Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Lirael by Garth Nix

genre: fantasy

Lirael is the sequel, of sorts, of the book Sabriel.  I say "of sorts" because our story happens many years later and while there is absolutely plot and character continuity, Sabriel is hardly one of our main characters anymore.  We now follow the adventures of her son, Sameth, and Lireal, a girl who was raised in the cloistered community of the Clayr, known for their ability to See the future.

Neither Sam nor Lireal are particularly comfortable in their own skin - Lireal, in particular, has an abundance of skills but completely lacks The Sight.  Her own despair leads her to a wonderfully eccentric companion that stays by her side as she discovers the depth of the evil that still remains in The Kingdom.  Soon, Sam and Lireal's destinies will be entwined as a new enemy prepares to unleash an ancient darkness upon the land.

I truly am amazed by the fantasy world that Nix has created.  The evil is so believable, the magic so intricate and intense.  While I had a hard time getting started, by a few chapters in, I was hooked again.  The plot moves along swiftly with no lack of scary dead creatures to bar the way.   I really love reading about a strong heroine who grows into unknown skills, so fun.   Two major differences from Sabriel:  there is no romantic storyline and our adventure is not complete at the end - to find out how and Sam will fare, I will need to go get the final book, Abhorsen.  I think I will.

note: if you're interested in the content of the books I read, please go to http://ratedreads.com

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Great review! I loved Lirael and Abhorsen is great too!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...