Abhorsen

Abhorsen by Garth Nix

Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen (April 22, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0061474339

 

From Publishers Weekly
An explosive prologue sets the stage for Nix's riveting continuation of the story begun in Sabriel and Lirael. While newcomers might find the intricate plotting and the rituals of the Charter Magic off-putting at first, Nix rewards their efforts. Returning characters Lirael, former Second Assistant Librarian of the Clayr and now an Abhorsen-in-Waiting (the Abhorsen's "birthright and charge [is] to maintain the borders of Life and Death"), and her nephew, Prince Sameth, along with Disreputable Dog and the mysterious white cat, Mogget, are ensorcelled in the Abhorsen House by a Dead creature, Chlorr of the Mask, who is in league with the evil necromancer Hedge. They break out to try and rescue Sam's old friend, Nicholas Sayre, who has been tricked by Hedge into digging up Orannis, the Destroyer; if Hedge's plan succeeds, the evil now contained by two separate hemispheres will join and annihilate all life. The grotesque imagery of the Death realm provides a haunting note, which Nix offsets by the brightness of the main characters' quest to defeat the Destroyer. At once an allegory regarding war and peace and a testament to friendship, this thought-provoking fantasy also resolves the true identities of the popular Dog and Mogget characters-and suggests that Nix may still have more tricks up his sleeve.

The Abhorsen is the final book in this series, by Garth Nix.

I enjoyed book one, Sabriel, and was saddened when book two had very little of her in the story.   A jump of 14 years is not what I expected!

But, truth be told...I enjoyed book two, Lirael.  It took me  a few chapters but I found I liked Lirael and Sam, the two young people who did not know why they felt so out of place and wondered where life would lead them.

In book 3, Abhorsen, we find out where life leads the two young people, and much more.  Throughout the story there is a cat named Moggot and then a dog both of which you get the impression there is more than meets the eye, and in the final book you also finally find out about them.  The evil in book 3 has no name until the end of the book which made it more scary since you were never sure what sort of power you were fighting. This series of books was different from anything I've read.... but it had some interesting characters, and that's generally what keeps me reading.

Also in both Lirael and Abhorsen, Sabriel and Touchstone have small parts, but at least they aren't just dropped from the story.

This was a good trilogy.  I can't say I'd call it one of my all time favorites, but I did enjoy them.  I had no trouble wanting to continually pick up any of the books and read more, and after a fairly long stretch of reads that were not satisfying at all, this was a welcome read! 

Thank you Chris for sending me Sabriel which put me on track to reading this series of books!!