Castle

The Seventh Tower #2

by Garth Nix

The Dark World is a place of ice, wind, and fury. A veil of black covers the sky. In all the world, only the Castle shines with light.

Tal and Milla are struggling to make it to the Castle, each on a dangerous mission. For Tal, a Chosen, the Castle is home—even though he is not welcome anymore. for Milla, and Icecarl warrior, the Castle is a strange and mysterious place. Her presence is a threat that the Castle dwellers want to stop...at any cost.

From the deadly Hall of Nightmares to the magical chambers of Tal's great-uncle Ebbitt, Tal and Milla must navigate the Castle without being discovered. Sinister forces are conspiring against them. It will take all their strength to survive.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Adventure, Magic

Hardcover

First published August 15, 2000

About the author

Garth Nix was born in 1963 in Melbourne, Australia, to the sound of the Salvation Army band outside playing 'Hail the Conquering Hero Comes' or possibly 'Roll Out the Barrel'. Garth left Melbourne at an early age for Canberra (the federal capital) and stayed there till he was nineteen, when he left to drive around the UK in a beat-up Austin with a boot full of books and a Silver-Reed typewriter.

Despite a wheel literally falling off the Austin, Garth survived to return to Australia and study at the University of Canberra. After finishing his degree in 1986 he worked in a bookshop, then as a book publicist, a publisher's sales representative, and editor. Along the way he was also a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve, serving in an Assault Pioneer platoon for four years. Garth left publishing to work as a public relations and marketing consultant from 1994-1997, till he became a full-time writer in 1998. He did that for a year before joining Curtis Brown Australia as a part-time literary agent in 1999. In January 2002 Garth went back to dedicated writer again, despite his belief that full-time writing explains the strange behaviour of many authors.

He now lives in Sydney with his wife, two sons and lots of books.

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another decent novel from Garth Nix. The adventures of Tal and Mills continue as they attempt to find their way back to Tal’s Castle home. The world building continues to be excellent.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exciting page-turner.

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like The Fall, Castle is a short and easy read, aimed at reasonably young children. It's quite simplistic, but that doesn't stop it being fun. It's not very complicated, but that makes it a nice read to relax into, and I do still love Nix's worldbuilding. There's more there in the background than you think, when you stop and wonder about it: for example, now I'm wondering about the Crones, about what's up with the dream stuff, about the origins of the Castle, about what exactly Aenir is, about Ebbitt, about... You get the drift.

Each book ends on a cliffhanger, which I'm already beginning to find irritating. Still, in the Keys of the Kingdom books, Garth Nix proved quite good at varying the formula of his endings and openings, so I have hope.

My medievalist trained brain wants to compare the Icecarls to the Norse -- drawing parallels along the way with Tolkien, and Northern Courage -- but I don't think that's quite right. Some similarities in society, and alliterative poetry but not quite of the same metre.

[J.S. Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are so short and fun they make just brilliant reads. Following on from The Fall Castle follows Milla and Tal as they make their way back to the Castle and Tal's family. Only there are forces in the castle that are none to happy about Tal's return.

There is a whole lot of mystery in this series and it's fascinating. Because not only do we have Sushin and his ulterior motives but the idea of missing people plagues the story. Rerem is missing but we get little hints that he is not as lost as first seemed. Not only that but the Empress herself is a figure of intrigue because we know so little about her.

Tal in this book is slowly toughening up a bit which he needed. He's used to luxury and struggling is not part of that. So when they are climbing the Mountain of Light it is hard for him whilst Milla is like cool whatever. Milla on the other hand is letting go of some of her prejudices and ideas about the Chosen and the shadows. Which is helpful because at the end they enter Aenir and the world is gonna go a bit more crazy from there onwards.

I cannot though praise Tal and Milla's fun progression without mentioning the funniest character in the book Uncle Ebbitt. He's eccentric and a little loony but he is so wise and so helpful to Tal. He provides him with the knowledge to escape the Pit and aids him throughout the book so much. With out Rerem around he is providing Tal with the guidance he needs to uncover the issues in the Castle. And there are a lot of them; for instance throwing a child in a dark pit. Which is very Keys to the Kingdom but in reality that came after and the escape with the stairs is like the Improbable stairs. Reading this it is occasionally amusing how clearly some ideas he used in this were rehashed and explored differently in Keys to the Kingdom. But I suppose if you are using your own ideas it's not really ripping off anyone....

