Lirael: Daughter of the Clayr

In "Sabriel" Garth Nix told us of the Abhorsen who deal in death, and now he enlightens us about the Clayr, the women who are gifted with the power to see into the future (albeit not always clearly) and then there are those awkward times when things get confused by alternate futures and such complications. Lirael is the daughter of a Clayr, but is a very late bloomer, having not inherited the gift of the Sight like all other Clayr teenagers. This means that birthday after birthday she gets stuck at the kiddie table, wearing the equivalent of Dora the Explorer play clothes while her younger associates (she's rather lacking in the friends category) go off to their debutante duties. As is often done with teens that are slow to develop, she gets to choose a trade, and she picks library duties, a very dangerous occupation in a place where reading can sometimes be hazardous to your health. Having a special aptitude for charter magic, Lirael quickly moves herself up the ladder, unbeknownst (I always liked that word) to her senior librarians, and begins exploring the forbidden parts of the library on her own. Of course she gets into all sorts of trouble, releasing a creature known as a Stilken, and having to use all her power to fight it. Some people make up imaginary friends to talk to, but not Lirael - after meeting with an ancient healer, she conjures herself a companion named The Disreputable Dog (of unknown magical origin) that is much more than a best friend and who aids and abets her in her voyage of discovery. Meanwhile, in the other sub-plot in this book, Touchstone and Sabriel from book one have two children, a girl who will be queen, and a boy who isn't too sure he wants to be Abhorsen, as he doesn't like seeing dead people. After a rather unfortunate experience on the other side, he is ready to hang up his book and bells for good, but he doesn't want to disappoint his parents. All is not well in the Old Kingdom, and his mother is hardly ever at home because of the demands of her job, and his father is finding that it's not always great to be the King. When Sameth (for that is the boy's name) learns that his school pal Nicholas has managed to land himself in grave danger (literally), he runs away from under his sister's thumb and charges off half-cocked to the rescue. Fortunately for him, Mogget the mysterious cat awakens in time to accompany him and save him from himself. Just in the nick of time the paths of Lirael and Sameth collide in mid stream (again literally) and together they join against Hedge the evil necromancer and his cronies, including the unwitting Nicholas, who are trying to release something very nasty from the bottom of a pit. At the house of Abhorsen they discover a link in the family tree that affects them both. Like all middle parts of a trilogy, this one leaves a lot of unanswered questions at the end, and should not be read without first reading book one, but is so well written that it will have you turn

"Lirael" is neither the beginning nor the end (thank goodness) of this remarkable fantasy series by Garth Nix. If you haven't already read "Sabriel", you might want to put "Lirael" aside and begin at the beginning. The middle book could stand alone, especially the story of Lirael herself, but you will miss nuances of the Philosophy and Geography of Death if you don't start with "Sabriel". The only work I can compare this series to is Philip Pullman's "Golden Compass" trilogy, although I prefer Nix's magical world-building. If I ever die and go to fantasy heaven, I hope it resembles his immense library beneath glacier and mountain, where each door opens into a separate mystery. In the catacombs beneath the library, Lirael discovers how to turn herself into an ice otter or a barking owl, reads "The Book of Remembrance and Forgetting", and duels with the monstrous Stilken. However, "Lirael" isn't just about Lirael. Prince Sameth, heir apparent to Sabriel as the Old Kingdom's champion against evil necromancers, also comes of age in this volume. There are plenty of evil necromancers to go around. In fact, at the end of this book, it appears as though they are winning the war to turn the Old Kingdom into a kingdom of the dead. One fault should be noted. The two main characters spend too much text feeling sorry for themselves. Lirael pursues an impossible dream, while Prince Sameth tries to escape from an impossible nightmare. I think the author's editor must have read "Sabriel" and said, "Garth, this is a great fantasy but your heroine, Sabriel is pretty darn self-sufficient. Readers can't relate to that. You need to make your characters more vulnerable." So that's exactly what Nix did in Volume Two. Vulnerability often shades over into self-pity in "Lirael"---too often for my liking. It's not enough of an annoyance to bypass this fantasy. Hopefully, in the yet-to-be-published "Abhorsen", Lirael and Prince Sameth will stop whining and take up the burden of defending the Old Kingdom. Lirael is already headed in that direction, along with her friend the Disreputable Dog. Garth, I advise you to stop listening to your editor. You were pitch-perfect in "Sabriel". Retune `Astarael, the Sorrowful' that "casts all who hear it deep into Death" and finish this marvelous trilogy the way you began it. NOTE: the 'adult' version has exactly the same text as earlier printings of this book. Only the cover is different.

