blueprint of sorts of the Abhorsen's house. And one room is labeled "Abhorsen's bedroom with two bathrooms!" exclamation mark included. That just made me smile.

So let's get down to busin...more WOW. When I finished this book, a whirlwind kicked up and thew me fifty feet away. Yeah, I'm saying this book blew me away. With the all the excitement and action, I ended up with whiplash. I be wearing a neck brace for weeks.

And it all started out making me giggle. In the very front, where the map is, there's a blueprint of sorts of the Abhorsen's house. And one room is labeled "Abhorsen's bedroom with two bathrooms!" exclamation mark included. That just made me smile.

So let's get down to business. I was RIGHT. Ha! (view spoiler)

So basically from the beginning this book amazing and had me its grips from the Prologue, which it alone shocked the crap out of me. Probably out of all of the characters in the series (even Sabriel), The Disreputable Dog is my favorite. She really lives up to her name. (view spoiler)

And again, the writing is absolutely superb. I don't often enjoy a book for its writing. Usually I just like the book because of the story, and suffer through the writing. But Nix has a way with words. And his similes and metaphors are something else. Example: "As they climbed, Lirael came to understand the cliff was not .... a single almost vertical face of rough stone. It was actually composed of hundreds of faces of slipped rock, as if a sheaf of paper had been propped up and many individual pages had slipped down." What a neat visualization is that? I could picture so many things in this book perfectly.

The world Nix has created is so unique and imaginative that I could get lost in it. Amazing books! Sometime in the future I will reread these books.
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Jul 26, 2012 Chy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Yeah. I'm so glad I did a review of Lirael just after I read it, or I would have run the two together. It was done well, though, with reminders of Book Two that weren't hurdles for someone who'd gone straight into this one. Some definite finesse there.

And I just can't get over the growth of Lirael and Sam. Nor can I get over how much I love the Disreputable Dog or Mogget, and especially them playing off one another.

I'd mention my thoughts on Sabriel and Touchstone in this one, but I don't want t...more Yeah. I'm so glad I did a review of Lirael just after I read it, or I would have run the two together. It was done well, though, with reminders of Book Two that weren't hurdles for someone who'd gone straight into this one. Some definite finesse there.

And I just can't get over the growth of Lirael and Sam. Nor can I get over how much I love the Disreputable Dog or Mogget, and especially them playing off one another.

I'd mention my thoughts on Sabriel and Touchstone in this one, but I don't want to put any spoilers in here.

This is a story, man. And Garth Nix loved it. Loved the characters, too. I felt that in all three books, and reveled in it. Even when the writing isn't great (there are many places in all three where all I could think was, "Aw, man, you're tighter than that"), I still see and feel the love in it. And I loved them, too.

I think it's great that Nix doesn't shy away from killing people, and doesn't shy away from some truly horrendous things happening. In other "YA" fiction I've read, there's either that, or these killings or horrendous things that seem to be stamped with the writer saying, "See! I can kill characters! I can put horrible things in there, too!"

And Nix doesn't do that. It just is, and you have to accept it because it is, and mourn, and pick yourself up because you must be picked up because of all this other.

Loved the progression of these last two books in the trilogy. (Loved the progression in the first, but it really, at this point, feels like a prologue to these two. Still a great read.)

The thing I kept thinking, especially in all the climatic events of this book, was that this trilogy would make a great anime. With the first book, I kept thinking it'd make a great movie. But in the last hundred, hundred-fifty pages of this one I realized the truth---anime series. All the way.

Also, it's really messed with my mind to read these around A Song of Fire and Ice books. Both have a big wall between the "normal" world and a world of mystery. Both have undead. They are extremely different in all respects...but still. Messed with my mind. And I liked it.

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Jun 20, 2012 Koalathebear rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Gah. Abhorsen is sooooooooo good. I might even go so far as to say it's the best in the series..... No matters how many tinems I read this book, I am still in suspense and extremely stressed towards the end of the book when they are having their final battle with the Dead. So gripping.

