Abhorsen

Starred review from November 25, 2002
An explosive prologue sets the stage for Nix's riveting continuation of the story begun in Sabriel
and Lirael. While newcomers might find the intricate plotting and the rituals of the Charter Magic off-putting at first, Nix rewards their efforts. Returning characters Lirael, former Second Assistant Librarian of the Clayr and now an Abhorsen-in-Waiting (the Abhorsen's "birthright and charge to maintain the borders of Life and Death"), and her nephew, Prince Sameth, along with Disreputable Dog and the mysterious white cat, Mogget, are ensorcelled in the Abhorsen House by a Dead creature, Chlorr of the Mask, who is in league with the evil necromancer Hedge. They break out to try and rescue Sam's old friend, Nicholas Sayre, who has been tricked by Hedge into digging up Orannis, the Destroyer; if Hedge's plan succeeds, the evil now contained by two separate hemispheres will join and annihilate all life. The grotesque imagery of the Death realm provides a haunting note, which Nix offsets by the brightness of the main characters' quest to defeat the Destroyer. At once an allegory regarding war and peace and a testament to friendship, this thought-provoking fantasy also resolves the true identities of the popular Dog and Mogget characters—and suggests that Nix may still have more tricks up his sleeve. Ages 12-up.

February 1, 2003
Gr 7 Up-The long-awaited confrontation between the evil necromancer Hedge and Abhorsen-in-Waiting Lirael and her nephew Sameth finally takes place in this conclusion to Nix's trilogy. Fans were left hanging at the end of Lirael (HarperCollins, 2001) as they learned that Hedge had magically enslaved a horde of the newly dead and Sam's friend Nick to help him dig up Orannis, a powerful Free Magic being who intended to destroy all life in the Kingdom. Long ago, Orannis had been broken in two and buried deep beneath the earth and Nick has discovered a way to join the two pieces to release him. All the characters from the previous books are here, but Lirael and Sam dominate the action. Lirael is destined to travel into death to find out how Orannis was defeated before and to try to find out how to defeat him once again. The experience leaves her scathed but stronger, and she finds her family, heritage, and her place in the world. Readers discover the real identities of the Disreputable Dog and the cat Mogget but Lirael's mother's actions still remain unsatisfactorily explained. Lirael and Sam have gained confidence in themselves and in their abilities in this title. There are also fewer surprises here, but Nix maintains the nonstop action, imaginative magical descriptions, and high level of violence of the previous titles. It is essential to read the series in order. There is a resolution, but the ending hints that this may not be the last story about the Old Kingdom. Fans will be overjoyed.-Sharon Rawlins, Piscataway Public Library, NJ

Copyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2003
Gr. 7-12. Although " Lirael" (2001) begins years after events in " Sabriel" (1996), " Abhorsen" picks up right where " Lirael" left off, as Lirael and Sameth, the son of the Abhorsen Sabriel, continue their battle to contain the long-imprisoned Destroyer. It's a hardscrabble battle against the forces of the dead, which have been assembled by the sinister necromancer Hedge, and once again Disreputable Dog and Mogget (the elemental in the form of a cat), play major roles, as does Sameth's good friend Nick, who is forced into the service of the Destroyer. Lirael, the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, must traverse the dangerous Gates of Death to discover how the Destroyer was defeated in the beginning, so that the process can be repeated in the present. The tension throughout the story is palatable, and despite a solid, satisfying conclusion, Nix leaves himself a bit of room to revisit his intricately designed universe--a course followed by many writers of book sets that are first envisioned as fantasy trilogies.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)