Well,
as I stated a few posts back, I've been reading some of my favourite books from my early teen years and well, to be honest, it hasn't been going
amazing, per se, what with sickness and getting ready for college, I only managed to work my way through three books.....for shame.
And these three books were
Sabriel,
Lirael and
Abhorsen, the sequence of books known as the
Old Kingdom Trilogy. And really, these were probably my favourite fantasy series when I was younger, so I guess it's apt that those were the books I re-read.
Basically, the story occurs in a world of two parts, separated by a Wall. On one side, Ancelstierre, is a realm of technology, much like our own, where magic does not exist and people who believe in it are generally deemed, well, nuts. The Governments on this side of the Wall refuse to accept the fact that there is a magical realm past the Wall and only the people who live close to said Wall have any idea of what lies across the Wall.
And across the Wall is the Old Kingdom and the place where most of the story takes place. It's a land of sorcery, necromancers and creatures of the Dead. Much more interesting altogether. Anyway, in Sabriel, the Old Kingdom has been in disarray for the past 200 years, with the creatures of the Dead and Free Magic (the bad 'Force') strengthening their grip on the world. All that holds them back is the Abhorsen, a kind of anti-necromancer who sends the Dead back to where they belong by using their bell bandoleer of seven bells and Charter Magic (the good 'Force) . And this series follows the exploits of the Abhorsen.
So, that's the basic premise and it's a really interesting concept. Part of what makes Nix's books so enjoyable is his ability to create such a rich world with it's own history and he writes so believably. Thumbs up to that then.
The Abhorsen is basically someone who must cross the border between Life and Death, which here is depicted as a river, split into Nine Precincts and in each, dangerous Dead spirits lie in wait for a chance to return to life. As I said, the Abhorsen uses his/her bells to fight these Dead beings, each Bell having a distinct name, personality and job. I don't want to give too much more away. It's interesting, trust me.
Sabriel is the shortest of the three and my least favourite to be honest. It's a good yarn, but it's brief enough and sets the scene for the following volumes well. It tells the tale of Sabriel, the daughter of the current Abhorsen who is finishing her final year in Wyverly College in Ancelstierre, when, due to unforeseen circumstances, she has to travel to the Old Kingdom to save her father's life and try to survive in a world which she knows very little about and where also, Dark forces conspire to kill her and take over the Old Kingdom for good. Hard luck Sab!
I won't say much more about it, suffice it to say, it's an enjoyable story that's a bit short. Sabriel has a cracking sidekick, Mogget, a servant of the Abhorsen who was forcibly bound to serve their line for reasons not learned till Book 3. Oh yeah, he is also a cat. A very funny cat. So yeah, Sabriel has adventure, humour and romance all wrapped up into one. It's a nice story, just a bit....well, meh really. I loath to use that expression but it really sums it up!
I'd give it 3/5.
BUT!
Lirael is where it all kicks off. It's a much deeper, cleverer book that is set 14 years after the events of Sabriel. It follows Lirael, a Daughter of the Clayr, who live in a glacier and can see into the future using the Sight. Except, Lirael doesn't have the Sight, aged 14, she struggles with being the eternal outsider. She is very old to have the Sight, most girls Awakening to it around 11. She also differs physically, pale, dark haired, brown-eyed, unlike the the tanned, blond, blue-eyed archetype of the typical Clayr.
This book deals with many themes, the effects of being an outsider, not fitting in and it conveys Lirael's hurt feelings and broken dreams really well. Not to give much away, but Lirael is bound for much more than being an outsider of the Clayr and it all begins when she creates, or rather summons the mysterious spirit of the Disreputable Dog, her best friend and only companion. The book is just as good as when I first read it and I'd recommend it to any and everyone.
The third book in the Trilogy is actually a direct continuation of Lirael's story, with the Prince Sameth also thrown into the mix. Really, it's the second half of Lirael and you can't read one without the other. It's suitably epic in scope and eye-widening in it's revelations. Nix has a knack for creating great characters and you really care about each and everyone of them. This holds true for Sabriel too.
So, Lirael and Abhorsen, I'd give them 4/5 each.
Over all, the Old Kingdom Trilogy are a fascinating read and even though they may be aimed at a slightly younger audience, there's plenty of the enjoyment for everyone, particularly Lirael, my highlight of the series! So, a big recommendation from me!
