Sabriel
(The Abhorsen trilogy, Book 1)
Garth Nix
HarperTrophy
Fiction, YA Fantasy
*****
DESCRIPTION: Sabriel was born of the Old Kingdom, a world of magic and mystery, where even time moves differently than in the southern, magicless land of Ancelstierre.
In the Kingdom, keeping spirits of the dead in their proper resting place requires powerful Charter Magic and a skilled necromancer. Her father, known only as Abhorsen, is such
a man, dedicated to returning the Dead to their rest rather than raising dark spirits - but other necromancers are less scrupulous, unleashing untold darkness in their quest for
power.
Sent to Ancelstierre for schooling when she was very young, Sabriel retains only dim memories of the Old Kingdom. Trained in the Charter Magic she was born with by the mages of
Wyverly College and in the necromantic arts by her father, she is nevertheless caught off-guard when Abhorsen sends her a desperate message and burden from deep in the realms of
Death. Bearing her father's sword and magical binding-bells, her incomplete magical training, and a burning need to know what happened to her father (and if he can still be
freed from Death), Sabriel sets out on a dangerous quest into the Old Kingdom.
REVIEW: This book started moving in the first chapter, and didn't let up significantly until it ended. Sabriel is a strong heroine with a good heart but her own flaws and shortcomings. Nix did a great job establishing the rules of necromancy and Charter Magic, and creating the lands of Ancelstierre and the Old Kingdom. If anything, the story moved too fast, the characters acting on knowledge and information peculiar to the universe but of which the reader isn't always aware (i.e. history, breeds of the Dead, magic laws, etc.) Still, I did enjoy Sabriel, and can't think of any real flaws in it, so it gets top marks from me.
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The Keys to the Kingdom: Mister Monday
(The Keys to the Kingdom series, Book 1)
Garth Nix
Scholastic
Fiction, YA Fantasy
***
DESCRIPTION: More than ten thousand years ago, the great Architect who created the Universe out of Nothing built a grand House, where the records of all things in
Her worlds would be kept, and two Keys to Her grand Kingdom. When She left, She left behind a Will, a living document that would enforce Her wishes in Her absence... but seven
traitorous Trustees instead tore the Will to pieces, imprisoning what they could not destroy as they took control of the Keys and the House. After ten thousand years, a fragment
of the Will managed to escape. It will stop at nothing to free its fellow fragments and set the woefully out-of-kilter House back in line with its original purpose.
Arthur Penhaligon was supposed to die on Monday, victim of a fatal asthma attack during gym class at his new school. Instead, something very peculiar occurred. A bizarre pair of
beings - more than men, less than gods - appear and hand him a strange object which looks oddly like the minute hand of a clock... but only until he dies and they can take it
back. Unfortunately, neither of them counted on the Lesser Key healing Arthur, granting him access to the great House. The Will wanted a mortal to have the Key, but the Trustees,
starting with the lowermost Mister Monday and his agents, will do everything in their power to thwart the Will and keep the Key for themselves. Now, pursued by strange monsters
that could destroy his world, Arthur finds himself trapped in realms beyond mortal comprehension, unwilling heir to a dangerous destiny and enemy of beings nearly as old as Ttime
itself.
REVIEW: I've read other books by Garth Nix and found them enjoyable, so I thought I'd give this series a try. Perhaps it's a personal prejudice, but I can't stand stories that try to encompass the Whole of Creation and the History of Everything in one book, using impossibly surreal metaphors to boot. In such situations, both problems and solutions often materialize seemingly from thin air. I liked parts of it - the characters were fairly interesting and the plot moved forward at a fair clip - but the whole surreal arrangement of the House and its inhabitants got a bit old. (It also gave me occasional flashbacks to James Stoddard's The High House, one of my all-time least-favorite books.) If I find the second book at a steep discount, I might give it a try; it's possible this book was a victim of being the first in a series, wherein everything has to be set up for later stories. Otherwise, I can think of other, better series to spend my time and money following.
