Across the Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories

Garth Nix fans will savour every word of Across the Wall, the latest in Garth Nix's collection of outstanding books. This latest book is no different. There is a story for every fan, whether you like a voilent fantasy, or a hearwarming story of war, you will not be disappointed with Across the Wall. The book is centralized around a novella, about 90 pages long, about Nicholas Sayre. Nicholas wants desperately to get back into the Old Kingdom, but before he can do so, he is sent by his uncle Edward to the home of a "mad man." There Nicholas finds a creature of the Old Kingdom, but what can he do, so far from the wall? This book will bring you to tears, laugh you to stitches, and provoke thought. Each story was written with such care and devotion, and all contain a short introduction, also written by Garth Nix. Fans will be sure to bask in the glory of Garth Nix's awe-inspiring writing. This book would make an ideal gift for any fantasy fan. Truly, Garth Nix has created something special.

I loved reading this new collection of stories. The newer takes on the classic stories made them fun to read again, while the small glimpse back into the world of Ancelstierre and the Old Kingdom gave me another taste of one of the best series' that I've read. Garth Nix' style of writing in all of the stories in this book made me want to read the whole thing cover to cover in one sitting, and the personal introductions for each tale helped to make me feel a little closer to each story. For anyone who has read the Abhorsen trilogy, this book is a must, if only for the short look back into the world that Nix created with the previeous three books. I must admit, though, I felt a little teased with the story of Nick and his new adventure when it ended so quickly, but the other stories more than made up for my longing of the Old Kingdom.

Existing fans and newcomers alike will quickly fall into this latest title from Garth Nix as he proves his versatility as a storyteller. A wide and interesting array of subjects and settings provides fantasy readers with a good read. ACROSS THE WALL is a collection of the author's previously published short stories. However, it opens with "Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case," a novella Nix wrote out of "the desire to see what happened next" to character Nicholas Sayre from The Abhorsen Trilogy. Throughout the book, Nix is candid with readers about facts that went into the production of each short story. Information about his writing techniques and practices also are sprinkled among the pages. Readers who already appreciate Nix's fantasy adventure stories will enjoy the snippets as they add interesting background to each story. As a writer, I found it intriguing to follow Nix's patterns of note taking, ideas, and outlining so much that I chose to visit his website where I found even more details on how he creates his work. Nix claims to be "someone who doesn't like the Arthurian mythos," but provides readers two stories written from his fantastical perspective of King Arthur and surrounding characters, primarily Merlin. "Under the Lake" explores Arthurianna from the eyes and mind of The Lady of the Lake. "Heart's Desire" retells the story of Merlin and Nimue "in a different light." Both present a sort of History Camelot and both clamor with the empty sounds of choosing power over love. A dry wit permeates "From the Lighthouse" as Nix portrays a larger than life millionaire madman who thinks he has bought an island to assuage his entrepreneurial desires. The natives are pleasant until it is discovered how Marcus Kilman intends to change their lives with new industry and wealthy citizens looking for a travel adventure. Greed colors everything Kilman thinks and says. Nix is clever in his commentary on contemporary efforts to cultivate vacation lands out of quiet, pristine islands that would be better off left undiscovered. For the busy days of summer, ACROSS THE WALL is the perfect book for Nix fans old and new to keep by the bed and read a story or two at a time. A word of caution: Nix has arranged the pieces to be progressively deep and macabre, so be careful how late at night you choose to read! [...]

Like all dutiful lovers of good books, I lined up at midnight last weekend to purchase the new Harry Potter book. Imagine my surprise and delight when I saw Garth Nix's newest book sitting on the counter! Honestly, I was more excited by the prospect of reading Across the Wall than I was Half-Blood Prince (which also turned out to be excellent) -- but please don't spread that around -- I wouldn't want J.K.R. to feel slighted or anything. It's probably my own fault. I bought the book without glancing at anything other than that distinctive black matte border. So I was slightly annoyed to find that the book had only a single (very good, mind you) Abhorsen related story and that the remainder of the books were old stories and articles that Mr. Nix had written over the years and was republishing here. First thing's first -- each and every story was very good. He's an excellent writer and I would have bought the book even if I had known that it was a compilation. But this is not an Abhorsen book for the most part -- despite the characteristic look. So I felt slightly (and perhaps unjustifiably) miffed about it. Also, Mr. Nix includes brief commentary before each story that -- which I find interesting -- is somewhat odd for a "children's book." I certainly don't mean to dissuade anyone from buying this book. It is excellent. Each story is well done and thoughtful and a right good read. Just be aware of what you are buying.

Garth Nix is a great writer. He is one of the most inventive writers in the fantasy genre today (the Abhorsen trilogy is a testimony to this). His plots are much different from other plots; he isn't using the same worn-out story lines. He also isn't overly given to prose like some writers of the genre, but his writing style is fluid and has enough details to keep the reader satisfied. This collection of short stories (and a novella) is one to treasure. It starts with a novella about Nicholas Sayre, whom you might remember from the Abhorsen trilogy. I loved this story; it was a great continuation to an amazing trilogy. The short stories are aplenty. They range from a western-style story with a fantastical twist to some Authurian tales that are quite unique. But, one of my personal favourites of this collection was a very short story called "Endings". It is kind of dark fantasy. The story is, coincidentally enough, about two endings: sorrow and joy. It's one of those stories that sticks in your mind and makes you keep thinking about it. It is by no means definite, but that's one of the reasons I like it. Most of the stories in this collection lean toward dark fantasy and can deal with serious issues, such as war. However, Mr. Nix did include some funny material. "Down to the Scum Quarter" is in the paragraph-choice game format, and it is somewhat of a parody. It is quite funny, and I found it very creative. It was a lot of fun to have this little interactive section; it's a fun game to play. Overall, I think readers of Nix's other works (and even people who haven't read works by Nix) will enjoy this. It's a collection filled with creativity and uniqueness.