Nix, Garth: Clariel(Abhorsen #4) Informal Buddy Read; Start Date: December 05 2014

[Kelly]

Hmm. Weird. Maybe I'm misunderstanding how they reanimate them in the earlier books.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Do you mean the hands? They are pulled out of death I think, but by then aren't a "person" anymore. It has been about a year since I read the series so my memory is a little rusty!!

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Kelly wrote: "Chapter 26-end
..."

Oh, sorry you felt that way! I loved it. (view spoiler)[ I thought it was such a great way to show how Clariel becomes the Chlor of the Mask in Sabriel. I really enjoyed this and can't wait for him to release another :D (hide spoiler)]

[Marla]

I'm 4 disks into 10...

I just want to shake Clariel's mother and father. They seriously would marry her off (view spoiler)[to that creep just to advance themselves in society?! Oh, I guess they do get to rid themselves of a troublesome daughter who is a little too opinionated and not proper enough. He has killed people for sport? He is seriously messed up. I am listening to audiobook, so I don't know how to spell his name.

I would think he couldn't be bothered marrying her. I did love it that she pounced on her would-be attacker and her own guard had to ensure that she didn't gut him. He's a sociopath, maybe he would like marrying someone who is that unpredictable.

I'm glad that Clariel saved Bel! But I am worried about her interaction with that free magic creature. (hide spoiler)]

I'm bored with all the family issues, politics and court etiquette.

Bring on death and demons...

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Haha Marla! I like that stuff :)

[Kelly]

Marla wrote: "I'm bored with all the family issues, politics and court etiquette.

Bring on death and demons... "

You mean the family politics isn't death and demons... hmm.

[Amanda]

Part 9 1/2 of 10 on audio
(view spoiler)[
I think this is the only book in the Abhorsen series where I am not emotionally connected with the main character. There is something about Clariel that I find difficult to like.

I love seeing Moggett again! He was a favorite character of mine. More Moggett, please!

I wonder how Clariel's berserk rage can overcome charter marks and free-magic beings? I don't remember anything about this in any of the other books. (hide spoiler)]

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

The berserk is a new concept Amanda, it may make more sense at the end. (You're so close!)

I also love Moggett. Great character. Always impresses me when author's can make a cat character that does act like we would expect a cat to be

[Amanda]

Just finished!
(view spoiler)[
I think it's fitting that Clariel ended up where she did when everything was over. I don't think she could ever have fit in or been trusted to not try to control other free-magic creatures. Like she said, the charter fades with time.

I'm so glad that Bel turned out to be the new Abhorsen. It's about time! He is very deserving of the title.

The author's note at the end mentioned that she appeared in Lirael. It's been a long time since I've read Lirael and I don't remember her. I mostly just remember the Disreputable Dog :). (hide spoiler)]

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

teehee
love the dog too ;)

[Marla]

9 out of 10 disks. I do like Moggett, but I liked the Disreputable Dog more. I think Moggett is more sketchy and "gray" in this book, than in Lirael's stories. I trust him even less.

(view spoiler)[I am very worried about Clariel's interaction with free magic. I can see how someone slides away from charter magic and into being a necromancer. The power is too much to resist. And it's so easy to justify the short cuts because it is with good intentions.

Does anyone remember the name of the Abhorsen turned necromancer that Lirael met up with in one of the advanced gates in death in the Abhorsen? It was a female...was it Clariel? I hope not.
(hide spoiler)]

[Marla]

Finished. (view spoiler)[I guess the good guys won in the end, but I'm not sure that Clariel was a good guy. It ended with a bit of a cliffhanger ending, but honestly, I don't care to hear about Clariel's down fall. Sometimes I hate it when I'm right.

In fact, I was torn about them saving Clariel. I liked that Bel saved her and thought to bind her powers, but only because he would've been sad if she died. Moggett's ominous words that bindings faded and there were ways around things scared me.

It would depend on the story line whether I would read the next book in this series. I was disappointed with this book since it was slow and dark and I didn't like the heroine and I don't think she was good.
(hide spoiler)]

[Alanna]

I'm only now really getting started. So tired of the "I don't want to be a lady and my parents want me to marry an awful person" trope. Part of the reason I liked Sabriel was because it wasn't that.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

@Marla - I'm not sure about who Lirael met in Abhorsen. I can't remember as it has been a while! (view spoiler)[ Although I'm assuming it was "Chlorr of the Mask". I don't think Clariel was meant to be a good heroine seeing what she ends up as ; so I quite liked that she was never really that likeable...lol (hide spoiler)]

[Marla]

Karen wrote: "@Marla - I'm not sure about who Lirael met in Abhorsen. I can't remember as it has been a while! [spoilers removed]"

I just always want a good heroine and for good to triumph over evil. (view spoiler)[Sigh, I know, I'm just a pollyanna. At the end of Clariel, they say she did meet up with Lirael and I thought she was Chlorr...and Clariel did have the mask. (hide spoiler)]

[Alanna]

Marla wrote: "Karen wrote: "@Marla - I'm not sure about who Lirael met in Abhorsen. I can't remember as it has been a while! [spoilers removed]"

I just always want a good heroine and for good to triumph over ev..."
(view spoiler)[ My copy has a note from Nix in the back saying that Clariel is indeed Chlorr, which also explains the comments at the end about bindings wearing off. Yes, I accidentally spoiled myself. (hide spoiler)]

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Yes mine has the same Alanna. That is why I liked the way Clariel's character is written (view spoiler)[ as she really isn't someone you should end up liking!! ;) (hide spoiler)]

[Alanna]

I got really confused for a moment before remembering Marla listened to an audiobook, thinking "wait, don't all the copies have this note?"

Don't feel bad about your pollyanna tendencies, Marla! We all need a happy ending at least sometimes.