Abhorsen is the third in the Old Kingdom series and is not a stand alone novel. You have to have at least read Lirael before you read it. It continues on directly from Lirael so although you probably don't need to...more

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May 16, 2012 Haley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Full disclosure: I bought this book in high school after I finished Lirael, then stuck it on my shelf and steadfastly ignored it for years because I was so furious and sad after reading the prologue. Protip: STICK WITH IT! Garth Nix always has a trick or two up his sleeve. With that said, this book was an exhausting read. By the end, I felt just as pummeled and weary as its protagonists--partially because Garth Nix is just that good at writing deeply relatable characters, and partially because t...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Lacee Pilgrim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fantasy lovers

Shelves: favorites

Title: Abhorsen
Author: Garth Nix
Target Audience: Young Adult
Pages: 426
Chapters: 31
Rating: 10/10
Genre: Fantasy
Number: third in the series
Series: 1-Sabriel, 2-Lirael, 3-Abhorsen
Person: third
Tense: past

Blurb (quoted):
“Beneath the earth, a malignant force lies waiting, greedy for freedom from its ancient prison. As the Old Kingdom falls into darkness and terror, people look desperately to the Abhorsen, scourge of the Dead, to save them. Yet Abhorsen Sabriel is lost, missing in Ancelstierre.
Only Lira...more

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Dec 02, 2011 Majanka rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: epic-fantasy, high-fantasy, young-adult

already reviewed the first two books of this trilogy, Sabriel and Lirael, and I have to say that out of all three of these books, I enjoyed Abhorsen the most. It’s like everything finally comes together in a great climax: the characters are well-defined and familiar, so we don’t have to get to know them all over again, which brings us straight into the action. Finally we learn why Prince Sameth is scared of the Realm of the Death, why he never wanted to be an Abhorsen, and what the heck he is if...more already reviewed the first two books of this trilogy, Sabriel and Lirael, and I have to say that out of all three of these books, I enjoyed Abhorsen the most. It’s like everything finally comes together in a great climax: the characters are well-defined and familiar, so we don’t have to get to know them all over again, which brings us straight into the action. Finally we learn why Prince Sameth is scared of the Realm of the Death, why he never wanted to be an Abhorsen, and what the heck he is if he doesn’t fit into that pattern. With the return of my favorite two characters, The Disreputable Dog and Mogget, the charismatic but often incredibly sarcastic cat, and their more prominent roles in this book, we finally learn more about the true nature of Free Magic and why everyone involved is actually…well, involved. The ending has epic proportions and would look great on the big screen.

At the beginning of Abhorsen, we meet up with Lirael and Prince Sameth who’ve set off to rescue Nick, Sam’s old friend from his previous school in Ancelstierre, who unfortunately has had a fragment of The Destroyer placed in his heart, which results in him being the “vessel” of The Destroyer. Under the command and watchful eye of necromancer Hedge, poor Nick – who will now be forced to believe in the magic he claimed was non-existent – is leading the search for two silver hemispheres hidden deep beneath the earth. Each of them holds half of the essence of The Destroyer, and when put together, they can unleash the ancient creature of evil and potentially bring doom to the entire Old Kingdom and Ancelstierre as well. Lirael has finally come to terms with the fact that she’ll never See the future, and is instead learning how to ring the bells like a true Abhorsen does. They fight off Gore Crows, Dead Hands and other memorable creatures on their quest towards Nick – and their quest to save the entire Kingdom. Eventually the battle is brought from the Old Kingdom to the heart of Ancelstierre, where – quite literally – all hell is about to break loose.

Lirael has really grown a lot as a character over the course of the previous book, and this shows especially at the beginning of Abhorsen. Gone is the timid, scared teenager who is devastated over not belonging to the family of the Clayr in the way that she cannot See. Meet instead, our new Abhorsen, ready to challenge even the most fearsome creatures of the Realm of Death in a duel, and ready to fight until the very end. Confident, reassured, intelligent and unnaturally quick to learn the ways those Abhorsen bells work, Lirael is a crafty and skillful opponent. Except that for the numerous Dead unleashed, she’s only a small glitch in the path towards destruction. Sameth has done a lot of growing up as well. Finally finding his place in the world as Wallmaker, and finally realizing why he is the way he is, has done him a lot of good. He no longer doubts himself or his choices in life, and he isn’t worried about the fact that he’s not Abhorsen-material anymore either. It seems as though finally these two youngsters have found their place in the world, and have realized who they truly are inside. And not a moment too soon, because in this book there isn’t a lot of time left to ponder about emotions, life choices and fears.

