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Abhorsen #5
Goldenhand
Lirael knows the blood that runs in her veins and her true powers. She also knows that Chlorr of the Mask has been conspiring with the clans of the steppe, from a message she’s received from her long-dead mother, Arielle.
But no one else believes that nomads can be a real threat. Accompanied by Nicholas Sayre and a young mountain nomad, Lirael goes on a dangerous journey across the steppe and into the mountains to see for herself. There Lirael discovers the future Arielle saw long ago that is now coming to pass: Chlorr has gathered the clans to attack the unsuspecting Old Kingdom.
The only way Lirael and her companions can stop the attack is to find Chlorr’s original, better human self—Clariel. Only, Clariel has been asleep for centuries beyond the Great Rift. Lirael must reach her—and help her go beyond the Ninth Gate to die the final Death—before it is too late.
But no one else believes that nomads can be a real threat. Accompanied by Nicholas Sayre and a young mountain nomad, Lirael goes on a dangerous journey across the steppe and into the mountains to see for herself. There Lirael discovers the future Arielle saw long ago that is now coming to pass: Chlorr has gathered the clans to attack the unsuspecting Old Kingdom.
The only way Lirael and her companions can stop the attack is to find Chlorr’s original, better human self—Clariel. Only, Clariel has been asleep for centuries beyond the Great Rift. Lirael must reach her—and help her go beyond the Ninth Gate to die the final Death—before it is too late.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 11, 2016
About the author
Garth Nix
215 books14.5k followersGarth Nix was born in 1963 in Melbourne, Australia, to the sound of the Salvation Army band outside playing 'Hail the Conquering Hero Comes' or possibly 'Roll Out the Barrel'. Garth left Melbourne at an early age for Canberra (the federal capital) and stayed there till he was nineteen, when he left to drive around the UK in a beat-up Austin with a boot full of books and a Silver-Reed typewriter.
Despite a wheel literally falling off the Austin, Garth survived to return to Australia and study at the University of Canberra. After finishing his degree in 1986 he worked in a bookshop, then as a book publicist, a publisher's sales representative, and editor. Along the way he was also a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve, serving in an Assault Pioneer platoon for four years. Garth left publishing to work as a public relations and marketing consultant from 1994-1997, till he became a full-time writer in 1998. He did that for a year before joining Curtis Brown Australia as a part-time literary agent in 1999. In January 2002 Garth went back to dedicated writer again, despite his belief that full-time writing explains the strange behaviour of many authors.
He now lives in Sydney with his wife, two sons and lots of books.
Despite a wheel literally falling off the Austin, Garth survived to return to Australia and study at the University of Canberra. After finishing his degree in 1986 he worked in a bookshop, then as a book publicist, a publisher's sales representative, and editor. Along the way he was also a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve, serving in an Assault Pioneer platoon for four years. Garth left publishing to work as a public relations and marketing consultant from 1994-1997, till he became a full-time writer in 1998. He did that for a year before joining Curtis Brown Australia as a part-time literary agent in 1999. In January 2002 Garth went back to dedicated writer again, despite his belief that full-time writing explains the strange behaviour of many authors.
He now lives in Sydney with his wife, two sons and lots of books.
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June 5, 2018
Goldenhand
(Note: For an explanation of my Goodreads policy, please see here.)
Anyone who hasn’t read Sabriel , the beginning of the Old Kingdom books by Garth Nix, is missing out. I consider reading it, during the years I was trying to break in, to be one of the fundamental experiences that helped me shape my philosophy on magic systems and worldbuilding.
Needless to say, I love the magic and worldbuilding of these books—though perhaps someday I’ll do a review of Sabriel itself, and delve into what I love about the worldbuilding in these books. This review is about Goldenhand, a later installment (book five, I believe, though one of those is a prequel) in the series. I found it to be an excellent continuation.
I’m impressed that Mr. Nix has kept my attention and excitement for the series over all these years, doling out new volumes carefully and expanding the magic system at a controlled rate. (And introducing new characters to become the new viewpoints as others close their arcs.) I feel he’s added good flourishes here and there to give the magic depth, but never let it spiral away from him, as was the potential at any given point.
For Writers
One highlight for me in this book involved Mr. Nix’s continued ability to introduce compelling characters with a variety of backgrounds. Pay attention to how he gives strong, but different, motives to the primary players—and how he quickly establishes those motives and keeps them central to each character’s through line.
I also admire his ability to write a young adult series that is firmly secondary world fantasy, with challenging worldbuilding and politics, while still keeping the narrative focused on younger characters, maintaining the feel that this is correctly shelved in teen. I think the character motivations, the sense that these are people still searching for their exact place in the world, is part of what makes this work.
Finally, I would suggest a study of Mr. Nix’s pacing methods. Sabriel was the first fantasy novel I can remember that used a more intense, “thriller style” method of pacing. (I see this in the works of Jim Butcher and Brent Weeks as well.)
Notice how Mr. Nix writes this book to encompass a relatively short period of time, with constant motion and action. He uses frequent cuts between viewpoints to deemphasize downtime, increase tension, and propel the story. He also consistently employs small chapter-end hooks that are frequently resolved in the early pages of the next chapter, using them to bridge chapter (and character) breaks. I��m not always a fan of this style of cliffhanger, as it can wear thin by the end of a book, but they work very well with the format and structure of this book.
The Short Version
Here’s what I sent the publisher as a blurb for the book. “Garth Nix is one of the best worldbuilders in fantasy, and this book is merely further proof. I love the Old Kingdom series, and Goldenhand is an excellent continuation, packed with the excitement and passion of a storytelling virtuoso at the height of his abilities.”
Highly recommended for anyone. Sabriel, the first in the series, is one of my go-to suggestions, as I feel it does a large number of things very well, and has a broad appeal for a wide variety of readers.
Rating Notes
I noticed no content in this book requiring specific warning.
Bias Notes
I have met Mr. Nix several times at conventions, and we are on friendly terms. I received this book for free from his publisher, who was pursuing a cover blurb.
(Note: For an explanation of my Goodreads policy, please see here.)
Anyone who hasn’t read Sabriel , the beginning of the Old Kingdom books by Garth Nix, is missing out. I consider reading it, during the years I was trying to break in, to be one of the fundamental experiences that helped me shape my philosophy on magic systems and worldbuilding.
Needless to say, I love the magic and worldbuilding of these books—though perhaps someday I’ll do a review of Sabriel itself, and delve into what I love about the worldbuilding in these books. This review is about Goldenhand, a later installment (book five, I believe, though one of those is a prequel) in the series. I found it to be an excellent continuation.
I’m impressed that Mr. Nix has kept my attention and excitement for the series over all these years, doling out new volumes carefully and expanding the magic system at a controlled rate. (And introducing new characters to become the new viewpoints as others close their arcs.) I feel he’s added good flourishes here and there to give the magic depth, but never let it spiral away from him, as was the potential at any given point.
For Writers
One highlight for me in this book involved Mr. Nix’s continued ability to introduce compelling characters with a variety of backgrounds. Pay attention to how he gives strong, but different, motives to the primary players—and how he quickly establishes those motives and keeps them central to each character’s through line.
I also admire his ability to write a young adult series that is firmly secondary world fantasy, with challenging worldbuilding and politics, while still keeping the narrative focused on younger characters, maintaining the feel that this is correctly shelved in teen. I think the character motivations, the sense that these are people still searching for their exact place in the world, is part of what makes this work.
Finally, I would suggest a study of Mr. Nix’s pacing methods. Sabriel was the first fantasy novel I can remember that used a more intense, “thriller style” method of pacing. (I see this in the works of Jim Butcher and Brent Weeks as well.)
Notice how Mr. Nix writes this book to encompass a relatively short period of time, with constant motion and action. He uses frequent cuts between viewpoints to deemphasize downtime, increase tension, and propel the story. He also consistently employs small chapter-end hooks that are frequently resolved in the early pages of the next chapter, using them to bridge chapter (and character) breaks. I��m not always a fan of this style of cliffhanger, as it can wear thin by the end of a book, but they work very well with the format and structure of this book.
The Short Version
Here’s what I sent the publisher as a blurb for the book. “Garth Nix is one of the best worldbuilders in fantasy, and this book is merely further proof. I love the Old Kingdom series, and Goldenhand is an excellent continuation, packed with the excitement and passion of a storytelling virtuoso at the height of his abilities.”
Highly recommended for anyone. Sabriel, the first in the series, is one of my go-to suggestions, as I feel it does a large number of things very well, and has a broad appeal for a wide variety of readers.
Rating Notes
I noticed no content in this book requiring specific warning.
Bias Notes
I have met Mr. Nix several times at conventions, and we are on friendly terms. I received this book for free from his publisher, who was pursuing a cover blurb.
October 6, 2016
I have very mixed feelings about Goldenhand. First things first, Sabriel is my favorite book and has been since I first read it in middle school. I am now 28, and I have reread Sabriel and the original Old Kingdom Trilogy more times than I can count. I was somewhat disappointed with Clariel, but was excited to hear that we would be revisiting the Old Kingdom and our beloved characters in Goldenhand. My expectations were high, but tempered with my "meh" feelings toward Clariel.
The Good: We get to spend time with Lirael, Nicholas, Sabriel, Touchstone, Sam, and other locations and characters that made me feel warm and fuzzy with nostalgia. We also got to explore familiar locations from new perspectives. As ever, the world and mythology that Garth Nix created is fully realized and as fascinating as ever. I would give anything to spend a day in the Library of the Clayr to learn about the mysteries of the Charter...
The Bad: The pacing and structure of this book are it's two biggest flaws. The first half was too slow, and the second half was too fast. We spend about 1/3rd of the book with a character that I didn't really care about. The title of the book is "Goldenhand" referring to Lirael, but I never really felt as connected to her as I did in her namesake book. Relationships between the characters were rushed, or ignored. We get almost no description or exploration of the relationship between Sabriel and Lirael, now that they are working together as the Abhorsen and Abhorsen-in-Waiting. Lirael reunites with Nick, and they basically fall totally in love and start throwing around public displays of affection in about 2 pages. To me, this was not true to Lirael's character. Sam is a peripheral character with almost nothing to do, and Sabriel and Touchstone are banished "on holiday" to keep them out of the main story for more than half the book. In the meantime, we are introduced to a new character named Ferin, who is a little interesting, but basically only serves as a plot device to make certain things happen. For much of the book, various characters are just traveling around the Old Kingdom until they all end up at the Clayr's glacier. The story really starts here, very far into the book, which makes the resolution feel thin and rushed.
I also feel that this fight, with this foe, should almost have featured Sabriel more than Lirael. I wish this book would have focused more on Sabriel and Lirael as a team, and their struggles with their age difference, backgrounds, personalities, and philosophies about Charter magic and their responsibilities. I'm all for a little romance, and Lirael certainly deserves some happiness, but it should have been a B or C story, not one of the main focuses of the novel.
It's difficult to describe, but all in all, I feel that this book lacked the substance and grandeur of the previous books. Everything felt rushed, from the character interactions, to the descriptions, to the story. There were even a few sentences that were so convoluted and weirdly written, I had to reread them a few times to figure out what Nix was trying to say.
I don't see myself rereading this book often, if at all. My feelings may be influenced by the fact that I'm no longer the right age to fit the intended audience, but the fact that this is a "young adult novel" is no excuse, when the genre is so rife with excellent writing, and especially considering that Sabriel was first published in 1995 and the original fans have to be about my age. If you are a fan of the series, by all means, read this book and take a visit back to the Old Kingdom. But don't expect to have the time to settle in and make yourself at home.
The Good: We get to spend time with Lirael, Nicholas, Sabriel, Touchstone, Sam, and other locations and characters that made me feel warm and fuzzy with nostalgia. We also got to explore familiar locations from new perspectives. As ever, the world and mythology that Garth Nix created is fully realized and as fascinating as ever. I would give anything to spend a day in the Library of the Clayr to learn about the mysteries of the Charter...
The Bad: The pacing and structure of this book are it's two biggest flaws. The first half was too slow, and the second half was too fast. We spend about 1/3rd of the book with a character that I didn't really care about. The title of the book is "Goldenhand" referring to Lirael, but I never really felt as connected to her as I did in her namesake book. Relationships between the characters were rushed, or ignored. We get almost no description or exploration of the relationship between Sabriel and Lirael, now that they are working together as the Abhorsen and Abhorsen-in-Waiting. Lirael reunites with Nick, and they basically fall totally in love and start throwing around public displays of affection in about 2 pages. To me, this was not true to Lirael's character. Sam is a peripheral character with almost nothing to do, and Sabriel and Touchstone are banished "on holiday" to keep them out of the main story for more than half the book. In the meantime, we are introduced to a new character named Ferin, who is a little interesting, but basically only serves as a plot device to make certain things happen. For much of the book, various characters are just traveling around the Old Kingdom until they all end up at the Clayr's glacier. The story really starts here, very far into the book, which makes the resolution feel thin and rushed.
I also feel that this fight, with this foe, should almost have featured Sabriel more than Lirael. I wish this book would have focused more on Sabriel and Lirael as a team, and their struggles with their age difference, backgrounds, personalities, and philosophies about Charter magic and their responsibilities. I'm all for a little romance, and Lirael certainly deserves some happiness, but it should have been a B or C story, not one of the main focuses of the novel.
It's difficult to describe, but all in all, I feel that this book lacked the substance and grandeur of the previous books. Everything felt rushed, from the character interactions, to the descriptions, to the story. There were even a few sentences that were so convoluted and weirdly written, I had to reread them a few times to figure out what Nix was trying to say.
I don't see myself rereading this book often, if at all. My feelings may be influenced by the fact that I'm no longer the right age to fit the intended audience, but the fact that this is a "young adult novel" is no excuse, when the genre is so rife with excellent writing, and especially considering that Sabriel was first published in 1995 and the original fans have to be about my age. If you are a fan of the series, by all means, read this book and take a visit back to the Old Kingdom. But don't expect to have the time to settle in and make yourself at home.
May 5, 2018
“For everyone and everything there is a time to die.”
3.5 stars.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading the Old Kingdom series - though I must admit this last instalment didn’t blow me away as some of the others did.
It was enjoyable, and I loved that all our favourite characters are back, Lirael, Sabriel, Touchstone, Sam as well as some new faces.
