A review by stephilica
Across the Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories by Garth Nix

4.0

Yet another treat by author Garth Nix.

The first story is a short novella about Nicholas Sayre. It's an interesting take on Old Kingdom creatures in Ancelstierre, a formula that definitely made for interesting reading (but sadly meant we didn't see much of Lirael until the end of the novella...).

The collection also has two takes on Arthurian mythos, each with a slightly different angle than one might expect, a retelling of Hansel and Gretel in a modern setting, and other pleasurable shorts such as that of a boy in Australia whose father wants to sell the family Hill, a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure style short, and a science fiction twist on your typical Western, not to mention the prologue of his New Really Epic Fantasy Series. The collection is overall very enjoyable if a bit short, but that's why they are, after all, short stories.

Each story is introduced with a short note explaining when and why Nix first wrote the story, as well as some miscellaneous information about it. These provided rather useful at times for those who might be interested in that sort of information.

All in all, a quick read that somehow still retains enough detailed world-building to hint at worlds that could be explored if Nix just chose to, this collection will definitely delight a die-hard Nix fan, or even a more casual reader looking for something enjoyable to while away the time.