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wharj's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This is very middle-book-y. It takes a while to get going and does not have a good concluding feel.
I think having the first section set in an established location and relative safety loses some of what I liked about the first book - being in a wild land that feels like it's been dead for years was part of the atmosphere that I think really worked in the first book and you don't get that so much here. Still, I am definitely going on to book 3 and hopeful that it's great!
I think having the first section set in an established location and relative safety loses some of what I liked about the first book - being in a wild land that feels like it's been dead for years was part of the atmosphere that I think really worked in the first book and you don't get that so much here. Still, I am definitely going on to book 3 and hopeful that it's great!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Animal death, and Death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, and Gore
cait's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Kidnapping, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Gore, Grief, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, and War
annaavaa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Animal death
aliteraryescape's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Animal death, Death, and Violence
chris_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I was pretty disappointed to realize this book does not continue following Sabriel, but is about the generation after hers. I thought the plot was good, but I just didn't find the new characters particularly compelling. The pace was also much slower than the first book. I will still read the next one to find out what happens, but my eagerness has plummeted significantly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, and Trafficking
Minor: Deportation, Child death, and Medical content
bearystarry's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Lirael still feels relatable even though I'm not 16 anymore. This is a lot darker than I remembered, and I did dnf this last year? Maybe the year before... but I'm glad I pushed through this time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Body horror, Xenophobia, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Blood
Moderate: Trafficking, Genocide, and Slavery
Minor: Incest
trollmila's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Trafficking, Grief, Death, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
Moderate: Gun violence and Animal death
mattiedancer's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Writing: 4.5⭐️/5
The writing in this book is clear and decisive, carefully crafting a comprehensible display of the world. I love how Lirael is described, how her emotions are conveyed, and how real and personal every part of this story feels. I will say that the sudden switch to Sameth’s POV felt a bit jarring, and took me more than a few pages to fall into pace with.
Characters: 5⭐️/5
Oh, boy, do I love Lirael. I love how her emotional swings and angst feel both real and fully formed. I also enjoy how much attention is given to her backstory and characterization. I also love how interesting and developed the other characters in the story are, from Sameth and Ellesmere, to poor Nick and heinous Hedge.
Plot: 4.5⭐️/5
The complexity of this plot – and how it bleeds over into the next book of the series – is incredibly well-done. While little points here and there definitely get in the way of me fully enjoying it, the overarching plot is interesting.
World 5⭐️/5
Okay, okay. I’m very much in love with the world of the Old Kingdom, and I think I will likely always be. I love the details of the world, I love how the Abhorsens are described and fight off the dead, and I love how both of these translate into plots and characters that are great to read.
Who Should Read This Book?
- Fans of high-fantasy worlds
- Readers looking for a semi-young adult read that is deep and interesting
- Those who have read and liked Sabriel
Content Warnings?
Animal death, animal cruelty, murder, death, death of parent, death of child, violence, body horror, gore, gaslighting, gun violence, injury, injury detail
Post-Reading Rating: 5⭐️/5
I do truly love this world, and Lirael is such a stunning character.
Final Rating: 4.75⭐️/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Death of parent, Body horror, Murder, Violence, Gore, Animal death, Child death, Gaslighting, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
pobi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
OOFT scary and mysterious and just so classically fantasy. Love the plot twist at the end!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, and Death
leguinstan's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this waaaaaaaay more than Sabriel!! It manages to improve upon the weaker aspects of the first book without sacrificing any of its positive qualities.
I love that Lirael still had the moody atmosphere and palpable sense of menace that was present in the first book. And in addition to this, I really appreciate the way that Garth Nix fleshed out the setting. The lore behind the creation of Charter Magic, the introduction of more Free Magic entities, and the depiction of life within Clayr's Glacier were fascinating additions to the world-building in the series. The early sections of the book when Lirael works in the Clayr's Library really stand out to me in particular! The explanation of librarian protocols and safety measures are well-thought-out and makes the library feel like a believable setting. And yet Nix still chooses to maintain some sense of mystery to the setting which evokes a sense of wonder and curiosity about the magical inner workings of the library. This is going to sound weird, but I love it because it makes magic feel... well... magical!
While I think that the titular protagonist of Sabriel was lacking in character depth, I am happy to say that Lirael and Sameth are a lot more complex and dynamic! They both develop in interesting ways and end up subverting some of the epic fantasy expectations that are ingrained in me. I also like Nix's approach to romance in this book, which is my absolute least favorite aspect of Sabriel. The romance in that book was so sooooooo boring, I really can't emphasize enoughhow relieved I felt when the ending shot all possibility of romance between Sabriel and Sameth to smithereens !!
I tend to struggle with YA fantasy so I'm pleasantly surprised I liked this one as much as I did!
I love that Lirael still had the moody atmosphere and palpable sense of menace that was present in the first book. And in addition to this, I really appreciate the way that Garth Nix fleshed out the setting. The lore behind the creation of Charter Magic, the introduction of more Free Magic entities, and the depiction of life within Clayr's Glacier were fascinating additions to the world-building in the series. The early sections of the book when Lirael works in the Clayr's Library really stand out to me in particular! The explanation of librarian protocols and safety measures are well-thought-out and makes the library feel like a believable setting. And yet Nix still chooses to maintain some sense of mystery to the setting which evokes a sense of wonder and curiosity about the magical inner workings of the library. This is going to sound weird, but I love it because it makes magic feel... well... magical!
While I think that the titular protagonist of Sabriel was lacking in character depth, I am happy to say that Lirael and Sameth are a lot more complex and dynamic! They both develop in interesting ways and end up subverting some of the epic fantasy expectations that are ingrained in me. I also like Nix's approach to romance in this book, which is my absolute least favorite aspect of Sabriel. The romance in that book was so sooooooo boring, I really can't emphasize enough
I tend to struggle with YA fantasy so I'm pleasantly surprised I liked this one as much as I did!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Death
Moderate: Child death, Violence, and Animal death
Animal death of