It took a while for the plot to start, it involved a free magic creature accidentally brought alive by Nicholas Sayre and Lirael’s removal of said creature. From there she takes Nick to her childhood home of the Clayr, those who have the sight and can see the future.
Meanwhile, a young girl from one of the Northern Clans is sent a message to take to Lirael, one she is told is of the upmost importance and from someone close to Lirael. Naturally her journey is fraught with difficulties and dangers and once delivered to Lirael, she and Nick must face a powerful enemy, one it was thought had been defeated previously.
Maybe this series was too long. Maybe a fifth book wasn’t needed as the third one ended so powerfully. There was a fair bit of focus on the romance which is something I’m not interested in and has never really been a theme in the other books. Also the theme of time travel was used, which is also something I don’t like so that didn’t help. Like I said, I still enjoyed it and will keep it for rereads, but compared to the first three books, it pales in comparison.
3.5 stars.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading the Old Kingdom series - though I must admit this last instalment didn’t blow me away as some of the others did.
It was enjoyable, and I loved that all our favourite characters are back, Lirael, Sabriel, Touchstone, Sam as well as some new faces.
It took a while for the plot to start, it involved a free magic creature accidentally brought alive by Nicholas Sayre and Lirael’s removal of said creature. From there she takes Nick to her childhood home of the Clayr, those who have the sight and can see the future.
Meanwhile, a young girl from one of the Northern Clans is sent a message to take to Lirael, one she is told is of the upmost importance and from someone close to Lirael. Naturally her journey is fraught with difficulties and dangers and once delivered to Lirael, she and Nick must face a powerful enemy, one it was thought had been defeated previously.
Maybe this series was too long. Maybe a fifth book wasn’t needed as the third one ended so powerfully. There was a fair bit of focus on the romance which is something I’m not interested in and has never really been a theme in the other books. Also the theme of time travel was used, which is also something I don’t like so that didn’t help. Like I said, I still enjoyed it and will keep it for rereads, but compared to the first three books, it pales in comparison.
October 3, 2016
3.5 stars.
I wanted to love this. I really really did. I mean, I've been obsessed with this series since I was 12, and I'm now 33. And I think in part, that was WHY I didn't love it. Don't get me wrong, I basically lost my shit when I saw there was a new Old Kingdom book coming out. But I think I had SUCH HIGH EXPECTATIONS for it that this could never actually meet them.
What I wanted was Lirael/Nick, lots of encounters with the dead, and plenty of fun times with characters that I've known and loved for years. And in part, that's what I got. But frankly, there was a lot more running-for-our-lives and go-on-a-journey-to-save-the-Kingdom stuff than there was anything else, and frankly? It felt a little repetitive.
It probably didn't help that literally half the book was from the perspective of Ferin, a new character, and I wasn't a huge fan of her. Every time her chapters came around, I wanted to skip them to get back to the characters that I know and love.
The story finally picked up for me . But that first half of the book? Yeah, it was kind of strugglebus territory.
Also,
So yeah. I wanted to love it, I really did. But ultimately? I...was a little disappointed. Happy it exists. But still disappointed.
I wanted to love this. I really really did. I mean, I've been obsessed with this series since I was 12, and I'm now 33. And I think in part, that was WHY I didn't love it. Don't get me wrong, I basically lost my shit when I saw there was a new Old Kingdom book coming out. But I think I had SUCH HIGH EXPECTATIONS for it that this could never actually meet them.
What I wanted was Lirael/Nick, lots of encounters with the dead, and plenty of fun times with characters that I've known and loved for years. And in part, that's what I got. But frankly, there was a lot more running-for-our-lives and go-on-a-journey-to-save-the-Kingdom stuff than there was anything else, and frankly? It felt a little repetitive.
It probably didn't help that literally half the book was from the perspective of Ferin, a new character, and I wasn't a huge fan of her. Every time her chapters came around, I wanted to skip them to get back to the characters that I know and love.
The story finally picked up for me . But that first half of the book? Yeah, it was kind of strugglebus territory.
Also,
So yeah. I wanted to love it, I really did. But ultimately? I...was a little disappointed. Happy it exists. But still disappointed.
December 19, 2016
December 2016: I have so much thoughts right now. So I will ask myself questions and then answer them. (This is a good way to trick yourself into writing things when you don't know what to write about.)
First, is this a worthy successor to the original Abhorsen trilogy (which is one of my favorite fantasy series)? Yes. Is it everything I wanted from a sequel? No. Did I even know what I wanted from it? Weeeeelll, yes and no. Is it a perfect book? No. Ultimately, does it matter that it isn't perfect? No.
So there you go. If you, like me, love the original series, and you have been worried about this book, you may now proceed to reading or not reading it accordingly. For further helpful information and slight spoilers, and some not-so-slight spoilers as well (which I will of course spoiler tag, because I'm not an asshole), see below.
Goldenhand picks up about eight months after the events of Abhorsen. Lirael is officially the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, and lives with her half-sister Sabriel's family in the capital city of the Old Kingdom, Belisaere. Her nephew Sam has crafted for her a golden hand made from Charter magic to replace the one she lost in the binding of Orannis, but she is still deeply feeling the loss of her friend the Disreputable Dog, and the one person she feels can really understand her, Nicholas Sayre, is living in Ancelstierre. Nick decided not to travel to the Old Kingdom after the events of Abhorsen despite invitations from Sabriel and Sam.
The events of Goldenhand actually dovetail with the events of the novelette "The Creature in the Case" that Nix wrote several years ago (you can find it in his short story collection Across the Wall). That story is told from Nick's POV, and ends with Nick meeting Lirael again, which happens about sixty pages into Goldenhand. (If you've read that story, and you should because it's an effective piece of fantasy horror, it's fun to contrast Nick's feeling on the events with Lirael's. For him, seeing her again is the end of one story, but the beginning of another. It's a very hopeful ending. For Lirael, seeing Nick again is just the start of things she'll need to deal with by the end of the book.)
And now for some spoilers. If you read Clariel last year and it puzzled you as much as it puzzled me, it might make sense for you to know that this book is all about
As mentioned above, this book was not a perfect reading experience. The first half is much stronger than the second. It alternates chapters between two storylines, one following Lirael (and Nick), and one following the new character Ferin, a messenger on the run from the northern tribes with a very important message to deliver to Clariel from her long-dead mother, Arielle. The shifting POVs in the beginning of the story are very effective, pushing the story along and giving the story an urgency that makes you turn the pages as fast as you can. But then The end also felt very rushed. I never really felt the danger and the stakes as I should have, the way I did in the first half. Especially since Nix is best when he's in the nitty gritty details of his world, and all that rushing through takes away from those details. As mentioned above, I don't think the story quite did justice to its villain/tragic character Clariel/Chlorr. There was also this weird and convenient pairing up of characters romantically, like Nix just couldn't end his story without giving everyone their HEA. Which isn't usually his style, so maybe that's why it rang false to me.
Despite those flaws, there are many things to love about this book. It was nice to get resolution on Lirael and Nick's burgeoning feelings. I love stories about two lonely people finding each other. It also tied up loose thematic ends from the first three books on several fronts, including Lirael returning home to the Glacier for the first time and realizing how she's changed, not to mention Chlorr's story, which I liked even as I wanted more of it. The terror of this world that Nix has created was also back in full force here, and that feeling I loved from the original books that was almost entirely missing in Clariel was also back. This feels like an Old Kingdom book again. It also reads ridiculously fast, which is always a good sign. Not to mention all the new elements he added to his world, visiting the territories above the Clayr's glacier, Chlorr's machinations with the tribes, and the tribes themselves. Ferin was a fierce character who I'd like to see more of. Nick's story, and the fallout from his having been a bearer of a shard of Orannis in the original trilogy, is really neat and imaginative as well. A great way for that character to leave this story.
Bottom line, I still want more story from this world. Or rather, I wanted more from this particularl story (I'm not sure further books are necessary). It could have had at least 100 more pages, easy. Sometimes it's good to tell stories economically, but sometimes you gotta indulge. I wanted more indulging here, more lingering. Especially if this is the last story we're gonna get with these guys.
All in all, though, a success that let me live in the world of one of my favorite stories once again for a little while, if not one for the favorites shelf.
Original Pre-Review, 11/14/14: When I did my Abhorsen re-read this summer, I ended my review of the last book by saying this:
When I finished Clariel this afternoon and learned (via the afterword) that he was working on an Abhorsen book featuring the further adventures of Lirael and Nicholas, it was like my demands had been answered. Obviously, I am magical.
First, is this a worthy successor to the original Abhorsen trilogy (which is one of my favorite fantasy series)? Yes. Is it everything I wanted from a sequel? No. Did I even know what I wanted from it? Weeeeelll, yes and no. Is it a perfect book? No. Ultimately, does it matter that it isn't perfect? No.
So there you go. If you, like me, love the original series, and you have been worried about this book, you may now proceed to reading or not reading it accordingly. For further helpful information and slight spoilers, and some not-so-slight spoilers as well (which I will of course spoiler tag, because I'm not an asshole), see below.
Goldenhand picks up about eight months after the events of Abhorsen. Lirael is officially the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, and lives with her half-sister Sabriel's family in the capital city of the Old Kingdom, Belisaere. Her nephew Sam has crafted for her a golden hand made from Charter magic to replace the one she lost in the binding of Orannis, but she is still deeply feeling the loss of her friend the Disreputable Dog, and the one person she feels can really understand her, Nicholas Sayre, is living in Ancelstierre. Nick decided not to travel to the Old Kingdom after the events of Abhorsen despite invitations from Sabriel and Sam.
The events of Goldenhand actually dovetail with the events of the novelette "The Creature in the Case" that Nix wrote several years ago (you can find it in his short story collection Across the Wall). That story is told from Nick's POV, and ends with Nick meeting Lirael again, which happens about sixty pages into Goldenhand. (If you've read that story, and you should because it's an effective piece of fantasy horror, it's fun to contrast Nick's feeling on the events with Lirael's. For him, seeing her again is the end of one story, but the beginning of another. It's a very hopeful ending. For Lirael, seeing Nick again is just the start of things she'll need to deal with by the end of the book.)
And now for some spoilers. If you read Clariel last year and it puzzled you as much as it puzzled me, it might make sense for you to know that this book is all about
As mentioned above, this book was not a perfect reading experience. The first half is much stronger than the second. It alternates chapters between two storylines, one following Lirael (and Nick), and one following the new character Ferin, a messenger on the run from the northern tribes with a very important message to deliver to Clariel from her long-dead mother, Arielle. The shifting POVs in the beginning of the story are very effective, pushing the story along and giving the story an urgency that makes you turn the pages as fast as you can. But then The end also felt very rushed. I never really felt the danger and the stakes as I should have, the way I did in the first half. Especially since Nix is best when he's in the nitty gritty details of his world, and all that rushing through takes away from those details. As mentioned above, I don't think the story quite did justice to its villain/tragic character Clariel/Chlorr. There was also this weird and convenient pairing up of characters romantically, like Nix just couldn't end his story without giving everyone their HEA. Which isn't usually his style, so maybe that's why it rang false to me.
Despite those flaws, there are many things to love about this book. It was nice to get resolution on Lirael and Nick's burgeoning feelings. I love stories about two lonely people finding each other. It also tied up loose thematic ends from the first three books on several fronts, including Lirael returning home to the Glacier for the first time and realizing how she's changed, not to mention Chlorr's story, which I liked even as I wanted more of it. The terror of this world that Nix has created was also back in full force here, and that feeling I loved from the original books that was almost entirely missing in Clariel was also back. This feels like an Old Kingdom book again. It also reads ridiculously fast, which is always a good sign. Not to mention all the new elements he added to his world, visiting the territories above the Clayr's glacier, Chlorr's machinations with the tribes, and the tribes themselves. Ferin was a fierce character who I'd like to see more of. Nick's story, and the fallout from his having been a bearer of a shard of Orannis in the original trilogy, is really neat and imaginative as well. A great way for that character to leave this story.
Bottom line, I still want more story from this world. Or rather, I wanted more from this particularl story (I'm not sure further books are necessary). It could have had at least 100 more pages, easy. Sometimes it's good to tell stories economically, but sometimes you gotta indulge. I wanted more indulging here, more lingering. Especially if this is the last story we're gonna get with these guys.
All in all, though, a success that let me live in the world of one of my favorite stories once again for a little while, if not one for the favorites shelf.
Original Pre-Review, 11/14/14: When I did my Abhorsen re-read this summer, I ended my review of the last book by saying this:
"My only real complaint is that there wasn't enough of a coda to the events of the series. We only get the smallest inkling of the fates that befall these characters, although I suppose it is rather easy to guess. This is why I was so excited to learn he'd written a novella that takes place after the events in these books and that I'd somehow missed. It doesn't take place in the Old Kingdom, but we do get to check in with a couple of the characters. It filled a need. But also, I have more need. I'm very excited for Clariel in a couple of months, but seeing as how that's a prequel . . . look, Garth Nix. What I'm saying is I want more stories in this world.
Give them to me.
Give them to me now."
When I finished Clariel this afternoon and learned (via the afterword) that he was working on an Abhorsen book featuring the further adventures of Lirael and Nicholas, it was like my demands had been answered. Obviously, I am magical.
October 11, 2016
There are so many interesting directions this book could have taken and instead, the author decided to shoe horn an unlikely romance into Lirael's life because apparently she can only find happiness if she has a man?
Major Spoilers Ahead:
Major Spoilers Ahead:
May 3, 2018
Goldenhand is a continuation of the Old Kingdom lore popularised in Sabriel. It’s a unique fantasy setting which delves into the land of the dead to traverse the living; a great concept consistently maintained throughout the series.
Building on the structure of the series to date, author Garth Nix expands his fictional world to introduce new key characters (Ferin), and harsh landscapes (there’s an oxygen starved canyon) which gives the series a deeper feel and paves the way for future stories centered around environs not previously explored.
There’s a nostalgic feel to Goldenhand; a return to the original trilogy with the plot centered around a small cast of characters, a dangerous world-changing threat, and a strong nod to continuity which makes me want to re-read the other books, Lirael (book 2) and Clariel (book 4) in particular. Ferin is a great character, and the strong return of Lirael is a nice touch.
