Status
Available
Local notes
PB Nix
Collection
Genres
Publication
Harper Trophy (2002), 705 pages
Description
When a dangerous necromancer threatens to unleash a long-buried evil, Lirael and Prince Sameth are drawn into a battle to save the Old Kingdom and reveal their true destinies.
Subjects
Awards
Mythopoeic Awards (Finalist — Children's Literature — 2005)
Aurealis Award (Shortlist — Fantasy Novel — 2001)
Ditmar Award (Winner — 2002)
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (Nominee — High School — 2004)
WAYRBA: Western Australia Young Readers Book Award (Winner — Older Readers — 2003)
Isinglass Teen Read Award (Nominee — 2003)
South Australian Literary Awards (Winner — Children's Literature — 2002)
Locus Recommended Reading (2001)
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 2002)
CCBC Choices (2001)
Young Adult Favorites Award (2003)
OYAN Book Rave (2002)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2001
2002 (Nederlandse vertaling)
Physical description
705 p.; 4.19 inches
User reviews
LibraryThing member dk_phoenix
I kept seeing the 'Group Read' thread for this one, and... though I started months after everyone else... I finally succumbed to temptation and picked it up. Of course, now I'm a little miffed because my planned reads pile is enormous enough already without adding [Abhorsen] to it right now, but
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.
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how can I not read the next book with an ending like that?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.
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LibraryThing member octoberdad
I was a bit disappointed in this book. The Empire Strikes Back notwithstanding, I generally think mid-series stories should still have plots of their own, even as they set up the next story. This one did not – it seemed primarily concerned with making revelations that were too long in coming and
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.
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which were not all that revelatory in the end. It also spent way too much time on characters not Lirael (*cough*Sameth*cough) to be called Lirael.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.
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LibraryThing member krisiti
Good YA series. I liked Lirael, the Clayr, the necromancy, little touches like the city on a bridge. (Very sensible in a world with undead who can't cross running water.) Sam I liked less, and his bossy sister. Sabriel and Touchstone struck me as rather ineffective parents - Sabriel certainly
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should have seen something was wrong with Sam's necromancy. I suppose they did need to see that their children would have a world to grow up in, but still, she could have managed a half-hour conversation with her son.The Clayr made rather poor parents for Lirael also. The twins were watching over her, her aunt did in the end love her, but well-intentioned as they were, they didn't do much. I liked the Clayr library. Nix didn't seem to have much idea what librarians do, though. There were no patrons, and who was it that said they could rarely find books in that library? They seemed more like archivists - custodians of physical books and other artifacts.I liked the library in that Volsky book better; librarian-scholars, debates over footnoting, and necromancy in the cellar. I wonder if there's some general link between librarians and necromancy? This is the second place I've encountered it, and there really aren't that many fantasy librarians - the Orangutang, I guess, he isn't a necromancer, but he is a wizard. Must read that Edghill series some day. Show Less
LibraryThing member farnsworthk
This book was so good, I had difficulties putting it down. While I really liked Sabriel, I didn't fully appreciate the world-building until I started Lirael and walked through it again. The world in this series is really excellently done and the characters are interesting as well. The real beauty
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of Lirael is the library though. I can hope Nix revisits it in the next book. Show Less
LibraryThing member aleahmarie
The second installment of Garth Nix' Abhorsen trilogy surprised me. In book one we watch Sabriel grow up into a top-notch Abhorsen who kicks undead butt. I was really ready to watch her give them hell in book two, but it wasn't meant to be. Instead I only glimpsed Sabriel from afar as seen through
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.
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the eyes of her nearly grown son, Sameth. Sam is supposed to be the next Abhorsen but he has a nearly phobic aversion to the responsibility. He is such a pitiable figure that it's uncomfortable to be in his skin for any length of time. Luckily, most of the story is told from the point of view of Lirael, a daughter of the Clayr. The Clayr are a community who live in the northernmost reaches of the Old Kingdom and whose responsibility it is to use their Sight to aid the Abhorsen. Lirael is well past the age when she should have received her Sight and finds herself more and more isolated from her sister Clayr. But rather than presenting a pitiful figure, Lirael is a survivor. She finds solace in the library and with her only real friend, the Disreputable Dog.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.
