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If the "Sabriel" series ever gets optioned by MTV and made into a series à la Shannara filled with fresh-faced cusp-of-adolescence lust candy, I will go on strike from this life.
adventurous
dark
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a whole other level! I loved the previous Old Kingdom books, but this one messed with my head so much I'm not even sure I could talk about it rationally. Clariel is so deliciously flawed and brave and real. Following her story and witnessing her gradual descent into...well, evil was equal parts unnerving and riveting. There is no other option: one will be left still trying to look over her shoulder, hoping to understand her long after the final page has been turned.
I found the main character fascinating. She's not very likeable, but then she's never had the chance to be liked either. Her parents ignore her, she's cut off from the rest of her family and has no appropriate companions. When she arrives in Belisaere, it quickly becomes apparent everyone wants something from her, causing her to withdraw even further. She's probably asexual, and being forced into marriage with a cruel person with no regard for life. Even the good people want something from her, forcing her into a mission she wasn't prepared for, before they understood who she was. The closest she has to a friend is Belatiel, who still has ... Romantic desires she does not reciprocate. It's not really a surprise she recoils from it all the way she does, and gives way to rage and a need for revenge. Everyone in her life is either using her, or ignores her for their own interests. This was a bad situation from the start, and I think by the time the others understood who she was it was too late, the damage bad already been done.
I was really excited to see how Nix would twist a protagonist into a necromancer, but... Clariel doesn't really start off with many cards in her deck. She's missing some important traits like "sanity" straight from the get go, and her booster pack of "hatred of humanity" and "love of hunting" don't really do much for her in that respect.
Great book though! The only issue is that I immediately want another one.
Great book though! The only issue is that I immediately want another one.
I liked Clariel's story. She's a spunky heroine but does finally succumb to her weakness and that failing makes her imperfect and likable. My favorite part was maybe the author's note at the end because Nix is working on another book in this world!
Summary: The story of how Clariel became a Free Magic Sorcerer, set 600 years before the birth of Sabriel.
Summary: The story of how Clariel became a Free Magic Sorcerer, set 600 years before the birth of Sabriel.
Garth Nix takes us back in time with this prequel to the Abhorsen trilogy. Clariel is the daughter of Jaciel and Harven, great goldsmiths. They have just moved to the capital of Belissaire and Clariel is not happy about it. She wants nothing more to return to her home and become a Borderer in the Great Forest. Instead she is forced to attend an academy with other young guild children and learn charter magic. She has no affinity for either.
There is a lot going on in the capital. The king has withdrawn from life and handed over a lot of responsibility to Governor Kilp. No one has heard from the princess in years. The Abhorsens aren't interested in the dead and only want to hunt. And no one knows what is going on with the Clayr. Governor Kilp is trying to acquire more and more power, which comes to a head when Jaciel discovers he is working with a free magic creature. The ensuing battle leaves Clariel alone and on the run. She is taken to the Abhorsen, who she believes will do nothing to avenge her parents. So she is on her own with revenge in her heart and enemies whispering in her ear.
I listened to the Abhorsen trilogy years ago and loved them, and not only because Tim Curry does an excellent job of narrating the books. However, it has been so long since I read them that I have forgotten the stories a bit. I understand Clariel plays a part in the later books as a villain and can see how that would happen. She is such a clueless, poor character that you really couldn't help but feel sorry for her even as you wanted to slap her upside the head. Most of the things that go wrong are pretty much her fault. She doesn't have a clue what is going on and little interest in finding out. For most of the book she whines about wanting to go back to the Great Forest and live alone. She doesn't try to make the best of her situation or to adjust in any way. However, I think she is meant to be this poor lost soul so she can become who she does later. Does it make the most interesting book? Not really. Clariel isn't that likable and her stupidity and gullibility make her hard to sympathize with at times. The book drags in spots and just when it picks up it ends. It did make me want to reread the original trilogy though.
There is a lot going on in the capital. The king has withdrawn from life and handed over a lot of responsibility to Governor Kilp. No one has heard from the princess in years. The Abhorsens aren't interested in the dead and only want to hunt. And no one knows what is going on with the Clayr. Governor Kilp is trying to acquire more and more power, which comes to a head when Jaciel discovers he is working with a free magic creature. The ensuing battle leaves Clariel alone and on the run. She is taken to the Abhorsen, who she believes will do nothing to avenge her parents. So she is on her own with revenge in her heart and enemies whispering in her ear.
I listened to the Abhorsen trilogy years ago and loved them, and not only because Tim Curry does an excellent job of narrating the books. However, it has been so long since I read them that I have forgotten the stories a bit. I understand Clariel plays a part in the later books as a villain and can see how that would happen. She is such a clueless, poor character that you really couldn't help but feel sorry for her even as you wanted to slap her upside the head. Most of the things that go wrong are pretty much her fault. She doesn't have a clue what is going on and little interest in finding out. For most of the book she whines about wanting to go back to the Great Forest and live alone. She doesn't try to make the best of her situation or to adjust in any way. However, I think she is meant to be this poor lost soul so she can become who she does later. Does it make the most interesting book? Not really. Clariel isn't that likable and her stupidity and gullibility make her hard to sympathize with at times. The book drags in spots and just when it picks up it ends. It did make me want to reread the original trilogy though.