The Nightmares thing though is dark, the guy doing it is creepy and the idea of someone entering your dreams and fucking with them is unpleasant. But it did provide us with a chance to see the Crones magic. Because it is hinted to exist, most prominently by the Shield Maiden Crone Mother? If that's her full title. But in the dreams Milla calls to them and they aid her in defeating him, temporarily I assume by his hurry to his superiors, giving Tal and Ebbitt a chance to spring her from the globe prison thing.

The Sunstone magic system is still fascinating and the use of light for the magic is incredibly original to me. The way it is woven and the power in the stones is outstanding but the deeper working of Aenir I presume will be explored in the next book. We left our young heroes in a precarious situation in Aenir after they take an oath to aid one another in combat/magic. It's a great ending point and I cannot wait to read the next book.

[Michael Davenport · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars: Average

After reading the first book I wanted to continue the story because the story ended on a cliff hanger. This book does the same thing, ends on a cliff hanger.

Tal and Milla make it back to the chosen housing and come up with a plan to help Tal's mom, discover why Shusin is highly against Tal's family, and find a Sunstone for Milla's people.

I like the strength and flaws of both Tal and Milla and how well they compliment each other. They don't trust each other because of cultural upbringing, but gradually build there trust.

Tags: clean, no violent fighting

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

   Tal thought the fall from the Castle to the Ice and crossing the giant Selski herd was terrifying, but the journey back up the mountain and into the Castle will be no light journey, either. From a broken road to the heated depths of the Castle, not to mention the adversaries waiting inside the Castle, Tal and Milla of the Icecarls will have to work together if they hope to survive the journey and get new Sunstones for their family and clan.
&nbsp  Tal and Milla have quite the journey full of trials and tribulations just to get to the Castle, and what awaits them there is going to be just as difficult. They’re constantly up against nature, and the Castle, and even Shadowmaster Sushin, as they are trying to get along and trust one another. We get to see small snippets of how they are each being changed by this journey – Milla opening up, Tal discovering previously unknown strength and determination. Great-uncle Ebbitt is always a hoot, and we get to see a little more of what knowledge he has, some of which even goes against what Tal has been taught. And some of which is worse than what Tal learned from his lessons.

[Amir Kasra Arman · Rating 2 out of 5]

خیلی دلچسب نبود نه اونجوری ک از گارت نیکس انتظار داشتم

[Monika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice read for kids. Solid.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the contrast of the world of the Icecarls to how the Castle functions. I'm excited to keep seeing the world develop in the next books!

[Spencer Borup · Rating 5 out of 5]

CASTLE brings our protagonists, the privileged Chosen boy Tal and the disciplined Icecarl (think Norse warriors) girl Milla, back from their adventures in the frozen wastelands of the Dark World into the Light and Shadow society of the Castle. Because the first book adequately introduced us to both of these polar-opposite worlds, we as readers were given the chance to sit back, relax, and enjoy a little character development in the totally-charming back-and-forth between Tal and Milla. These characters are from two completely different walks of life, and it's wonderful to watch them begin to trust and understand one another.

To be honest, not much happens in this book, besides its merciful ending of the "list-of-tasks" plot ("First we must do this, then we must do this, then we must do this, just like any good fairy tale or video game ever!"). I see this series as one large novel broken up into 6 "episodes," although the begin/middle/end story arc of each book is there if you look closely.

One interesting note is on slavery: This theme totally went over my head when I read these as a kid, but now, it's pretty glaringly obvious. Nix is presenting slavery (or "thralls," not "slaves," as his characters call them) and prejudice and forces his young protagonists to face these moral dilemmas. Which is awesome.

Well, now that we've learned about two worlds--the Chosen living in their Castle, and the Icecarls sailing the Ice--it's time to move on to book three and learn about a third world: Aenir, the spirit realm, which seems to resemble Narnia a bit, with its entire forests of walking trees and human-shaped clouds walking around as "Storm Shepherds"...

Bring it on.

[AE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly my enjoyment didn't decrease in book 2. I think I just came into this with the right expectations (something akin to shounen fantasy adventure) and haven't been disappointed.

The series continues to be a lot of fun, and has a mix of common tropes with unexpected directions, so that it's both familiar and also doesn't feel like I know exactly what's about to happen. The mysteries deepen, which I really enjoy. I also liked that Tal and Milla didn't immediately like each other but are also not just bickering nonstop, AND there so far hasn't been much forced teen romance. On top of that, the ordeals they go through are fast-paced and intense, much darker for a middle grade book than I usually expect.

Also:
Ebbitt and his confused boner about the Crones tho. That was the best part of the book.