Unlike some ‘series’ books, Goldenhand doesn’t work well as a standalone in my opinion, I recommend reading the original trilogy before picking this up.
My rating; 4/5 stars. I enjoyed Goldenhand much more than Clariel and hope the author revisits this world soon. This books does lend itself towards the YA side of fantasy so don’t expect A Song of Fire and Ice level of violence or darkness.
Building on the structure of the series to date, author Garth Nix expands his fictional world to introduce new key characters (Ferin), and harsh landscapes (there’s an oxygen starved canyon) which gives the series a deeper feel and paves the way for future stories centered around environs not previously explored.
There’s a nostalgic feel to Goldenhand; a return to the original trilogy with the plot centered around a small cast of characters, a dangerous world-changing threat, and a strong nod to continuity which makes me want to re-read the other books, Lirael (book 2) and Clariel (book 4) in particular. Ferin is a great character, and the strong return of Lirael is a nice touch.
Unlike some ‘series’ books, Goldenhand doesn’t work well as a standalone in my opinion, I recommend reading the original trilogy before picking this up.
My rating; 4/5 stars. I enjoyed Goldenhand much more than Clariel and hope the author revisits this world soon. This books does lend itself towards the YA side of fantasy so don’t expect A Song of Fire and Ice level of violence or darkness.
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August 27, 2019
A few years ago I re-read the Old Kingdom trilogy after forgetting almost all of it from my younger years. I was mildly disappointed to say the least, but presumably that was merely from growing up. Clariel, the prequel to that trilogy came and went without so much of a ripple and that world seemed too far away for me to care any more.
Goldenhand takes place almost directly after the Old Kingdom ends, once again following Lirael and her family. When you first pick this up you feel the familiarity of the Charter Magic and, unlike in Clariel, it does not leave you.
There seemed an atmosphere I did not remember in the original trilogy in this book. It is quick-paced and allows you to delve deeply in to this world very well, bringing the memories of the other tales back with it. It is an odd feeling, particularly if you have pretty much dismissed a series because you have outgrown it.
Goldenhand in a way follows Clariel more, even if it is set some 600 years after. The first half of the novel is rich with Charter Magic and Free Magic, and builds the world that we knew so well before up and up. It seemed wonderful to be back there again, in a place that was terribly foggy from passing years and growing-up. We meet the characters we loved in the original trilogy, and even meet the ones we possibly despised. But the atmosphere of magic was there, as was the familiarity of it all.
However, as the book moved along and the romance between Lirael and Nick-whilst not unwelcome-felt forced and overly done. It felt clumsy and, quite frankly, childish. Lirael and Nick may be young, but the ridiculous manner of their romance was too much. It plunged this magical book in to the realms of cheesy YA and that was a very unfortunate thing to happen.
And yet, having said that, if you remove the clumsy romance and the fairly dreary way in which the book seemed to peter out, we have a very lovely wholly encompassing ending that I feel is the most fitting to this whole series. We see what happens when Lirael returns to the Clayr and their glacier and we feel the magic once again. It's a nice ending, but not too strong. Perhaps it is one (or two) books too many.
I feel, rightly or wrongly so, that the Old Kingdom trilogy would be much better if Nix wrote it now. With his years of experience in life as well as in writing, it would be the series that you can see the potential of it being. Of course, that is neither here nor there, and it is what it is. Some things are just better left where they are.
Goldenhand takes place almost directly after the Old Kingdom ends, once again following Lirael and her family. When you first pick this up you feel the familiarity of the Charter Magic and, unlike in Clariel, it does not leave you.
There seemed an atmosphere I did not remember in the original trilogy in this book. It is quick-paced and allows you to delve deeply in to this world very well, bringing the memories of the other tales back with it. It is an odd feeling, particularly if you have pretty much dismissed a series because you have outgrown it.
Goldenhand in a way follows Clariel more, even if it is set some 600 years after. The first half of the novel is rich with Charter Magic and Free Magic, and builds the world that we knew so well before up and up. It seemed wonderful to be back there again, in a place that was terribly foggy from passing years and growing-up. We meet the characters we loved in the original trilogy, and even meet the ones we possibly despised. But the atmosphere of magic was there, as was the familiarity of it all.
However, as the book moved along and the romance between Lirael and Nick-whilst not unwelcome-felt forced and overly done. It felt clumsy and, quite frankly, childish. Lirael and Nick may be young, but the ridiculous manner of their romance was too much. It plunged this magical book in to the realms of cheesy YA and that was a very unfortunate thing to happen.
And yet, having said that, if you remove the clumsy romance and the fairly dreary way in which the book seemed to peter out, we have a very lovely wholly encompassing ending that I feel is the most fitting to this whole series. We see what happens when Lirael returns to the Clayr and their glacier and we feel the magic once again. It's a nice ending, but not too strong. Perhaps it is one (or two) books too many.
I feel, rightly or wrongly so, that the Old Kingdom trilogy would be much better if Nix wrote it now. With his years of experience in life as well as in writing, it would be the series that you can see the potential of it being. Of course, that is neither here nor there, and it is what it is. Some things are just better left where they are.
December 18, 2016
This book is VASTLY better than Clariel. Clariel was very flat and unsympathetic as a character, in my opinion. She rarely did anything but whine and complain about generally everything around her, and she acted in a manner that I find very hard to like, very flippant, and often mean spirited toward others, and she was very selfish and self-involved, rarely caring at all about other people except to comment on how annoying she found their interruptions into her inner emo monologue. Without a decent character for the story to center on, everything else just sort of fell apart. It also didn't help that very little happened in the book until about the 2/3 mark. I found much of the book boring, and stripped of everything that made other books in the series so magical because of it. This book is about characters I care about, who are interesting and sympathetic. Right off the bat it's a better book just for that one thing.
Is it as good as the original trilogy? Yes and no. Yes, because Garth Nix has obviously improved his skills as a writer in the time since Abhorsen was released. This book is very well written, and there are a lot of little writing technicalities that he uses to very good effect. The new character, Ferin, was interesting, fun and likable, and her introduction and storyline was woven very well into the story. Old favorites returned, though I'd have liked to see more of Mogget, Elemiere, Sam . It had a pretty great climax, seeing the final destruction of an old enemy that had previously not been completely dealt with, and came to a satisfying conclusion. No, because the scope of the story was not quite so broad as the previous books in the series. Rather than a large, multi-part epic, this was a one-off adventure, and some people may find that to be a bit disappointing. But really, when you've already defeated the destroyer of worlds, there's nowhere else to go but down in scope, I suppose. Despite not being quite so epic as Lirael and Abhorsen, Goldenhand was at least on a level with Sabriel.
As I am an enormous nerd, I'll give an example from the Alien trilogy. Yes, I said trilogy. If you don't speak nerd, you may have no idea what I mean by this. I like to look at Goldenhand as I would Alien 3. First you had Alien. It was an excellent horror movie, that perfectly captured the fear of being trapped with a monster where no one can ever help you. Then came Aliens. It dispensed with the horror element of the story, and made a straight up military action movie out of it. There were more characters, more aliens, more blood, more explosions, more everything... except horror. Although Sigourney Weaver did get a best actress nomination for it, which, even today, is absolutely unheard of. Someone being honored at the academy awards FOR A SCI-FI ACTION MOVIE? Seriously, she is amazing in that movie. Anyway, when Alien 3 came out, there were so many fans that were just so disappointed with it. Why? Because it went back to the roots of the series. No soldiers with every kind of gun and explosive you can imagine. No cool gadgets like that freaking sweet loader thing Ripley fought the queen alien with. Seriously, best scene in the movie, and the reason every sci-fi nerd has a nerdboner for Sigourney Weaver. Ahem... so when Alien 3 came out, we went from straight up action and hundreds of aliens, back to the claustrophobic, atmospheric horror with one one alien. And then several much liked cast members from the previous film were unceremoniously killed off at the beginning without any actual screen time. Alien 3 is still a very good movie, especially if you get the director's cut of it, that adds in nearly an hour of cut footage that baffles me as to why it was cut out once you see it all put back in. It even has 8th Doctor Paul McGann in it as the crazy guy that lets the alien out of the cage, and Tywin Lannister before he looked all old and decrepit. It has some extremely good horror elements and the whole atmosphere of the movie is very cool, and more in line with that of the first movie. And yet, people hated it because it wasn't a straight action movie, there was only one alien, and a couple of characters they liked didn't return. Well, look at this series in kind of the same light. You have the first book, which is more of a horror story, with a very small cast in a very claustrophobic feeling world where darkness is pressing down and suffocating everything. Then you move on to Lirael and Abhorsen, there's more characters. The horror element is almost gone completely. There's a lot more action. The stakes are much higher, with the destroyer of worlds as the villain. And then you move on to Goldenhand. The elements of horror are brought back into the story, and much like Alien 3, the scope of the story is on a much smaller scale. Only one of the Greater Dead to deal with, rather than the destroyer of worlds. Several big players in previous books are either gone completely or only play token roles and are barely seen. It's a good book. I'd even go so far as to call it a great book. But after the huge and epic story of Lirael and Abhorsen, it may feel a little disappointing to some people who were, maybe, expecting something bigger and shinier.
You do not need to read the novella The Creature in the Case that takes place between Abhorsen and Goldenhand to be able to read Goldenhand. The author gives you enough information on what happened in Creature for the events in Goldenhand to make sense without it, but at the same time, he doesn't really give you any details of what happened in it either, leaving anyone who never picked it up, likely with a bit of curiosity over what it might have been about. In my opinion this is exactly how side novellas should be incorporated into a larger series. You don't need to have read it for the events in the main series to make sense, but the main series does tease you a bit with the details, making you wonder what you might have missed. It was very well done, I think. You also do not need to read Clariel either. Everything that you need to know from that book, like with Creature in the Case, was given in Goldenhand, without giving any real details about Clariel. Again, it was really well done, not requiring you to have read it, but teasing enough to make you wonder what you might have missed.
And this is something that the average reader may not consciously notice about this book. People like me, who actively study the arts of writing and storytelling will likely pick up on it right away. So excuse me while I get my geek on for a second. On a technical level this book is very intriguing. The way that it's paced between the two storylines is very interesting. You have Ferin, a character new to the series in this book, whose storyline is full of slow building tension and action. And then you have Lirael and Nick which is slower, more relaxed, with very little action. The way these two stories are woven together, that tension and action of Ferin's storyline almost seems to bleed over into Lirael's storyline, making it feel just as tense and exciting, when it isn't really on its own. This is something that a lot of authors attempt to do, but very few ever really pull off very well. And like I said, the average person isn't really going to pick up on what the author is doing with his pacing. Most might think that there's something cool going on with it, but won't know exactly what it it unless it's pointed out to them, if they even notice at all. There's a lot of literary sleight of hand going on in this book, and it's just really fascinating to me, as someone who studies stuff like this, to watch it play out so well.
I've also seen some people complaining, in their reviews of this book, about how quickly Sam and Lirael's love story gets going. The thing that you have to remember, though, is that this is not the first time that these two characters have met. They met way back in book 2. They met again in book 3. And they sent letters to one another in the time between books 3 and 5, if you've read The Creature in the Case, it says as much there. They already had a pre-existing relationship that just went to its next level when they hooked back up again. It's not just coming out of nowhere like some people seem to thing.
On the whole, I really enjoyed this book. I was a little afraid for it after Clariel was so mediocre, but this book definitely belongs with the first three in the series. It's not quite as epic as Lirael and Abhorsen were, but it's still a pretty good book. And the author left it open for more in he ever feels the urge to return to the Old Kingdom in the future.
Is it as good as the original trilogy? Yes and no. Yes, because Garth Nix has obviously improved his skills as a writer in the time since Abhorsen was released. This book is very well written, and there are a lot of little writing technicalities that he uses to very good effect. The new character, Ferin, was interesting, fun and likable, and her introduction and storyline was woven very well into the story. Old favorites returned, though I'd have liked to see more of Mogget, Elemiere, Sam . It had a pretty great climax, seeing the final destruction of an old enemy that had previously not been completely dealt with, and came to a satisfying conclusion. No, because the scope of the story was not quite so broad as the previous books in the series. Rather than a large, multi-part epic, this was a one-off adventure, and some people may find that to be a bit disappointing. But really, when you've already defeated the destroyer of worlds, there's nowhere else to go but down in scope, I suppose. Despite not being quite so epic as Lirael and Abhorsen, Goldenhand was at least on a level with Sabriel.
As I am an enormous nerd, I'll give an example from the Alien trilogy. Yes, I said trilogy. If you don't speak nerd, you may have no idea what I mean by this. I like to look at Goldenhand as I would Alien 3. First you had Alien. It was an excellent horror movie, that perfectly captured the fear of being trapped with a monster where no one can ever help you. Then came Aliens. It dispensed with the horror element of the story, and made a straight up military action movie out of it. There were more characters, more aliens, more blood, more explosions, more everything... except horror. Although Sigourney Weaver did get a best actress nomination for it, which, even today, is absolutely unheard of. Someone being honored at the academy awards FOR A SCI-FI ACTION MOVIE? Seriously, she is amazing in that movie. Anyway, when Alien 3 came out, there were so many fans that were just so disappointed with it. Why? Because it went back to the roots of the series. No soldiers with every kind of gun and explosive you can imagine. No cool gadgets like that freaking sweet loader thing Ripley fought the queen alien with. Seriously, best scene in the movie, and the reason every sci-fi nerd has a nerdboner for Sigourney Weaver. Ahem... so when Alien 3 came out, we went from straight up action and hundreds of aliens, back to the claustrophobic, atmospheric horror with one one alien. And then several much liked cast members from the previous film were unceremoniously killed off at the beginning without any actual screen time. Alien 3 is still a very good movie, especially if you get the director's cut of it, that adds in nearly an hour of cut footage that baffles me as to why it was cut out once you see it all put back in. It even has 8th Doctor Paul McGann in it as the crazy guy that lets the alien out of the cage, and Tywin Lannister before he looked all old and decrepit. It has some extremely good horror elements and the whole atmosphere of the movie is very cool, and more in line with that of the first movie. And yet, people hated it because it wasn't a straight action movie, there was only one alien, and a couple of characters they liked didn't return. Well, look at this series in kind of the same light. You have the first book, which is more of a horror story, with a very small cast in a very claustrophobic feeling world where darkness is pressing down and suffocating everything. Then you move on to Lirael and Abhorsen, there's more characters. The horror element is almost gone completely. There's a lot more action. The stakes are much higher, with the destroyer of worlds as the villain. And then you move on to Goldenhand. The elements of horror are brought back into the story, and much like Alien 3, the scope of the story is on a much smaller scale. Only one of the Greater Dead to deal with, rather than the destroyer of worlds. Several big players in previous books are either gone completely or only play token roles and are barely seen. It's a good book. I'd even go so far as to call it a great book. But after the huge and epic story of Lirael and Abhorsen, it may feel a little disappointing to some people who were, maybe, expecting something bigger and shinier.