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The Seventh Tower: The Fall
(The Seventh Tower series, Book 1 of 6)
Garth Nix
Scholastic
Fiction, YA Fantasy
****
DESCRIPTION: Young Tal lives in a world of perpetual darkness. A barrier called the Veil has blocked sunlight over the land since long before he was born. Tal lives in
the seven-towered Castle as one of the Chosen, the privileged few who works the magic of the light-providing Sunstones and its counterpart, the shadowy creatures of the spirit-
world Aenir. Even his own shadow is no natural thing, but a shadowguard, a being from Aenir bound to serve him until he can master a more powerful replacement. But there is more
to Tal's privileged world than meets the eye... a dark conspiracy walking the Castle halls, which is about to swallow Tal whole.
When his father goes missing on a mission for the Empress, Tal's life is turned upside down. Powerful enemies scheme to strip his family of their small influence and cast them
into the masses of Underfolk servants. Even with the help of his disgraced Great Uncle Ebbitt, master of magicks which should be beyond him, Tal cannot even gain a Primary
Sunstone to complete a coming-of-age ritual that may also help heal his dying mother. In a last, desperate attempt to steal a Sunstone, Tal tumbles from the highest towers above
the Veil. He is saved by his shadowguard, but finds himself in a place not he nor any of his kin have ever been: the harsh, cold world beyond the Castle's walls. If he is to ever
return home, he will have to learn things the Castle's nobility would just as soon never have known... and deal with those who would just as soon see his kind cast to the
beasts of the ice-bound seas.
REVIEW: The only reason I clipped a point from this was because I felt it ended a trifle awkwardly. Well, that, plus it took a while of thinking to determine that I actually liked it. I prefer more immediate gratification in my reading. Otherwise, it is a wonderfully imaginative story, set in an original world. Some of the scenes described evoked beautiful mental images. If Tal isn't always the brightest bulb, well, he's not the first young hero who has a lot of growing up to do. I look forward to reading more of Tal's ongoing adventures.
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The Seventh Tower: Castle
(The Seventh Tower series, Book 2 of 6)
Garth Nix
Scholastic
Fiction, YA Fantasy
****
DESCRIPTION: The Shield Maidens have found Milla, Icecarl of the Far Raiders Clan, and Tal, Chosen of the Castle, on their way back to the boy's home. Their mission, to return Tal to the castle and secure a Primary Sunstone for the Far Raiders, is growing more complex by leaps and bounds, for the Mother Crone of the Shield Maidens will only let them pass if they agree to return greater knowledge of the Castlefolk for the people of the Ice. Once inside the Castle, the two grudging allies face many dangers and darknesses, not the least being the powerful enemies to Tal's own family, in a conspiracy that seems to reach to the Empress herself. To Milla, facing the unknown dangers of the Castle and the Chosen's feared Shadow magic is all part of her own great quest to become a Shield Maiden. To Tal, who only wanted a Primary Sunstone for himself and now yearns simply to see his ailing mother again, it seems yet another impossible task on top of countless others... but he is not the same boy he was when he first fell from the Red Tower, and what was unthinkable such a short time ago seems a whole different thing now.
REVIEW: Just as refreshingly different as the first book, suffering only from being in the middle of a series and thus having rather abrupt endings and beginnings. Milla and Tal both do some growing up here, and if Tal occasionally felt like deadweight... well, he's led a softer life than Milla, so he has a bit of an excuse.
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The Seventh Tower: Aenir
(The Seventh Tower series, Book 3 of 6)
Garth Nix
Scholastic
Fiction, YA Fantasy
****
DESCRIPTION: Tal of the Chosen and Milla of the Icecarls are in the Castle at last, but their journey is far from over. Both of their quests take them on an unauthorized journey to Aenir, the spirit world, from which the Chosen draw their Shadowspirit companions. Milla's people consider shadow magic the highest and vilest of black arts, but she must accompany Tal if her own goals are to be met. As for Tal, he is still seeking answers to his father's disappearance and brother's abduction, answers that can only be provided by the long-lost Codex of the Castle. It is hidden in the shifting realm of Aenir... if they can find it.
