Lirael-Garth Nix

	Title: Lirael Author: Garth Nix Genre: Fantasy Pages: 705 Publication: HarperTrophy, 2001 Source: Bought Rating:

Lirael has never felt like a true daughter of the Clayr. Now, two years past the time when she should have received the Sight that is the Clayr's birthright, she feels alone, abandoned, unsure of who she is. Nevertheless, the fate of the Old Kingdom lies in her hands. With only her faithful companion, the Disreputable Dog, Lirael must undertake a desperate mission under the growing shadow of an ancient evil. In this sequel to "Sabriel," winner of the Aurealis Award for Excellence in Australian Science Fiction, New York Times best-selling author Garth Nix weaves a spellbinding tale of discovery, destiny, and danger.

*Disclaimer: The story that begins in Lirael does not end when the book does, but continues in Abhorsen. I would strongly recommend having both books before starting this fight against the Dead.

Lirael is the stunning sequel to Sabriel, where Lirael, a sightless Daughter of the Clayr becomes so much more. It opens with Lirael waking without the sight on another birthday. After contemplating suicide, she becomes a Librarian of the Clayr. Here, Lirael explores her natural affinity for Charter Magic, as well as faces the dangers of the lower levels.

While there, she summons the Disreputable Dog, a creature very similar to Mogget. Disreputable is a Charter Magic and Free Magic creature with a Charter Magic collar. The main difference is that Mogget’s collar is for binding, with a tiny Ranna to seal the deal. Dog’s collar is not one of binding, but of…something else. Her nature is a mystery throughout the novel as she can move bodily between Life and Death and her bark is infused with Charter Magic.

Then there is Prince Sameth, the Abhorsen-in-Waiting who is afraid of Death. After being attacked by a Necromancer in Death defending his classmates, he knows he can never go back into Death. When his best friend Nick crosses into the Old Kingdom with an unknown guide to the one area the Clayr cannot See, he launches a daring, if poorly planned, rescue.

When the fate of the Old Kingdom draws Lirael and Prince Sameth together, while pulling Sabriel and Touchstone to Ancelstierre, how will they fight off a threat older than time itself?

I really liked Garth Nix’s sequel to Sabriel. Not only does he still include already know characters and locations, but he expands upon that base. In Lirael we explore the life of a Clayr. In Sameth we see the life of royalty in the newly restored Old Kingdom. Nix also explores how one can practice at being an Abhorsen while the current one still lives. We also find out more about the Beginning and the creation of Charter Magic, which Mogget was suppressed from discussing in Sabriel. This is a wonderful follow up to Sabriel and it did not disappoint. The only fault I find with it, is that the story is continued in Abhorsen instead of being completed in Lirael.