Reviews

Lirael by Garth Nix

tregina's review against another edition

4.0

It's the wee hours of the morning right now but once I started reading, I just couldn't put it down. Fundamentally this is just the first half of a story, but it comes to a satisfying enough conclusion that it feels complete(ish). I know there are much larger concerns at work in this world, but honestly I think I could spend an entire series of books happily just exploring the depths of the secret libraries; Lirael is wonderful, as are all the heroines of this series.

bibliocinephile's review against another edition

5.0

THIS BOOK.

Where Sabriel shone, Lirael gleamed. Extra length was worth every word, as another character was tracked alongside her. The imagery was stunning, and the ideas that were a combination of Clayr and Abhorsen had beauty to them. One of the few times a sequel is better than the original

bhnmt61's review against another edition

3.0

We listened to this in the car on our family vacation. We only made it about halfway through while we were gone, and I just finally finished it this week. There are parts of it that are amazing- Lirael’s job as third assistant library in a huge, meandering library with mysterious magical rooms, the disreputable dog, and the Old Kingdom that Nix created in Sabriel and continues here. But there are also some major frustrations— both Lirael and Prince Sameth (who is the other main character, told in alternating chapters until they meet up near the end) are often as dumb as posts. Both of them take waaaaaaaaaay too long to come to a realization that is obvious to the reader after a third of the book. But as the middle book of a series, it was good and I am looking forward to Abhorsen.

spilliams's review against another edition

4.0

A bit odd. I only give it this rating with the understanding that I'm going to read the sequels. This book by itself doesn't really tie up many of its conflicts, certainly not the main ones.

marie_anne's review against another edition

adventurous

3.0

katieconrad's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

slawler's review against another edition

5.0

Slow to start, but a lot of YA-geared character building. I remember loving it as a teenager. Building up to a lot of character growth and action in the latter part of the book. A great sequel to Sabriel that really expands the world building.

jowithtwoiis's review against another edition

5.0

Listened to the audiobook of Tim Curry reading Lirael and my appreciation for this book and it's sequel has increased tenfold. Nix is an amazing storyteller who just doesn't get the love he deserves. I'm still holding out hope this series will be turned it to movies in my lifetime. It's a great blend of magic and horror that I always enjoy coming back to.

avsdhpn's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

fox_in_a_box's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

3.5