Abhorsen by Garth Nix – Book Review

The Third Book in the Abhorsen Trilogy, a Young Adult Fantasy Series

Jan 25, 2010
Steve Williams

Abhorsen by Garth Nix - Garth Nix

Abhorsen by Garth Nix is the third book in the Abhorsen Trilogy. Can Lirael, Sam, Mogget and the Disreputable Dog stop Hedge from resurrecting Orannis the Destroyer?

An ancient evil threatens both the Old Kingdom and Ancelstierre alike. Deep under the earth, the silver hemispheres that contain the essence of Orannis, the ninth free magic creature that resisted being bound into the Charter, stirs, its terrible power wakes, and its time of re-emergence seems close at hand as Hedge, its necromancer servant, raises wave after wave of Dead to aid in the return of the Destroyer.

The battle against Orannis falls to Lirael who, newly awakened to her powers as the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, holds the fate of the world in her hands. Along with the unknowable Disreputable Dog, Lirael's journey will take her to the very limit of Death, the Ninth Gate, where she will peer into the void of time in order to find out how to defeat Orannis. But will she be willing to make the final sacrifice?

Lirael Journeys into the Depths of Death in Abhorsen

As part of Lirael’s abilities as the Abhorsen-in-Waiting and a Rembrancer, she is capable of entering Death and, while there, looking into the past. The further back she wishes to look, the deeper into Death she must travel, and so Lirael soon realizes what it is that she must do: to understand how Orannis was originally bound, she must travel to the deepest, darkest realm of Death, passed the Ninth Gate, so that she may see the making of the Charter itself.

There she also faces the evil necromancer Hedge who has journeyed into Death to kill her. Yet Hedge makes a grave error in battling Lirael so close to the threshold. He mistakenly looks up into the endless sea of stars that call a soul on to what waits beyond, and is pulled into oblivion's embrace. As such, it is Hedge’s supreme arrogance that defeats him, and this is a fitting end for a deliciously nefarious character.

The Cataclysm of Orannis and the Revelation of the Disreputable Dog and Mogget in Abhorsen

It falls to Lirael, who has seen the secrets that time forgot, to bind Orannis once more, and with all that she has been through, Lirael proves herself as a true hero when she is prepared to make the final sacrifice. She is not alone, however, as her family, the Clayr and the Abhorsen Sabriel, King Touchstone, Sameth, Ellimere, Mogget and the Disreputable Dog all stand with her.

The revelation of the Disreputable Dog’s true identity as the faded remnant of Kibeth, the spirit represented by the bell that the Abhorsen uses as the Walker, to send the Dead back into Death, is not unexpected, but the beauty and clarity of the revelation as Lirael works a masterful spell to bind Orannis, is truly uplifting.

So too is Mogget’s choice to side with the Abhorsen and fight Orannis, not bidden by the bells of necromancy or any spells, but of his own free will as the Eighth Bright Shiner, the undiluted Yrael. This speaks volumes of Garth Nix’s ability for small, triumphant steps in character development that feel real, organic and, above all, stirring and emotionally fulfilling.

An Outstanding End to Garth Nix’s Abhorsen Trilogy

Abhorsen is a triumphant end to what is an outstanding and gripping series. No sooner has the last page been turned than the reader is eagerly calling for more. Principally, this is because of author Nix’s talent for characterisation and the fact that his protagonist Lirael is so easily identifiable as a heroic figure, and yet also as a normal girl emerging into adulthood. More from Nix’s Old Kingdom, please!