The Creature in the Case – Book Review

Garth Nix's Short Story Follow Up to the Abhorsen Trilogy

Jan 25, 2010
Steve Williams

Creature in the Case by Garth Nix - Garth Nix

Nicholas Sayre survived the terrible events of Abhorsen, but only barely. Now in Garth Nix's follow up short story Creature in the Case, Nick must face a new evil alone.

Six months after the near cataclysmic events of the final book in the Abhorsen trilogy, Abhorsen, Nicholas Sayre has had enough of convalescing in Ancelstierre and is keen on returning to the Old Kingdom to explore the changes that being the host for Orannis’ dark essence has wrought on his body, and the connection it has given him to the Old Kingdom's free magic and Charter.

Finally agreeing, Nick’s uncle sets Nick just one condition. He must spend the weekend in a country house and mingle with the guests staying there. This seems simple enough, until Nick realizes that a creature from the Old Kingdom is being held there, a dormant monster that requires just one spark of magic to be reanimated, and thanks to Orannis, Nick‘s blood is perhaps the richest source that it could wish for.

Nicholas Sayer is a Different Man in The Creature in the Case

Nicholas Sayer was once a skeptic when it came to all things magical and monstrous, but since his possession by Orannis and his walk into Death, Nicholas is somewhat a convert. This is especially true as, it seems, Nicholas’ contact with Orannis in Abhorsen has changed Nick, adding power to his blood that may yet have further repercussions should Garth Nix revisit his Old Kingdom series.

It is rewarding to see Nicholas’ character further developed in The Creature in the Case. In previous books such as Lirael, Nicholas was somewhat two-dimensional, and necessarily so because he was a puppet for Orannis and the necromancer Hedge. It is refreshing here to see him acting of his own free will and heroically trying to save the Old Kingdom from the creature he has inadvertently unleashed.

A Hint of Romance Between Nicholas and Lirael in The Creature in the Case

Lirael appears briefly toward the end of The Creature in the Case to help Nicholas defeat the free magic monster rampaging toward the Old Kingdom. Author Garth Nix reveals that, after Lirael was injured during her battle with Orannis in Abhorsen, she and Nicholas spent time together recovering before Nicholas was taken back to Ancelstierre. This has left feelings unresolved that, by the end of The Creature in the Case, have resurfaced yet again.

Although Lirael’s appearance in The Creature in the Case is relatively short, the possibility of a relationship with Nick marks a definite change for Lirael who, when she was with the Clayr, was excruciatingly shy, especially when it came to the possibility of romance. It is also nice to see Lirael’s continual growth as the Abhorsen-in-Waiting alongside her development into womanhood.

The Creature in the Case Catches the Imagination Thanks to Garth Nix’s Flare for Narrative

A short story based entirely in the largely unexplored region of Ancelstierre rather than the Old Kingdom could have been problematic for Garth Nix, however, Nix manages to reveal more about the dichotomy between the two regions and also to blur the lines, placing a free magic monster in the heart of Ancelstierre and using that as a device to expound on the rare qualities Nicholas has been endowed with thanks to his possession by Orannis.

The narrative Nix uses is strong and compelling, and the humour that made Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen so entertaining is still present, though played down in Creature in the Case so as to not distract from the heady pace and action packed plot. The Creature in the Case is exceptionally well written and every bit as enthralling as previous offerings, showing that Nix's charm endures and that his status as one of the landmark young adult fantasy writers continues on.