Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case

*spoilers for any of the Abhorsen books if you haven't read those first*

In this novella, Nicholas is still recovering from his possession by Orannis, the Ninth Bright Shiner.  He is brought his uncle, the Chief Minister, to a secret facility studying the Old Kingdom.  All Nicholas wants to do is return to the Old Kingdom and Lirael so he agrees to answer any questions the researcher might have.  But when a dangerous creature escapes, Nicholas does all he can to stop it before it reaches the Wall and the Old Kingdom.

"Who would not fear the power of the Nine Bright Shiners, highest of the high?"

I loved all of the Abhorsen series so when I found out about the short novella that continued the story of Nicholas Sayre, I really wanted to read it.  There is very little of Lirael and the Old Kingdom as all the action takes place in Ancelstierre, the non-magical part of this world that Nix has created.  But it was nice to see what became of Nicholas.  He was one of my favorite characters.  Even though it is short, it is amazing how well developed all the characters and the world are, but I guess that this is because the world has been explored at length in three full novels.  It was an action packed adventure with all the hallmarks of this series.  I wish there would have been more Lirael, but it was good to explore more of Nicholas' character.

Abhorsen - The Old Kingdom series (Audio)

The continuation of Lirael finds Lirael and Sameth, the prince of the Old Kingdom, coming to terms with their new roles. Both have set out to track and find Sam's friend Nick who is possessed by a magic being older than can be conceived. With the help of the Disreputable Dog and Moggot, two mysterious "animals," they try to prevent an unspeakable power from rising and destroying them all.

This was such a good book, such a good series. Tim Curry does an excellent job narrating and adding to the voices of all the characters. There was a little more Sabriel and Touchstone in this book, but I wish there was more. I know that there is a short story in Across the Wall and I will be reading that soon.

I am intrigued by Moggot and the Disreputable Dog and their history. Things like that always make me wish for more. And the ending was so good. It was just right and I had a couple of tears in my eyes when they make their last stand. So far I've liked everything I've read by Garth Nix (one of my absolute most favorite series is the Keys to the Kingdom) and so I'll have to read more.

Lirael - The Old Kingdom series (Audio)

It's been 20 years since the events of Sabriel and the Old Kingdom has been prosperous under the rule of King Touchstone and his Queen, the Abhorsen Sabriel. Their youngest child, Sameth, is at school in Ancelstierre when he and his cricket team are attacked by the dead. Sam is suppose to be the Abhorsen-in-waiting but the attack and his subsequent fight with the necromancer Hedge has left him unwillingly to venture into death anymore. But now his good friend has enter the Old Kingdom and Sam decides to find him and lead him through the kingdom, but dark forces are now at work.

Meanwhile, Lirael has grown up with the Clayr, the Charter mages who live in the glacier and have the gift of Sight, to see into the future. Lirael is different among the Clayr and doesn't have the Sight no matter how hard she wishes. Aided by the Disreputable Dog, Lirael begins a journey that leads to her ultimate destiny.

Told in alternating voices, I really enjoyed Lirael even more than I did Sabriel. I did find it frustrating when the point of view would switch and you'd be left hanging, but that's an old trick so I forgive it. The ending has no real resolution so I have to read Abhorsen to find out what happens and get my questions answered. I want to know about the Disreputable Dog and Mogget. What are they and what is buried under the Lightning Trap? I found that the beginning before either Sam or Lirael really got going on their journey a little boring and I wanted it to move a little quicker but the set-up turned out to be necessary for later. Also there is a lot of land descriptions which I glazed over a little. But all in all an awesome book and I immediately started on the next one.

Sabriel - The Old Kingdom series (audio)

Sabriel lives in a world divided in two, one is Ancelstierre where there is no magic and the other is the Old Kingdom which is full of magic and the dead. Her father is Abhorsen whose life purpose is to send the dead back to death and make sure they stay there. Sabriel is at boarding school in Ancelstierre when she receives her father's bells and his sword. She knows this means something has happened to him so she ventures into the Old Kingdom to find his body and try and save him. Along the way she is joined by the servent of Abhorsen, Mogget, a mysterious cat whose identity and power is unknown, and Touchstone, a free magic mage whose past is also myterious. Together, they travel deeper into the Old Kingdom to rescue Sabriel's father and defend an old evil.


One of the reason I wanted to listen to this book was because Tim Curry is the narrator. There are some people I would be willing to listen read the phonebook and he is one of them. I am also a big Garth Nix fan so I figured the combination would be a good one and I was right. I really liked Sabriel although the landscape descriptions were a little long for an audiobook. I especially liked Mogget, the cat who knows everything, and I'm interested in learning his true background which I'm sure will be explained in the sequels. Sabriel was really cool too, a strong independent woman.

This is just a side note, but when I read I tend to "see" the action in my head. It's like a little movie that plays in my head. Most books play out like live action movies but, for some reason, Sabriel was an anime in my head. The tone and style of the book just feel anime to me and I wish that if they made it a movie, they would make it anime. It would be spot-on.