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Abhorsen #6
Terciel and Elinor
The long-awaited new novel from multi bestselling Garth Nix, set in the much-loved Old Kingdom.
A thrilling, atmospheric dive into the history of the Abhorsen, featuring Sabriel's parents, Terciel and Elinor.
In the Old Kingdom, a land of ancient and often terrible magics, eighteen year-old orphan Terciel is learning the art of necromancy - but not to raise the Dead, rather to lay them to rest. He is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, the latest in a long line of people whose task it is to make sure the Dead do not return to Life.
Across the Wall in Ancelstierre, a steam-age country where magic usually does not work, nineteen year-old Elinor lives a secluded life, her only friends an old governess and an even older groom who was once a famous circus performer. Her mother is a tyrant, feared by all despite her sickness and impending death . . .
Elinor does not know she is deeply connected to the Old Kingdom, until a plot by an ancient enemy of the Abhorsens brings Terciel to Ancelstierre. In a single day of fire and death and loss, Elinor finds herself set on a path which will take her into the Old Kingdom, into Terciel's life, and will embroil her in the struggle of the Abhorsens against the Dead who will not stay dead.
A thrilling, atmospheric dive into the history of the Abhorsen, featuring Sabriel's parents, Terciel and Elinor.
In the Old Kingdom, a land of ancient and often terrible magics, eighteen year-old orphan Terciel is learning the art of necromancy - but not to raise the Dead, rather to lay them to rest. He is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, the latest in a long line of people whose task it is to make sure the Dead do not return to Life.
Across the Wall in Ancelstierre, a steam-age country where magic usually does not work, nineteen year-old Elinor lives a secluded life, her only friends an old governess and an even older groom who was once a famous circus performer. Her mother is a tyrant, feared by all despite her sickness and impending death . . .
Elinor does not know she is deeply connected to the Old Kingdom, until a plot by an ancient enemy of the Abhorsens brings Terciel to Ancelstierre. In a single day of fire and death and loss, Elinor finds herself set on a path which will take her into the Old Kingdom, into Terciel's life, and will embroil her in the struggle of the Abhorsens against the Dead who will not stay dead.
409 pages, Hardcover
First published November 2, 2021
382 people are currently reading
12364 people want to read
About the author
Garth Nix
236 books14.9k followersGarth 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 998 reviews
September 20, 2021
This wasn't what I expected, but it was lovely nonetheless. There's something so comforting about these books and this world, and reading this felt like returning home.
pre review:
excuse me why did no one inform me this is going to exist
pre review:
excuse me why did no one inform me this is going to exist
December 6, 2021
ARC received in exchange for an honest review
In a world divided by a wall, where one side holds the secrets to magic and battles the dead who will not rest, two individuals grow up to face their destiny. Terciel, an orphan, has been plucked from a life of poverty by a distant Aunt. As the Abhorsen in Waiting, he must learn the ways of the Dead and take up the bells to fight unimaginable battles. Across the wall, Elinor sits behind closed walls, homeschooled and cloistered from the world outside. However, a chance encounter with the Dead, and Terciel, will open up a world of familial secrets. Will the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?
I need to preface this by saying that the Old Kingdom series is one of my all time favourites. It's a story, and a world, that I find effortless easy to fall into, and one I frequently return to as a comfort. Terciel and Elinor was therefore one of my most anticipated reads of the year, especially as it offers a prequel story to Sabriel, featuring characters and lore already known to readers of the series. We see more of Kerrigor, but through the eyes of those without the knowledge and luxury of time to understand who he is. There is foreshadowing on nearly every page, helped along by the Clayr and their Sight. But more importantly we see the burgeoning love story between Terciel and Elinor, and how they come to find each other. It builds on the scant information the reader is given in Sabriel about her parents, especially her mother, and makes the characters feel more fleshed out and relatable.
I will say that I did find find their relationship quite fast in its development, and there is no where near enough Mogget, especially given how snarky and petulent he is when we do see him (understandable given the Abhorsen's dislike of him and the offhand comment Terciel gives in Sabriel about never seeing him in a cat form - I appreciated the continuity). However, I just cannot give this anything less than 5 stars due to my inability to stop thinking about this world and magic system. We see through Elinor the complexity of Charter magic and it's connection to nature and every living thing. It's endless and all consuming and can touch every aspect of life and death, throughout time. It's limitless, and I eagerly lapped up every crumb of information about it, and will continue to do so on every reread of this series because I just love it so much.
In terms of plot, this doesn't have the world shattering and ageless complications and dangers that Lirael and Abhorsen has, instead sharing most of its plot with Sabriel, and focusing more on internal threats to the kingdom. We still see parts of the world the reader has not been to before, while reintroducing old haunting grounds that still have some hidden secrets to discover. I really would like a family tree of the Abhorsen's though. They're such a complicated and convoluted family that at times I would have liked something to show me how they all link together.
Since finishing all I've wanted to do is reread Sabriel with all this new insight I have, and quite honestly I think I will. I could read endless stories about this world.
In a world divided by a wall, where one side holds the secrets to magic and battles the dead who will not rest, two individuals grow up to face their destiny. Terciel, an orphan, has been plucked from a life of poverty by a distant Aunt. As the Abhorsen in Waiting, he must learn the ways of the Dead and take up the bells to fight unimaginable battles. Across the wall, Elinor sits behind closed walls, homeschooled and cloistered from the world outside. However, a chance encounter with the Dead, and Terciel, will open up a world of familial secrets. Will the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?
I need to preface this by saying that the Old Kingdom series is one of my all time favourites. It's a story, and a world, that I find effortless easy to fall into, and one I frequently return to as a comfort. Terciel and Elinor was therefore one of my most anticipated reads of the year, especially as it offers a prequel story to Sabriel, featuring characters and lore already known to readers of the series. We see more of Kerrigor, but through the eyes of those without the knowledge and luxury of time to understand who he is. There is foreshadowing on nearly every page, helped along by the Clayr and their Sight. But more importantly we see the burgeoning love story between Terciel and Elinor, and how they come to find each other. It builds on the scant information the reader is given in Sabriel about her parents, especially her mother, and makes the characters feel more fleshed out and relatable.
I will say that I did find find their relationship quite fast in its development, and there is no where near enough Mogget, especially given how snarky and petulent he is when we do see him (understandable given the Abhorsen's dislike of him and the offhand comment Terciel gives in Sabriel about never seeing him in a cat form - I appreciated the continuity). However, I just cannot give this anything less than 5 stars due to my inability to stop thinking about this world and magic system. We see through Elinor the complexity of Charter magic and it's connection to nature and every living thing. It's endless and all consuming and can touch every aspect of life and death, throughout time. It's limitless, and I eagerly lapped up every crumb of information about it, and will continue to do so on every reread of this series because I just love it so much.