At the verge of total destruction, the Old Kingdom and Ancelstierre have to rely on these two heroes, their sidekicks, and occassional appearances of Sabriel and Prince Touchstone and other familiar characters. We’re thrown right into the action, and see the events unfold before the final countdown. Of all the books in The Abhorsen Trilogy, this one is no doubt the most fast-paced, action-packed and glued-to-your-seat one. The pace does not drop for one single second, the feeling of dread, fear and a soon-to-come climax never dissapears, and it feels like everything just clicks into place. A lot of unanswered questions are explained – some are left unanswered though, leaving room for a possible second trilogy or series – and the ending is cataclysmic to say the least. It’s a battle the size of which can only be compared with the battle at the end of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy or at the end of the Harry Potter series. Epic in proportions, the ancient good vs. evil contradiction, and of course, there’s always a price to pay for victory…

Once again, it was Mogget who made the day for me. He is by far the most interesting and loveable character in the entire Trilogy, and Abhorsen is no exception. He has a sarcastic and cynical sense of humor, his loyalties are questionable the say the least, his intentions are not always the right ones, but it’s those little facts, like never knowing whose side he’s really on – probably his own, in the end – that make him all the more entertaining. If Garth Nix ever decides to write a book devoted to Mogget, I’d be the first one in line to buy it. I’m also thinking about starting a Mogget fanclub, complete with T-shirts and cat bells. Donations are welcome and of course, encouraged.

I would also like to applaud Nix’s magic system, which is explained in greater detail in this final installment in the series. While a lot of authors treat magic as a “deus ex machina”, Nix has a well-constructed, metaphysical magic system that is both impressive and unique. His world-building skills, although already shown through the first two books, are even more prominent in the final volume. His characters are well-developed, easy to relate to, and at all times entertaining. He highlights old but often forgotten values like loyalty, friendship, courage, determination, and the value of family, but he also portrays that sometimes these come at a very steep price. Although claimed as being ‘young adult’, I reckon that because these books deal with things like death, loss and severe suffering, they are aimed at an older public, 16-17 and older. I would recommend this final volume in one of the most breathtaking, innovating, enthralling and vivid series to every fantasy fan out there. The Abhorsen Trilogy is sheer brilliance, and I hope Garth Nix shows that brilliance in his other works as well. I am definately impressed.(less)

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Nov 10, 2011 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A great end to a fantastic trilogy. I'm lumping in my thoughts on Lirael with Abhorsen. Altogether, I have only three minor complaints about the pair of them. First, Lirael got off to a very slow start. Made it a bit hard to get into, especially because I loved the character of Sabriel so much. It would have been better if the book had started with something exciting right away to get readers to transition from Sabriel to Lirael better. Second, Lirael's progression as a character suddenly seemed...more

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May 30, 2011 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-books

Garth Nix is one of my favorite authors, and this book did not disappoint me. It has a good balance between suspense, action, and conflict, and the characters are likable and realistic. I do think it drags just a bit, though. It takes forever for them to get anywhere or get anything done, and the climax starts about two thirds of the way through. I guess it's because this book and the second one in the series, Lirael, could pretty much be combined together into one giant book and work. Regardles...more

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Jan 03, 2011 Marc Aplin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Many of you may not have heard of this series… I picked it up by complete chance about 5/6 years ago when visiting a relative. I forgot the book I was currently reading (Magicians Guild) and was kinda bored over the weekend there. Still having 5 days left on my trip, I walked past a charity shop and sat in the window was a book called ‘Sabriel’. Now, to me it looked ‘fantasy-ish’ so I picked it up…

The book was so amazing that by the end of the holiday I was almost finished on the third in the se...more

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Feb 10, 2010 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, ya, series, bought-copy

