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stephilica's review against another edition
4.0
Yet another treat by author Garth Nix.
The first story is a short novella about Nicholas Sayre. It's an interesting take on Old Kingdom creatures in Ancelstierre, a formula that definitely made for interesting reading (but sadly meant we didn't see much of Lirael until the end of the novella...).
The collection also has two takes on Arthurian mythos, each with a slightly different angle than one might expect, a retelling of Hansel and Gretel in a modern setting, and other pleasurable shorts such as that of a boy in Australia whose father wants to sell the family Hill, a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure style short, and a science fiction twist on your typical Western, not to mention the prologue of his New Really Epic Fantasy Series. The collection is overall very enjoyable if a bit short, but that's why they are, after all, short stories.
Each story is introduced with a short note explaining when and why Nix first wrote the story, as well as some miscellaneous information about it. These provided rather useful at times for those who might be interested in that sort of information.
All in all, a quick read that somehow still retains enough detailed world-building to hint at worlds that could be explored if Nix just chose to, this collection will definitely delight a die-hard Nix fan, or even a more casual reader looking for something enjoyable to while away the time.
littlelarks's review against another edition
4.0
Like any anthology, your enjoyment is going to fluctuate wildly between stories.
"Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case" was a fun sequel to Lirael/Abhorsen and I really appreciated seeing more of Nicholas's character and glimmers of romance between him and Lirael.
As for the non-Abhorsen stories... Under the Lake & Hearts Desire stuck out to me because I'm a sucker for Arthurian legend, Down to the Scum Quarter was a really fun choose-your-own-adventure, and Endings was an appropriately bittersweet closing.
"Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case" was a fun sequel to Lirael/Abhorsen and I really appreciated seeing more of Nicholas's character and glimmers of romance between him and Lirael.
As for the non-Abhorsen stories... Under the Lake & Hearts Desire stuck out to me because I'm a sucker for Arthurian legend, Down to the Scum Quarter was a really fun choose-your-own-adventure, and Endings was an appropriately bittersweet closing.
bestpartofafire's review against another edition
4.0
I think this would’ve gotten five stars, except I realized as I was reading it that I just don’t really like short stories. It took me a while to get into each story, and as soon as I did and I cared about the characters, it was over. I found the stories of Nimue and Alice May particularly compelling and beautiful.
(I was surprised how much I liked it, though, given that I don’t love short stories)
(I was surprised how much I liked it, though, given that I don’t love short stories)
silodear's review against another edition
3.0
To be fair, I only read the first story in full (set in Ancelstierre, it picks up six months after Abhorsen's end). I can't help but want to devour every single thing related to the Abhorsen trilogy. But honestly, the stories weren't very intriguing to me. And even the Abhorsen-related story fell pretty flat. It almost felt like Abhorsen fan fiction. Thanks to Garth Nix for trying to let us in on his less developed stories and musings, but I'll stick to the real deal. #swooningforsabriel
seitenreise's review against another edition
3.0
Ich habe einige Geschichten entdeckt, die mir sehr gut gefielen. Jedoch auch andere, die ich nur ok fand. Bei Hope Chest hatte ich dann sogar ein schlechtes Gefühl, weil ich es unsensibel der echten Vergangenheit gegenüber empfinde, so eine Erklärung für einen "Master" zu haben.
ashvaberle16's review against another edition
4.0
Not gonna lie- I only read this book for the Abhorsen universe story, and I was not disappointed. I may have skipped the rest..
lolajoan's review against another edition
2.0
I think I'm officially over Garth Nix now. It took me a week to read the Nicholas Sayre novella because I kept falling asleep, and I only skimmed half of the other stories and skipped the rest.
shecantcomplain's review against another edition
5.0
PG-13 to R
Death, death, and more death. I don't know what my fascination was, but I read the whole trilogy one after another and then read this. It is an amazing collection of short stories for those who couldn't get enough of the Abhorsen and her mystical world clashing with a more sedate one close to our own. The zombies, monsters, death, and overall vivid accounts of sounds, smells, and sights rate it up there with the PG-13 and R lot. There were often times that I would look up from the book on purpose to remind myself that I wasn't there; I was here, in my apartment, far from zombies, but within running distance of my friend Luke who has a plan for the zombie apocalypse.
Yeah, it was that good.
Death, death, and more death. I don't know what my fascination was, but I read the whole trilogy one after another and then read this. It is an amazing collection of short stories for those who couldn't get enough of the Abhorsen and her mystical world clashing with a more sedate one close to our own. The zombies, monsters, death, and overall vivid accounts of sounds, smells, and sights rate it up there with the PG-13 and R lot. There were often times that I would look up from the book on purpose to remind myself that I wasn't there; I was here, in my apartment, far from zombies, but within running distance of my friend Luke who has a plan for the zombie apocalypse.
Yeah, it was that good.
thedreamwithin's review against another edition
5.0
I loved every single story as well as their introductions ❤️
ksd1441's review against another edition
4.0
I only read 'Nicholas and the Creature in the Case', since it was related to the Abhorsen series. I think this short story was fantastic, and could honestly have been stretched into its own separate book. The events take place a little while after the big showdown at Forewin Mill, after Lirael and the others seal away the Destroyer. Nicholas is still having some trouble adapting to life after this, and really wants to rejoin Sam and Lirael across the wall (hah, there's the title). Due to Nicholas' possession, Free Magic and The Charter flow in him, so he's bound to bump into some bad guys. That's when a creepy underground spy network comes into play, and one member tries to use Nick's blood to unleash an Old Kingdom monster.
Nix continues to build a very strong world in the short 100 pages, and I still can't get enough of it. The magical system is so unique, too. I wish we could have seen more of Lirael and the other players from the Abhorsen Trilogy. She does show up towards the end, but only long enough for a few pages worth of interaction. Nicholas and Lirael are so cute together, and wonderfully awkward...it's kind of like Sabriel and Touchstone all over again. I hope we can see more of them in the future. The next book in the Abhorsen saga is primarily a prequel (2014), but I will continue to hope that it includes some current events as well, involving the characters I love so much from these books.
Nix continues to build a very strong world in the short 100 pages, and I still can't get enough of it. The magical system is so unique, too. I wish we could have seen more of Lirael and the other players from the Abhorsen Trilogy. She does show up towards the end, but only long enough for a few pages worth of interaction. Nicholas and Lirael are so cute together, and wonderfully awkward...it's kind of like Sabriel and Touchstone all over again. I hope we can see more of them in the future. The next book in the Abhorsen saga is primarily a prequel (2014), but I will continue to hope that it includes some current events as well, involving the characters I love so much from these books.