In terms of plot, this doesn't have the world shattering and ageless complications and dangers that Lirael and Abhorsen has, instead sharing most of its plot with Sabriel, and focusing more on internal threats to the kingdom. We still see parts of the world the reader has not been to before, while reintroducing old haunting grounds that still have some hidden secrets to discover. I really would like a family tree of the Abhorsen's though. They're such a complicated and convoluted family that at times I would have liked something to show me how they all link together.
Since finishing all I've wanted to do is reread Sabriel with all this new insight I have, and quite honestly I think I will. I could read endless stories about this world.
Read
March 31, 2022a list of thoughts:
1. garth nix needs to stop trying to write romance subplots. it does not work i am 0% invested in any of the romantic relationships that come into being over the course of his books
2. this really felt like it was going nowhere. it was endless buildup and then a bit of dramatic action at the end that (spoilers for this and Sabriel)
3. i do love the old kingdom and will read any book set in this world just because it's so real and developed
4. i also enjoyed elinor as a character and her circumstances. i like the extra little twist where
5. related, this whole time
6. i really did not care about terciel's chapters like at all. there were also a few sentences here and there where i was reminded "oh right terciel is supposed to have character development" but it felt so forced. honestly i got more a sense of him from sabriel and
7. overall, a disappointment :/
--pre-read
i have never hit "want to read" so fast
1. garth nix needs to stop trying to write romance subplots. it does not work i am 0% invested in any of the romantic relationships that come into being over the course of his books
2. this really felt like it was going nowhere. it was endless buildup and then a bit of dramatic action at the end that (spoilers for this and Sabriel)
3. i do love the old kingdom and will read any book set in this world just because it's so real and developed
4. i also enjoyed elinor as a character and her circumstances. i like the extra little twist where
5. related, this whole time
6. i really did not care about terciel's chapters like at all. there were also a few sentences here and there where i was reminded "oh right terciel is supposed to have character development" but it felt so forced. honestly i got more a sense of him from sabriel and
7. overall, a disappointment :/
--pre-read
i have never hit "want to read" so fast
October 20, 2021
TL;DR: This is a rather comforting read of two teens coming into their abilities--almost completely separately from each other. For that, you may truly enjoy this book. Do not expect a romance or any strong relationship development, and you'll be golden. Actual rating: 3.5 stars
The review:
When I got approved for an ARC of Terciel and Elinor, I literally had to stop myself from screaming out loud. I loved Sabriel, enjoyed Lirael, and while I haven't kept up with all the Old Kingdom books, a book that featured Sabriel's parents was a no-brainer. Especially when it's billed as a bit of a romance--I mean, it's all there in the title, the cover, the description. I quote, this is "the never-before-told love story" of Sabriel's parents.
Unfortunately, that means I came in with some unhelpful expectations. Y'all, this book isn't bad. But if you're looking for romance--even just a base romance line in a strong fantasy story--it's ... not what you might hope for. This book is more about two teens finding their way mostly on their own, and then coming together to, uh, *spoiler spoiler* and, as is typical of 90% of fantasy books, take on the bad guys at the end. The relationship development--"love story"--between them simply isn't there. We meet in the first few chapters (OMG was I excited through the first few chapters), and then we part ways until we're of the way through the book. I kid you not. I checked my Kindle.
I also finished the prologue absolutely DESPISING Terciel's mentor Tizanael. Literally nothing she did after that could rescue her in my eyes. Which, you know, distinctly influenced the rest of my read. I'm putting in spoiler tags here, but again, it's all in the prologue so... not serious spoilery?
Finally, and this was the saddest aspect for me, there were many instances where the language--the descriptions of actions, the dialogue--were awkward or stilted. Frankly, this is what good editors are for. They are supposed to let an author know when something feels clunky so the author can go back and give it a little extra spit and polish. I really, truly, deeply hope this happened in the final stages of editing, after the ARCs were created. From my own experience, though, ARCs aren't usually put together until after the line editing stage, which means that chance has come and gone. And that just makes me so, so sad.
Nix needed an editor to identify the bits he could improve--not just green light his book because it would obviously sell regardless. He needed an editor to point out things like the Glaring Character Flaw in the prologue that is never resolved. And he SERIOUSLY needed the marketing team to figure out what they were doing and NOT market this as the ultimate love story between Sabriel's parents. It's not.
It is a rather comforting read of two teens coming into their abilities, each on their own. For that, you may truly enjoy this book, and be able to let the other flaws fade in your mind. I hope you do. I wish I had come into the story with different expectations myself.
Now I shall go drown my disappointment in some Fair Trade dark chocolate. Because what else am I to do?
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
The review:
When I got approved for an ARC of Terciel and Elinor, I literally had to stop myself from screaming out loud. I loved Sabriel, enjoyed Lirael, and while I haven't kept up with all the Old Kingdom books, a book that featured Sabriel's parents was a no-brainer. Especially when it's billed as a bit of a romance--I mean, it's all there in the title, the cover, the description. I quote, this is "the never-before-told love story" of Sabriel's parents.
Unfortunately, that means I came in with some unhelpful expectations. Y'all, this book isn't bad. But if you're looking for romance--even just a base romance line in a strong fantasy story--it's ... not what you might hope for. This book is more about two teens finding their way mostly on their own, and then coming together to, uh, *spoiler spoiler* and, as is typical of 90% of fantasy books, take on the bad guys at the end. The relationship development--"love story"--between them simply isn't there. We meet in the first few chapters (OMG was I excited through the first few chapters), and then we part ways until we're of the way through the book. I kid you not. I checked my Kindle.
I also finished the prologue absolutely DESPISING Terciel's mentor Tizanael. Literally nothing she did after that could rescue her in my eyes. Which, you know, distinctly influenced the rest of my read. I'm putting in spoiler tags here, but again, it's all in the prologue so... not serious spoilery?
Finally, and this was the saddest aspect for me, there were many instances where the language--the descriptions of actions, the dialogue--were awkward or stilted. Frankly, this is what good editors are for. They are supposed to let an author know when something feels clunky so the author can go back and give it a little extra spit and polish. I really, truly, deeply hope this happened in the final stages of editing, after the ARCs were created. From my own experience, though, ARCs aren't usually put together until after the line editing stage, which means that chance has come and gone. And that just makes me so, so sad.
Nix needed an editor to identify the bits he could improve--not just green light his book because it would obviously sell regardless. He needed an editor to point out things like the Glaring Character Flaw in the prologue that is never resolved. And he SERIOUSLY needed the marketing team to figure out what they were doing and NOT market this as the ultimate love story between Sabriel's parents. It's not.
It is a rather comforting read of two teens coming into their abilities, each on their own. For that, you may truly enjoy this book, and be able to let the other flaws fade in your mind. I hope you do. I wish I had come into the story with different expectations myself.
Now I shall go drown my disappointment in some Fair Trade dark chocolate. Because what else am I to do?
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
own-tbr
December 28, 2022Copy bought with Amazon voucher gifted from work 😊📖
*********************
Another book in the Old Kingdom series? And about Sabriel’s parents no less?!
