Review: Abhorsen by Garth Nix

Abhorsen

Author: Garth Nix
Series: Abhorsen #3
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: YA Fantasy
Format: Paperback
Release Date: January 7, 2003
Source: Bought
Rating: 5 Stars
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Synopsis from Goodreads:

The Ninth was strong and fought with might, But lone Orannis was put out of the light, Broken in two and buried under hill, Forever to lie there, wishing us ill. So says the song. But Orannis, the Destroyer, is no longer buried under hill. It has been freed from its subterranean prison and now seeks to escape the silver hemispheres, the final barrier to the unleashing of its terrible powers.

Only Lirael, newly come into her inheritance as the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, has any chance of stopping the Destroyer. She and her companions -- Sam, the Disreputable Dog, and Mogget -- have to take that chance. For the Destroyer is the enemy of all Life, and it must be stopped, though Lirael does not know how.

To make matters worse, Sam's best friend, Nick, is helping the Destroyer, as are the necromancer Hedge and the Greater Dead Chlorr, and there has been no word from the Abhorsen Sabriel or King Touchstone.

Everything depends upon Lirael. A heavy, perhaps even impossible burden for a young woman who just days ago was merely a Second Assistant Librarian. With only a vision from the Clayr to guide her, and the rather mixed help of her companions, Lirael must search in both Life and Death for some means to defeat the Destroyer.

Before it is too late. . . .

My Review:

After the cliffhanger ending of Lirael, you have to dive right into this book. It picks up right where Lirael leaves off with Lirael and Sam traveling to try and save Nick who’s under the nasty grip of the evil necromancer, Hedge. They have to stop an ancient evil from being made whole again. If they fail, it would mean the end of the world. No pressure right?

Both Lirael and Sam continue to grow in this book even more than they did in the second one. Now they both know their purpose. They know what they’re supposed to be doing and even though the task at hand seems impossible and the outcome means almost certain death, they continue to fight to save their world. I loved how courageous both of them became in this book. They were both fearful in the second book, but now they’ve both grown to become the people they were born to be.

This book is tension-filled. There wasn’t a moment that I wasn’t on the edge of my seat, wondering how this was all going to end (even though I knew how it was going to end, being a reread and all). The suspense is at an all-time high and as the book goes on and they keep missing opportunities you begin to think that all hope is lost. Bu they keep fighting and keep pushing no matter what, no matter the danger, no matter how tired they are.

My favorite thing about this particular book was seeing all the characters come together. The book largely focuses on Lirael and Sam’s POVs, but we see glimpses of Sabriel and Touchstone and I loved how all three books completely intertwined. Garth Nix has been building up to this moment for a long time in both Sabriel and Lirael and when the climax is finally reached, the reader is left gasping, jaw on the floor. There are a lot of twists and shocking revelations in this book and the ending will likely slay you as it did me. But man is it amazing. A truly unique series and world that will carry you far away from the mundane realities of life. Highly, highly recommend!

Have you read this book/series? Which one is your favorite book? What did you think of the ending?