In the Beginning there were nine Bright Shiners. One of these, Orannis, was also known as the Destroyer. Seven of the nine bound Orannis and broke his entity into two hemispheres. In the process they also bound Yrael - a Free Magic entity who was not willing to join the Charter. This binding and the co-operation of the Seven led to the creation of the bloodlines - the royal family, the Clayr, the Abhorsen - in the future. These carry the Great Charter in their blood - and are the only people abl...more In the Beginning there were nine Bright Shiners. One of these, Orannis, was also known as the Destroyer. Seven of the nine bound Orannis and broke his entity into two hemispheres. In the process they also bound Yrael - a Free Magic entity who was not willing to join the Charter. This binding and the co-operation of the Seven led to the creation of the bloodlines - the royal family, the Clayr, the Abhorsen - in the future. These carry the Great Charter in their blood - and are the only people able to prevent the rise of Orannis when the evil necromancer Hedge tries to unbind him.

These are the events that we deal with in Abhorsen. Lirael gave us the build-up - now Abhorsen gives the big reveal of the evil that must be stopped, and shows us how everything plays out.

I really enjoyed this book! The events were exciting, the writing was fluid and the plot moved along at a snappy pace. The dialogue was effective and sounded realistic.

I don't want to reveal what happens at the end, because I feel that the reader should discover this for themselves, but it was appropriate to the build-up and I enjoyed finding out more about both Mogget and the Disreputable Dog, who have been thoroughly enjoyable but mysterious characters all the way through.

The best part of this book is the sheer imagination on display. Since the first book, Sabriel, I have enjoyed learning about the Abhorsen's work and the art of the bells that control the dead. The descriptions of these bells - their names and the effects they have on both the dead and the wielder - are fantastic and an unusual form of magic. I also loved the path into Death, the Nine Gates that Lirael is forced to walk in this book. The use of the river, and the different gates, is written superbly and provides great tension.

I have enjoyed the fact that necromantic magic takes centre stage. Most often this is a very dark form of magic, and those with the ability are evil and twisted (much like Hedge). Seeing the Abhorsen using this magic as a force for good is very refreshing.

The battle between Charter magic and Free Magic is very effective - and bought to play best in the different forms of Mogget and the Disreputable Dog.

As before, I have small niggles that really didn't affect my overall enjoyment of the story. Here I felt that Hedge was a paper-thin characterisation - we didn't learn anything of his background or his attitude, or his reasons for bringing the Destroyer back to life. He was just Evil and provided an opponent for Lirael. In addition to this, Nicholas Sayre wasn't really utilised to a great extent either - I was never able to empathise with him, so the resolution to his story gave me less enjoyment than probably intended.

In my opinion, this trilogy deserves to take its place amongst childhood greats such as the Chronicles of Narnia and The Hobbit. It is excellently written and a breath of fresh air. Thoroughly enjoyable escapism.(less)

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Jan 03, 2010 Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This highly-anticipated sequel is a conclusion to Sabriel (Harper ,1996) and Lirael (Harper, 2001) that doesn't disappoint. The delicate balance between good and evil is once again upset in the Old Kingdom. The dead are restless after nearly eighteen years of rebuilding and peace under the reign of King Touchstone and Queen Sabriel, while the New Kingdom grows more corrupt with each passing day. The Clayr are unable to see a clear future, and as the king and queen go missing (believed to be dead...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Jamie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the final book in the Abhorsen trilogy. Book 2 left us on a major cliffhanger with Lirael and Sameth rushing to the Red Lake to try to stop an unknown force from awakening. In this final book, Lirael must not only confront the Destroyer, but she comes into her own powers as the Abhorsen-in-Waiting.

This book was much more action-packed than the previous 2 books in the series. I felt the others were a bit slow and were hard to get through - not this one! I couldn't put it down. In a way, I...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Matt rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Matt by: Derrick

Wow. I can't even begin to describe how good this book and this series is. Garth Nix weaves an extremely original tale, but unlike some other authors, he made the originality work so that it felt like the book was reality and reality was fiction. Lirael is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, a special person who weilds the seven bells of the necromancer, but unlike the necromancer's who use the magic in the bells to raise the dead, Lirael uses them to send the dead back into Death and beyond the ninth gate...more Wow. I can't even begin to describe how good this book and this series is. Garth Nix weaves an extremely original tale, but unlike some other authors, he made the originality work so that it felt like the book was reality and reality was fiction. Lirael is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, a special person who weilds the seven bells of the necromancer, but unlike the necromancer's who use the magic in the bells to raise the dead, Lirael uses them to send the dead back into Death and beyond the ninth gate. In this book, an evil from the Beginning has awoken, an evil that would destroy all of Life, and it is up to Lirael to stop him.