Sign me the fuck up!!!!!
*********************
Another book in the Old Kingdom series? And about Sabriel’s parents no less?!
Sign me the fuck up!!!!!
Read
September 23, 2022I am... cautiously optimistic for this latest installment.
I'm going to be honest. Clariel was too angsty for my taste, and Goldenhand, while thankfully a return in tone, didn't quite live up to my love for the original trilogy.
Still... I can't help it. I see news of an Old Kingdom book, and I instantly click on it. There was never any question. I must read it.
*fingers crossed*
* * *
A worthy addition to the Old Kingdom series that will satisfy your nostalgia craving. Charter spells and paperwings, bells and Sendings! Exploring old underground places filled with potentially dangerous Free Magic. Familiar cozy spaces of mahogany and grimoires. The precincts of the River, which I’m amazed I remember with such clarity still. And Mogget!
Terciel and Elinor is certainly my favorite of the new books. Perhaps because it is the closest in feel to the original trilogy. More time was spent in Ancelstierre in this one, but the journey northwards into the Old Kingdom felt very reminiscent of Sabriel. In retreading familiar territory however, we also miss out on exploring new stories. Or perhaps, the very old ones. I would love to get a book on the mythic early days of the Charter and Wallmakers, for example. What would Ancelstierre have been like in those times?.
Some criticisms: I still feel like the romance elements in the new books are the weakest part. Insta-attraction, without any chemistry. I would have liked more of a denouement as well, as the ending seemed a bit sudden. But all said and done, I’m well-pleased to have visited the Old Kingdom again.
I'm going to be honest. Clariel was too angsty for my taste, and Goldenhand, while thankfully a return in tone, didn't quite live up to my love for the original trilogy.
Still... I can't help it. I see news of an Old Kingdom book, and I instantly click on it. There was never any question. I must read it.
*fingers crossed*
* * *
A worthy addition to the Old Kingdom series that will satisfy your nostalgia craving. Charter spells and paperwings, bells and Sendings! Exploring old underground places filled with potentially dangerous Free Magic. Familiar cozy spaces of mahogany and grimoires. The precincts of the River, which I’m amazed I remember with such clarity still. And Mogget!
Terciel and Elinor is certainly my favorite of the new books. Perhaps because it is the closest in feel to the original trilogy. More time was spent in Ancelstierre in this one, but the journey northwards into the Old Kingdom felt very reminiscent of Sabriel. In retreading familiar territory however, we also miss out on exploring new stories. Or perhaps, the very old ones. I would love to get a book on the mythic early days of the Charter and Wallmakers, for example. What would Ancelstierre have been like in those times?.
Some criticisms: I still feel like the romance elements in the new books are the weakest part. Insta-attraction, without any chemistry. I would have liked more of a denouement as well, as the ending seemed a bit sudden. But all said and done, I’m well-pleased to have visited the Old Kingdom again.
November 7, 2021
I’ve been waiting for this book for literal years and it’s finally out and better than I could have ever imagined!
If you haven’t read Sabriel, go read it! It’s one of the first boos that got me into YA.
The ending made me sob. I knew it was coming, but still. It’s a true full circle.
I love the writing and the setting is vivid as always. The characters felt more developed than those in previous books.
11/5 stars
If you haven’t read Sabriel, go read it! It’s one of the first boos that got me into YA.
The ending made me sob. I knew it was coming, but still. It’s a true full circle.
I love the writing and the setting is vivid as always. The characters felt more developed than those in previous books.
11/5 stars
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October 15, 2021
Storyline: 3 stars
Worldbuilding: 4 stars
Nostalgia: 5 stars
Overall, not too much happens over the course of 560 pages (if you've read Sabriel, you already know what happens to the Big Bad), and unlike the usual frantic chase scenes leading to a rough climax and quick finish I've gotten to expect from the Abhorsen series, this was more a slow build in establishing characters (particularly Elinor's, Terciel was just kinda whiny and studying all the time), and really delving into the world of Ancelstierre and the Old Kingdom, and laying down why Wyverly College, of all places.
Elinor and Terciel meet briefly in the beginning, then are separated for the majority of the book until the end. Their chemistry is more thrust-together than not, although they do have an immediate attraction.
I dunno. I really enjoyed this in terms of knowing more about the backstory of the Old Kingdom and Ancelstierre, but was left wanting to know more about these two kingdoms instead of the brief glimpse I had through Elinor's eyes (she who was cooped up in Coldhallow House knowing absolutely nothing about anything except how to act and put on plays...the fighting comes in handy though) and the briefest of glimpses through Terciel's POV that is mainly the walk from Wall to House and then the house itself (always fascinating). And I enjoyed having more time spent in Abhorsen House, particularly with the Sendings because they have always fascinated me.
But now, what I'd really like to see is an adult fantasy that is not adult-fantasy-pegged-as-YA-because-that's-what-the-others-were about Terzinael and her life, because that sounds absolutely fascinating. Or the life of Mirelle, one of the Ranger Clayr.
Or I'd even love the years Terciel and Elinor had together before the birth of Sabriel. Because this story was long and yet not enough.
Full RTC, maybe
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review
Worldbuilding: 4 stars
Nostalgia: 5 stars
Overall, not too much happens over the course of 560 pages (if you've read Sabriel, you already know what happens to the Big Bad), and unlike the usual frantic chase scenes leading to a rough climax and quick finish I've gotten to expect from the Abhorsen series, this was more a slow build in establishing characters (particularly Elinor's, Terciel was just kinda whiny and studying all the time), and really delving into the world of Ancelstierre and the Old Kingdom, and laying down why Wyverly College, of all places.
Elinor and Terciel meet briefly in the beginning, then are separated for the majority of the book until the end. Their chemistry is more thrust-together than not, although they do have an immediate attraction.
I dunno. I really enjoyed this in terms of knowing more about the backstory of the Old Kingdom and Ancelstierre, but was left wanting to know more about these two kingdoms instead of the brief glimpse I had through Elinor's eyes (she who was cooped up in Coldhallow House knowing absolutely nothing about anything except how to act and put on plays...the fighting comes in handy though) and the briefest of glimpses through Terciel's POV that is mainly the walk from Wall to House and then the house itself (always fascinating). And I enjoyed having more time spent in Abhorsen House, particularly with the Sendings because they have always fascinated me.
But now, what I'd really like to see is an adult fantasy that is not adult-fantasy-pegged-as-YA-because-that's-what-the-others-were about Terzinael and her life, because that sounds absolutely fascinating. Or the life of Mirelle, one of the Ranger Clayr.
Or I'd even love the years Terciel and Elinor had together before the birth of Sabriel. Because this story was long and yet not enough.
Full RTC, maybe
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review
November 5, 2021
While I loved delving back into the Old Kingdom, I feel like this (already long) book could have been much longer, as the last third or so of the book felt very rushed!