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LibraryThing member magemanda
This is the second book in the Abhorsen trilogy, although events have moved on from the first book (Sabriel). We pick up the story about twenty years after the end of Sabriel - she and Touchstone are now, respectively, the Abhorsen and King of the Old Kingdom.
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.
One part of the story deals with their
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son, Sameth. He has attended school in Ancelstierre and grown up there, with only occasional trips back into the Old Kingdom. It is generally expected that he will follow in the footsteps of his mother and is termed the Abhorsen-in-Waiting since he is able to feel death, and has travelled into Death with Sabriel. Close to the end of his time at school, Sam and the cricket team he is part of are attacked by a wave of the dead, and Sam is badly injured by the necromancer Hedge when he attempts to go into Death with no bells of protection. After this, he suffers from depression, self-pity and almost-phobia of anything connected to death. 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.
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LibraryThing member klarusu
The second book of the Abhorsen Saga and, in my opinion, better than 'Sabriel'. It was a more fully fleshed out novel. While 'Sabriel' did a good job of constructing the world in which these books are set, Lirael makes it grow more. It primarily follows the story of Lirael, a daughter of the Clayr
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.
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(a group of people with some kind of psychic ability) as she finds her place in the world. She is without the 'sight' and feels out of place and outcast in her own society. This tale recounts her quest to discover her true calling and although by the end of it the reader has already guessed what this is, it still entertains en route. The book is definitely improved by the presence of the Disreputable Dog (although, despite Nix's assertion that Dog is female, for me the voice it spoke in was always male) - I can't imagine a more mishchievous companion. We don't lose contact with Sabriel and her family either - now an adult with children, one of whom is the focus for the second storyline that runs throughout this book. 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.
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LibraryThing member sweird
Sabriel & Touchstone do make it out of their adventure in Sabriel, and marry. They also have two kids. These developments are quite good, but what isn't is that someone is trying to awaken an Ancient Evil somewhere in the Old Kingdom, and they can't quite figure out what's up. So off they go to
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.
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their friends, the Clayr - seers of the future. We meet the protagonist in the Glacier of the Clayr: Lirael, a dark-haired daughter of the Clayr (who are almost universally blond) whose mother abandoned her when she was five. She is now fourteen, and still doesn't have the Sight, which depresses her so much she decides to throw herself off a mountain. Instead, she encounters some of the higher ups, who rescue her from her depression by giving her a job in the great library. In the process of exploring her new domain, Lirael awakens a monster and makes herself a pet dog - the Disreputable Dog, with whose help she defeats the monster she woke and starts exploring more of the library. On her nineteenth birthday - still with no Sight in sight, she explores so far down as to encounter the tombs of the Clayr, and past them, toward something that has been waiting for her. Suddenly, the higher-ups arrive once more, and send her off on a mission of critical importance.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.
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LibraryThing member mazeway
About half-way through, I thought, "This is the best zombie book ever!" It's supremely creepy,when you really think about what's going on. But it's not about the monsters, and Lirael is a very engaging character. Butt-kicking librarians, what's not to like? When I started it, I was a little annoyed
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to have lost Sabriel as a main character, as I'd really come to like her, but Lirael replaces her quite nicely. Show Less
LibraryThing member CeridwynR
This is one of my favourite books ever, with one of my favourite heroines. It's odd, because Lirael is full of self pity, but I like how active she is about things. Her journey is wonderful. The Disreputable Dog is a fabulously original character and her mystery interests me every time I read about
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her. I like the deepening of the world we discovered in Sabriel and the ongoing adventures. I like the way Sameth is self-doubting and cowardly but it is then revealed that he's just been caught up in expectations that don't fit with who he is. Both characters hold a beautiful message for young adults in their discovery of who they are versus who they expected or wanted to be.It is really obvious that Lirael and Abhorsen were written together and quite a while after Sabriel. Show Less
LibraryThing member tiamatq
This is, without a doubt, my favorite book in the Abhorsen series. It may have something to do with being a librarian, but I think it has much more to do with Lirael and her insecurities, strengths, and maybe even her dog. I mean, the Disreputable Dog may be the best talking dog EVER. The only time
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I found myself slowing down with this book is during Sam's parts. I wish I liked Sam more, but he tends to irk me with his whining and avoiding of problems. I'm not sure why I'm cool with Lirael's depression and not Sam's, but there you go. The only thing that makes this book better is listening to Tim Curry read it. This is a great mix of fantasy, a little horror, magic, and some issues that every teen (and older) deals with. Show Less
LibraryThing member danbarrett
Second in the series, and not as interesting as the first, I thought. These books are fun reads and good for those times you just want some escapism and not much else.