[Sol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Builds on the strengths of the last book, this time with Milla as the fish out of water as she and Tal return to the castle. The slow development of them coming to respect each other is nicely done, especially as it comes to a potential crisis of trust right at the end. This is pretty much exactly what I wanted from Keys to the Kingdom when Suzy Blue was introduced, a tomboyish deuteragonist. The fact that Tal isn't nearly as nebbish as the kids from Shade's Children or Ragwitch helps a lot - he even manages to get himself out of a tight spot. The scene with Milla in the nightmare chamber and the man with part of his body replaced by his spiritshadow was excellent. The conspiracy plotline is also being developed slowly, and a bit more on the slow decline of the castle's society is doled out. More solid work from Nix.

[Sean Bai · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story that takes me back to my youth. I remember when I had dreams after reading book six, feeling like I was in the world. Garth Nix builds a very captivating world, and I finished reading this series for the second or third time right after I graduated from university with a BA. In this world, there are two groups of humans. One group lives in a castle and there is a heirarchy of lower class citizens who don't have mastery over light and higher ranked people who have magical stones that allow them to wield different colors of light, and there is another group of humans that live out on the ice.

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was extremely happy with the first book in the series, and so was a little worried if I would continue to like the series.

It started off on a really good foot when I found this for 10 cents at my local used bookstore. SCORE!

I loved the fact that the story continued straight off from the first book in the series. Tal and Milla continue their journey to get a Sunstone - well, two of them. And the ending? THAT IS THE EPITOME OF A CLIFFHANGER. HOW DARE YOU GARTH. MY FAITH WAS PLACED IN YOU.

Regardless, this was an excellent novel and I couldn't find something wrong with it if I tried.

[[ J o ] · Rating 2 out of 5]

[Short and quick review from memory before I re-read and re-review at a later date:

No memory of this book or the series, but maybe some snippets. Definite re-read and read of the rest of the series as a whole.]

[l u b o · Rating 4 out of 5]

o niečo lepšie než prvá časť :)

Takže hodnotenie asi 3,8*

[Mohsen M.B · Rating 3 out of 5]

روند داستان به اندازه كتاب اول سريع نبود اما باز هم جالب بود ، مثل پلي بود كه بخواد كتاب يك و سه رو به هم وصل كنه و كارش رو هم خوب انجام داد نسبتا

[Michael Reyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tal of the Chosen and Milla of the Icecarls are held captive by the Shield Maidens. They are then brought before the Mother Crone of the Mountain of Light to figure out what to do with them. It is then decided that they can continue on their mission into The Castle.

Once they reach the castle, Tal notices that all is not as it should be. He seeks the help of his Great-uncle Ebbitt, but is then captured by the Imperial Guards before they had the chance to find out anything. Tal and Milla are separated. Milla is taken to the Hall of Nightmares, while Tal is thrown into the Pit. A daring escape is orchestrated by Tal’s crazy great-uncle… And he soon learns of the corruption happening within the castle.

Great-uncle Ebbitt cooks up a crazy scheme to try to put things right, but will they succeed?

“The Castle” is the 2nd book in Garth Nix’s The Seventh Tower series. It is a short and entertaining read. The world building is fantastic! New flora and fauna are being introduced, and a little bit more of the world’s history is being explored. Although the politics is a bit questionable… I mean the overt disregard of the rules and abuse of power by Shadowmaster Shushin should’ve raised a lot of eyebrows from those in the higher echelons I don’t think that the younger readers (the author’s target audience) would notice this. Although this does happen in real life, I suppose.

Just like the first book, “The Castle” ends on a cliffhanger. WHAT?! Personally, I find this annoying. Not mildly annoying - like constantly referring to Lallek and Korrek as his mom’s cousins, and then talking about them as if they were Tal’s cousins… They’re his AUNTS , ok? Call it like it is. - but like really, REALLY annoying. I like my books to end with some sort of resolution - closure, if you will - but still open enough to where the author can pick up and continue the story in the next book. Let’s take Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone as an example… It starts with the opening of the school year, stuff happens in-between, stuff gets resolved, then the story ends with Harry going back to his relatives at the end of the school year. This leaves us, the readers, satisfied and at the same time looking forward to the beginning of the next school year for more adventures.

I understand that he has to keep the book short enough to match his target audience’s attention span, but ending on a cliffhanger and having to wait 3-4 months for the next book to find out what happens next is really annoying. I’m just lucky that all 6 books have already come out and I don’t have to wait to read the next book.