I loved getting to learn about Elinor, but I feel like we didn't get that much character development for Terciel!
I also would have loved to see more about Mirelle and Tizaniel!
I do absolutely love the world and magic system that Garth Nix has created, and the Old Kingdom will always have a special place in my heart.
I loved getting to learn about Elinor, but I feel like we didn't get that much character development for Terciel!
I also would have loved to see more about Mirelle and Tizaniel!
I do absolutely love the world and magic system that Garth Nix has created, and the Old Kingdom will always have a special place in my heart.
December 4, 2021
I loved being back in the Old Kingdom. It has inspired me to reread the whole series. It does exactly what a prequel should and ties neatly into Sabriel, the first book. When I read it again I will appreciate the backstory much more. This book deals with defeating Kerrigor and dragging him back to Death. This has to be only partially effective as we meet Kerrigor again in future books!
November 2, 2021
This was well worth the wait. Nix has returned to Abhorsen’s strengths here, and it’s a delight. I’d rank this as better than Goldenhand (and definitely Clariel, ugh) but not as flawless as the original trilogy.
June 16, 2022
I continue on my ‘consume all the Old Kingdom stories’ journey with this prequel to Sabriel.
Tercial and Elinor follows….Tercial and Elinor. Tercial is an Abhorsen from the Old Kingdom while Elinor is an isolated young woman obsessed with acting and performances in the magic-less Ancelstierre who after a run in with a magical creature, realizes she might be destined for a magical journey as in her stories and plays.
So to explain myself, I often do not like prequels. I don’t mind spoilers but weirdly going back to a journey that has already happened most often leads me frustrated and bored. However, maybe because this story is of two people who we know so little about previously and because the Old Kingdom is just so fascinating, I still really liked this prequel and think it can stand up on its own as a story.
Elinor is immediately likable. I loved her so much. She was a joy to read about and I was sorry for how her story does end but loved that we got to see her journey here and that it was a good one. Tercial was…fine. I find it kind of hilarious that Nix seems to struggle with writing interesting men. Most of the men in the Old Kingdom are almost all defined by the amazing women around them with the only exceptions being Sameth (who was whiny and privileged at first thought developed well) and Nicholas Sayre. Needless to say, Nix’s world is filled with wonderful interesting women and like vague outlines of men. I’m not complaining because its all that women have gotten in fantasy for years so its nice to see the opposite.
The plot does also involve a villain and backstory that we have seen in Sabriel. Since we knew the outcome in general then it wasn’t that compelling. Anyways, the plot is secondary here really to the budding romance and while its not the most fascinating (because Tercial is there), its still well pulled along by Elinor and her fascination with everything new and joy at life in general. The perspectives switch between the two characters and I found myself fairly uninterested in Tercial’s story but loving Elinor’s.
Overall, a very fun story and a prequel that works. I’m here for all the Old Kingdom stories (one less than others but even still!). But seriously Mogget is barely in this and does not warrant being on the cover, especially in cat form! I was mislead about the amount of Mogget!
Tercial and Elinor follows….Tercial and Elinor. Tercial is an Abhorsen from the Old Kingdom while Elinor is an isolated young woman obsessed with acting and performances in the magic-less Ancelstierre who after a run in with a magical creature, realizes she might be destined for a magical journey as in her stories and plays.
So to explain myself, I often do not like prequels. I don’t mind spoilers but weirdly going back to a journey that has already happened most often leads me frustrated and bored. However, maybe because this story is of two people who we know so little about previously and because the Old Kingdom is just so fascinating, I still really liked this prequel and think it can stand up on its own as a story.
Elinor is immediately likable. I loved her so much. She was a joy to read about and I was sorry for how her story does end but loved that we got to see her journey here and that it was a good one. Tercial was…fine. I find it kind of hilarious that Nix seems to struggle with writing interesting men. Most of the men in the Old Kingdom are almost all defined by the amazing women around them with the only exceptions being Sameth (who was whiny and privileged at first thought developed well) and Nicholas Sayre. Needless to say, Nix’s world is filled with wonderful interesting women and like vague outlines of men. I’m not complaining because its all that women have gotten in fantasy for years so its nice to see the opposite.
The plot does also involve a villain and backstory that we have seen in Sabriel. Since we knew the outcome in general then it wasn’t that compelling. Anyways, the plot is secondary here really to the budding romance and while its not the most fascinating (because Tercial is there), its still well pulled along by Elinor and her fascination with everything new and joy at life in general. The perspectives switch between the two characters and I found myself fairly uninterested in Tercial’s story but loving Elinor’s.
Overall, a very fun story and a prequel that works. I’m here for all the Old Kingdom stories (one less than others but even still!). But seriously Mogget is barely in this and does not warrant being on the cover, especially in cat form! I was mislead about the amount of Mogget!
September 30, 2025
Updated review:
18 year old Terciel is learning the art of necromancy, for he is the Abhorsen in Waiting and must train to learn how to fight free magic creatures and to ensure the dead stay dead. The Abhorsen leads the fight against the dead and is tasked with ensuring the protection of the Kingdom and preventing the dead from crossing over into the land of the living. 19 year old Elinor leads a secluded life across the wall in Ancelstierre, a land where magic does not work, but when destiny intervenes she finds herself on a path to love, danger and the fight against the dead.
Prior to this book being released, I waited many months for release date and I was not disappointed when I finally held this book in my hands and read it. For this book is the story of how Sabriels parents met and I loved it despite already knowing how their story ends, I had a long impatient wait for this book but it was worth it. I really did enjoy this book and I loved reading about how Sabriel’s parents met and fell in love, it’s always a pleasure to return to this series and this book sits pride of place next to the other books in this series on my bookshelf. Garth Nix is truly a master storyteller.
18 year old Terciel is learning the art of necromancy, for he is the Abhorsen in Waiting and must train to learn how to fight free magic creatures and to ensure the dead stay dead. The Abhorsen leads the fight against the dead and is tasked with ensuring the protection of the Kingdom and preventing the dead from crossing over into the land of the living. 19 year old Elinor leads a secluded life across the wall in Ancelstierre, a land where magic does not work, but when destiny intervenes she finds herself on a path to love, danger and the fight against the dead.
Prior to this book being released, I waited many months for release date and I was not disappointed when I finally held this book in my hands and read it. For this book is the story of how Sabriels parents met and I loved it despite already knowing how their story ends, I had a long impatient wait for this book but it was worth it. I really did enjoy this book and I loved reading about how Sabriel’s parents met and fell in love, it’s always a pleasure to return to this series and this book sits pride of place next to the other books in this series on my bookshelf. Garth Nix is truly a master storyteller.
July 25, 2021
New Old Kingdom book? You better believe I SLAPPED that download button.
I have honestly never failed to thoroughly enjoy anything in this series. The Old Kingdom is one of the very few stories that I love completely outside of which characters feature. I am normally a very character-driven reader, but the Old Kingdom I love for its own sake. I love the Abhorsen's House, the charter magic, the paperwings, Moggett, the bells...
