The Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Niz

I mentioned this in the fantasy thread but I wanted to see if there were any other fans out there. The books are just cool. The characters are interesting and engaging, and the world is vividly described. They are fantastic books and though 'Lirael' drags in the beginning, they are still an epic set of tales. They rank just below the His Dark Materials series for me.



You can purchase them here.

I'll quote some reviews that explain the books a bit.

Garth Nix delves into the dark heart of high fantasy in the Abhorsen Trilogy, three interconnected fantasies about a family of necromancers who lay the dead -- and forces of evil -- to rest. Humour, detailed writing and deep characters, along with a richly-realize world, make this a classic-in-the-making.

"Sabriel" is the story of a teenage girl living happily at a girl's school, while her necromancer father (the Abhorsen) roams around putting the dead to rest. All that changes when a sending brings her father's sword and bells, meaning that he is dead or incapacitated. So Sabriel takes on her father's duties, accompanied by a Free Magic cat and a mysterious young prince, and battles the specter of a horrible evil creature that is reaching out from death to snare her.

"Lirael" takes us to the cold citadel of the Clayr, a race of seers. Young Lirael is depressed because she doesn't have the gift of Sight yet, even though everybody else her age does. But things take a sinister turn when she sets a horrifying, bloodthirsty creature loose, and must work -- with the help of the mysterious Disreputable Dog -- to get rid of it. But what Lirael doesn't know is that the outside world is in danger too, from a sinister new enemy.

"Abhorsen" brings the series to an explosive conclusion. Lirael and her nephew Sameth -- along with "cat" Mogget and the Disreputable Dog -- are in danger from the Dead. What's more, the Destroyer Orannis has escaped from his prison and is being assisted by an evil necromancer and the Dead called Chlorr -- and an unfortunate pal of Sameth's. Now Lirael must call on her destiny as the future Abhorsen, and kill the Destroyer.

Garth Nix had only written a couple of books, one of which was an "X-Files" novelization, when the first Abhorsen book burst onto the fantasy scene. Now he's one of the most respected, prolific and well-liked fantasy writers in years, with his single books in print and two hit series for younger readers. But despite his newer works, his tales of the Old Kingdom are still his best.

The Abhorsen Trilogy is a perfect example of dark fantasy, with its grotesque dead zombies that occasionally lurch out to attack the heroes, magical bells, and shadowy beasties that can (sometimes) be restrained. It takes the trappings of high fantasy and lets us see them through a mirror darkly. Not to mention the brilliant concept of the Abhorsen necromancers, who have power over dead and/or magical creatures, and bind them with Charter marks and bells.

Virtually all of Nix's characters are likable -- especially the gutsy Sabriel and nervous teenage Sameth -- and the acid-tongued animals and black humor add a wry spin to the fantastical stories. It takes a bit longer to warm up to Lirael, since she spends several chapters in the same-named book feeling sorry for herself, but once she gets moving she's unstoppable -- and very likable.

Garth Nix gave high fantasy a dark twist in the Abhorsen Trilogy. Full of magic, darkness, death and beauty, this is a classic in the making.

I discovered this trilogy a few years back, and it has been a favourite for some time. After a recent re-read, I decided it was high time I reviewed it.
This trilogy by Garth Nix, begun with Sabriel and followed by its sequels Lirael and Abhorsen, is a truly original piece of work and an amazing masterpiece of imagination.
It is set in two neighbouring lands. Ancelstiere, a modern country full of modern technology and modern thinking people. And the Old Kingdom, a country where magic and sorcery abound and the dead have an annoying habit of not remaining that way.
Sabriel is an Abhorsen, heir to a legacy that has passed down through generations of her family. On the death of every Abhorsen, a new one continues the work of laying the dead back to rest and defeating the necromancers who seek to raise them.
One of the things that makes this trilogy so original is Garth Nix's portrayal of death. After life is ended, a victim enters a kind of in-between realm consisting of a cold, fast-flowing river that passes through nine gates. Only once passed the ninth gate does a person embrace true death. Until then, a dead spirit can either be returned or banished, and those with the ability can cross in to death to work their will.
Twenty years after Sabriel has come in to her inheritance, we meet two new characters. Lirael, a member of a clan of women able to see the future. And Sameth, son of Sabriel and Abhorsen in waiting. Both these characters are set on a path to discover their destiny.
Garth Nix writes both richly and atmospherically. His portrayal of the realm of death is done particularly well. His characters are well thought out and thoroughly explored. Most Notably Mogget. A white cat who is far more than what he seems and is by far the author's most complex and interesting creation.
Danger, magic and monsters abound, with more than a little of the scare-factor thrown in.
I would recommend these books to any fantasy reader looking for something a little different from the usual formula. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Anyone else a fan? I'm really looking forward to the next group of books--I think the first one hits stores in 2010.

Bump, you damn miscreants

I AM A FAN, but you know that already. I love these books. It's just the house on the waterfall, and the Wall, and the reservoir under the castle...I can really remember being able to clearly visualise these scenes, and the characters actually meant something to me.