REVIEW: Another action-filled installment in Milla and Tal's adventures. Aenir is a sufficiently bizarre otherworld to complement the strange light-and-shadow realm of the Castle and the ice seas. Since this isn't the final installment, I'm assuming that this will be another six-book series. (I have no idea why they break down like that, but that's how it seems to go.)
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The Glasswright's Apprentice (Mindy L. Klasky, Fiction - After her guild is disbanded for the role of a few members in an assassination plot, one girl tracks the culprits through the strict caste strata of her city)
Dreamhunter (Elizabeth Knox, YA Fiction - Southland is famed for its "dreamhunters," those who travel to another world to bring back collective dreams for paying audiences... but the industry hides a dark and corrupt heart)
Savvy (Ingrid Law, YA Fiction - On her 13th birthday, a girl will develop magical powers, which she hopes will help save her critically-injured father)
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Larklight (Philip Reeve, YA Fiction - In a Victorian-era space adventure, two British children embark upon a singular adventure through the aether of space)
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The Seventh Tower: Above the Veil
(The Seventh Tower series, Book 4 of 6)
Garth Nix
Scholastic
Fiction, YA Fantasy
****
DESCRIPTION: Tal and Milla have survived the dangers of Aenir, and learned some very interesting - not to mention disturbing - truths from the residents of that land.
Tal has also secured a powerful Shadowguard, but at a great price: Milla, Icecarl and sworn enemy of the shadows of Aenir, was forcibly bonded to a Shadowguard as well, the mate
of Tal's own, who would not be left behind in the magical realm. Now that they are back in the Castle, their troubles are only getting worse. Tal is coming to understand just
how powerful his enemies are, and how close his world is to total destruction. Milla, on the other hand, sees a future only so far as the end of her duties. To be bound to a
shadowspirit ends her dreams of becoming a Shield Maiden, and she is honor-bound to condemn herself to the ice lest her clan bear the shame.
Neither has much time to indulge their own worries. The guards, under the corrupt leader Sushin, are closing in on them and the Codex, and even Milla's bravery, Tal's growing
power, and Great Uncle Ebbitt's resourcefulness may not be enough to save them.
REVIEW: More adventure in this strangely beautiful yet sinister world of shadows and Sunstones. Things are really cranking up to a fever pitch for the next book... which, at long last, has finally appeared! Hooray!
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The Guild of the Cowry Catchers: Embers (Abigail Hilton, Fiction - A realm of half-human beings suffers under a corrupt religion idolizing wyverns)
The Glasswright's Apprentice (Mindy L. Klasky, Fiction - After her guild is disbanded for the role of a few members in an assassination plot, one girl tracks the culprits through the strict caste strata of her city)
Dreamhunter (Elizabeth Knox, YA Fiction - Southland is famed for its "dreamhunters," those who travel to another world to bring back collective dreams for paying audiences... but the industry hides a dark and corrupt heart)
Savvy (Ingrid Law, YA Fiction - On her 13th birthday, a girl will develop magical powers, which she hopes will help save her critically-injured father)
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Larklight (Philip Reeve, YA Fiction - In a Victorian-era space adventure, two British children embark upon a singular adventure through the aether of space)
Return to Top of Page - Return to Book Review List
The Seventh Tower: Into Battle
(The Seventh Tower series, Book 5 of 6)
Garth Nix
Scholastic
Fiction, YA Fantasy
****
DESCRIPTION: Tal and Milla have parted ways, and despite the tenuous bonds of respect formed during their journeys together, they seem destined to face each other as
enemies once more. Tal's journey leads him to Aenir to join his fellow Chosen in the otherland. Once there, he intends to seek out the Empress and alert her to the danger of the
free-roaming shadows in the Castle, and the treacherous creature that is the Dark Vizier Sushin. He also has hopes of freeing his father and curing his ailing mother, not to
mention reuniting his scattered family.
