Lirael
 Garth Nix
 (Guest Reviewer - Colleen Helme)
 2002 HarperTrophy
  ISBN: 0060005424

Daughter of the Clayr.

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.

Guest Reviewer Colleen Helme writes:

Lirael is a sequel to Sabriel, although the events take place nearly twenty years later. Lirael is a daughter of the Clayr & is several years past the time she should have come into the “sight.” Unlike the rest of the Clayr, she never feels accepted or at home with them. As she strives to find herself, she awakens her charter magic, which is quite powerful, & she begins a journey of discovery. What she finds is not what she expects.

Lirael is a delightful read & full of adventure. It is a journey of several years for Lirael, to find out who she really is & how she can change the destiny of the kingdom.

We also meet Sabriel's children, & find out more about them & the troubles of Ancelstierre & the Old Kingdom. Prince Samath, who is the Abhorsen-in-waiting, has no desire to enter the realm of the undead & fulfill his destiny. As he struggles with his fear, the dead are returning to life as slaves to an evil necromancer & time is running out. An ancient evil is at hand, & it will take all of them to stop it.

Lirael ends in what is clearly a stepping-stone for the final book in The Abhorsen Series.

As the long awaited sequel to Sabriel, I was a little disappointed that Sabriel & Touchstone were not an integral part of the story. They are there, but the focus is mainly on their children & on Lirael. However, it was great to be back in the Old Kingdom & Ancelstierre. Their world is always full of surprises & adventure. Lirael's special friend, “the disreputable dog” is one of my favorite characters. In the Old Kingdom, the line between life & death is carefully trod & never final, so you never know what to expect.

More from Garth Nix: Sabriel; Abhorsen; Shade's Children; Books from The Seventh Tower Series: The Violet Keystone & more.


(04/06/03)

Colleen
2003©Colleen Helme
A RebeccasReads.Com Associate Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
I have been an avid reader “forever” & live in the Rocky Mountains with my husband & four children. In my spare time (when I'm not reading!) I do watercolor paintings, make music, & WRITE! My first fantasy novel, Child of the Flame, is being published this year by American Book Publishing.