You do not need to read the novella The Creature in the Case that takes place between Abhorsen and Goldenhand to be able to read Goldenhand. The author gives you enough information on what happened in Creature for the events in Goldenhand to make sense without it, but at the same time, he doesn't really give you any details of what happened in it either, leaving anyone who never picked it up, likely with a bit of curiosity over what it might have been about. In my opinion this is exactly how side novellas should be incorporated into a larger series. You don't need to have read it for the events in the main series to make sense, but the main series does tease you a bit with the details, making you wonder what you might have missed. It was very well done, I think. You also do not need to read Clariel either. Everything that you need to know from that book, like with Creature in the Case, was given in Goldenhand, without giving any real details about Clariel. Again, it was really well done, not requiring you to have read it, but teasing enough to make you wonder what you might have missed.
And this is something that the average reader may not consciously notice about this book. People like me, who actively study the arts of writing and storytelling will likely pick up on it right away. So excuse me while I get my geek on for a second. On a technical level this book is very intriguing. The way that it's paced between the two storylines is very interesting. You have Ferin, a character new to the series in this book, whose storyline is full of slow building tension and action. And then you have Lirael and Nick which is slower, more relaxed, with very little action. The way these two stories are woven together, that tension and action of Ferin's storyline almost seems to bleed over into Lirael's storyline, making it feel just as tense and exciting, when it isn't really on its own. This is something that a lot of authors attempt to do, but very few ever really pull off very well. And like I said, the average person isn't really going to pick up on what the author is doing with his pacing. Most might think that there's something cool going on with it, but won't know exactly what it it unless it's pointed out to them, if they even notice at all. There's a lot of literary sleight of hand going on in this book, and it's just really fascinating to me, as someone who studies stuff like this, to watch it play out so well.
I've also seen some people complaining, in their reviews of this book, about how quickly Sam and Lirael's love story gets going. The thing that you have to remember, though, is that this is not the first time that these two characters have met. They met way back in book 2. They met again in book 3. And they sent letters to one another in the time between books 3 and 5, if you've read The Creature in the Case, it says as much there. They already had a pre-existing relationship that just went to its next level when they hooked back up again. It's not just coming out of nowhere like some people seem to thing.
On the whole, I really enjoyed this book. I was a little afraid for it after Clariel was so mediocre, but this book definitely belongs with the first three in the series. It's not quite as epic as Lirael and Abhorsen were, but it's still a pretty good book. And the author left it open for more in he ever feels the urge to return to the Old Kingdom in the future.
August 18, 2020
*Popsugar challenge #31: A book with “gold,” “silver,” or “bronze” in the title.*
4.5
The first few steps in Death were often the most important, the test to see who was stronger, Abhorsen or river.
This book follows immediately after the novella"The Creature in the Case". Lirael finds Nick on the Wall and they set out together back to the Old Kingdom. Nick's situation is quite complicated because he contains Free Magic in his body and is sealed -for now- by Charter Magic, so Lirael thinks it is better to take him to the glacial with the Clayr, where historians and healers can diagnose, heal, or decide if Nick turns out to be too dangerous for everyone.
We get a glimpse of how life has been for Lirael in Belisaere so far, and how she still struggles to find her place in the world. She regrets being recognized as a relative of the king and queen, although for the first time she has a family. Ellimere looks like the typical princess, and Sameth is far and away the genius of the family ;)
But they were all a very work-obsessed family. Or maybe that should be responsibility-obsessed, Lirael thought. She was too, she supposed— but when there weren’t Dead creatures to battle or Free Magic entities to be bound, or some immediate problem to face, only the ordinary social interactions of normal people . . . she didn’t know what to do.
Meanwhile, we see what is happening to a nomad, Ferin, who carries an urgent message to Lirael, being persecuted and going through many vicissitudes. This change of POV with the chapters too short took me out of the flow of the action of the characters during the best and is somewhat annoying. Ferin is a young woman , a warrior, very direct and matter-in-fact. We sympathize with her and fear for her too.
I have not read a book in this saga for a long time and I was surprised to see the importance of women leaders in this world. And not only among the Clayr with their entirely female society (it is not clear to me if they only have daughters or not?) Lirael here has one of those "can you go home?" moments. Maybe there is a lot of fan-service- after all, haha.
And well, as for romance, better not to mention that "I hardly know you but we live moments of immense danger so we are destined forever." Oo-kay.
In this book several open threads that started in other works are resolved. One of the Big Dead has a plan and various forces must be put in motion at a bad time to try to stop it. It's great to see Abhorsen and co., Family and friends get together. A pity, yes, we hardly see my dear Mogget (one of the most endearing characters of fantasy for me).
Nix is forgiven here even those deux is machina :)
BUT
One thing that caught my attention and to which I believe I had not previously paid due attention, was that about Orannis as a "destroyer of worlds", because here we readers find ourselves so there in the far north there is such a I hope that at some point the author can explain this to us in a better way.
---------------------------------------------
{Esta vez en castellano: }
Este libro sigue inmediatamente después de la novella "The Creature in the Case". Lirael encuentra a Nick en el Muro y parten juntos de regreso al Reino Antiguo. La situación de Nick es bastante complicada porque contiene Magia Libre en su cuerpo y está sellado -por ahora- por Charter Magic, por lo que Lirael cree que es mejor llevarlo al glacial con las Clayr, donde las historiadoras y sanadoras podran diagnosticar, curar o decidir si Nick resulta ser demasiado peligroso para todos.
Podemos vislumbrar cómo ha sido la vida de Lirael en Belisaere hasta ahora, y cómo todavía lucha por encontrar su lugar en el mundo. Lamenta haber sido reconocida como pariente del rey y la reina, aunque por primera vez tiene familia. Ellimere parece la típica princesa, y Sameth es de lejos el genio de la familia;)
Mientras tanto, vemos lo que le pasa a un nómada, Ferin , que lleva un mensaje urgente a Lirael, siendo perseguido y pasando por muchas vicisitudes. Este cambio de POV con los capítulos demasiado cortos me sacó del fluir de la acción de los personajes durante los mejores momentos y es algo molesto. Ferin es una mujer joven, una guerrera, muy directa y práctica. Simpatizamos con ella y también tememos por ella.
Hace tiempo que no leia un libro de esta saga y me sorprendio ver la importancia de lideres mujeres en este mundo. Y no solamente entre las Clayr con su sociedad enteramente femenina (no me queda claro si tienen solamente hijas o no?) Lirael aqui tiene uno de esos "¿se puede volver a casa?" momentos. Tal vez haya mucho fan-service- despues de todo, jaja.
Y bueno, en cuanto al romance, mejor ni hablar que eso de "yo apenas te conozco pero vivimos momentos de inmenso peligro asi que estamos destinados para siempre". o-kay.
Una cosa que se me llamó la atención y a la que creo no haber prestado anteriormente debida atencion, fue a eso de Orannis como "destructor de mundos", porque aqui nos encontramos los lectores con que allá en el lejano norte hay un sitio Espero que en algún momento el autor pueda explicarnos esto de mejor manera.
En este libro se resuelven varios hilos abiertos que empezaron en otras obras. Uno de los Grandes Muertos tiene un plan y varias fuerzas deben ponerse en marcha en un mal momento para tratar de impedirlo. Es genial ver reunirse a Abhorsen y compañia, familia y amigos. Una pena, eso si, que apenas vemos a mi querido Mogget (uno de los personajes mas entrañables de la fantasia para mi).
Se le perdona aqui a Nix hasta esos deux es machina :)
Love should always be shown, not merely said. I was too slow to learn this, too distracted
4.5
The first few steps in Death were often the most important, the test to see who was stronger, Abhorsen or river.
This book follows immediately after the novella"The Creature in the Case". Lirael finds Nick on the Wall and they set out together back to the Old Kingdom. Nick's situation is quite complicated because he contains Free Magic in his body and is sealed -for now- by Charter Magic, so Lirael thinks it is better to take him to the glacial with the Clayr, where historians and healers can diagnose, heal, or decide if Nick turns out to be too dangerous for everyone.
We get a glimpse of how life has been for Lirael in Belisaere so far, and how she still struggles to find her place in the world. She regrets being recognized as a relative of the king and queen, although for the first time she has a family. Ellimere looks like the typical princess, and Sameth is far and away the genius of the family ;)
But they were all a very work-obsessed family. Or maybe that should be responsibility-obsessed, Lirael thought. She was too, she supposed— but when there weren’t Dead creatures to battle or Free Magic entities to be bound, or some immediate problem to face, only the ordinary social interactions of normal people . . . she didn’t know what to do.
Meanwhile, we see what is happening to a nomad, Ferin, who carries an urgent message to Lirael, being persecuted and going through many vicissitudes. This change of POV with the chapters too short took me out of the flow of the action of the characters during the best and is somewhat annoying. Ferin is a young woman , a warrior, very direct and matter-in-fact. We sympathize with her and fear for her too.
I have not read a book in this saga for a long time and I was surprised to see the importance of women leaders in this world. And not only among the Clayr with their entirely female society (it is not clear to me if they only have daughters or not?) Lirael here has one of those "can you go home?" moments. Maybe there is a lot of fan-service- after all, haha.
And well, as for romance, better not to mention that "I hardly know you but we live moments of immense danger so we are destined forever." Oo-kay.
In this book several open threads that started in other works are resolved. One of the Big Dead has a plan and various forces must be put in motion at a bad time to try to stop it. It's great to see Abhorsen and co., Family and friends get together. A pity, yes, we hardly see my dear Mogget (one of the most endearing characters of fantasy for me).
Nix is forgiven here even those deux is machina :)
BUT
One thing that caught my attention and to which I believe I had not previously paid due attention, was that about Orannis as a "destroyer of worlds", because here we readers find ourselves so there in the far north there is such a I hope that at some point the author can explain this to us in a better way.
---------------------------------------------
{Esta vez en castellano: }
Este libro sigue inmediatamente después de la novella "The Creature in the Case". Lirael encuentra a Nick en el Muro y parten juntos de regreso al Reino Antiguo. La situación de Nick es bastante complicada porque contiene Magia Libre en su cuerpo y está sellado -por ahora- por Charter Magic, por lo que Lirael cree que es mejor llevarlo al glacial con las Clayr, donde las historiadoras y sanadoras podran diagnosticar, curar o decidir si Nick resulta ser demasiado peligroso para todos.
Podemos vislumbrar cómo ha sido la vida de Lirael en Belisaere hasta ahora, y cómo todavía lucha por encontrar su lugar en el mundo. Lamenta haber sido reconocida como pariente del rey y la reina, aunque por primera vez tiene familia. Ellimere parece la típica princesa, y Sameth es de lejos el genio de la familia;)
Mientras tanto, vemos lo que le pasa a un nómada, Ferin , que lleva un mensaje urgente a Lirael, siendo perseguido y pasando por muchas vicisitudes. Este cambio de POV con los capítulos demasiado cortos me sacó del fluir de la acción de los personajes durante los mejores momentos y es algo molesto. Ferin es una mujer joven, una guerrera, muy directa y práctica. Simpatizamos con ella y también tememos por ella.
Hace tiempo que no leia un libro de esta saga y me sorprendio ver la importancia de lideres mujeres en este mundo. Y no solamente entre las Clayr con su sociedad enteramente femenina (no me queda claro si tienen solamente hijas o no?) Lirael aqui tiene uno de esos "¿se puede volver a casa?" momentos. Tal vez haya mucho fan-service- despues de todo, jaja.
Y bueno, en cuanto al romance, mejor ni hablar que eso de "yo apenas te conozco pero vivimos momentos de inmenso peligro asi que estamos destinados para siempre". o-kay.
Una cosa que se me llamó la atención y a la que creo no haber prestado anteriormente debida atencion, fue a eso de Orannis como "destructor de mundos", porque aqui nos encontramos los lectores con que allá en el lejano norte hay un sitio Espero que en algún momento el autor pueda explicarnos esto de mejor manera.
En este libro se resuelven varios hilos abiertos que empezaron en otras obras. Uno de los Grandes Muertos tiene un plan y varias fuerzas deben ponerse en marcha en un mal momento para tratar de impedirlo. Es genial ver reunirse a Abhorsen y compañia, familia y amigos. Una pena, eso si, que apenas vemos a mi querido Mogget (uno de los personajes mas entrañables de la fantasia para mi).
Se le perdona aqui a Nix hasta esos deux es machina :)
Love should always be shown, not merely said. I was too slow to learn this, too distracted
July 18, 2022
Ah! It's the follow-up to the Abhorsen trilogy! I was so excited when I found this in the bookstore and had no idea it existed until that moment. I am happy to not be disappointed in the book. Though it doesn’t quite get the perfect stars that the OG did (nostalgia is not here to smooth over any edges I might not enjoy), its still a good book and a great conclusion to a series I was always hoping would have more.
Goldenhand follows Lirael after the events of the original trilogy. Goldenhand refers to her new hand made by Sameth after she lost it in the final battle. Old threats come to the surface and Lirael finds herself scrambling with the help of her new family and Nick Sayer, who appears to have been changed by the events of the last book. Meanwhile, a young woman from a northern tribe rushes to survive and make it to deliver an important message that could save the world.
So while the plot here works overall and I enjoyed the story there is something generally missing from it and definitely some issues throughout. The story is told from split perspectives, kind of like Lirael with Sameth and Lireal. This time with Ferin, the northern girl and Lirael again. Ferin’s story is a journey to send a message that is almost entirely action, while Lirael has a plot that is almost entirely romance. The story doesn’t really feel like it gets its footing until these combine which is pretty late in the book.
