Synopses & Reviews
The Abhorsen Sabriel and King Touchstone are missing, leaving only Lirael -- newly come into her inheritance as the Abhorsen-in-Waiting -- to stop the Destroyer. If Orannis's un-speakable powers are unleashed, it will mean the end of all Life. With only a vision from the Clayr to guide her, and the help of her companions, Sam, the Disreputable Dog, and Mogget, Lirael must search in both Life and Death for some means to defeat the evil destructor -- before it is too late ...
The apocalyptic climax to the series of events that began with Sabriel and continued in Lirael, the New York Times best-selling Abhorsen is an electrifying reading experience not to be missed.
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"Even as Nix neatly ties off all the dangling plot threads, he hints that there are plenty of stories left to tell about the Old Kingdom. This one is breathtaking, bittersweet, and utterly unforgettable." Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
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"At once an allegory regarding war and peace and a testament to friendship, this thought-provoking fantasy...suggests that Nix may still have more tricks up his sleeve." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
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"A riveting conclusion to a powerful fantasy." Locus
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"[A] brilliant mix of subtlety and tension, darkness and light. Cliff-hanging action combines with Gothic gloom, occasionally leavened by flashes of wit....[P]eopled by strong and believable human and nonhuman characters." VOYA
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"Abhorsen is an excellent denouement for a fantasy that is both literary and popularly accessible." School Library Journal
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"The tension throughout the story is palatable, and despite a solid, satisfying conclusion, Nix leaves himself a bit of room to revisit his intricately designed universe..." Sally Estes, Booklist
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"Abhorsen will delight Nix's dedicated fans. Similar to Tamora Pierce's engaging heroines, this fantasy novel provides readers with a...strong, quick-thinking, compassionate young woman who triumphs against seemingly impossible odds." Leah Hanson, Children's Literature
About the Author
Garth Nix was born in 1963 in Melbourne, Australia, to the sound of the Salvation Army band outside playing Hail the Conquering Hero Comes or possibly Roll Out the Barrel. Garth left Melbourne at an early age for Canberra (the federal capital) and stayed there till he was nineteen, when he left to drive around the UK in a beat-up Austin with a trunk full of books and a Silver-Reed typewriter.
Despite a wheel literally falling off the Austin, Garth survived to return to Australia and study at the University of Canberra. After finishing his degree in 1986 he worked in a bookshop, then as a book publicist, a publishers sales representative, and editor. Along the way he was also a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve, serving in an Assault Pioneer platoon for four years. Garth left publishing to work as a public relations and marketing consultant from 1994-1997, till he became a full-time writer in 1998. He did that for a year before becoming a part-time literary agent in 1999. In January 2002 Garth went back to writing full time again, despite his belief that full-time writing explains the strange behaviour of many authors.
Garth currently lives in a beach suburb of Sydney, with his wife Anna, a publisher.