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 plot at the end of the Trilogy.

Sam is an interesting character in that his story arc provides for him to be the reluctant prince. Not a dashing strong hero - at first anyway - but someone trying to find their position or niche in life. He starts as an interesting character overshadowed by his famous and distant parents. The movement from confidence to lack thereof is believable for the most part but a bit thin on real development and you always teeter on the edge of really believing it.

Two dimensional characters abound and it's a sad disregard for some of the stronger elements that could have drawn this series into a taller more interesting trilogy. The Clayr could have been a bit more understandable if we'd got to sympathise with any of the Clayr characters. It ends up being featureless and a bit lacking in substance despite the twists of the plot through the realm of the Clayr. The aunt, the twins, the librarians .. all two dimensional. I read that Garth's publisher made him go back and describe Lirael's origins in a bit more detail, and I suppose what he wrote sufficed. Not good enough for me.

The most criminal lack of character development was Sam's sister Ellimere. She was a convenient character who just passed on information here and there to help the plot along. You never felt she was really part of the story. She was there to keep the Old Kingdom governed so we didn't have to think about what was going on while all the others were going about their business. Totally useless character but could have been good.

The thin allusions to Sabriel and Touchstone continue all the way to the end of the trilogy and you feel a bit cheated that the main character of the first book should just disappear to being a minor character for the rest of the trilogy.

Again from the pace of the plot and the lack of development of characters I'm thinking these books were written in a hurry and were probably demographed for teenagers.