Abhorsen

By: Garth Nix

Narrated by: Tim Curry

Before she went to join Sam and Mogget downstairs, Lirael paused for a moment to look at herself in the tall silver mirror that hung on the wall of her room. The image that faced her bore little resemblance to the Second Assistant Librarian of the Clayr. She saw a warlike and grim young woman, dark hair bound back with a silver cord rather than hanging free to disguise her face. She no longer wore her librarian's waistcoat, and she had a long Nehima at her side rather than a library-issue dagger. But she had kept her library whistle, tucking it into the small pouch at her belt. Though she was many, many leagues from any help the whistle might summon, she felt the need to cling to some small part of her past and her identity.

She had become an Abhorsen, Lirael thought, at least on the outside.

Don't miss books one and two of this trilogy! Sabriel and Lirael: Daughter of the Clayr.©2003 Garth Nix (P)2003 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Abhorsen is an excellent denouement for a fantasy that is both literary and popularly accessible. Out loud, the powers of this future classic are intensified, especially through Curry's inspired dramatization." (School Library Journal)
"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." (Publishers Weekly)

Good voice, good story

Tim Curry has a great reading voice. He loses his character's voices a couple times, but overall very good. The story is deep fantasy, with lots of complex, arcane magic; deep, inferred history; and evil necromancers. Story sags just a little near the end, but overall, Highly Recommended.

Amazing!!!

This is an excellent conclusion to the Old Kingdom series as well as a perfect conclusion to the story begun in Lirael. I would suggest reading the two previous books in the series first because this book picks up right where the last one left off. This means that the action begins in the first chapter, keeping your interest until the end. The main characters continue their journey to stop an ancient being from destroying the world. This book is filled with magical fights that would rival those in Harry Potter. You will NOT want to stop listening.

I love the Abhorsen story but...

This book starts very, very slow. Also Nix’s struggle to completely realize a character shows clearly. However, the last quarter of the book takes a sudden (very) dramatic turn. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Abhorsen story and will be going back for more. I just wish Nix would add another 50 pages to his stories so that we can get a clear picture and an ebb/flow of drama.

Loved it

It might not be as strong as sabriel or lirael but i absolutely loved it. Tim Curry was once again spot on

A Masterpiece.

I love the Old Kingdom Series and Tim Curry just added to this wonderful story!

After two cliff hangers, finally an actual ending

I loved Nix's writing and Tim Curry's excellent narration. And finally, an actual ending!

An epic conclusion to an epic tale!

What made the experience of listening to Abhorsen the most enjoyable?

Loved the series, no way i could have stopped before finishing the whole tale. I always looks at series as a whole story, so in a sense, this is just the final chapters of a book I enjoyed :-)

What other book might you compare Abhorsen to and why?

Sebriel and Lirael, similar characters, similar world, similar magic system... Almost identical come to thing of it, I wonder if he stole his ideas from those books, best look into it. :-)

Which scene was your favorite?

The final conflicts are exciting and fun, a bit emotional too.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

If such a moment existed, would I spoil it for you by telling it to you now? No, I wouldn't. But yes, there are some powerful moments in this series.

Any additional comments?

Honestly, I almost don't see much reason to do reviews for books at the end of a series, because if you made it past the first, you'll likely enjoy the following books, and read them all regardless of what the reviews say, that is if you are like me. But anyway, I did enjoy this book, and the series as a whole. Not the best fantasy out there, but worth the credits certainly if this is your genre. Wish they had audio books of more of Garth's stories, loved the Seventh tower series too.

great book, great narrator

Any additional comments?

This was a great book. The pace was great, Tim Curry did an outstanding job. He created an atmosphere that was eerie and fun to listen to in the dark of the car. My wife and I listened to this on a trip and the hours flew by. Everything about it was an excellent listen. We recommended it to our grandchildren who also loved it.This will be a family favorite. Being careful what our grandchildren listen to we found nothing objectionable in this one.

fun

cute little tale for both adolescents and the older crowd. best fantasy book i have read in years.

Astonishing third entry

To be fair, this is more of a "second half" of a theorical second book, acompasing the second and third books of the series, as it continues right after the last one.
But I don't care.
It was so good.
By now, you already know if you like the characters, story and incredible narration of mr Curry.
I love them all, and can't wait to see if there is more of this universe to read about.
I'm still wanting to hear the bells ring.