[Carolin Petersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sneaking Back In

This story was just as short as the first, a third of the three-book volume I own, and it ends on an open note, right as a new challenge begins for Tal and Milla, who have become closer as the story unfolds. They’ve grown to trust one another despite their differences, which I like, though they retain that dynamic of thinking the other is incorrect in their views, thus bashing heads in a fun way.

This book is told in limited third person following both Milla and Tal. It focuses on either one of them, told in chronological order as they make their way across the ice, then up the mountain and into the castle and beyond. The trials and tribulations they face don’t all make sense, but I’m sure they’ll open more and more as the series continues.

Tal and Milla share the spotlight a lot more in book 2 as the narrative switches back and forth between them a bit more. Tal is a boy raised in the castle, and thus he knows nothing else, so it’s cool whenever his viewpoint is challenged by Milla. The opposite is also great—when Milla learns something new from Tal, though this is mostly knowledge-based (about Sunstones) rather than morality or culture, which Tal learns from her. Tal’s great uncle Ebbett makes a reappearance, as eccentric as ever, and a few new characters are introduced, such as the Crones of the Icecarls and some renegade Underfolk of the castle.

Tal and Milla’s relationship has definitely grown throughout the course of this book. They are bound by blood on a quest together, so even though Milla hates him for the most part, she will not let Tal die. She even starts making jokes with him, and Tal responds in turn. As they return to the castle, we see a lot more of Tal’s relationship with Ebbett, and understand more of Milla’s relationship with Spiritshadows (based on her culture). She is a warrior through and through, and it’s fun to watch Tal have to deal with that.

Nix’s writing style is simple but packed with action and humour. I especially love the way he makes every character feel unique. The mysteries he weaves (some of which you don’t even realize are mysteries until they’re revealed) are entertaining and attention-grabbing, luring you along with your curiosity to keep going.

There are enough action beats to get you through the slower parts. Minimal talking and discussion, as these characters hardly catch a break. Still, those slower emotional beats hit hard and really show the depth Nix puts into his world.

I am enjoying this series, and this book ended on an excellent note, so I really recommend continuing onto book three!

[Hayden Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the beginning of the book, it didn't quite begin with the end of the first book. At the beginning of the book, Tal is falling from the tower and then is flown by his shadow guard to a hill where he meets Milla. And she wants to kill him. Icecarls are what they call themselves. An Icecarl tells Milla to stop trying to kill the boy. They take them back to there ship and they at first are a bit sceptical when they asked him to fix there Sunstone. And he did but it was close because the sunstone was really old.
The problem in this book was that they had to get a sunstone for the Icecarls so that Tal could leave and also get a primary sunstone for his family. So they go on an adventure which causes a whole lot more problems. They never get to solve the problem because they go to Aneir which is the spirit realm. So they get stuck in the spirit realm and then they try to build a boat with light magic. I liked this book a lot because it is really fictional and there was a lot of thought put into it like how there are a spirit world and all the light magic that is in it. I also like the book because of how it flowed. I would probably rate the book a four out of five stars. I liked the book but it wasn't the most fun book that I've ever read.

[Stephen Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Castle is Nix's second installment in The Seventh Tower series. This novel follows Tal and Milla as they sneak back into the Castle, reunite with Tal's great uncle and begin their quest to acquire the Codex.

I like this book because of its separate story lines following Tal and Milla. It gives more of a taste of what the powers possessed by the sunstones as well as the Crones entails, and I enjoyed how both protagonists used their abilities to escape captivity. I definitely wished the prior book took more time to develop Tal's great uncle Ebbitt as a character, as I think think this book suffers a bit from that. Tal and Milla make a surprisingly engaging protagonist duo, as much of the focus is on their relationship and squabbling between them.

Honestly, the best part of this novel was the concluding chapter, when Tal and Milla are both in the Aenir, cementing a blood bond and accidentally triggering an ancient rite that causes storm shepherds to find them - now that was a thrilling cliff hangar to end on.

Overall, I enjoyed this book more than the previous one, and I liked the burgeoning relationship between the protagonists as well.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Milla and Tal found themselves onboard another Icecarl's ship, after making a pact to help each other: Tal gets to return to his home & Milla gets a Sunstone for her clan. But the journey back to Tal's place is not easy. And once they successfully re-enter, does Tal realize he has become a fugitive. His family is torn apart and guards are out to capture him and Milla, for there is no place within the castle that they cannot find them.