Milla has returned to the Icecarls, but is refused the solitary death on the ice that she initially sought for her failures. Instead, she is now War-Chief to her people, under
the rein of the mystical Crones. Wielding an ancient weapon out of legend, she is charged with leading the assault on the Castle to destroy the free shadows and the Chosen, who
have been corrupted by their reliance on Light Magic.
REVIEW: I was thrilled when I saw this book and the next on the shelves of Barnes & Noble. After Book 4, I worried that the series had been put to a premature death by Scholastic. In reading it, it holds up well to the others, even considering how long it's been since I read them. Plenty of action and nice imagery.
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The Guild of the Cowry Catchers: Embers (Abigail Hilton, Fiction - A realm of half-human beings suffers under a corrupt religion idolizing wyverns)
The Glasswright's Apprentice (Mindy L. Klasky, Fiction - After her guild is disbanded for the role of a few members in an assassination plot, one girl tracks the culprits through the strict caste strata of her city)
Dreamhunter (Elizabeth Knox, YA Fiction - Southland is famed for its "dreamhunters," those who travel to another world to bring back collective dreams for paying audiences... but the industry hides a dark and corrupt heart)
Savvy (Ingrid Law, YA Fiction - On her 13th birthday, a girl will develop magical powers, which she hopes will help save her critically-injured father)
The Diadem series (John Peel, YA Fiction - A riddle-speaking messenger plucks three children from three worlds, revealing their magical powers and leading them on a dangerous quest to find their destinies)
Larklight (Philip Reeve, YA Fiction - In a Victorian-era space adventure, two British children embark upon a singular adventure through the aether of space)
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The Seventh Tower: The Violet Keystone
(The Seventh Tower series, Book 6 of 6)
Garth Nix
Scholastic
Fiction, YA Fantasy
****
DESCRIPTION: The battle for the Castle of the Chosen is well underway. While the Shield Maidens of the Icecarls surge up from the lower reaches of the immense structure, Milla and a select few around her have joined up with the remaining Freefolk, those Underfolk of the Castle who refuse to be slaves to the Chosen. Meanwhile, Tal has returned to the Dark World from Aenir after witnessing the terrible weakness of the Empress and narrowly escaping Sushin's minions. It seems that it has fallen to him to stop the free shadows from destroying the Veil and unleashing the horrors of Aenir upon his world. Both he and Milla are destined to face the creature that calls itself Sushin in a great battle for the future of Icecarl and Castlefolk alike, in the imperial Violet Tower.
REVIEW: A worthy ending to a fast-paced and imaginative fantasy series. I would've liked it even more had it not been so long since I read Books 1 - 4. If the conclusion leaves things open for a sequel... well, I suppose Nix was keeping his options open.
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The Guild of the Cowry Catchers: Embers (Abigail Hilton, Fiction - A realm of half-human beings suffers under a corrupt religion idolizing wyverns)
The Glasswright's Apprentice (Mindy L. Klasky, Fiction - After her guild is disbanded for the role of a few members in an assassination plot, one girl tracks the culprits through the strict caste strata of her city)
Dreamhunter (Elizabeth Knox, YA Fiction - Southland is famed for its "dreamhunters," those who travel to another world to bring back collective dreams for paying audiences... but the industry hides a dark and corrupt heart)
Savvy (Ingrid Law, YA Fiction - On her 13th birthday, a girl will develop magical powers, which she hopes will help save her critically-injured father)
The Diadem series (John Peel, YA Fiction - A riddle-speaking messenger plucks three children from three worlds, revealing their magical powers and leading them on a dangerous quest to find their destinies)
Larklight (Philip Reeve, YA Fiction - In a Victorian-era space adventure, two British children embark upon a singular adventure through the aether of space)
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