From Goodreads:Award-winning author Garth Nix returns to the Old Kingdom with a thrilling prequel complete with dark magic, royalty, dangerous action, a strong heroine, and flawless world building. This epic fantasy adventure is destined to be a classic and is perfect for fans of Rae Carson, Kristin Cashore, Scott Westerfeld, and Cassandra Clare.
Clariel is the daughter of one of the most notable families in the Old Kingdom, with blood relations to the Abhorsen and, most important, to the King. She dreams of living a simple life but discovers this is hard to achieve when a dangerous Free Magic creature is loose in the city, her parents want to marry her off to a killer, and there is a plot brewing against the old and withdrawn King Orrikan. When Clariel is drawn into the efforts to find and capture the creature, she finds hidden sorcery within herself, yet it is magic that carries great dangers. Can she rise above the temptation of power, escape the unwanted marriage, and save the King?
The long-awaited fifth installment in Garth Nix’s New York Times bestselling Old Kingdom series, for readers who enjoy series by Rae Carson, Kristin Cashore, Scott Westerfeld, and Cassandra Clare.
Goldenhand takes place six months after the events of Abhorsen and follows the novella Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case, which is featured in Across the Wall.
Lirael lost one of her hands in the binding of Orannis, but now she has a new hand, one of gilded steel and Charter Magic.
On a dangerous journey, Lirael returns to her childhood home, the Clayr's Glacier, where she was once a Second Assistant Librarian. There, a young woman from the distant North brings her a message from her long-dead mother, Arielle.
It is a warning about the Witch with No Face. But who is the Witch, and what is she planning? Lirael must use her new powers to save the Old Kingdom from this great danger—and it must be forestalled not only in the living world but also in the cold, remorseless river of Death.
A manuscript fragment from the Great Library of the Clayr.
Seven bells are used by necromancers to summon and control the Dead. While most such bell-wielders will be Free Magic sorcerers, the most highly-accomplished wielders of the seven bells come from tthe Abhorsen family. They are always Charter Mages, and they use the bells to defeat the Dead and compel them to return into Death and pass beyond the Ninth Gate, from which there is no return.
An Old Kingdom story. Can be read for free on the Old Kingdom website.
Bestselling novelist Garth Nix returns to the Old Kingdom for the never-before-told love story of Sabriel's parents, Terciel and Elinor, and the Charter magic that brought them together—and threatened to tear them apart. A long-awaited prequel to a classic fantasy series.
In the Old Kingdom, a land of ancient and often terrible magics, eighteen year-old orphan Terciel learns the art of necromancy from his great-aunt Tizanael. But not to raise the Dead, rather to lay them to rest. He is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, and Tizanael is the Abhorsen, the latest in a long line of people whose task it is to make sure the Dead do not return to Life.
Across the Wall in Ancelstierre, a steam-age country where magic usually does not work, nineteen year-old Elinor lives a secluded life. Her only friends an old governess and an even older groom who was once a famous circus performer. Her mother is a tyrant, who is feared by all despite her sickness and impending death . . . but perhaps there is even more to fear from that.
Elinor does not know she is deeply connected to the Old Kingdom, nor that magic can sometimes come across the Wall, until a plot by an ancient enemy of the Abhorsens brings Terciel and Tizanael to Ancelstierre. In a single day of fire and death and loss, Elinor finds herself set on a path which will take her into the Old Kingdom, into Terciel’s life, and will embroil her in the struggle of the Abhorsens against the Dead who will not stay dead.
My Review:
It was so great to be in this world again! And I'm really glad that I read Clariel and Goldenhand back to back, because they both deal with Clariel, or who she became, Clorr of the Mask! They were all such great reads, and now I'm caught up on this series!
Just have to say, the two excerpts, I would say to read them before you start this series, because they just give you background information about this world and how the magic works, and no spoilers for the stories. So I wouldn't advise reading them when I did, where I've read most of the series at the point besides these excerpts. Because I didn't know what they were. But I'm glad that I did read them!
Clariel was a bit hard to read-knowing where her journey would lead. But it was a really great story, and it was really interesting to be in this world at that time. They lost a lot, and while some of it was pretty useless, like the tea drinking etiquette, or the negative feelings towards the Charter, a lot was important, and there's a good chance that some of it will never be recovered.
Goldenhand, oh, loved being back with Lirael and co! There was alternating chapters of Lirael and Nick, and Ferin. Honestly I just wanted Lirael, but when they all came together, I just couldn't put it down! Loved how it all worked out!
And then Terciel & Elinor, it was so great to get Sabriel's parent's story! Terciel played a small but important role in Sabriel, and Elinor even less so far, so it was really great to have a story focused on them! Even knowing where they're going to end up, I had a great time reading their story! I loved how it tied into Sabriel, and that one off line, well, that was the climax here. I loved seeing what the world was like at this time!
Loved reading all of these, and if there's more in this world in the future, I'd love to read it! I really want to know more about the builders-and what that means for Sam!
Author: Garth Nix
Series: Abhorsen #4, 5, 5.5, 6, The Old Kingdom #4, 5, 6
Read: April 19th, 20th, 20th, 20th, 20th, 20th, 2022
Source: Library/Edelweiss, Own, Online, Edelweiss
Reason Why: Love his writing and this series, and they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2022 Books! And Terciel and Elinor is a WoW Book!
Publisher: Harper Collins, Garth Nix, Katherine Tegan Books
Published: October 14th 2014, October 11th 2016, October 1st 2014, October 2009, 2016, November 2nd 2021
Clariel:
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| 5/5 Books |
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| 5/5 Stars |
Goldenhand:
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 5/5 Books |
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| 5/5 Stars |
An Essay on Free Magic: (A manuscript fragment from the Great Library of the Clayr):
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 5/5 Books |
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| 5/5 Stars |
A Guide to the Necromancer Bells:
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 5/5 Books |
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| 5/5 Stars |
Doctor Crake Crosses the Wall:
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 5/5 Books |
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| 5/5 Stars |
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