Ferin was totally fine as a character and I was pretty interested in her life but I still at the end did not feel like I understood the world of the Northerners, which is pretty shocking as Nix tends to be so good at world building. This and not really knowing what Ferin was accomplishing led her sections to drag and feel a bit like a very overextended chase scene that would have been better edited a bit shorter or focused more on character and world growth.
Lirael on the other hand, was basically a rom com for the first half. I loved this as I love romance pretty much everywhere but I can completely understand that it would not work for everyone. I can also admit that it dragged the story slower. Lirael also gets to visit her old home in the Glacier for the first time after her new adventures. Its a very fun and interesting character moment for her that I completely enjoyed.
Once these narratives more or less combine about 3/4ths of the way through, the action and characters mesh and the story feels more like the first three novels. The bad guy and threat they were facing were interesting. I loved seeing Mogget, always. The ending was fun and an interesting, if convenient, resolution.
Overall, I enjoyed this and definitely was happy to see threads pulled together from the last three books. I think if you go in with slightly lowered expectations (and you are interested in Lirael/Nick) you will enjoy this follow up.
PS: that was a weird tacked on little romance at the end though. I didn’t really need that.
Goldenhand follows Lirael after the events of the original trilogy. Goldenhand refers to her new hand made by Sameth after she lost it in the final battle. Old threats come to the surface and Lirael finds herself scrambling with the help of her new family and Nick Sayer, who appears to have been changed by the events of the last book. Meanwhile, a young woman from a northern tribe rushes to survive and make it to deliver an important message that could save the world.
So while the plot here works overall and I enjoyed the story there is something generally missing from it and definitely some issues throughout. The story is told from split perspectives, kind of like Lirael with Sameth and Lireal. This time with Ferin, the northern girl and Lirael again. Ferin’s story is a journey to send a message that is almost entirely action, while Lirael has a plot that is almost entirely romance. The story doesn’t really feel like it gets its footing until these combine which is pretty late in the book.
Ferin was totally fine as a character and I was pretty interested in her life but I still at the end did not feel like I understood the world of the Northerners, which is pretty shocking as Nix tends to be so good at world building. This and not really knowing what Ferin was accomplishing led her sections to drag and feel a bit like a very overextended chase scene that would have been better edited a bit shorter or focused more on character and world growth.
Lirael on the other hand, was basically a rom com for the first half. I loved this as I love romance pretty much everywhere but I can completely understand that it would not work for everyone. I can also admit that it dragged the story slower. Lirael also gets to visit her old home in the Glacier for the first time after her new adventures. Its a very fun and interesting character moment for her that I completely enjoyed.
Once these narratives more or less combine about 3/4ths of the way through, the action and characters mesh and the story feels more like the first three novels. The bad guy and threat they were facing were interesting. I loved seeing Mogget, always. The ending was fun and an interesting, if convenient, resolution.
Overall, I enjoyed this and definitely was happy to see threads pulled together from the last three books. I think if you go in with slightly lowered expectations (and you are interested in Lirael/Nick) you will enjoy this follow up.
PS: that was a weird tacked on little romance at the end though. I didn’t really need that.
April 23, 2020
Mogget! <3 And Clariel :,-( [prtf]
November 17, 2016
I've been an avid Old Kingdom fan since I discovered Sabriel in middle school. Some 15 years later, I've hung on every Old Kingdom word (Sabriel is still my favorite). Unfortunately some of those words are not as well put together as others.
I wish I could say I liked Goldenhand, but really, I didn't. The plot felt both drawn out and rushed, as Nix spent 60% of the book detailing arduous journeys, and 30% of the book trying to nail down forced romances and 10% of the book on the actual plot. This book felt less like a sequel to the Lireal/Abhorsen trilogy and more like a "Old Kingdom Greatest Hits". In that sense, all of your favorite characters show up-- many of them to serve absolutely no purpose (Sam, Touchstone, Clariel and Chlorr despite being the "big bads", any of the Clayr outside of Lireal herself), or to serve as self-conscious deus ex machina, as if Nix knew that he was putting overpowered characters in day-saving roles and decided it's fine to do if they only help a little (Mogget, the Disreputable Dog). I was disappointed in the ham-handed handling of Clariel as well, after enjoying the most recent book of the same name. She seems shoehorned in as though to remind the reader of THAT OTHER BOOK; in the same way that Sabriel makes passing mentions of Kerrigor, and Nick wallows in the ramifications of being a shard of Orannis without any of that ever coming to a head.
The romances (there are three of them) are trite and seem to come out of left field. Even Sabriel and Touchstone's romance (one of the three I'm counting here) seems stilted-- perhaps because we've never actually seen them as a couple before. Sam and Ferin's "romance" is entirely out of the blue, unnecessary and incredibly disappointing after Clariel proved that you could have an interesting female lead without a romance (I always got an asexual vibe from Clariel too but that's likely just my interpretation). And then we come to the crux of the matter. I knew Nick and Lirael were going to have a "thing" after the end of Abhorsen, and the short story Nick features in. They obviously had chemistry. But the chemistry in this book doesn't develop naturally anymore. It felt like cramming a round peg in a square hole; it'll fit EVENTUALLY but not without a lot of banging and bashing and in these characters' cases; whining and pining for chapters on end.
To swing away from the failed romances for a moment, I honestly didn't mind the plot (the little of it that there was). It felt oddly both stretched and compressed in various places, and never had much sense of urgency or stakes, but it was passable. The final scene with Lirael vs. Chlorr vs. Clariel however seemed like a straight rip out of the end climax of Abhoresen, where Lirael fights Orannis beyond the Ninth Gate, dog in tow. I get it, beyond the Ninth Gate is a real cool place to be and people want to see more of that-- but maybe if we'd spent less time mooning and pining and traversing slate and shale cliffs we could have spent more time actually seeing what people love about this series: the magic, the river of Death, the Abhorsen's powers, and above all, NEW parts of the world.
The OTHER climax was practically non-existent as Lirael managed to remotely shut down entire armies, and their subsequent disbursement couldn't even be afforded its own chapter, just an epilogue. It reads like Gandalf riding it at Helm's Deep and everyone just going "okay and that's the end of the book thanks for coming".
What I wanted from this book was something new, to see Sabriel (my babe, ok) and Lirael (I guess), do Abhorsen things like shutting down Free Magic entities or banishing the Dead. I wanted to have new explorations of the Old Kingdom world, even if the plot was as basic as "there's a shit ton of dead, what are we going to do?!" because what always made these books so wonderful to me was Nix's grand imagination and how seamless the world felt, how easy it was to envision a place of fantasy, just across the Wall from the real (ish) world, close enough to touch but too dangerous to go alone.
I didn't get that from this book; but instead we got some regurgitated ideas, thinly veiled reminders of the other books that I loved, a "Greatest Hits" list of Old Kingdom characters, and terrible story pacing.
Truly disappointed.
I wish I could say I liked Goldenhand, but really, I didn't. The plot felt both drawn out and rushed, as Nix spent 60% of the book detailing arduous journeys, and 30% of the book trying to nail down forced romances and 10% of the book on the actual plot. This book felt less like a sequel to the Lireal/Abhorsen trilogy and more like a "Old Kingdom Greatest Hits". In that sense, all of your favorite characters show up-- many of them to serve absolutely no purpose (Sam, Touchstone, Clariel and Chlorr despite being the "big bads", any of the Clayr outside of Lireal herself), or to serve as self-conscious deus ex machina, as if Nix knew that he was putting overpowered characters in day-saving roles and decided it's fine to do if they only help a little (Mogget, the Disreputable Dog). I was disappointed in the ham-handed handling of Clariel as well, after enjoying the most recent book of the same name. She seems shoehorned in as though to remind the reader of THAT OTHER BOOK; in the same way that Sabriel makes passing mentions of Kerrigor, and Nick wallows in the ramifications of being a shard of Orannis without any of that ever coming to a head.
The romances (there are three of them) are trite and seem to come out of left field. Even Sabriel and Touchstone's romance (one of the three I'm counting here) seems stilted-- perhaps because we've never actually seen them as a couple before. Sam and Ferin's "romance" is entirely out of the blue, unnecessary and incredibly disappointing after Clariel proved that you could have an interesting female lead without a romance (I always got an asexual vibe from Clariel too but that's likely just my interpretation). And then we come to the crux of the matter. I knew Nick and Lirael were going to have a "thing" after the end of Abhorsen, and the short story Nick features in. They obviously had chemistry. But the chemistry in this book doesn't develop naturally anymore. It felt like cramming a round peg in a square hole; it'll fit EVENTUALLY but not without a lot of banging and bashing and in these characters' cases; whining and pining for chapters on end.
To swing away from the failed romances for a moment, I honestly didn't mind the plot (the little of it that there was). It felt oddly both stretched and compressed in various places, and never had much sense of urgency or stakes, but it was passable. The final scene with Lirael vs. Chlorr vs. Clariel however seemed like a straight rip out of the end climax of Abhoresen, where Lirael fights Orannis beyond the Ninth Gate, dog in tow. I get it, beyond the Ninth Gate is a real cool place to be and people want to see more of that-- but maybe if we'd spent less time mooning and pining and traversing slate and shale cliffs we could have spent more time actually seeing what people love about this series: the magic, the river of Death, the Abhorsen's powers, and above all, NEW parts of the world.
The OTHER climax was practically non-existent as Lirael managed to remotely shut down entire armies, and their subsequent disbursement couldn't even be afforded its own chapter, just an epilogue. It reads like Gandalf riding it at Helm's Deep and everyone just going "okay and that's the end of the book thanks for coming".
What I wanted from this book was something new, to see Sabriel (my babe, ok) and Lirael (I guess), do Abhorsen things like shutting down Free Magic entities or banishing the Dead. I wanted to have new explorations of the Old Kingdom world, even if the plot was as basic as "there's a shit ton of dead, what are we going to do?!" because what always made these books so wonderful to me was Nix's grand imagination and how seamless the world felt, how easy it was to envision a place of fantasy, just across the Wall from the real (ish) world, close enough to touch but too dangerous to go alone.
I didn't get that from this book; but instead we got some regurgitated ideas, thinly veiled reminders of the other books that I loved, a "Greatest Hits" list of Old Kingdom characters, and terrible story pacing.
Truly disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2024
YA fantasy with romance in it used to be good. What happened?
December 9, 2016
A warning: spoilers!
I should like to say that this series is dear to me and it holds a deep and special place in my heart. Nix does a number of things with Goldenhand well, not least of all juggling multiple strong characters together in a single scene (looking at the map room scenes here). To continue, though, I think of this book as The Great Extended Epilogue.
So much of the pacing was strange. Ferin's chapters were very serious--even somber at times--and high action, life or death stuff. Lirael's chapters were relaxed, sweet, even humorous. Nix had me audibly laughing (even closing the book to do so) no less than six times. He writes humor well. But: juxtaposed next to the gravity and speed of Ferin's chapters, Lirael's were jarring. It felt like different novellas shoved uncomfortably side-by-side into one book together.
That said, Ferin's character is phenomenal. My personal opinion is that it would be worthwhile to have a whole book just of her. She's fierce, she's clever, she's proud, she's well-rounded. In addition to Ferin herself, the expansion of our understanding of the Old Kingdom and surrounding lands is so interesting and raises more questions that are worth exploring.
To get to my main points of contention, though.
First: the romance in Lirael's chapters felt forced. It felt too fast, unnatural. Moreover, the characterization didn't feel right; the physicality and constant kissing after so short a time seemed out of character for Lirael. She's more private, and even with her growth in asserting herself, it didn't feel in character for her to be suddenly and constantly touching--especially in such an exceedingly public way--this young man.
Additionally, It didn't feel like she knew Nick well enough; we as readers didn't know him well enough. In Lirael and Abhorsen, he was so ill as to be hard to get a handle on his true personality, and in The Creature in the Case, he was dealing with a serious emergency that didn't allow for him to shine as his usual self. We get a feel of his intelligence, wit, and playfulness in those stories to a degree, but his character wasn't given a real chance to be fully fleshed out in Goldenhand. At least, that's my opinion.
So, that fed some of my disbelief in Lirael and Nick's relationship; we as readers barely know Nick, and the same goes for Lirael--it doesn't feel like she really knows him yet, either. Given more editing and perhaps more chapters, this could have been remedied. To summarize: the romance subplot could best be described as obtrusive and repetitive.
Second: on a related note in terms of unsuccessful pacing, so much of the exposition felt dropped into the story in glaringly thick chunks. The exposition in the original trilogy is paced well and revealed in an exciting and organic manner. In Goldenhand, it feels like Nix is trying to rush through it to get to the action.
Seeing as the majority of people reading this book are not new to the series, a good portion of this felt redundant. Goldenhand is not the book to start with if one is a newcomer to the series, so for Nix to try and adjust for newcomers (or for veteran fans that may have forgotten some details in the interim between books) threw the pacing off by forcing the reader to slow down and wade through chunks of exposition that most were already familiar with.
Third: the climax, as well, could have benefited from more attentive writing. This is the crux of the story, the ending of an antagonist and flawed, interesting character who has spanned almost the entire series, and it is over much too quickly. Hell, this climax doesn't even come until almost the end of the book. So much of the action and fluff in earlier chapters could have been trimmed to allow for this climax to be addressed with more depth--the characters don't interact with Chlorr/Clariel, nor does she have any screen time until the very end, making it difficult or impossible to invest in the main conflict.
Fourth: one of the greatest disservices to this series was the paucity of development and exploration of Sabriel and Lirael's relationship. It's whisked under the rug in that it's mentioned that they have been working together and Nix names Sabriel as Lirael's mentor, but doesn't truly show this.
A focus and study of their differences and similarities, diverging and converging histories, their blossoming relationship and bond as both newfound family and a specialized team would have been a strong asset to the series. Also: the loss of this broke my heart into a million pieces. I never wished for anything so much in my life. Crush my dreams, Nix!
Fifth: there seemed to be a strange lack of Dead and necromancy, to me. When those things did pop up, it was more as a bit piece than an important chunk.
Sixth: the Great Rift raises so many questions and had the opportunity to be an awe-inspiring, utterly spooky feature, and it instead fell flat.