The only factor I need to love an Old Kingdom book is that it's about the Old Kingdom, but this book doesn't only rely on that, which is very exciting. It's about Sabriel's parents! In Sabriel, her dad featured only a very little, but he was still one of the most compelling characters. I was HYPE to hear more about him!
By the end of the book, though, Elinor was my favorite. Terciel was endearing and lonely, competent enough to be cool and unsure enough to be a realistic teenage Abhorsen-in-Waiting. Elinor's perspective, though, was the strongest. Her journey from an isolated, ordinary girl to discovering her Old Kingdom heritage had my attention and interest the entire time.
The romance was very typical for the series, quick and matter-of-fact, which is fine with me. But as usual, my wish list includes more depth in the relationships. I would have particularly liked some more exploration and resolution of Tezaniel and Terciel's strong but strained mentor bond.
However, I do have to mention my absolutely top favorite Old Kingdom feature: the zany contrast between the Old Kingdom and Ancelstierre at the wall. The weirdness that ensues from the clash between WWI-era modernity and the land where magic reigns and the dead walk is just extremely enjoyable. Of all the fun things about this book, I LOVED to see the mixing that happened when the Abhorsens visited Ancelstierre, and when Elinor journeyed to the Old Kingdom.
This book may be the best in the whole series for making the most of this contrast, and I had a great time reading it overall.
I have honestly never failed to thoroughly enjoy anything in this series. The Old Kingdom is one of the very few stories that I love completely outside of which characters feature. I am normally a very character-driven reader, but the Old Kingdom I love for its own sake. I love the Abhorsen's House, the charter magic, the paperwings, Moggett, the bells...
The only factor I need to love an Old Kingdom book is that it's about the Old Kingdom, but this book doesn't only rely on that, which is very exciting. It's about Sabriel's parents! In Sabriel, her dad featured only a very little, but he was still one of the most compelling characters. I was HYPE to hear more about him!
By the end of the book, though, Elinor was my favorite. Terciel was endearing and lonely, competent enough to be cool and unsure enough to be a realistic teenage Abhorsen-in-Waiting. Elinor's perspective, though, was the strongest. Her journey from an isolated, ordinary girl to discovering her Old Kingdom heritage had my attention and interest the entire time.
The romance was very typical for the series, quick and matter-of-fact, which is fine with me. But as usual, my wish list includes more depth in the relationships. I would have particularly liked some more exploration and resolution of Tezaniel and Terciel's strong but strained mentor bond.
However, I do have to mention my absolutely top favorite Old Kingdom feature: the zany contrast between the Old Kingdom and Ancelstierre at the wall. The weirdness that ensues from the clash between WWI-era modernity and the land where magic reigns and the dead walk is just extremely enjoyable. Of all the fun things about this book, I LOVED to see the mixing that happened when the Abhorsens visited Ancelstierre, and when Elinor journeyed to the Old Kingdom.
This book may be the best in the whole series for making the most of this contrast, and I had a great time reading it overall.
November 14, 2021
4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this revisit to the Old Kingdom. Mostly fast-paced, lovely characters, and many familiar aspects from the other novels. Although it's a prequel, it was no problem reading it after the other books - it kinda added to its charm actually, as you recognised bits and pieces of what was to come. Well worth the read.
November 30, 2021
I really wish that I'd enjoyed this book more than I did. I thought the characterization in this novel was really poor and I didn't feel like I really got to know either Terciel or Elinor. Also, the plot was really slow sometimes and there was an entire chapter where they walk from one place to another. It just felt so needlessly boring and the plot didn't seem to be the main point to this book. I was just disappointed.
November 17, 2021
Garth Nix is very creative when it comes to his books. Even those that I don't end up giving glowing reviews. They're like Neil Gaiman with how strange and or bizarre they can be, but make sense at the same time.
Partially why I enjoyed the Old Kingdom is that it was so unique. Also, the female protagonists were top notch as necromancers which is usually a magic that falls on men in fiction more than it falls on women.
So, getting a prequel about Sabriel's parents was enough to sucker me back in. Nix has not lost his touch at all. Everything unfolds at the same speed and within the same boundaries as before. Though the end-game is always going to be the same (since it is a prequel) the journey and how they got there was lovely.
I wonder when it comes to new fans would this change anything to read them in chronological order? For old fans, this book was a perfect addition to the books already in the world of The Old Kingdom.
Partially why I enjoyed the Old Kingdom is that it was so unique. Also, the female protagonists were top notch as necromancers which is usually a magic that falls on men in fiction more than it falls on women.
So, getting a prequel about Sabriel's parents was enough to sucker me back in. Nix has not lost his touch at all. Everything unfolds at the same speed and within the same boundaries as before. Though the end-game is always going to be the same (since it is a prequel) the journey and how they got there was lovely.
I wonder when it comes to new fans would this change anything to read them in chronological order? For old fans, this book was a perfect addition to the books already in the world of The Old Kingdom.
May 20, 2024
Always fun to return to the Old Kingdom, and this was no exception. The story was a bit different than I expected–despite being about Sabriel's parents, it's not really an epic doomed love story so much as a story following two different characters and their adventures which eventually intersect towards the end. Still, I enjoyed Terciel and Eleanor as characters and it was fun to see more of the history and world filled in through this story. I did kind of wish the main villains weren't Hedge and Kerrigor, though, since the fact that they turn up in the original story means it's inevitable they wouldn't be defeated forever in this book. I never say no to an Old Kingdom book, though, so overall I had fun.
December 2, 2021
This was a huge bummer. So many interesting ways this could have gone using the rich, established world from his previous books. Most other 2 and 3 star reviews on here say things I totally agree with. So boring, not a well-developed love story, or a good use of Mogget, the Clayr, the bells, walking in death, anything.
Also getting old enough to realize Nix shouldn’t be writing female characters (especially ones he hints might be of color?!). Feel like this got a pass because he is established. This should have never seen the light of day as is.
Also getting old enough to realize Nix shouldn’t be writing female characters (especially ones he hints might be of color?!). Feel like this got a pass because he is established. This should have never seen the light of day as is.
Want to read
October 29, 2021On the one hand -oooooh
On the other - I know how this whole thing ends
On the other - I know how this whole thing ends
October 13, 2021
I was gifted an ARC of this book… and I loved it.
This is how a prequel should be - enough new content to keep old readers intrigued but still an easy gateway for new readers who are not familiar with the world.
Fans of the Old Kingdom will rejoice as they return to a beloved setting, with all the elements of the world that we know and love - magic, danger, history and lore, sassy women, a man who’s slightly confused, paperwings, Sendings and a cat that’s not a cat.
New readers: this is the perfect place to start your Old Kingdom adventure! You will learn so much about the world without being over burdened with complex world building moments or info dumps.
This story closes the loop on so many things fans have been waiting to know throughout the series and still surprises and offers something new and enjoyable.
