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A review by jennicjul
The Abhorsen Trilogy Box Set by Garth Nix
4.0
There's something very *pure* about this trilogy that I can't quite put my finger on. Honestly, I think if I'd read these books as a teen, I would've been confused and bored, though that would have been the result of my own inattention. Reading them now, I can see the intense and subtle care that has gone into the crafting of Nix's world, especially in the way that magic functions, both as a structured utilitarian system (charter magic) and a natural, untempered chaotic force (free magic). There's a lot more to explain about how necromancy fits into this, how the Abhorsen stands in as a kind of one-person army, maintaining order between the living and the dead.
Point of view is third person omniscient, but there is no Hagrid-like gatekeeper to guide us along and instruct us about what's what and who's who; we must instead infer the world's inner workings from how characters suss out whatever situations are going on around them. The end result is an exploratory close-to-the-ground experience viewed over the shoulders of the trilogy's protagonists, Sabriel and Lirael, two quiet but highly independent and active characters. You could even say that the triology is, at it's core, about young women setting off on their own, executing plans (however flawed), and solving seemingly insurmountable problems.
There's also a talking cat, and a talking dog, and they are both very good and magical.
The trilogy isn't perfect. It's villains are not as complex or as frightening as they could be; their motives are not where the narrative's interests lie. When the endgame boss's ultimate goal is the debasement and destruction of all things everywhere, there's not much doubt as to whether or not the protags will succeed in their quests. But it's still a fun ride in the meantime.
Point of view is third person omniscient, but there is no Hagrid-like gatekeeper to guide us along and instruct us about what's what and who's who; we must instead infer the world's inner workings from how characters suss out whatever situations are going on around them. The end result is an exploratory close-to-the-ground experience viewed over the shoulders of the trilogy's protagonists, Sabriel and Lirael, two quiet but highly independent and active characters. You could even say that the triology is, at it's core, about young women setting off on their own, executing plans (however flawed), and solving seemingly insurmountable problems.
There's also a talking cat, and a talking dog, and they are both very good and magical.
The trilogy isn't perfect. It's villains are not as complex or as frightening as they could be; their motives are not where the narrative's interests lie. When the endgame boss's ultimate goal is the debasement and destruction of all things everywhere, there's not much doubt as to whether or not the protags will succeed in their quests. But it's still a fun ride in the meantime.