Overall, the book felt less like a "sequel of sorts" and more like a faintly fanfiction-y extended epilogue. There is such a marked difference in Nix's writing between the original trilogy and this. Goldenhand doesn't have the same depth, natural rhythm, or splendor that the original trilogy has. It was not particularly inspiring. I enjoyed it, it made me laugh, it tied up some loose ends, but was overall rather disappointing.
I should like to say that this series is dear to me and it holds a deep and special place in my heart. Nix does a number of things with Goldenhand well, not least of all juggling multiple strong characters together in a single scene (looking at the map room scenes here). To continue, though, I think of this book as The Great Extended Epilogue.
So much of the pacing was strange. Ferin's chapters were very serious--even somber at times--and high action, life or death stuff. Lirael's chapters were relaxed, sweet, even humorous. Nix had me audibly laughing (even closing the book to do so) no less than six times. He writes humor well. But: juxtaposed next to the gravity and speed of Ferin's chapters, Lirael's were jarring. It felt like different novellas shoved uncomfortably side-by-side into one book together.
That said, Ferin's character is phenomenal. My personal opinion is that it would be worthwhile to have a whole book just of her. She's fierce, she's clever, she's proud, she's well-rounded. In addition to Ferin herself, the expansion of our understanding of the Old Kingdom and surrounding lands is so interesting and raises more questions that are worth exploring.
To get to my main points of contention, though.
First: the romance in Lirael's chapters felt forced. It felt too fast, unnatural. Moreover, the characterization didn't feel right; the physicality and constant kissing after so short a time seemed out of character for Lirael. She's more private, and even with her growth in asserting herself, it didn't feel in character for her to be suddenly and constantly touching--especially in such an exceedingly public way--this young man.
Additionally, It didn't feel like she knew Nick well enough; we as readers didn't know him well enough. In Lirael and Abhorsen, he was so ill as to be hard to get a handle on his true personality, and in The Creature in the Case, he was dealing with a serious emergency that didn't allow for him to shine as his usual self. We get a feel of his intelligence, wit, and playfulness in those stories to a degree, but his character wasn't given a real chance to be fully fleshed out in Goldenhand. At least, that's my opinion.
So, that fed some of my disbelief in Lirael and Nick's relationship; we as readers barely know Nick, and the same goes for Lirael--it doesn't feel like she really knows him yet, either. Given more editing and perhaps more chapters, this could have been remedied. To summarize: the romance subplot could best be described as obtrusive and repetitive.
Second: on a related note in terms of unsuccessful pacing, so much of the exposition felt dropped into the story in glaringly thick chunks. The exposition in the original trilogy is paced well and revealed in an exciting and organic manner. In Goldenhand, it feels like Nix is trying to rush through it to get to the action.
Seeing as the majority of people reading this book are not new to the series, a good portion of this felt redundant. Goldenhand is not the book to start with if one is a newcomer to the series, so for Nix to try and adjust for newcomers (or for veteran fans that may have forgotten some details in the interim between books) threw the pacing off by forcing the reader to slow down and wade through chunks of exposition that most were already familiar with.
Third: the climax, as well, could have benefited from more attentive writing. This is the crux of the story, the ending of an antagonist and flawed, interesting character who has spanned almost the entire series, and it is over much too quickly. Hell, this climax doesn't even come until almost the end of the book. So much of the action and fluff in earlier chapters could have been trimmed to allow for this climax to be addressed with more depth--the characters don't interact with Chlorr/Clariel, nor does she have any screen time until the very end, making it difficult or impossible to invest in the main conflict.
Fourth: one of the greatest disservices to this series was the paucity of development and exploration of Sabriel and Lirael's relationship. It's whisked under the rug in that it's mentioned that they have been working together and Nix names Sabriel as Lirael's mentor, but doesn't truly show this.
A focus and study of their differences and similarities, diverging and converging histories, their blossoming relationship and bond as both newfound family and a specialized team would have been a strong asset to the series. Also: the loss of this broke my heart into a million pieces. I never wished for anything so much in my life. Crush my dreams, Nix!
Fifth: there seemed to be a strange lack of Dead and necromancy, to me. When those things did pop up, it was more as a bit piece than an important chunk.
Sixth: the Great Rift raises so many questions and had the opportunity to be an awe-inspiring, utterly spooky feature, and it instead fell flat.
Overall, the book felt less like a "sequel of sorts" and more like a faintly fanfiction-y extended epilogue. There is such a marked difference in Nix's writing between the original trilogy and this. Goldenhand doesn't have the same depth, natural rhythm, or splendor that the original trilogy has. It was not particularly inspiring. I enjoyed it, it made me laugh, it tied up some loose ends, but was overall rather disappointing.
October 7, 2016
So, uh...I'll have a review up in a couple days.
For now, I'll just say this: please read this book asap.
For now, I'll just say this: please read this book asap.
June 5, 2018
First of all, I had absolutely NO IDEA that the ebook I was given to review from Edelweiss was only a partial copy of the book. There was no warning anywhere – I had to stumble over an announcement made on Goodreads from Nix himself saying it was only a partial review copy before the rage in me simmered down from what I believed was a cliffhanger ending and an unwrapped up plot. I was HOPPING MAD that Nix could betray a trusted reader like that, and I am so glad I was wrong, but it still colours my review of this book because I didn’t get to read all of it.
What I did read was very good, but I was aware that as we moved along at a greater pace than I expected, that the protagonists weren’t going to achieve whatever it was they needed to by the time the climax was supposed to come around.
So basically the plot follows Lirael as we see her side of the story from Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case and what happens directly after that – getting Nick to the Clayr’s Glacier where he will have better healing and Lirael can research the combination of Free Magic and Charter Magic inside him – and also be the prodigal daughter returning home no longer part of the Clayr but part of the royal family and the Abhorsen-in-Waiting to boot. The other half of the plot follows a new character called Ferin as she travels from the far north to deliver a message to the Clayr from Lirael’s biological mother, now long dead, and the struggles she overcomes as she is hunted by powerful magical tribes from the north.
As always, I loved Nix’s writing. The set up seems slow but by the time you realise you’re knee-deep into the story it’s barrelling along and all you can do is hold on tight and trust Nix not to crash us. Which in this case, unfortunately I did crash but only because my copy was literally missing the ending few chapters that would have wrapped everything up.
I’m adding the physical copy of this book to my collection anyway, so I’ll get to read the proper ending. As such I have to withhold judgement on whether or not I recommend the book for others – I’ll certainly enjoy it, but as I’m not reviewing the full copy, I simply can’t say.
I received this book for free from HarperCollins Australia in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
What I did read was very good, but I was aware that as we moved along at a greater pace than I expected, that the protagonists weren’t going to achieve whatever it was they needed to by the time the climax was supposed to come around.
So basically the plot follows Lirael as we see her side of the story from Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case and what happens directly after that – getting Nick to the Clayr’s Glacier where he will have better healing and Lirael can research the combination of Free Magic and Charter Magic inside him – and also be the prodigal daughter returning home no longer part of the Clayr but part of the royal family and the Abhorsen-in-Waiting to boot. The other half of the plot follows a new character called Ferin as she travels from the far north to deliver a message to the Clayr from Lirael’s biological mother, now long dead, and the struggles she overcomes as she is hunted by powerful magical tribes from the north.
As always, I loved Nix’s writing. The set up seems slow but by the time you realise you’re knee-deep into the story it’s barrelling along and all you can do is hold on tight and trust Nix not to crash us. Which in this case, unfortunately I did crash but only because my copy was literally missing the ending few chapters that would have wrapped everything up.
I’m adding the physical copy of this book to my collection anyway, so I’ll get to read the proper ending. As such I have to withhold judgement on whether or not I recommend the book for others – I’ll certainly enjoy it, but as I’m not reviewing the full copy, I simply can’t say.
I received this book for free from HarperCollins Australia in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
June 25, 2016
I'm disappointed. I absolutely loved Clariel and had high hopes for the true sequel to Abhorsen.
What we got was the first *half* of a sequel to Abhorsen. Very little actually happens - quite literally the majority of the story is the travel of the main characters of each major story - and absolutely nothing has been resolved.
I can't help but wonder if because this is being marketed as YA that they chose to divide this book into two instead of just writing the 700-800 page book that the story so obviously calls for.
There's little new mythos here, and save one scene in the opening chapters no real battles with the Dead. Heck, the story is still so much in the build-up stage I can't even tell you who the actual antagonist of the second half will be. And if you were hoping to see Sabriel, just forget it. She's quite literally on vacation and all mentions of her reference this fact. There are some nice scenes between Lirael and Sam, but even those are outnumbered by scenes of them (especially Sam) acting awkward around each other.
What we get is well written and an easy read, but it's hard to recommend until the rest of the book comes out.
I have to say, this is one of biggest book disappointments I've had in quite some time.
What we got was the first *half* of a sequel to Abhorsen. Very little actually happens - quite literally the majority of the story is the travel of the main characters of each major story - and absolutely nothing has been resolved.
I can't help but wonder if because this is being marketed as YA that they chose to divide this book into two instead of just writing the 700-800 page book that the story so obviously calls for.
There's little new mythos here, and save one scene in the opening chapters no real battles with the Dead. Heck, the story is still so much in the build-up stage I can't even tell you who the actual antagonist of the second half will be. And if you were hoping to see Sabriel, just forget it. She's quite literally on vacation and all mentions of her reference this fact. There are some nice scenes between Lirael and Sam, but even those are outnumbered by scenes of them (especially Sam) acting awkward around each other.
What we get is well written and an easy read, but it's hard to recommend until the rest of the book comes out.
I have to say, this is one of biggest book disappointments I've had in quite some time.
September 12, 2018
Mit einem lachenden und einem weinenden Auge habe ich das letzte Buch der Reihe beendet.
Ich mochte die Handlung wieder sehr, obwohl ich finde, dass sie ein Müh unausgewogen ist, aber Garth Nix schafft es erneut, einen Mithilfe der Charaktere durch die Geschichte zu tragen und ich finde es toll, wie er manches einfach nur geschickt angedeutet hat.
Mir gefielen vor allem auch die unmittelbaren Bezüge zu "A creature in the case" und "Clariel", auf welchen "Goldenhand" aufbaut.
Ich mochte die Handlung wieder sehr, obwohl ich finde, dass sie ein Müh unausgewogen ist, aber Garth Nix schafft es erneut, einen Mithilfe der Charaktere durch die Geschichte zu tragen und ich finde es toll, wie er manches einfach nur geschickt angedeutet hat.
Mir gefielen vor allem auch die unmittelbaren Bezüge zu "A creature in the case" und "Clariel", auf welchen "Goldenhand" aufbaut.
December 29, 2016
I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Also posted on my blog, Rinn Reads.
And here it is at last, my long overdue review of Goldenhand by Garth Nix. I started reading this as soon as it landed on my doormat, and read it in two days – back in October. Sadly, due to my preparations for Sci-Fi Month, and the fact that sometimes I take FOREVER to get my thoughts together, it has taken me this long to write my review up.
I first read Sabriel, the first book in Garth Nix’s Abhorsen/The Old Kingdom series when I was 12 or 13. I think it was a birthday present, and I’m not sure who from now – but whomever it was, I am incredibly grateful to them. This was the beginning of my love for the series, and I devoured the next two books as soon as I could. It is a series that has remained with me ever since, and in the fourteen years since I read it for the first time, I have re-read it countless times. I even took part in a readalong of Sabriel on my blog a few years ago. When Clariel was published in 2014, I was of course ecstatic – but it didn’t feel quite the same. Being a prequel to the main series, it was lacking what I had fallen in love with – namely the familiar characters, ones that I’d ‘adventured’ with.
And then along came Goldenhand.
Goldenhand picks up where Lirael leaves off. We get to follow the badass Second Assistant Librarian turned Abhorsen-in-Waiting once again. We get to see familiar faces, such as Sabriel and Touchstone. Returning to the Old Kingdom was just truly magical, and it felt like reading the series for the first time all over again. It brought up those feelings, that enchantment I felt when I first read Sabriel, and how drawn I was into the world of the Abhorsen.
Nix’s writing is just as excellent as ever, and of course the world building is stellar. He builds even further upon his creation of more than a decade ago, and Goldenhand helps to paint an even more vivid picture of the world in which Lirael lives. It is even published using the same classic font as the first books, which somehow reminded me even more strongly of this world into which I had escaped. And what I love about this world is how much it feels like ours, but with a magical twist. As a bookish twelve-year-old (and even now as a bookish 26-year-old) I could totally imagine myself accompanying Lirael and Sabriel on their journeys, exploring Anceltierre and The Old Kingdom. There is enough of a threat to the world that you feel a sense of peril, an urgency to read on and make sure that the heroes will be okay, even when you know things will turn out okay. I’ve never encountered anything like the magic system in these books in any other – a magic that feels so real and entwined in everything.
Goldenhand is, without a doubt, an excellent return to the Old Kingdom, and one that cannot be missed. If, like me, you fell in love with the series on your first read all those years ago, then for nostalgia’s sake pick up a copy of Goldenhand and dive back in! If you’ve never read any of Garth Nix’s books, then I highly recommend you start with Sabriel and work your way through the series – it is an absolute classic for fantasy fans, no matter your age. Truly a series I will treasure forever.
And here it is at last, my long overdue review of Goldenhand by Garth Nix. I started reading this as soon as it landed on my doormat, and read it in two days – back in October. Sadly, due to my preparations for Sci-Fi Month, and the fact that sometimes I take FOREVER to get my thoughts together, it has taken me this long to write my review up.
I first read Sabriel, the first book in Garth Nix’s Abhorsen/The Old Kingdom series when I was 12 or 13. I think it was a birthday present, and I’m not sure who from now – but whomever it was, I am incredibly grateful to them. This was the beginning of my love for the series, and I devoured the next two books as soon as I could. It is a series that has remained with me ever since, and in the fourteen years since I read it for the first time, I have re-read it countless times. I even took part in a readalong of Sabriel on my blog a few years ago. When Clariel was published in 2014, I was of course ecstatic – but it didn’t feel quite the same. Being a prequel to the main series, it was lacking what I had fallen in love with – namely the familiar characters, ones that I’d ‘adventured’ with.