There are a few main themes that can be found throughout the book. One is the role between fate and free will. A line is repeated throughout the book. A saying that is never explained, but is used to make the reader wonder: "Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?" The simple fact that Life is littered with dead souls seeking out living people in order to stay out of Death shows this theme. They seek to escape their fate, and are aided by the necromancer, who also seeks to escape his fate, but the Abhorsen's job is to return the dead to Death and send them beyond the ninth gate where their fate will finally be the end.

This book is a coming of age story. In the beginning, the main characters, especially those of Lirael and Sameth, are very young and impulsive in their decisions. But the events of the story allow them to grow into the people, the adults, they NEED to be as determined by fate.

Another important message is that of overcoming the pains of what you don't have and accepting what you do have. Lirael, as a Daughter of the Clayr, seeks to have the Sight of the future which is the birthright of the Clayr. It pains her as the years role by and the Sight continues to allude her. But eventually an even greater destiny presents itself to Lirael, and she has the need to overcome her pains in order to carry out this destiny.

This final book of the story takes everything back to the Beginning, when the Seven people who originally created the Charter (the organized form of magic, as compared to Free Magic which has no constraints) bound the Destroyer that is now threatening to be freed again. Lirael and Sam are accompanied by their companions, the Disreputable Dog and Mogget the cat servant of the Abhorsen. Each of these companions have their own very unique personalities, and they act as a guiding hand for Lirael and Sam. They are, in essence, the driving hand of the story and they play a much larger role than Lirael and Sam know.

This book keeps you on edge the entire time you read it, and keeps you turning the pages nonstop. Time will fly without you even realizing it because you will be so engrossed in the tale. It is an apocalytic tale that is worthy of holding the honor of being the last book in the series. The ending is truly phenomenal, and filled with many unexpected turns. In effect, it DOES NOT DISAPPOINT. It leaves you longing for more, which means that Garth Nix has done his job perfectly.(less)

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Mar 24, 2011 Maree ♫ Light's Shadow ♪ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought this was a great final ending to the series! Sam wasn't nearly as pathetic this time around and Lirael kind of found her place in the series. I appreciated the backstory on the world and the bells, and about the Dog and Mogget. Though they were both a lot simpler than I had hoped. I also thought that this book finally allowed the bells to be used a little more and expanded Death a lot more.

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Sep 15, 2012 Laura Pilcher rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, magical

I really enjoyed this installment of the "Old Kingdom" series. It follows on from Lirael (book 2 in the series) seamlessly. To be honest i wonder why they are not a single book.

Prince Sameth and Lirael, the newly appointed Abhorsen in waiting continue in their effort to stop Hedge, the necromancer and Sameths old friend Nick from unleashing an evil that has not been seen since the birth of the charter. This great evil is called the Destroyer one of the original 9 magical beings who opposed the...more

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About Garth Nix

Garth Nix was born in 1963 in Melbourne, Australia, to the sound of the Salvation Army band outside playing 'Hail the Conquering Hero Comes' or possibly 'Roll Out the Barrel'. Garth left Melbourne at an early age for Canberra (the federal capital) and stayed there till he was nineteen, when he left to drive around the UK in a beat-up Austin with a boot full of books and a Silver-Reed typewriter.

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Books by Garth Nix

Mister Monday (The Keys to the Kingdom, #1)

Drowned Wednesday (The Keys to the Kingdom, #3)

Lady Friday (The Keys to the Kingdom, #5)

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Quotes from Abhorsen

“Maybe if I act well enough, I'll come to believe it myself.” — 90 people liked it

“As for you, Private, if you mention a word of this to anyone, I'll feed you to the cat thing here. Understand?"
"Yum," said Mogget.
"Yes, sir!" mumbled the telephone operator, his hands shaking as he tried to smother the burning wreckage of his switchboard with a fire blanket.” — 43 people liked it

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