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Lirael has never felt like a true daughter of the Clayr. Abandoned by her mother, ignorant of her father's identity, Lirael resembles no one else in her large extended family living in the Clayr's glacier. She doesn't even have the Sight--the ability to See into the present and possibly futures--that is the very birthright of the Clayr. Nonetheless, it is Lirael in whose hands the fate of the Old Kingdom lies. She must undertake a desperate mission under the growing shadow of an ancient evil--one that opposes the Royal Family, blocks the Sight of the Clayr, and threatens to break the very boundary between Life and Death itself. With only her faithful companion, the Disreputable Dog to help her, Lirael must find the courage to seek her own hidden destiny.… (more)
User reviews
However, I was rather surprised at how long it took for things to get going in this book. I don't recall the plot being delayed for quite so long in [Sabriel], but at least everything else that happened in [Lirael] was interesting enough to keep me reading regardless of the missing plot. When things did pick up, I saw how the earlier events tied into what was happening, but still... an impatient person might put the book down before then. Mind you, if you're invested in the characters (very easy to do), you'll keep reading & find yourself entertained by it.
I also preferred the worldbuilding in [Lirael] to what we had in [Sabriel]. At times in the first book, it felt like explanations were missing, like Nix threw us into a world without direction -- but in here, we get a deeper explanation of the Charter, how Charter stones and symbols work, and (I thought, anyway) a clearer picture of what it means to go into Death.
I won't say much else other than this: Don't read it without the third book sitting by your side. When everything comes together, it really comes together, and you'll be itching to start book three as soon as this one ends.
That said, what we get of Lirael and the Clayr is generally great, and I continue to enjoy learning how the two forms of magic – free magic and Charter magic – work and are differentiated. Lirael's adventures in the library are especially great. I only hope that the payoff in the next book is worth the somewhat slogging buildup in this one.
The Clayr have a vision that forces Lirael out of her comfort zone and out of the only home she's ever known. Will she find her true calling? What will it be? Although not what I expected, another fun read from Mr. Nix. I'm quite excited for book three.
One part of the story deals with their
Alongside his story we meet Lirael, a daughter of the Clayr. She has always been an outsider, both due to her colouring (dark hair and eyes compared to the mostly blonde and blue-eyed Clayr) and the fact that no one knows who her father is. She is fourteen when we first meet her, and unable to use the Sight - the magical gift of the Clayr to see into the future. As she grows more and more lonely and worthless, she is finally given a position in the Clayr Library, where she learns much more about Charter Magic (including creating the Disreputable Dog, a mysterious character created of Charter and Free magic - somewhat similar to Mogget in Sabriel). Her storyline leads her to the almost-forgotten talents of being a Remembrancer, someone who is able to go into Death to see back in time.
The two plots draw together eventually when Lirael and Sam meet up on their respective journeys and learn what extreme peril the Old Kingdom is in from the actions of Hedge, Chlorr (one of the Greater Dead) and Nicholas - an old school friend of Sam's who has been drawn into the events occurring.
So... this was definitely a more complicated plot and clocked in at a couple of hundred pages more than Sabriel. Generally the extra pages were used to good effect, although there were a few occasions when I felt the story was drifting somewhat.
This was especially when we first met Lirael - we experienced in great depth her misery and suicidal tendencies from not gaining the Sight, and these passages, although necessary to create Lirael's situation, did drag somewhat. As soon as she was given a position in the Library, her storyline trundled along merrily, and the addition of the Dog was a great touch (although I did prefer Mogget)!
Sam came across very badly as a character and I had very little sympathy for him. Sure, his mother was not around a great deal during the time he was growing up, but on the occasions they came together they seemed to have a warm and loving relationship - so why did he not feel able to talk to his mother about his fear of Death? This was frustrating to me, but maybe I am not putting myself in the shoes of a young man who has great expectatons laid on his shoulders.
The Library was fantastic! The descriptions of this immense space, with the hidden doors that led to strange and unusual rooms, was brilliant - I wish I could be a Librarian there!
I also loved the coming-of-age nature of the story. Lirael, especially, went through a massive development arc, so that at the end of the book we left her as a sensible and rather serious young woman who knew what her duties needed to be. Even Sam redeemed himself somewhat, although he came across as incredibly cowardly (although, again, maybe I should cut him some slack - the descriptions of Hedge were terrifying enough that I don't think I would want to face him more than once!)
One complaint about Lirael's story is that, as soon as she started to sense the Dead in her role as Remembrancer, it was signposted pretty heavily what the resolution to her particular story would be - and who her father might have been. I would have liked a little more mystery about this, but it is a fairly minor complaint when held up against the brilliance of the story.
Nix writes in a fantastically compelling manner - the short chapters and the efficiency of the prose invites you to read without putting the book down. His descriptions are highly effective - especially of places. Not only the Library, but the Reservoir where the Royal family met in one scene and the Abhorsen House are described so that you actually feel you have been there. Great stuff!
I must warn that Lirael is not a complete story, as Sabriel was - here, the story looks to continue immediately in Abhorsen, the third book, so I would highly recommend having a copy of this to hand due to the cliffhanger ending.
I really wonder why it has taken so long for me to catch up with what is rapidly becoming one of my favourite YA sequences. Excellent and recommended.
Again, it isn't monumental writing - nothing to stir the soul. Neither is it in any way bad writing. It's a good tale, efficiently told.
That mission ties into what's been happening with Sabriel and Touchstone's son, Sameth. After being attacked in Ancelstierre by a rogue necromancer, Sameth is terrified of taking over his mother's legacy as Abhorsen. Meanwhile, one of his friends, Nick, has been corrupted by the necromancer to help him dig up the Ancient Evil and transport it across the border. Sameth embarks on a journey to rescue his friend, meeting up with Mogget (who figured he'd be needed) and Lirael and the Disreputable Dog after a narrow escape from some dead zombies. The four continue their journey towards Abhorsen's house, and upon arrival Lirael comes to understand her parentage and her duty.
This book cannot stand alone, but it does do a nice fleshing out of the world and the evolution of the Old Kingdom since Sabriel and Touchstone's battle with the antagonist in the first book. The characters are quite nicely developed, none being so like another that they are derivative, and the relationships are clearly different among them. I think Mogget had become my favorite character by this point, being a snarky know-it-all.
I
Focuses on Lirael, a Clayr who does not have the Sight, but is allowed to become a library assistant.
Other than this, I really enjoyed this book. I was completely immersed in it from page one. While I really enjoyed Sabriel, I felt like this was a richer story with better development. I just wish it would have been a complete story in itself and not just a first half.
The library turns out to be a den of mysteries, and after some adventures exploring its seedy underbelly, she is gifted with some news of her true family history and destiny. Yes! Another fantastic journey! I love this shit.
I'm pointing out this technicality because "Lirael" is set a number of years after "Sabriel" and stars a different heroine. My
As with "Sabriel," this is a great book in a stunningly-conceived world, told with vivid prose that keeps the pages turning.
Don't be alarmed if you find this in the YA section of the bookstore. It's there because most of Nix's other work is YA. This is not.
Lirael is about a Daughter of the Clayr who is