Omg!! I had 6,000 audio books come through the library today 😫But I wanted to follow along in my book while Tim Curry reads to me 😊

4.5 stars

While the Abhorsen series continues to thrive on its magic and worldbuilding, the characterisation in Lirael is unfortunately not up to par with its predecessor, Sabriel. It does appear that Sabriel is written almost like a stand-alone, as this sequel takes place almost one and a half decade after the events in the first book with two new main characters; Lirael, a daughter of the Clayr and Prince Sameth, the son of Sabriel and Touchstone. Both characters demonstrate the typical angst and insecu...

There’s a reviewer who I follow (Ceridwen) who mentioned in her review of Sabriel how refreshing it is that the magic in the story is “something other than a deus ex machina” (aka: when the protagonist defeats evil without any true skill, the magic just kind of does its thing through them because they are super special snowflakes). I completely agreed with that point…in book 1. Pretty much everything I loved about the protagonist in Sabriel is contradicted in the Mary-Sue that is Lirael, the ma...

Actual rating 4.5/5 stars. This is the second instalment in the Abhorsen series. Whilst Sabriel wrapped up in a satisfactory manner, I still was left with many questions and so was a little disappointed , initially, to find that Lirael takes place fourteen years after the events depicted in book one. This disappointment was short lived as I was introduced to the immediately lovable Lirael, daughter of the Clayr but without their infamous sight for future events. She is disheartened at her lack o...

When I glance at the reviews for this book, I'm actually surprised. Not that people would like this book, but that everyone would like it. I thought for sure there would be more of a split on it.I mean, the writing is good. Nix can put together sentences and his plot is soundly articulated. His Old Kingdom is a vast and impressive construct, and his imagination is superb. There were even a couple really good scenes in here. I just...I don't know. I couldn't wait for it to end. I hated the charac...

The only thing that held this book back was the character of prince Sameth, the son of Sabriel and Touchstone. Apart from him, I fell in love with both Lirael and the Disreputable Dog and cannot wait to get my hands on the last book! I also personally think this book was better than the first. I have high expectations now for the last one!!

“When the Dead do walk, seek water’s run, for this the Dead will always shun. Swift river’s best or broadest lake to ward the Dead and haven make. If water fails thee, fire’s thy friend; if neither guards, it will be thy end.” Well this was freaking awesome!As a sequel where the main character from Book 1 isn’t the main focus - I was a bit worried; but there was no need because Lirael continued the story of the Old Kingdom and the dead fantastically! “The blue hats shaded silver sightless eye s

I was listening to the last few chapters on audiobook (bless Tim Curry and his downright villainous voice) and had my eyes closed, and when that epilogue reveal happened, my eyes shot open like I was a Dead thing come back to consciousness.The first 100 or so pages of this didn't entirely hook me, as we had a new protagonist and not a whole lot happened. But once it really got going, I was very invested. Lirael and Sameth were fantastic protagonists and I loved them both so much. Garth Nix is ph...

[4.5 Stars]Way better than the first one!

Sabriel was a pure pleasure to read. Lirael was as appalling as Sabriel was awesome. It sported an insecure and impulsive heroine drowning in her angst and her companions: an idiot of a selfish prince and a dog (a dog!).Lirael is a Daughter of the Clayr, compensating her lack of Sight (i.e. the ability to see future) with other capabilities like outstanding sociopathy and a penchant for magic. Yes, Lirael is one of these special snowflakes we love reading about. She is so standing apart that she...

[4 Stars] I'm conflicted about this rating because the first half of the book was probably more like a 5 star book, the last half of the book was more 4 stars, and all of Sameth's parts were around 3.5 or even 3 stars. Why did Sameth have to be just as annoying as Lirael was amazing? Lirael was seriously such a fantastic protagonist, and I wish the book had focused almost entirely on her as opposed to bringing Sameth into the picture. He just seems like a bit of a waste in all honesty: annoying,...

Audio # 332018 Reading Challenge: deals with a library or bookstoreLirael is so depressed and has such low self esteem.Note-Tim curry can feel free to narrate every book I own please

These books are awesome and should be mandatory reading by everyone.I first read this trilogy(Lirael is a second book in the old kingdom trilogy; Sabriel is first while Abhorsen is the finale) when I was in middle school and I have to admit I'm just as obsessed with this series now as I was then.With a cast of fantastic characters and a quick moving pace(mostly), you are truly sucked into the world of the old kingdom and it's pretty scary. I'm truly surprised that this book can be considered YA

It took me a while to get around to reading this book, even though I rushed out and bought it immediately after finishing Sabriel. The up side to that is in the meantime, I'd bought Abhorsen as well. That's important. Sabriel was a good stand-alone novel. Lirael and Abhorsen are not. In fact, I'd recommend that before you read Lirael 1) you read Sabriel first and 2) you have a copy of Abhorsen ready to pick up as soon as you finish Lirael. Lirael ends in the middle of something, and the two prob...

Well.....okay. Not as good a book as Sabriel, I went with 3 stars on this one. It was close as the story is a pretty good one and we are still following the plot line thrown out in Sabriel, just not quite as well (in my opinion of course).We pick up about 14 years after end of that volume and we sort of get an introduction like, 14 years have passed. there have been many battles as the King (Touchstone) who married Sabriel (the Abhorsen) overthrows evil, saves the Kingdom and aids the people. At...

I'm not a huge fantasy person, but I'm always up for a kick-ass heroine such as Lirael. I thoroughly enjoyed the first 2 books in this trilogy, mostly because they appeal to my morbid streak. Death portrayed as a river with 7 gates? Sending the Dead back into Death using necromancer bells? What's not to like here?Decent writing, excellent story, not-quite-typical (and therefore appealing) fantasy story. Not to mention book covers by the Dillions. I will read almost anything that has a Dillions c...

I liked this book. The writing wasn't as beautiful as I hope for in fantasy novels. But his world building was thorough and very interesting. I went back and forth between liking the characters and not, which I think reveals how fully formed they are.I really liked the whole Charter marks and Free Magic stuff. I think it made a fascinating world and sense of magic. I liked that, just because Lirael was good with Charter marks, didn't make her all powerful; that there were weaknesses to how it ca...

A wonderful YA fantasy. Beautifully told, with so many exciting and powerful moments. The clues to Lirael's and Prince Sameth's real identities are hinted at and gradually revealed to the reader, till we realise all at the climactic (but kinda cliffhanger) ending. The mysterious Library of the Clayr is one of fantasy's iconic imaginings, and one of my favourite book settings. The section when Lirael makes her big discoveries is so magical and beautifully paced. I love the world Nix has created,

As much as I love Sabriel (both the book and the character!), I was reluctant to read this again. Lirael’s role in the library is awesome, but both she and Sameth are rather too prone to self-pity to stand up well beside Sabriel’s example. Which is part of the whole point, that Sameth’s grown up in his parents’ shadows, but still. While Sameth has serious problems to deal with, he’s also selfish, doesn’t think things through properly, and would do a lot better if he’d open his mouth and let word...