There are so many elements that connect and information that’s been woven through the previous 5 (ish) books but it’s still fresh and exciting even to someone who’s been visiting this world for decades (I started my journey reading Lirael in around 2001/02 so this has been a long time coming for me!)
My suggested reading order for the series for new readers:
- Terciel & Elinor
- Sabriel
- Lirael
- Abhorsen
- Clariel
- Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case (short story found in Across the Wall compilation)
- Goldenhand
This is how a prequel should be - enough new content to keep old readers intrigued but still an easy gateway for new readers who are not familiar with the world.
Fans of the Old Kingdom will rejoice as they return to a beloved setting, with all the elements of the world that we know and love - magic, danger, history and lore, sassy women, a man who’s slightly confused, paperwings, Sendings and a cat that’s not a cat.
New readers: this is the perfect place to start your Old Kingdom adventure! You will learn so much about the world without being over burdened with complex world building moments or info dumps.
This story closes the loop on so many things fans have been waiting to know throughout the series and still surprises and offers something new and enjoyable.
There are so many elements that connect and information that’s been woven through the previous 5 (ish) books but it’s still fresh and exciting even to someone who’s been visiting this world for decades (I started my journey reading Lirael in around 2001/02 so this has been a long time coming for me!)
My suggested reading order for the series for new readers:
- Terciel & Elinor
- Sabriel
- Lirael
- Abhorsen
- Clariel
- Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case (short story found in Across the Wall compilation)
- Goldenhand
January 16, 2022
Pretty good! After struggling with the other two new Old Kingdom books Clariel and Goldenhand, I was a little apprehensive about this prequel. But thankfully I liked this one much better. Not as good as Sabriel, but still the best of the three new books.
This prequel ends up being about and how they met. Elinor grew up Ancelstierre, not knowing that the scar on her forhead was a Charter mark....or even what that would be. An incident with some magical dead brings the current Abhorsen and her apprentice, Terciel, to Elinor's rescue, and kicks off Elinor's story. She learns that she's descended from one of the Clayr, and goes to Wyverly College to try to learn Charter magic from a teacher there. Meanwhile, Terciel returns with the Abhorsen to their house in order to retrieve a magical chain that they'd need to bind one of the greater dead (Kerrigor, who we met before/ahead in Sabriel).
Overall this had much more of the feel of the original trilogy, so I enjoyed that. There was a slight change in tone, as if Nix was trying to make this feel more *adult*. Sex is discussed several times, and there was a slightly incongruous use of the phrase "chicken shit" rather than "chicken droppings". In some ways this shift reminded me of how the newest His Dark Materials book The Secret Commonwealth had a lot more openly adult content than The Golden Compass almost as if the author wanted to age up the series? Both Sabriel and The Golden Compass were written in the mid-90s, when young adult books didn't necessarily have explicit sexual references....and before "young adult/teen" was really a separate category from "children's" in most bookstores or libraries. Nowadays, teen books tend to have a lot more sexy stuff in them, so I can't help but wonder if both Nix and Pullman felt pressured to include this in their newer books to keep them relevant. Maybe I'm reading into this too much.
Anyway, I enjoyed this prequel, and it's given me a renewed enthusiasm for the series as a whole. I was very tempted to reread Sabriel right after this one to see how many connected details I'm overlooking.
This prequel ends up being about and how they met. Elinor grew up Ancelstierre, not knowing that the scar on her forhead was a Charter mark....or even what that would be. An incident with some magical dead brings the current Abhorsen and her apprentice, Terciel, to Elinor's rescue, and kicks off Elinor's story. She learns that she's descended from one of the Clayr, and goes to Wyverly College to try to learn Charter magic from a teacher there. Meanwhile, Terciel returns with the Abhorsen to their house in order to retrieve a magical chain that they'd need to bind one of the greater dead (Kerrigor, who we met before/ahead in Sabriel).
Overall this had much more of the feel of the original trilogy, so I enjoyed that. There was a slight change in tone, as if Nix was trying to make this feel more *adult*. Sex is discussed several times, and there was a slightly incongruous use of the phrase "chicken shit" rather than "chicken droppings". In some ways this shift reminded me of how the newest His Dark Materials book The Secret Commonwealth had a lot more openly adult content than The Golden Compass almost as if the author wanted to age up the series? Both Sabriel and The Golden Compass were written in the mid-90s, when young adult books didn't necessarily have explicit sexual references....and before "young adult/teen" was really a separate category from "children's" in most bookstores or libraries. Nowadays, teen books tend to have a lot more sexy stuff in them, so I can't help but wonder if both Nix and Pullman felt pressured to include this in their newer books to keep them relevant. Maybe I'm reading into this too much.
Anyway, I enjoyed this prequel, and it's given me a renewed enthusiasm for the series as a whole. I was very tempted to reread Sabriel right after this one to see how many connected details I'm overlooking.
September 20, 2021
3.5 stars. Sabriel was one of the first YA fantasy books I read. I read it so long ago that I can't remember a lot about the plot, but I do recall really enjoying it. Terciel & Elinor is the prequel and it centers around Sabriel's parents. It gave me old school YA fantasy vibes, and I found it to be equally enjoyable.
Terciel & Elinor is essentially about two awkward teens trying to find themselves and their place in the world. Both are easy to root for as they find themselves facing down an enemy, who will be familiar to those that have read Sabriel. It also features the ever mischievous, Mogget!
While it didn't blow me away, it was still a comforting read. Perfect for autumn/winter.
This review also features on my blog, The Page Turner.
Terciel & Elinor is essentially about two awkward teens trying to find themselves and their place in the world. Both are easy to root for as they find themselves facing down an enemy, who will be familiar to those that have read Sabriel. It also features the ever mischievous, Mogget!
While it didn't blow me away, it was still a comforting read. Perfect for autumn/winter.
This review also features on my blog, The Page Turner.
August 2, 2021
This one's a return to the feel of the original trilogy! If you were disappointing and/or felt disconnected from Clariel and/or Goldenhand, you'll be much happier with this one! And Elinor is so charming and loveable--I can't see anyone disliking her.
September 8, 2024
It's been just shy of 30 years since I read and fell in love with Sabriel as a teen. It's not surprising that Terciel and Elinor feels like a throwback, but what is surprising is that I, now a much older and crankier sort of person, still enjoyed it so much. I had written Garth Nix off as a one-hit-wonder; I know I read at least some of the sequels to Sabriel, but they made little impression upon me.
The things I liked about Sabriel are fully present here: a fascinating and original depiction of death and magic, a palpable sense of dread mixed with a quirky sense of humor, likeable protagonists, and at least a little moral ambiguity (looking at you, Mogget!). Origin stories - and this one, about Sabriel's parents, certainly counts - are often predictable because we already know something of how they end. Nix does a fine job of making both Terciel and Elinor interesting people with their own stories that intersect briefly at first and then much more as the stakes rise and their goals dovetail.
