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adventurous
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
look i put 'sad' because when read after abhorsen it's a tragedy. let clariel be in the great forest you idiots!!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
I've been a fan of Garth Nix since I was ten. I've read the other Abhorsen Books at least once a year since they first came out. They are some of my favorite books and a couple years ago when I first heard that Nix was working on a prequel, I could hardly contain my excitement. My anticipation only grew the closer and closer it came to Clariel's release date and when the book arrived on my doorstep three days ago I literally jumped around with glee. Once, when I was younger, I might have stayed up all night to finish the book as quickly as possible, but these days I've got commitments, so I restrained my reading to every waking hour.
Sometimes, I get so excited for books or movies that I'm let down when they're finally released and aren't quite what I imagined them to be. Not so with Clariel. With every page turn I grew more excited, re-immersing myself in one of the best worlds ever created in YA fantasy. It was like seeing an old friend and finding that despite all the years and miles between your last meeting that you get on as though you'd never been apart at all. It was wonderful to see the Old Kingdom once more with its Charter Magic and Paperwings and of course the wonderful Mogget and it was over all too soon, except that Nix promises, at the very end, that he is working on another Old Kingdom novel and I couldn't be happier.
I now intend to reread the other Abhorsen books, including The Creature in the Case.
Sometimes, I get so excited for books or movies that I'm let down when they're finally released and aren't quite what I imagined them to be. Not so with Clariel. With every page turn I grew more excited, re-immersing myself in one of the best worlds ever created in YA fantasy. It was like seeing an old friend and finding that despite all the years and miles between your last meeting that you get on as though you'd never been apart at all. It was wonderful to see the Old Kingdom once more with its Charter Magic and Paperwings and of course the wonderful Mogget and it was over all too soon, except that Nix promises, at the very end, that he is working on another Old Kingdom novel and I couldn't be happier.
I now intend to reread the other Abhorsen books, including The Creature in the Case.
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Eh. Really not all that necessary for fans of the Abhorsen series, as far as I can see. Yet I honestly found myself enjoying this more than the main Abhorsen series, and I think that is because Nix has produced so many other books in the meantime that he has really honed his craft. He was a good writer to begin with, but there's a definitely rise in quality in this volume. So if you're a BIG Abhorsen fan, you'll probably be all over this, but you will be so confused if you've never read the books.
It was pretty nice to see a return of Mogget, after the wrenching end of “Abhorsen.” Really, he's the most compelling character in the series, and him being gone is going to make the next book feel a bit odd. And I especially loved how, in this book, Mogget is pretty unashamedly chaotic in nature, if not downright evil. Mogget has always been a self-serving character, but here, he takes advantage of some great opportunities.
Clariel is a bit...TOO “not like other girls” for my tastes. Her parents are encouraging her to make a marriage deal, but all she wants to do is run off and live in the wilds. I did like that her school, ostensibly a finishing school for women going into married life, actually works WITH her, meeting her parents half way by putting her in some classes which will benefit her in a wifely/business position, and in some that will be best suited for a hard life out of civilization. But her time there is so brief that it almost feels like a tacked on section of the story.
This is definitely not to be placed first on an Abhorsen series reading list. It doesn't have the same draw as “Sabriel,” where we're thrown into the necromatic world of the actual Abhorsen, rather than the drama of a relative of the Abhorsen. So, if you have a child or friend that picked this up for reading, do them a favor and send over the original trilogy and make sure they go with that, first. “Clariel” may have better writing quality, but Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen have all the world-building and intense action that will make new readers into avid fans.
It was pretty nice to see a return of Mogget, after the wrenching end of “Abhorsen.” Really, he's the most compelling character in the series, and him being gone is going to make the next book feel a bit odd. And I especially loved how, in this book, Mogget is pretty unashamedly chaotic in nature, if not downright evil. Mogget has always been a self-serving character, but here, he takes advantage of some great opportunities.
Clariel is a bit...TOO “not like other girls” for my tastes. Her parents are encouraging her to make a marriage deal, but all she wants to do is run off and live in the wilds. I did like that her school, ostensibly a finishing school for women going into married life, actually works WITH her, meeting her parents half way by putting her in some classes which will benefit her in a wifely/business position, and in some that will be best suited for a hard life out of civilization. But her time there is so brief that it almost feels like a tacked on section of the story.
This is definitely not to be placed first on an Abhorsen series reading list. It doesn't have the same draw as “Sabriel,” where we're thrown into the necromatic world of the actual Abhorsen, rather than the drama of a relative of the Abhorsen. So, if you have a child or friend that picked this up for reading, do them a favor and send over the original trilogy and make sure they go with that, first. “Clariel” may have better writing quality, but Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen have all the world-building and intense action that will make new readers into avid fans.
Very nice to have this part of the story. I did get irritated with some facets of Clariel's character, mostly . I also felt like there were some things that were named (like some specific breed of hounds) that just seemed to be named to give a different feel than the books later in the chronology of the world. Other than that, it was good. Also, I want more Belatiel.
Spoiler
the overwhelming drive to get back to the forest which I feel could have been conveyed in different waysSpoiler
I liked seeing a character that was different than the other Abhorsens we know and how she played a crucial part in the world, but not in the way of a hero exactly.
medium-paced
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
As much as I loved the previous old kingdom books, this is not the same. Clariel is not as fully imagined as Sabriel, Lirael, and Sam, and it's very difficult to empathize with her. Her troubles are mostly of her own making, and it's difficult, even in context, to imagine why she makes the choices she does. Unfortunate, because there's a wonderful potential story in writing from the POV of this type of character. It's also not as full a story as the other books. I don't feel like I gleaned as much information about the Old Kingdom as in books past. Disappointing, though I'm glad I read it.