Castle is a little more enjoyable than The Fall, which built up the world building and the situation. Castle is of the rising action in this overarching saga. There is some expansion of the Icecarls that wasn't explained in the first book, and Milla is a little more fleshed out here. In a way, the similarity with The Fall is shared here where it feels like two different stories are put together, in which, the first half is basically learning of other Icecarls and attempting to sneak back into the castle. Then the second half was more of being on the run. There's some recurring plot points that are brought up here and hopefully the next book will continue the momentum.

[Tereza S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tahle série se čte prostě sama. Díky tomu málu stránek knihy nemají hluchá místa, čtení hezky odsýpá, navíc je to napsané takovým jednoduchým svěžím jazykem. Ano, je to sice hlavně pro děti, ale to mi nevadí. Oproti jiným knihám se tohle nesnaží tvářit se dospěle. Netvrdí to o sobě, že je to čtení pro starší jen proto, že se tam párkrát nepřímo někdo zmíní o sexu. To fakt nesnáším. Tady je to prostě jasné. Hlavní hrdinové jsou děti, chovají se přiměřeně svému věku, nehrají si, že jsou něco víc, a nemají žádné zvláštní dary.

V tomhle díle se mi moc líbila cesta tajemnými chodbami, o kterých nikdo moc nevěděl. Taky Talův prastrýc byl super. Je tak správně bláznivý, že mě fakt baví. Tal a Milla se tu už konečně trochu spřátelili a Milla ukázala, že jí nezáleží jen na sobě. Koho nemůžu ani vystát, to je Sushin. To je totální hajzl, až se člověk diví, jak někdo jeho postavení může mít takové konexe? Ten se nacpe prostě všude.

Konec knihy je samozřejmě otevřený, ale naštěstí čtu celou sérii na jeden zátah, takže to ani tak moc nevadí.

[Zen · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this gets 5☆'s from me, despite the cliffhanger ending which really didn't bother me that much. It is a series of 7 books so it was acceptable.

Thing is this is the only book I've read in the series, found it in a curbside library, but it didn't matter in the least. I was immediately pulled into the world, and got involved in the characters as if I had read the first book.

The backstory was easy to figure out from the instory references, (I'm an experienced sci-fi reader after all). And when I ran into the first word I didn't understand, a quick google search told me it was an old Nordic word for a seal skin, and the world being an ice environment, the other unfamiliar words were easy to figure out.

Took a quick few hours to read and it was fun. Reminded me a lot of the old sci-fi I read in the 60's/70's as a teenager, which were on average 220 pages long and usually took 2 days to read though. Kind of reminded me of a couple of Andre Norton books I read that were aimed at younger readers.

Fun stuff this. I liked the story. Wouldn't mind reading more.

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tal is returning to The Castle of the Chosen (with the indomitable Icecarl Milla's help), only to find things are just as bad, if not worse, than when the events the led to Tal's fall happened.

A solid continuation, a plot of schemes and strangeness... however, the world doesn't feel as developed as Nix's The Key's to the Kingdom and the characters aren't as instantly likable as most in his Abhorsen series. To be fair, some of this disconnect could be because it has been 15-ish years since I read book 1. I do want to finish this series, but it isn't a priority, so we'll see how long it takes me to read book 3.

Content notes: No language or sensuality issues. Most violence/peril is from surroundings (poison gas, heat, dangerous climbing, oversized spiders), however, the characters are captured and one is put through a nightmare creating machine with no serious damage.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has elements that remind me of other popular middle grade series(such as Golden Compass, Harry Potter, and Dinotopia- the sunstones, duh). It is a very interesting story, but some of the more childish elements were annoying. Like how the Uncle rhymes random words when his brain is off wandering.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like that there's always something happening. Also Tal had to work for some things, which was fun to see. Uncle Ebbit is quirky and I always enjoy quirky characters. It's fun seeing the different magics. I'm surprised how much I'm enjoying these books. I have already started the third book and loving that one so far.

[Kimbra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ao i read this one when i was a kid but as i reread I realized I remembered absolutely nothing. So. Might as well be reading this series for the first time (which i will be from 3 on). I’m obsessed with Tal, Milla, and their journey. And I love uncle Ebbitt.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again maybe this is a teenager read, but I enjoyed the adventure, the development of a friendship and Nix always writes a great read. Quick page turner. 4 stars only because it was too short, which is probably because it's a young teen or kids book

[Diogo Cazuza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esses livros são incríveis, maravilhosos. Acho que posso dizer que é minha saga preferida de toda a ficção escrita, superando até hoje, quaisquer outros que tenha lido (até mesmo os de Arsene Lupin). Obrigado GarthNix !!