And then along came Goldenhand.
Goldenhand picks up where Lirael leaves off. We get to follow the badass Second Assistant Librarian turned Abhorsen-in-Waiting once again. We get to see familiar faces, such as Sabriel and Touchstone. Returning to the Old Kingdom was just truly magical, and it felt like reading the series for the first time all over again. It brought up those feelings, that enchantment I felt when I first read Sabriel, and how drawn I was into the world of the Abhorsen.
Nix’s writing is just as excellent as ever, and of course the world building is stellar. He builds even further upon his creation of more than a decade ago, and Goldenhand helps to paint an even more vivid picture of the world in which Lirael lives. It is even published using the same classic font as the first books, which somehow reminded me even more strongly of this world into which I had escaped. And what I love about this world is how much it feels like ours, but with a magical twist. As a bookish twelve-year-old (and even now as a bookish 26-year-old) I could totally imagine myself accompanying Lirael and Sabriel on their journeys, exploring Anceltierre and The Old Kingdom. There is enough of a threat to the world that you feel a sense of peril, an urgency to read on and make sure that the heroes will be okay, even when you know things will turn out okay. I’ve never encountered anything like the magic system in these books in any other – a magic that feels so real and entwined in everything.
Goldenhand is, without a doubt, an excellent return to the Old Kingdom, and one that cannot be missed. If, like me, you fell in love with the series on your first read all those years ago, then for nostalgia’s sake pick up a copy of Goldenhand and dive back in! If you’ve never read any of Garth Nix’s books, then I highly recommend you start with Sabriel and work your way through the series – it is an absolute classic for fantasy fans, no matter your age. Truly a series I will treasure forever.
June 9, 2017
I hate to say it but Garth Nix should have stopped after Clariel. It's the curse of the last book in that it was just not as good as previous works in the series.
OK, the world-building was still great, the magic system still innovative and the writing very good. But, I think Goldenhand could have been better.
There were so many threads in this one which took a while to come together. And actually I had inklings all along about how the novel was going to build up to its climax.
Ferin's pov chapters seemed particularly hard to get through because they were just so slow and I didn't really feel a connection with her like I have with previous Old Kingdom characters. Speaking of which, Sameth, Sabriel, Touchstone and Mogget - where were you?? There was nowhere near enough about those guys.
We do get to read about Lirael and Nick but their strong characters were slightly weakened by a developing romance between them. Can't a boy and a girl just be friends?
Overall, Goldenhand was underwhelming and that's why I can only give it 3 stars.
OK, the world-building was still great, the magic system still innovative and the writing very good. But, I think Goldenhand could have been better.
There were so many threads in this one which took a while to come together. And actually I had inklings all along about how the novel was going to build up to its climax.
Ferin's pov chapters seemed particularly hard to get through because they were just so slow and I didn't really feel a connection with her like I have with previous Old Kingdom characters. Speaking of which, Sameth, Sabriel, Touchstone and Mogget - where were you?? There was nowhere near enough about those guys.
We do get to read about Lirael and Nick but their strong characters were slightly weakened by a developing romance between them. Can't a boy and a girl just be friends?
Overall, Goldenhand was underwhelming and that's why I can only give it 3 stars.
October 27, 2018
This marks a return to form after the disappointing Clariel. It also marks a return to the story of Lirael, Remembrancer and Abhorsen-in-waiting, picking up during the events of the novella, The Creature in the Case. We also get a new protagonist in the form of Ferin, a girl from one of the far northern tribes, beyond the Old Kingdom's power. It's a ripping yarn and I gobbled it down.
For over 3/4 of the book I thought it was just setting up for a sequel, then, abruptly, I realised it was going to resolve the plot before it ended, meaning that the actual quest is rather rushed and the final victory felt too easy, given such a formidable opponent, but over-all I thought this was a lot of fun.
For over 3/4 of the book I thought it was just setting up for a sequel, then, abruptly, I realised it was going to resolve the plot before it ended, meaning that the actual quest is rather rushed and the final victory felt too easy, given such a formidable opponent, but over-all I thought this was a lot of fun.
October 1, 2018
This review was originally posted on The Moonlight Library
This is the second review I'm writing for Goldenhand. I was supplied with a review copy from Edelweiss in 2016, but only found out it was half the book when I checked Nix's website for a quiet announcement. I purchased a physical copy because I have and love the rest of the series, but I ended up borrowing the audiobook from my local library to finish this book.
Nix's writing is beautiful and en pointe as usual. He has an uncanny knack for reader engagement: the way he chooses to tell the story makes what should seem like a not so interesting scene still riveting. This is the same skill that my all-time favourite author, Louise Cooper, also had. At the same time with providing that information, he skips over enough so that our imaginations can take over when needed. I read once that if someone made a TV show of his works, he'd have to figure out what all the individual Charter marks looked liked, because their exact shape isn't relevant to the storytelling in a novel. He has a perfect balance of delivering what information we as readers need, such as the names and natures of the individual bells, and omitting what we don't need, like the actual shape of individual Charter marks.
The narrator was also engaging and did very fine impressions of different voices for dialogue. Nix is Australian, but the Old Kingdom stories use a kind of more formal language, and Ancelstierre seems more British, so the narrator's fine Oxford accent worked beautifully.
I can't gush enough about the way Nix writes women. As a woman and a YA reader, I'm drawn to books written by women about women, and I don't read many books starring male main characters or written by men. I don't feel that male authors in general can write women very well or that male characters have stories I'm interested in. But Nix wields strong women characters much the way George RR Martin or the creators of The Last Airbender, Daniel Di Martino do: with great skill and numbers. With Nix, the default is not necessarily male. Even though the Old Kingdom is clearly behind the real world in terms of technology, their gender politics are far more advanced. I still can't get over the fact that this book centred around so many kick-ass women, and the boys were happy to take their lead from their women. Touchstone may be King, but Sabriel is Abhorsen and Queen. Nick defers to Lirael's wisdom and training, even though she's only an apprentice Abhorsen and still very young. Even Sam seems taken aback by Ferin's warrior confidence. I just want to wrap up this cast of characters and take them home with me. Touchstone even wears a kilt!
While my initial reading of this book ended somewhat abruptly halfway through, I can guarantee it's worth reading the rest of the book. I love seeing Sabriel working as an experienced fearless Abhorsen and I love seeing the strange relationship she has with her half-sister Lirael, who is both much younger than her and following in her professional footsteps. Neither of them chose to be Abhorsen, and they are still a little awkward around each other, with Sabriel more senior in terms of royalty, age, and experience, but wanting to be close to Lirael emotionally. I'm completely in awe of Lirael, who started her own book, Lirael, as a shy introverted librarian and has blossomed into a competent warrior, binding the dead to her will and generally being so completely awesome I'm surprised my head doesn't just explode at her character growth.
Basically if you have read the other books in the series (and I strongly recommend you do) you do not want to miss out on reading this one. I always want another Old Kingdom book.
This is the second review I'm writing for Goldenhand. I was supplied with a review copy from Edelweiss in 2016, but only found out it was half the book when I checked Nix's website for a quiet announcement. I purchased a physical copy because I have and love the rest of the series, but I ended up borrowing the audiobook from my local library to finish this book.
Nix's writing is beautiful and en pointe as usual. He has an uncanny knack for reader engagement: the way he chooses to tell the story makes what should seem like a not so interesting scene still riveting. This is the same skill that my all-time favourite author, Louise Cooper, also had. At the same time with providing that information, he skips over enough so that our imaginations can take over when needed. I read once that if someone made a TV show of his works, he'd have to figure out what all the individual Charter marks looked liked, because their exact shape isn't relevant to the storytelling in a novel. He has a perfect balance of delivering what information we as readers need, such as the names and natures of the individual bells, and omitting what we don't need, like the actual shape of individual Charter marks.
The narrator was also engaging and did very fine impressions of different voices for dialogue. Nix is Australian, but the Old Kingdom stories use a kind of more formal language, and Ancelstierre seems more British, so the narrator's fine Oxford accent worked beautifully.
I can't gush enough about the way Nix writes women. As a woman and a YA reader, I'm drawn to books written by women about women, and I don't read many books starring male main characters or written by men. I don't feel that male authors in general can write women very well or that male characters have stories I'm interested in. But Nix wields strong women characters much the way George RR Martin or the creators of The Last Airbender, Daniel Di Martino do: with great skill and numbers. With Nix, the default is not necessarily male. Even though the Old Kingdom is clearly behind the real world in terms of technology, their gender politics are far more advanced. I still can't get over the fact that this book centred around so many kick-ass women, and the boys were happy to take their lead from their women. Touchstone may be King, but Sabriel is Abhorsen and Queen. Nick defers to Lirael's wisdom and training, even though she's only an apprentice Abhorsen and still very young. Even Sam seems taken aback by Ferin's warrior confidence. I just want to wrap up this cast of characters and take them home with me. Touchstone even wears a kilt!
While my initial reading of this book ended somewhat abruptly halfway through, I can guarantee it's worth reading the rest of the book. I love seeing Sabriel working as an experienced fearless Abhorsen and I love seeing the strange relationship she has with her half-sister Lirael, who is both much younger than her and following in her professional footsteps. Neither of them chose to be Abhorsen, and they are still a little awkward around each other, with Sabriel more senior in terms of royalty, age, and experience, but wanting to be close to Lirael emotionally. I'm completely in awe of Lirael, who started her own book, Lirael, as a shy introverted librarian and has blossomed into a competent warrior, binding the dead to her will and generally being so completely awesome I'm surprised my head doesn't just explode at her character growth.
Basically if you have read the other books in the series (and I strongly recommend you do) you do not want to miss out on reading this one. I always want another Old Kingdom book.
October 8, 2016
"I HAVE NO WORDS AND I LOVE THIS UNIVERSE SO MUCH."
That's what I predicted I would say. I wasn't completely wrong, because I do love this universe so much, but I do have a few words. Namely, I am so here for pretty much everything that happened in this book. I do agree with whoever said it was too neat -- it was tied up just a little bit too neatly for my taste. That said, I still loved what we got. Break my heart, why don't you, Garth Nix.
I think most of what I'm feeling right now is "I could have read a thousand more pages of this". Because I could have, easily. And I hope that I get to. I'm not going to beg you to write more, Mr. Nix, but... I will strongly suggest that you do that. Pretty please.
SPOILERY BITS BEYOND THIS POINT. LOTS OF SPOILERS. SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS.
1) I really liked the concept of there literally being no air beyond the Great Rift. Like... REALLY liked it. Maybe it's because space fascinates me and I'm thinking of this as functioning like a vacuum, but... yeah, good choice. I would read more about people coming up with ways to get around that minor obstacle.
2) Clariel broke my heart. She was so at war with herself and it hurt me.
3) LIRAEL LITERALLY SHRIEKING "LOVE YOU" GAVE ME LIFE. OH GOD.
4) SABRIEL HAVING NO FUCKING CHILL ALSO GAVE ME LIFE. I love her dearly.
5) I sniffled and/or sobbed at every mention of the Dog, as expected. God. Help me. I'm a wreck.
That's what I predicted I would say. I wasn't completely wrong, because I do love this universe so much, but I do have a few words. Namely, I am so here for pretty much everything that happened in this book. I do agree with whoever said it was too neat -- it was tied up just a little bit too neatly for my taste. That said, I still loved what we got. Break my heart, why don't you, Garth Nix.
I think most of what I'm feeling right now is "I could have read a thousand more pages of this". Because I could have, easily. And I hope that I get to. I'm not going to beg you to write more, Mr. Nix, but... I will strongly suggest that you do that. Pretty please.
SPOILERY BITS BEYOND THIS POINT. LOTS OF SPOILERS. SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS.
1) I really liked the concept of there literally being no air beyond the Great Rift. Like... REALLY liked it. Maybe it's because space fascinates me and I'm thinking of this as functioning like a vacuum, but... yeah, good choice. I would read more about people coming up with ways to get around that minor obstacle.
2) Clariel broke my heart. She was so at war with herself and it hurt me.
3) LIRAEL LITERALLY SHRIEKING "LOVE YOU" GAVE ME LIFE. OH GOD.
4) SABRIEL HAVING NO FUCKING CHILL ALSO GAVE ME LIFE. I love her dearly.
5) I sniffled and/or sobbed at every mention of the Dog, as expected. God. Help me. I'm a wreck.
October 3, 2016
A mixed bag. The story felt a bit too neat and tidy, and I felt that some of the characters felt a bit... I don't know diminished? Simplified? than they are in the earlier books. Some of the cameos felt a bit forced too, with the exception of one in particular which was phenomenally powerful and central to the story. The world building was a wonderful and vivid extension to the Old Kingdom, and despite my misgiving about the story it does give the sense that the events are happenings in a world that will keep on turning after the pages are closed.
Perhaps my problem is that too much was explained, and there was a lack of the subtly that I love so dearly about Sabriel/Lirael/Abhorsen/ and to a lesser extent Clariel, and less (though obviously not none) in the way of the aching sadness that counterweights these four books so well.
Perhaps my problem is that too much was explained, and there was a lack of the subtly that I love so dearly about Sabriel/Lirael/Abhorsen/ and to a lesser extent Clariel, and less (though obviously not none) in the way of the aching sadness that counterweights these four books so well.
April 21, 2018
1. Sabriel ★★★ 1/2
2. Lirael ★★★★
3. Abhorsen ★★★★
4. Clariel ★★★
5. Goldenhand ★★★★
2. Lirael ★★★★
3. Abhorsen ★★★★
4. Clariel ★★★
5. Goldenhand ★★★★
July 18, 2023
If you haven't read this series and you like YA fantasy with female protagonists, what are you doing with your life?
April 9, 2021
Na autorovi obdivujem, ako sa do svojho sveta dokáže pravidelne vracať, aby ho vždy rozšíril o nový kút, ale aj o nové osudy a postavy, ktoré môžem sledovať. V prípade tejto knihy som dostala možnosť trošku viac nahliadnuť za severnú hranicu Starého kráľovstva, kde ležia rozsiahle stepi. Postupne som sa dozvedela, aký iný je život v miestach obývaných rôznymi kmeňmi, ako vnímajú mágiu a aké zvyky dodržiavajú.