I just read Sabriel and couldn't believe how much I loved it. Then I discovered to my suprise that a sequel had been written. This sequel being Lirael. I have read this book and let me tell you, it's amazing. This book reads like real life, Nix has created such a deep and believable world that you come to the illusion that the action is truly taking place. His characters are sooo believable and well developed.If you enjoyed Sabriel there is absolutely no reason for you not to read this book. I personally enjoyed it just as much as its successor and I await non-patiently for the final book of the series "Abhorsen". The way this book builds is amazing and I know that all will love it. Sit down and read it, but not if you are going to be having to leave the house any time within the next 2 hours because..you'll never put it down.

This book is amazing!! I don't know how Garth Nix does it! Lirael will keep you reading till 1:00 in the morning. If you haven't read Sabriel, then I suggest you get going because you're losing a big part of the mystery and beauty of the book if you don't. Garth Nix has written this story so well that I feel that if someone just told me how to get to the Old Kingdom, I'd become a Charter Mage myself!! Lirael is a young lady Clayr, yet does not have the "Sight." She is sorely detirmed to get it even when all chances are lost AND replaced by a new hope. Prince Samuel is also brought into the tale. (if you've read Sabriel than this might feel very weird!) Sam is Sabriel and Touchstone's son. He is also expected to be Abhorsen in waiting - a destiny he has been putting off for a very long time. The two characters come together to defeat the undead and free magic that is threatening the downfall of the old kingdom. I AM DYING FOR THE NEXT BOOK, "ABHORSEN!" I hope you enjoy Lirael as much as I did!

While wandering through the local bookstore four years ago I came across Sabriel in the Young Adult section. Noticing the cover I picked it up and read the first chapter. I was hooked. I must have read the copy I bought that day at least 40 times. I became such a fan of Mr. Nix's writing that I named my cat Mogget!But I digress, as I understood it Mr. Nix was supposed to only write a sequel. Lirael turned out to be the second book in a trilogy, the third to be the forthcoming, Abhorsen. Well, after I finished Sabriel in a manner of hours I knew their would be a sequel so I set out looking for one. After manny publishing delays I finally got my copy of Lirael. All I can say is that Mr.Nix is a masterful and engrossing writer. Lirael is a intelligent, brave and a thoroughly colorful charecter. I admit in the beging I was warry with the prospect of suicide, but she shone for the remainder of the novel. Lirael shares the spotlight with Prince Sameth, the son of Sabriel and Touchstone(Yes, they did get married!). He shows flashes of bravery and cunning, but for the most part he acts spoilt and afraid. These two are surrounded by a stellar supporting cast. Touchstone, Sabriel, Mogget(yes!) Sanar and Ryelle(the Clayr twins) you will remeber from Sabriel. Ellimere; daughter of Sabriel, the Disreputable Dog; loyal companion to Lirael, Nick; school companion of Sameth and not to mention the evil Hedge and Chlor who work for a higher evil. The story goes into how Lirael does not fit in at the Clayr's glacier home and goes to seek a man the Clayr have Seen. Parallel to Lirael's life is that of Sameth's. They meet mid-adventure and team up to find Nick and put down the dead. But will Lirael ever find her place? This is a story of high fantasy, adventure, mystery and human emotions. I loved the plot and dialouge. They both flow with seemless grace. This is a masterful piece of fantasy literature and both Sabriel and Lirael will always be high on my list so I recomend Lirael even if you haven't read Sabriel. Enjoy!