Lirael (Old Kingdom #2) by Garth Nix

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):
Lirael has never felt like a true daughter of the Clayr. Now, two years past the time when she should have received the Sight that is the Clayr's birthright, she feels alone, abandoned, unsure of who she is. Nevertheless, the fate of the Old Kingdom lies in her hands. With only her faithful companion, the Disreputable Dog, Lirael must undertake a desperate mission under the growing shadow of an ancient evil.

In this sequel to Sabriel, winner of the Aurealis Award for Excellence in Australian Science Fiction, New York Times best-selling author Garth Nix weaves a spellbinding tale of discovery, destiny, and danger.



 

My Review 
I was slightly reluctant to start reading this book, because I really liked Sabriel and her personality, so I didn't really want to meet a new hero just yet. But I did end up liking Lirael. There are two completely different sites of her: first, she is timid, shy and quiet with other people like the Clayr. But with her friend the Disreputable Dog, she is brave, talkative and has some sense of humour. I am still very happy, that Sabriel and Touchstone are still in this book.
And of course, our favourite star, Mogget, is back with all his talk, comments and sneers, just a bit (a lot) more sleepier, because he is under the influence of Ranna. Now I also liked the Disreputable Dog because she is almost as indirect and painfully truthful as Mogget. She also stays cheerful, even in very grim situations. Prince Sameth was a bit annoying though, because he was always so meek and timid and so very weak. Now, I understand that part of his spirit was ripped away and he is scared, but I was just really annoyed when he acted like that.
The adventure started a bit late in the book, but it made up for it with all the magic, danger and numerous near-death-experiences.
Overall, I think that I can give this book 4 out of 5 stars!

Sabriel (Old Kingdom #1) by Garth Nix

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):
Sent to a boarding school in Ancelstierre as a young child, Sabriel has had little experience with the random power of Free Magic or the Dead who refuse to stay dead in the Old Kingdom. But during her final semester, her father, the Abhorsen, goes missing, and Sabriel knows she must enter the Old Kingdom to find him. She soon finds companions in Mogget, a cat whose aloof manner barely conceals its malevolent spirit, and Touchstone, a young Charter Mage long imprisoned by magic, now free in body but still trapped by painful memories. As the three travel deep into the Old Kingdom, threats mount on all sides. And every step brings them closer to a battle that will pit them against the true forces of life and death—and bring Sabriel face-to-face with her own destiny.

With Sabriel, the first installment in the Abhorsen trilogy, Garth Nix exploded onto the fantasy scene as a rising star, in a novel that takes readers to a world where the line between the living and the dead isn't always clear—and sometimes disappears altogether.

My Review
The reason why I picked this book off the shelf was that the cover looked interesting, magical and I'm totally into stuff like that. When I read the back, I knew it was my kind of book.
It all starts with the prologue, where they gradually introduce the main characters: Abhorsen, Sabriel and Kerrigor, the antagonist. Then the actual story began. I didn't really enjoy the first 2 chapters or so that much, mostly because it was slightly boring and nothing was happening. Then realization dawned on me: this is taking place in a kind of modern age. The book had stuff like trucks, planes, tractors and whatnot. Now, the thing is that I expected this book to be set in ancient times, since the map on the front said "Old Kingdom". But the more I read this book, the more I enjoyed it and just couldn't put it down. I think that Mogget was my absolute favourite character. His aloof personality was so cool and his comments were funny. Touchstone annoyed me at the beginning, but I quickly warmed up to him. My only complaints were that it took me some time to memorize where everything was on the map and the names of the bells, so I always had to flip back to check what each bell does.
Overall, I really loved this book, it had an original idea with Death and Life. This book would be good for magic, adventure and fantasy lovers.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars!