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, grew up expecting one thing only to have another thrust upon them. They have to figure out what to do without help from their parents or anyone with knowledge, though they do have the somewhat mysterious support of the Disreputable Dog and Mogget, a talking cat. This story is told in a complex world at the border between what we� d consider normal, and a land where magic is alive and powerful. The culture clash doesn� t get a lot of play in this book (though the implication is that more was in the earlier books), but the crafting of magic and how it works is beautifully creative. I already started another book of his, and will probably be picking up more.