Lirael by Garth Nix
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is for both Lirael and Abhorson as both books are part of the same story arc. I’m also assuming you read the first book, Sabriel.

Since I’m reviewing two books at a go, there are a lot of incidents happening in the story arc, though none are boring. Starting with the backstories of the two main characters Lirael and Sameth, which are filled with woe, terror, and excitement. You the reader will be able to identify or empathise with either one of the main characters very easily.

Once the two characters finally set off on their quest and meet each other on the road, the path to the climax begins. However, at this point, the story becomes slighty predictable. At any point if something looks amiss, it is amiss. Then it will be followed by the characters and their animal guardians getting out of trouble. What makes the story interesting is the magic system, the fictional world of death, minor plot twists and revelations, and how some of the instances are resolved.

There’s not much of a climax in the Lirael (book 2) I’m afraid. It ends rather abruptly and you have to continue on into Abhorsen (book 3) to read the real climax. The climax though exciting, suffers from feeling like a re-hash of the climax in Sabriel (book 1). A lot of elements and actions are the same throughout, although the resolution and endings are different.

I liked the characters in these two books a lot. They were varied and did show much character development. It was satisfying to see how the main characters dealt with the situation at hand or after being given a revelation about their past.

If you are a fan of the original book, Sabriel, you will definitely want to read these two books. Any fantasy reader looking for an original fantasy setting most definitely will want to read this series.

Score Breakdown:
Story/Plot (50%): 4/5
Character Development (25%): 5/5
Writing style (25%): 3/5

Total : 4/5

Disclaimers:
– I read this as an audiobook

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