Osobne by som týchto stepných ľudí prirovnala k Indiánom, pretože mi ich štýlom obliekania, správania i celkovo kultúrou a spôsobom života neskutočným spôsobom pripomínali. Zvláštne je, že aj napriek tomu, akí odlišní sú títo svojim spôsobom domorodci, do príbehu i Starého kráľovstva sa veľmi hodili a priniesli so sebou svieži vietor. Teda, nie, že by to tento svet potreboval, ale aj tak to veľmi oceňujem. Je to len ďalší dôkaz, že autor má ešte čo povedať.
Ale nie je to len svet a jeho ďalšie doplnenia, ktoré si ma získali. Boli to opäť aj postavy, pretože tie autorove majú prednosť dokonca aj pred dejom. Tešila som sa, že sa opäť stretnem so starými známymi. Lirael je moja najobľúbenejšia postava zo série a bolo príjemné sledovať dianie jej očami. Čiastočne aj preto, že som mala možnosť vidieť, ako veľmi vyrástla a ako sa zmenila oproti druhej knihe, v ktorej som ju stretla prvýkrát. Áno, na jej zmenu a fakt, že už nie je nesmelá odkazuje už anotácia, ale je iné vidieť to na vlastné oči v príbehu.
Avšak tento príbeh nie je len o Lirael, veľmi dôležitú úlohu v ňom zohráva aj Nick. Trošku ma sklamalo, že mi nebolo dovolené úplne pochopiť jeho motiváciu (nakoľko Nick nechcel mať so Starým kráľovstvom už nič spoločné a zrazu sa chce dobrovoľne vrátiť naspäť), aj preto, že on nebol rozprávačom príbehu. Dokonca priamo v texte autor odkazuje na poviedku uverejnenú v zbierke Across the Wall, možno v nej nájdem potrebné odpovede.
Milo ma prekvapila aj nová posila medzi postavami, domorodkyňa zo stepi Ferin, lebo tým, aká praktická, odhodlaná a totálne bez zábran bola, výborne dopĺňala napríklad také vážne postavy, akou je aj Sam. Ich interakcie ma vyslovene bavili a dokázala by som o nich čítať pokojne aj celý deň. Ferin je presne ten typ bezprostrednej postavy, ktorá dokáže povzniesť aj tie najvážnejšie okamihy.
Po dejovej stránke táto kniha neponúka nič extrémne náročné alebo prekvapivé. Väčšinu knihy postavám trvá len dostať as na jedno miesto, aby sa mohli porozprávať a potom sa vrhnú do šialene rýchlej akcie – to všetko pre opätovnú záchranu Starého kráľovstva. Nie je to nič svetoborné alebo prekvapivé, ale ako som uviedla už vyššie, v tejto sérii sú skrátka dôležitejšie postavy ako dej samotný.
Vďaka tomu, že som nemusela premýšľať, čo sa deje a prečo, alebo riešiť náročné hlavolamy, som sa mohla viac sústrediť na postavy a to, ako sa vďaka týmto udalostiam menia. Autor opäť dokázal, že vie realisticky a citlivo rozprávať o svojich postavách a ich dobrodružstvách, a to dokonca aj v momentoch, keď sa dej prakticky nehýbal z miesta. Hoci je pravda, že striedanie pohľadov medzi Lirael a Ferin občas pripomínalo tenisový zápas, čo ma veľmi bavilo. Milujem návraty do Starého kráľovstva.
Goldenhand predstavuje ďalší krásny návrat do milovaného sveta Starého kráľovstva. Autor svoj svet opäť rozšíril, nakoľko sa rozhodol čitateľom priblížiť svet za severnou hranicou, v ktorom rozsiahle stepi obývajú domorodé kmene. Toto rozšírenie bolo o to zaujímavejšie, že jedna z domorodkýň Ferin bola aj rozprávačkou príbehu, takže som mala možnosť vidieť aj to, ako vníma odlišný svet Starého kráľovstva.
Druhou rozprávačkou bola Lirael a spolu s ostatnými svojimi priateľmi ukázala, ako veľmi vyrástla. Rovnako ako v iných autorových knihách, aj v tejto boli tým najdôležitejším postavy a dej ponúkal jednoduchšiu a ľahko predvídateľnú zápletku. Napriek tomu nemôžem tvrdiť, že by som sa nudila, pretože ma bavili postavy, ich interakcie, to ako sa vplyvom udalostí menili, nehovoriac o tom, že autor krásne gradoval napätie. Garth Nix opäť dokázal, že vo svete fantasy s ním treba počítať.
recenzia: https://book-addicts-kingdom.blogspot...
Osobne by som týchto stepných ľudí prirovnala k Indiánom, pretože mi ich štýlom obliekania, správania i celkovo kultúrou a spôsobom života neskutočným spôsobom pripomínali. Zvláštne je, že aj napriek tomu, akí odlišní sú títo svojim spôsobom domorodci, do príbehu i Starého kráľovstva sa veľmi hodili a priniesli so sebou svieži vietor. Teda, nie, že by to tento svet potreboval, ale aj tak to veľmi oceňujem. Je to len ďalší dôkaz, že autor má ešte čo povedať.
Ale nie je to len svet a jeho ďalšie doplnenia, ktoré si ma získali. Boli to opäť aj postavy, pretože tie autorove majú prednosť dokonca aj pred dejom. Tešila som sa, že sa opäť stretnem so starými známymi. Lirael je moja najobľúbenejšia postava zo série a bolo príjemné sledovať dianie jej očami. Čiastočne aj preto, že som mala možnosť vidieť, ako veľmi vyrástla a ako sa zmenila oproti druhej knihe, v ktorej som ju stretla prvýkrát. Áno, na jej zmenu a fakt, že už nie je nesmelá odkazuje už anotácia, ale je iné vidieť to na vlastné oči v príbehu.
Avšak tento príbeh nie je len o Lirael, veľmi dôležitú úlohu v ňom zohráva aj Nick. Trošku ma sklamalo, že mi nebolo dovolené úplne pochopiť jeho motiváciu (nakoľko Nick nechcel mať so Starým kráľovstvom už nič spoločné a zrazu sa chce dobrovoľne vrátiť naspäť), aj preto, že on nebol rozprávačom príbehu. Dokonca priamo v texte autor odkazuje na poviedku uverejnenú v zbierke Across the Wall, možno v nej nájdem potrebné odpovede.
Milo ma prekvapila aj nová posila medzi postavami, domorodkyňa zo stepi Ferin, lebo tým, aká praktická, odhodlaná a totálne bez zábran bola, výborne dopĺňala napríklad také vážne postavy, akou je aj Sam. Ich interakcie ma vyslovene bavili a dokázala by som o nich čítať pokojne aj celý deň. Ferin je presne ten typ bezprostrednej postavy, ktorá dokáže povzniesť aj tie najvážnejšie okamihy.
Po dejovej stránke táto kniha neponúka nič extrémne náročné alebo prekvapivé. Väčšinu knihy postavám trvá len dostať as na jedno miesto, aby sa mohli porozprávať a potom sa vrhnú do šialene rýchlej akcie – to všetko pre opätovnú záchranu Starého kráľovstva. Nie je to nič svetoborné alebo prekvapivé, ale ako som uviedla už vyššie, v tejto sérii sú skrátka dôležitejšie postavy ako dej samotný.
Vďaka tomu, že som nemusela premýšľať, čo sa deje a prečo, alebo riešiť náročné hlavolamy, som sa mohla viac sústrediť na postavy a to, ako sa vďaka týmto udalostiam menia. Autor opäť dokázal, že vie realisticky a citlivo rozprávať o svojich postavách a ich dobrodružstvách, a to dokonca aj v momentoch, keď sa dej prakticky nehýbal z miesta. Hoci je pravda, že striedanie pohľadov medzi Lirael a Ferin občas pripomínalo tenisový zápas, čo ma veľmi bavilo. Milujem návraty do Starého kráľovstva.
Goldenhand predstavuje ďalší krásny návrat do milovaného sveta Starého kráľovstva. Autor svoj svet opäť rozšíril, nakoľko sa rozhodol čitateľom priblížiť svet za severnou hranicou, v ktorom rozsiahle stepi obývajú domorodé kmene. Toto rozšírenie bolo o to zaujímavejšie, že jedna z domorodkýň Ferin bola aj rozprávačkou príbehu, takže som mala možnosť vidieť aj to, ako vníma odlišný svet Starého kráľovstva.
Druhou rozprávačkou bola Lirael a spolu s ostatnými svojimi priateľmi ukázala, ako veľmi vyrástla. Rovnako ako v iných autorových knihách, aj v tejto boli tým najdôležitejším postavy a dej ponúkal jednoduchšiu a ľahko predvídateľnú zápletku. Napriek tomu nemôžem tvrdiť, že by som sa nudila, pretože ma bavili postavy, ich interakcie, to ako sa vplyvom udalostí menili, nehovoriac o tom, že autor krásne gradoval napätie. Garth Nix opäť dokázal, že vo svete fantasy s ním treba počítať.
recenzia: https://book-addicts-kingdom.blogspot...
January 1, 2022
My daughter and I skipped past Clariel on the grounds that it was a prequel and we wanted to know what happened to Nick Sayre. This book reprises the events of "Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case" without being tedious and then slips into a dual narrative that eventually joins together. Since Lirael and Nick's journey is pretty placid, it's just as well we have the more action-oriented storyline of a desperate race to bring Lirael's mother's last message to her.
Except I was so entranced by Lirael and Nick's fumbling toward romance I felt slightly impatient when every other chapter switched to the other story. The switching between their POVs, in which both are extremely insecure about how the other sees them, was both funny and heartwarming.
Intellectually, I know it works better the way Nix did it, keeping the action moving, but I still felt drawn more one way than the other. Of course, eventually, as I said, the dual narrative joins together, and the story became entirely gripping. The young nomad Ferin was always entertaining, though she came close to being a stereotype at the beginning. And Mogget, my favorite from the earlier books, makes a surprise and very timely appearance.
Both my daughter and I agreed that the new narrator, Heather Wilds, is very good and we should not compare her to Tim Curry (because there is only one Tim Curry). She has kind of a funny cadence to her reading rhythm, but it's only noticeable during slow moments in the book. We also agreed that we had made the right decision in not reading Clariel first because . We'll have to move on to that one next. Something for the new year!
Except I was so entranced by Lirael and Nick's fumbling toward romance I felt slightly impatient when every other chapter switched to the other story. The switching between their POVs, in which both are extremely insecure about how the other sees them, was both funny and heartwarming.
Intellectually, I know it works better the way Nix did it, keeping the action moving, but I still felt drawn more one way than the other. Of course, eventually, as I said, the dual narrative joins together, and the story became entirely gripping. The young nomad Ferin was always entertaining, though she came close to being a stereotype at the beginning. And Mogget, my favorite from the earlier books, makes a surprise and very timely appearance.
Both my daughter and I agreed that the new narrator, Heather Wilds, is very good and we should not compare her to Tim Curry (because there is only one Tim Curry). She has kind of a funny cadence to her reading rhythm, but it's only noticeable during slow moments in the book. We also agreed that we had made the right decision in not reading Clariel first because . We'll have to move on to that one next. Something for the new year!
September 26, 2021
If Garth Nix only wrote this sequel to get Lirael and Nick to exchange saliva, he should've left it to the fanfic writers.
Reasons to read this sequel:
✨ Lirael and Nick being cute and flustered near each other
✨ a giant worm intimidating Nick
✨ proof that some of the Clayr are lesbians and most of them "mix and match" shflsfjlsjlk
✨ more delightful details to the world and magic system
✨ Nix finally writes a POC character into this series!!!! (but like... not well)
✨ Nick: "oh fierce librarians, huh? tell you to shush"
✨ Nick and Lirael both being complex, flawed characters
Reasons to not read this sequel:
✨ literally NOTHING happens until the very end (I was dyingggg of boredom)
✨ Feren is introduced as so smart and capable and I thought I'd love her... but Nix makes her so unemotional and one-dimensional 😐
✨ NO. CHARACTER. GROWTH. FOR. NICK. OR. LIRAEL.
✨ the romance becomes so cringey that I was embarrassed for my pal Garth
✨ the "message" that Feren's travelling to deliver for 75% of the novel is so anticlimactic when it's revealed
✨ the most stupid, unsatisfying ending
✨ there being literally no reason for this sequel to exist
Sometimes, series just don't need an extra sequel. Nothing happens in this novel. Lirael and Nick don't grow.
I thought I wanted this new installment in the Abhorsen series, but I was so wrong.
~~~
sooo that was extremely unsatisfying. low key wish garth nix had never written this sequel. RTC.
~~~
still so sad we never got any more adventures with Sabriel after the first book *cries in shattered childhood dreams*
Book Blog | Writer Website | Twitter | Instagram
Reasons to read this sequel:
✨ Lirael and Nick being cute and flustered near each other
✨ a giant worm intimidating Nick
✨ proof that some of the Clayr are lesbians and most of them "mix and match" shflsfjlsjlk
✨ more delightful details to the world and magic system
✨ Nix finally writes a POC character into this series!!!! (but like... not well)
✨ Nick: "oh fierce librarians, huh? tell you to shush"
✨ Nick and Lirael both being complex, flawed characters
Reasons to not read this sequel:
✨ literally NOTHING happens until the very end (I was dyingggg of boredom)
✨ Feren is introduced as so smart and capable and I thought I'd love her... but Nix makes her so unemotional and one-dimensional 😐
✨ NO. CHARACTER. GROWTH. FOR. NICK. OR. LIRAEL.
✨ the romance becomes so cringey that I was embarrassed for my pal Garth
✨ the "message" that Feren's travelling to deliver for 75% of the novel is so anticlimactic when it's revealed
✨ the most stupid, unsatisfying ending
✨ there being literally no reason for this sequel to exist
Sometimes, series just don't need an extra sequel. Nothing happens in this novel. Lirael and Nick don't grow.
I thought I wanted this new installment in the Abhorsen series, but I was so wrong.
~~~
sooo that was extremely unsatisfying. low key wish garth nix had never written this sequel. RTC.
~~~
still so sad we never got any more adventures with Sabriel after the first book *cries in shattered childhood dreams*
Book Blog | Writer Website | Twitter | Instagram
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