The Abhorsen Trilogy

[Vampyr]

During my Freshmen year of Highschool I was introduced to a compelling and mysterious novel known as "Sabriel". It was a fantasy novel written by an author of the name "Garth Nix", and Australian novelist.

The guy who had read it told me it was "cool". I honestly didnt have much hope for the book. The fantasy genre has become so bland lately. Almost everyone is trying to be like Tolkien, and nearly all fantasy novels are modeled after him.

But when I picked up Sabriel, I knew I had found something unique in the genre. Fantasy was nearing it's dooms day in my mind, but then on the day of reckoning I was saved by Sabriel, the Abhorsen.

I dont want to give away too much, but the story is set in a fictional world. There is a wall that seprates a modern day city known as Ancelstierre from a place known as the "Old Kingdom". Ancelstierre is a city like we live in today, with guns, cars, computers, telephones, etc. But, when you cross the wall you enter into a more dangerous raw world of sword and sorcery. And to keep things interesting, anything artificial or technological made in the world of Ancelstierre or other surrounding cities will not work in the old kingdom. Even something like paper will crumple and fall to pieces in the magic rich air of the Old Kingdom.

Nix even creates his own magic system. There is "charter magic", which is the "good" magic used by the good mages and the Abhorsen. The charter is almost like a book, only it has no pages, it simply exists. The "book" is filled with charter marks, which are like symbals. In order to use certain magics you have to draw the symbols with your fingers, say them, think them, draw them, or even whistle them.

Then, on the other end of the spectrum is Free magic, used my the evil sorcerers and it is what powers the evil creatures of the old kingdom.

The Abhorsen, or Sabriel, is a necromancer. She is the only good Necromancer in the world, for all other necromancers are free magic sorcerers. She only can fuse free magic with charter magic to fight against free magic creatures, necromancers, and the dead. The title of Abhorsen is passed down from generation to generation.

I want say any more of the plot, though I will say that Nix is an awesome writer who knows how to make you want to turn the page, and I highly recommend reading this book, along with the other two in the trilogy. "Lirael" and "The Abhorsen". I lack only a few pages until I finish "The Abhorsen". You will find that not only is Nix and awesome writer with an excellent vocabulary, but he has magnificent ways of describing things and controlling the pace of his novels.

These books managed to make me like fantasy again.

Also, if anyone is wondering, my Pet here on GT shares it's name with my favorite character from the books: Mogget. He is in fact a white cat that serves the Abhorsen...however he doesnt enjoy it. He has a collar that keeps him restrained into a cat form, and binds him to the will of the Abhorsen. In his true form he would like nothing more than to kill....

So, um, go read this trilogy. Or if you already have, give me some feedback, but dont tell me the ending of "The Abhorsen".

Also, are there any other non-cliche fantasy books you guys could recommend me?

[Ginkasa]

Woo! I'm always looking for some non-"I'm gonna be the next Tolkien by monkey see monkey do" fantasy books. As soon as I can, I'll check out these.

Also, if you're looking for non-Tolkien fantasy as well, you just need to look at George R.R. Martin and The Song of Ice and Fire series that I was talking about in my blog a month or two ago. The series is wonderful about plot twists and suprising you at almost every turn. The first book is almost more of a fictional medieval history book, but the second and definetely the third books show their fantasy.

Three have so far been released (A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords) with a fourth (A Feast of Crows) coming soon.


*shrugs and walks away*

[thatmariolover]

Originally Posted by Link1130

Woo! I'm always looking for some non-"I'm gonna be the next Tolkien by monkey see monkey do" fantasy books. As soon as I can, I'll check out these.

Also, if you're looking for non-Tolkien fantasy as well, you just need to look at George R.R. Martin and The Song of Ice and Fire series that I was talking about in my blog a month or two ago. The series is wonderful about plot twists and suprising you at almost every turn. The first book is almost more of a fictional medieval history book, but the second and definetely the third books show their fantasy.

Three have so far been released (A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords) with a fourth (A Feast of Crows) coming soon.



*shrugs and walks away*

w00t!!11!!1one!1 Yeah, the Song of Ice and Fire series is so freaking great. I can hardly wait for A Feast of Crows.

As for Abhorsen, I'll definitely look into it. Now that I work at Game Stop and get 30% off at Barnes and Noble I'm definitely more inclined to buy more books.

[Vampyr]

Wow. You guys seem to get very excited over those books Ginky mentioned, so I now feel that I must start hitting the libraries and book stores in search of them.

I love non-cliche fantasy, so I'm going to take your word for it.

Another series of books that I used to read back in middle school that I never finished but was enjoying immensely was something like "The Lost Scrolls of Merlin", by TA Barron. I'm not sure if that is the exact title of the series, but it's close. And it's also nothing like something Tolkein would write, so you guys might like it as well.

After I finish reading "The Abhorsen", I'm probably going to read "A Midsummer's Nights Dream", but these books that you have mentioned is deffinatly near the top of my "to read" list.

Some other fantasy series that I am very into at the moment (and are non-cliche) would be the Redwall series by Brian Jacques and The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. You may want to look into those as well.

I'm also going to try and read the Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman again. I tried to read it freshmen year but never quite finished it. Once again, it's a fantasy novel that manages to avoid cliche's.

[Ginkasa]

Originally Posted by Vampyr

Some other fantasy series that I am very into at the moment (and are non-cliche) would be the Redwall series by Brian Jacques and The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. You may want to look into those as well.

I read Redwall way back in fifth or sixth grade and loved it. Unfortunately, I had gotten it from the library and they didn't have any of the books after it; plus, I had nada money so I couldn't go and get any of the other's.

It slipped out of my mind until I bought Redwall and Mossflower a couple weeks ago. I saw them and went, "Wow! Gotta buy!" I haven't started on them, yet, but I plan to soon.

I tried to read Gunslinger a couple of years ago ago, but I wasn't able to really get into it. My dad had said, though, that at the time King wasn't planning on continuing the series. It might have killed my mood knowing that I was getting into a story without an end. Now that I'm seeing new ones coming out, I might try it out again...


*shrugs and walks away*

[ulala06]

i get it next... right? lol... GO WATCH ROSWELL!

[Ginkasa]

WTF?! O_o Off topic...


*shrugs and walks away*

[Vampyr]

Originally Posted by Link1130

WTF?! O_o Off topic...


*shrugs and walks away*

No kidding.

Ulala, you should at least give some back ground info so everyoen else knows what your talking about.

She wants to borrow my copy of the Abhorsen Trilogy after I finish it is what she was saying. And Sly lent me his season of Roswell, and she wants me to go watch it.

Although that last part really was off topic. o_O

[Canyarion]

Originally Posted by thatmariolover

w00t!!11!!1one!1 Yeah, the Song of Ice and Fire series is so freaking great. I can hardly wait for A Feast of Crows.

My brother wants me to read this. I'll do it after I've finished Sense and Sensibility (Austen), 3 Michael Crichton books and perhaps Unfinished Tales (Tolkien).