Elinor is a sheltered 19-year-old raised safely far away from the Old Kingdom border. She has a mark on her forehead that her mother forces her to hide and a certain skill with throwing knives and juggling taught to her by the household staff with interesting histories. As the book opens, her mother is dying...oddly. At times, Elinor swears she sees frost limning the still face, a glint of red in the eyes. Elinor finds strange gold coins in her mother's dresser, a pale young man at her door who is not, as expected, the bailiff. (She almost takes his nose off slamming the door in his face. So much for the meet-cute.)
Terciel, the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, is called away from the Old Kingdom on what initially looks like a straightforward case of casting the Dead back into the cold waters of Death, and what turns out to be a trap. One of the Greater Dead is afoot, and the job of the Abhorsen and the Abhorsen-in-Waiting is to deal with the restless dead, no matter how powerful.
I really enjoyed being back in this world, from the Abhorsen's cozy house (with danger lurking in the many chambers of the basement) to the fairly ordinary Wyverley College (Charter magic is taught as an elective), and even to the nine gates of Death. Terciel is an interesting future-Abhorsen who is less certain of his path and calling, whose sister's death as Abhorsen-in-Waiting hangs over him.
The writing is smooth and easy to read, and Nix writes some striking passages:
And just like that, Terciel and Elinor leapfrogged other Nix books to become my second favorite book by this author.
The things I liked about Sabriel are fully present here: a fascinating and original depiction of death and magic, a palpable sense of dread mixed with a quirky sense of humor, likeable protagonists, and at least a little moral ambiguity (looking at you, Mogget!). Origin stories - and this one, about Sabriel's parents, certainly counts - are often predictable because we already know something of how they end. Nix does a fine job of making both Terciel and Elinor interesting people with their own stories that intersect briefly at first and then much more as the stakes rise and their goals dovetail.
Elinor is a sheltered 19-year-old raised safely far away from the Old Kingdom border. She has a mark on her forehead that her mother forces her to hide and a certain skill with throwing knives and juggling taught to her by the household staff with interesting histories. As the book opens, her mother is dying...oddly. At times, Elinor swears she sees frost limning the still face, a glint of red in the eyes. Elinor finds strange gold coins in her mother's dresser, a pale young man at her door who is not, as expected, the bailiff. (She almost takes his nose off slamming the door in his face. So much for the meet-cute.)
Terciel, the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, is called away from the Old Kingdom on what initially looks like a straightforward case of casting the Dead back into the cold waters of Death, and what turns out to be a trap. One of the Greater Dead is afoot, and the job of the Abhorsen and the Abhorsen-in-Waiting is to deal with the restless dead, no matter how powerful.
I really enjoyed being back in this world, from the Abhorsen's cozy house (with danger lurking in the many chambers of the basement) to the fairly ordinary Wyverley College (Charter magic is taught as an elective), and even to the nine gates of Death. Terciel is an interesting future-Abhorsen who is less certain of his path and calling, whose sister's death as Abhorsen-in-Waiting hangs over him.
The writing is smooth and easy to read, and Nix writes some striking passages:
Terciel nodded and jumped to the first stone. As always, once committed to the crossing, it was better than anticipating it. He let his momentum carry him forward and jumped to the next stone, and the next. Though the stones looked slippery, they were crosshatched for grip as well as spelled for safety, and soon he was in a familiar rhythm, jumping from stone to stone with practiced ease. The roar of the waterfall was so loud it blanketed everything else out, and the spray rolling back from the waterfall drenched him from head to foot. But it was familiar, and he welcomed it, for it was also a sign that a hot bath, a good breakfast, and a proper bed awaited just up ahead, behind the whitewashed walls of the island in the river.
And just like that, Terciel and Elinor leapfrogged other Nix books to become my second favorite book by this author.
February 7, 2022
It's hard to wrap my head around, but Sabriel came out around 1995. I didn't read it right away. A middle-school friend of mine (who wasn't even that into reading) read it first, and lent me his copy. Immediately, I was blown away by the aesthetics and imagery of this "Old Kingdom" world. I'll always remember the first reference to a charter mage wielding destructive power on the tip of her tongue. The bibliophile in me loves the fact that magic in this world is tied to writing, and all spells are powered by writing glyphs in the air.
As this series has progressed over the decades, the aesthetics have largely remained the same. There are ghastly creatures of Death who want to slither through gates into our world. They possess the living, sometimes festering for months or years before they manifest as deadly monstrosities. The Abhorsen is a kind of good necromancer who fights the undead with bells and rings and swords.
The Abhorsen reminds me of slayers from the Buffyverse. There is only ever one at a time (or two, if you count the Abhorsen-in-waiting), and they are typically overwhelmed by the sheer number of major and minor undead threats they have to deal with.
Over the years we have also learned about the few other magical races in this world, but they're all pretty limited. The Clayr are a group of all-female seers who live in a crystalline mountain. They are always female, and traditionally brown-skinned with blond hair and blue/green eyes. I don't know why those details persist, when the important one is that they're precogs. Since I consider myself a bit of a precog in the real world, but I'm male with pale skin and dark hair and eyes, I feel a bit out of sorts wondering where I would fit into this world's limited schools of magic.
There are berserkers too, but their magic is pretty much exactly what you would expect. Rage-induced strength. And there were builders, but they were extinct for a couple centuries, and their powers are pretty much just about being inventive/engineers. I can't relate to that at all.
Because Sabriel was such a success, and then later novels about Sabriel's much younger sister and children, Garth Nix decided to go backwards and give us this prequel novel about Sabriel's parents. Now we know that Sabriel also came from the Clayr on her mother's side, much like her younger half-sister. ... Okay? This diminishes Lirael somewhat, while also raising the question why Sabriel didn't share her sister's much-vaunted retrognition.
This installment was a pleasant diversion, but its greatest value was just in reminding fans of what it is like to immerse ourselves in this world of undead and bells and bandoliers. The aesthetics of an Abhorsen are alive and well, even if we go into this book knowing perfectly well that Terciel and Elinor have to survive long enough to get together and have Sabriel, the character who introduced all of us to this universe.
As this series has progressed over the decades, the aesthetics have largely remained the same. There are ghastly creatures of Death who want to slither through gates into our world. They possess the living, sometimes festering for months or years before they manifest as deadly monstrosities. The Abhorsen is a kind of good necromancer who fights the undead with bells and rings and swords.
The Abhorsen reminds me of slayers from the Buffyverse. There is only ever one at a time (or two, if you count the Abhorsen-in-waiting), and they are typically overwhelmed by the sheer number of major and minor undead threats they have to deal with.
Over the years we have also learned about the few other magical races in this world, but they're all pretty limited. The Clayr are a group of all-female seers who live in a crystalline mountain. They are always female, and traditionally brown-skinned with blond hair and blue/green eyes. I don't know why those details persist, when the important one is that they're precogs. Since I consider myself a bit of a precog in the real world, but I'm male with pale skin and dark hair and eyes, I feel a bit out of sorts wondering where I would fit into this world's limited schools of magic.