LibraryThing member FieryNight
A superb sequel to Sabriel, full of suspense and unexpected twists. I never wanted to set it down, though I liked Sabriel's coming-into-Abhorsenship story better than Lirael's. I am very grateful, however that Sam is not the Abhorsen--loved the twist that he was a Wallmaker.
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LibraryThing member dreamless
They call it Lirael, but there's another main character in it, too; they're equally displaced, but he spends way too long--well after you're all 'I get it, dude, you're not supposed to be here' and have seen the solution--sulking and being unpleasant. A solid middle book, though, for all that; more
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neat magic. Show Less
LibraryThing member olyra
this is one of my favorite fantasy books of all time. i really love the the character in it. i can relate to her in a lot of ways.
LibraryThing member chibimajo
Sequel to Sabriel.
Focuses on Lirael, a Clayr who does not have the Sight, but is allowed to become a library assistant.
Focuses on Lirael, a Clayr who does not have the Sight, but is allowed to become a library assistant.
LibraryThing member allify
Far superior to the first book in the series, Sabriel. I could connect with the characters more and there was considerably more action, twists and turns. Nix never makes it easy for his characters!
LibraryThing member Crewman_Number_6
I would have rated this book higher, except I hate when an author doesn't finish the story in one book. I feel like it is an unnecessary marketing gimick, if your story is good, I will read the next, no need for the cliffhanger. Why should I wait for the ending in a new book when you could have
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.
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finished the book in the first place and wrote a new story?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.
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LibraryThing member t1bnotown
Lireal and Abhorsen by Garth Nix were better reads than Sabriel, with the parts of Lireal forcusing on Lireal being the best parts. Sameth can be really obnoxious. I recommend the trilogy.
LibraryThing member bikerevolution
Dude, half of this book takes place in a library! Lirael is the librarian's assistant at her school. She doesn't fit in at all; all of her classmates, even girls years younger than her, have become seers. Even her appearance is different. Instead of being a creepy psychic blonde aryan, she looks
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 sh*t.
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like Lydia from Beetlejuice. Awesome.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 sh*t.
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LibraryThing member vidroth
Though listed as the "second book of the Abhorsen trilogy," the reality is "Sabriel" stands alone, and "Lirael" and "Abhorsen" are one long novel, though they're two books.
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.
I'm pointing out this technicality because "Lirael" is set a number of years after "Sabriel" and stars a different heroine. My
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experience is that readers find Lirael's story a little difficult, even whiny, at first, but after a few chapters they come to wish great things for her.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.
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LibraryThing member Homechicken
This book was a great read. Nix tells quite a story in this second book of the series. Although not much of a continuation of the first book, this second book doesn’t resolve any issues, and leaves that (I can only assume) to the final book, Abhorsen.
Lirael is about a Daughter of the Clayr who is
Lirael is about a Daughter of the Clayr who is
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different from the other Clayr, but doesn’t understand why. In her search for belonging, she becomes friends with the Disreputable Dog, who accompanies her on her journey to save the Prince’s friend from the evil necromancer, Hedge. Many revelations about Lirael’s past and future are revealed, but won’t be complete until the final book. I can’t wait to start reading it! Show Less
LibraryThing member GrrlEditor
A very enjoyable YA read, extremely well executed. The disreputable dog is one of my favorite characters ever!
LibraryThing member xfry
I didn't enjoy it as much as the first book, but I did like it. The setup into the next book is a little far fetched, but works. The characters are well fleshed out.
LibraryThing member nm.spring08.t.keeton
Another hit by Garth Nix as he brings in a lot of new characters to love and a lot more adventure to keep you on the edge of your seat. A very different story from Sabriel, Lirael is just as captivating but retains a self figure that makes it much different from the previous or next book but just
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as good. Show Less
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