There are berserkers too, but their magic is pretty much exactly what you would expect. Rage-induced strength. And there were builders, but they were extinct for a couple centuries, and their powers are pretty much just about being inventive/engineers. I can't relate to that at all.
Because Sabriel was such a success, and then later novels about Sabriel's much younger sister and children, Garth Nix decided to go backwards and give us this prequel novel about Sabriel's parents. Now we know that Sabriel also came from the Clayr on her mother's side, much like her younger half-sister. ... Okay? This diminishes Lirael somewhat, while also raising the question why Sabriel didn't share her sister's much-vaunted retrognition.
This installment was a pleasant diversion, but its greatest value was just in reminding fans of what it is like to immerse ourselves in this world of undead and bells and bandoliers. The aesthetics of an Abhorsen are alive and well, even if we go into this book knowing perfectly well that Terciel and Elinor have to survive long enough to get together and have Sabriel, the character who introduced all of us to this universe.
May 25, 2022
I have been a huge fan of Garth Nix and the Old Kingdom series since I was a kid (Sabriel came out in 1995!). When I heard there was going to be a prequel showing off her parents, I was ECSTATIC...and this book did not disappoint!
Nix is an amazing writer and the world he has created in this series is pure bliss. Every time something comes out about it, I have to pick it up IMMEDIATELY, no matter how big or small the work is. Terciel and Elinor are both lovable characters, I enjoyed learning more about them in their late teen/early 20s when previously I knew them as otherwise. I also loved seeing my favorite kitty in the world, Mogget !
My only issue with this book is that it ended to early...I wanted to read more more MORE! The story itself is concluded in this book, so it was more an issue of me wanting more story than the book itself ending early. The book is written perfection. I am hoping more will be written about these characters, and potentially others within the Old Kingdom and the world/story is expanded yet again.
Thank you so much Garth Nix! I love everything you do =)
Nix is an amazing writer and the world he has created in this series is pure bliss. Every time something comes out about it, I have to pick it up IMMEDIATELY, no matter how big or small the work is. Terciel and Elinor are both lovable characters, I enjoyed learning more about them in their late teen/early 20s when previously I knew them as otherwise. I also loved seeing my favorite kitty in the world, Mogget !
My only issue with this book is that it ended to early...I wanted to read more more MORE! The story itself is concluded in this book, so it was more an issue of me wanting more story than the book itself ending early. The book is written perfection. I am hoping more will be written about these characters, and potentially others within the Old Kingdom and the world/story is expanded yet again.
Thank you so much Garth Nix! I love everything you do =)
December 6, 2021
It was wonderful for me to be able to return to the world of the Abhorsens created by Garth Nix. I revelled in every detail of world-building revealed (even details of a forgotten subterranean artificial garden in the Abhorsen's House).
Readers new to the original Abhorsen trilogy wouldn't get much out of this book, though ; I think that an attachment to the characters and an appreciation of references to plot points in other books in the series.
The titular characters, Terciel and Elinor, were sympathetic enough that I was rooting for them throughout. I felt like the romance was also on the fairly realistic side, with none of the YA wish-fulfilment flourishes that annoy me (no steel abs, overly described romantic scenes etc.). I'm not sure if I'll reread this one, but I think it's a worthy addition to one of my favourite fantasy series.
Readers new to the original Abhorsen trilogy wouldn't get much out of this book, though ; I think that an attachment to the characters and an appreciation of references to plot points in other books in the series.
The titular characters, Terciel and Elinor, were sympathetic enough that I was rooting for them throughout. I felt like the romance was also on the fairly realistic side, with none of the YA wish-fulfilment flourishes that annoy me (no steel abs, overly described romantic scenes etc.). I'm not sure if I'll reread this one, but I think it's a worthy addition to one of my favourite fantasy series.
March 20, 2022
It's been years since I've read any of the Old Kingdom series, but I remember liking Sabriel a good deal. It must just be the writing and the setting, but there was something rather comforting about returning to this world.
However...some fatal flaws to be found here, primarily in relationship development. Poor marketing aside, in which this is the "love story" of Sabriel's parents which it most certainly is not but even if that wasn't the expectation, the herementioned would still be shoddy writing, annoying, and baffling.
Enjoyable, except for the darn stupid lack of relationship growth.
Parts of the writing and the atmosphere reminded me a good bit of A College of Magics, so I would definitely recommend the two series to fans of the other.
However...some fatal flaws to be found here, primarily in relationship development. Poor marketing aside, in which this is the "love story" of Sabriel's parents which it most certainly is not but even if that wasn't the expectation, the herementioned would still be shoddy writing, annoying, and baffling.
Enjoyable, except for the darn stupid lack of relationship growth.
Parts of the writing and the atmosphere reminded me a good bit of A College of Magics, so I would definitely recommend the two series to fans of the other.
September 16, 2021
**3.75 stars**
*NetGalley ARC*
Having been a fan of this series for almost 20 years, I was really excited to have this prequel book. I did love seeing the connections to the original trilogy and how some things came together. There's also those nasty descriptions of all the dead creatures and the different gates of Death. I also liked getting a bit more Abhorsen lore as well. But sadly, this book is too short for the amount of story it was trying to cover. This isn't a romance between Terciel and Elinor; it's two people who literally have instalove happen and then they can't be separated. That's not realistic to me and it didn't' convince me at all. This trope is hardly ever done well for me and it fell flat pretty much immediately. Plus the real meat of the story doesn't happen until the 75% mark, except for a good beginning. I did like both Terciel and Elinor well enough but this book could've been longer to truly establish their romance and make it more believable. I also think Terciel's chapters were way more interesting, with learning more Abhorsen lore in his storyline. I'm glad Nix keeps writing in this world but I feel like this book should've been longer like "Lirael" was to get more story and have it feel more balanced.
*NetGalley ARC*
Having been a fan of this series for almost 20 years, I was really excited to have this prequel book. I did love seeing the connections to the original trilogy and how some things came together. There's also those nasty descriptions of all the dead creatures and the different gates of Death. I also liked getting a bit more Abhorsen lore as well. But sadly, this book is too short for the amount of story it was trying to cover. This isn't a romance between Terciel and Elinor; it's two people who literally have instalove happen and then they can't be separated. That's not realistic to me and it didn't' convince me at all. This trope is hardly ever done well for me and it fell flat pretty much immediately. Plus the real meat of the story doesn't happen until the 75% mark, except for a good beginning. I did like both Terciel and Elinor well enough but this book could've been longer to truly establish their romance and make it more believable. I also think Terciel's chapters were way more interesting, with learning more Abhorsen lore in his storyline. I'm glad Nix keeps writing in this world but I feel like this book should've been longer like "Lirael" was to get more story and have it feel more balanced.
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