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Garth Nix
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Abhorsen (Old Kingdom, 3) Paperback – January 20, 2004

by Garth Nix (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 3,438 ratings
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In the final book in the Old Kingdom trilogy, master of fantasy and globally bestselling author Garth Nix returns to the fantastic world of Sabriel for an unforgettable conclusion. "Breathtaking, bittersweet, and utterly unforgettable.” *

After centuries in captivity, the Destroyer is nearly free.

Beneath the earth, a malignant force lies waiting, greedy for freedom from its ancient prison. As the Old Kingdom falls once more into a realm of darkness and terror, the people look desperately to the Abhorsen, the scourge of the Dead, to save them. Yet Abhorsen Sabriel is lost, missing in Ancelstierre.

Only Lirael has any chance of stopping the Destroyer. With her companions Sameth, Mogget and the Disreputable Dog, she travels across the Old Kingdom in a race against time, battling Shadow Hands and dark necromancers to reach Ancelstierre before it is too late. But what hope can one young woman have against a terrible evil with the power to destroy life itself?

This eagerly awaited conclusion to Garth Nix’s extraordinary trilogy of Old Kingdom books is a complex and vividly imagined story, powerful, terrifying and compelling.

“Terror, courage, bitterness, love, desperation, and sacrifice all swirl together in an apocalyptic climax that pits both Life and Death together against the destruction of everything."  —Kirkus*

Previous page
  1. Book 3 of 5
    Old Kingdom
  2. Print length
    518 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    HarperTeen
  5. Publication date
    January 20, 2004
  6. Grade level
    8 - 9
  7. Reading age
    13 - 17 years
  8. Dimensions
    4.19 x 1.32 x 6.75 inches
  9. ISBN-10
    0060528737
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0060528737
  11. Lexile measure
    890L
  12. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Breathtaking, bittersweet, and utterly unforgettable.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

— Publishers Weekly (starred review)

— Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Praise for SABRIEL: “Rich, complex, involving, hard to put down, excellent high fantasy.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Nix has created an ingenious, icy world. The action charges along at a gallop. A page-turner for sure.” — ALA Booklist (starred review)

“By turns rousing, charming and slyly funny, Sabriel is an engaging tale that slays sexual stereotypes along with its monsters.” — San Francisco Chronicle

Sabriel is a winner, a fantasy that reads like realism. Here is a world with the same solidity and four dimensional authority as our own, created with invention, clarity, and intelligence. I congratulate Garth Nix. And I look forward to reading his next piece of work.” — Philip Pullman

“A wonderful new fantasy filled with rich and complex imagery.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

“Nix’s monsters are scary and repulsive, his sense of humor is downright sneaky, and he puts his heroine through engrossing physical and emotional wringers. This book is guaranteed to keep readers up way past their bedtimes.” — School Library Journal

“A compelling fantasy. The story is remarkable for the level of originality and leaves readers to explore for themselves.” — Horn Book Magazine

Praise for LIRAEL: “Riveting.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Superb characterization." — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

— Publishers Weekly

“The action charges along at a gallop--a page turner for sure.” — ALA Booklist (starred review)

From the Back Cover

Orannis the Destroyer has been freed

And only Lirael, newly come into her inheritance as the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, has any chance of stopping it. She and her companions -- Sam, the Disreputable Dog, and Mogget -- have to take that chance. If Orannis's unspeakable powers are unleashed, it will mean the end of all Life. With the help of her companions and a vision from the Clayr to guide her, Lirael must search in both Life and Death for some means to defeat the Destroyer -- before it is too late. . . .

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperTeen (January 20, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 518 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0060528737
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0060528737
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 - 17 years
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 890L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 8 - 9
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.19 x 1.32 x 6.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 3,438 ratings

About the author

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Garth Nix

Garth Nix

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Garth Nix has worked as a bookseller, book sales representative, publicist, editor, marketing consultant and literary agent. He also spent five years as a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve. A full-time writer since 2001, more than five million copies of his books have been sold around the world and his work has been translated into 40 languages. Garth's books have appeared on the bestseller lists of The New York Times, Publishers Weekly (US), The Bookseller(UK), The Australian and The Sunday Times (UK). He lives in Sydney, Australia, with his wife and two children.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
3,438 global ratings
Great Story! Must have series!!
5 Stars
Great Story! Must have series!!
A wonderful conclusion to the series! If you have not yet read Sabriel and Lirael, purchase those too and read them first for a full helping of this gigantic adventure.
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Top reviews from the United States

Liz NYC
5.0 out of 5 stars Best ending of any fantasy novel.
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2014
Verified Purchase
Sabriel the first of the triology is spell binding. The book carries you much like, the river of death, from start to finish. Sabriel is a strong female lead, who truly lives up to her families blood title, the Abhorsen! The necromancers who kill the dead, walking them past the ninth and final gate into total death. The next in the series Lirael was not as strong as a stand alone read. The story falters with the continuous self doubt of Lirael however, quickly changes pace with the introduction of truly, the most fascinating companion The Disreputable Dog! Dog as she's called is clearly a powerful friend of her Mistress though allows Lirael to come into her own. She is a loyal friend who protects her Mistress that borne her into the world, accidentally of course ;) Lirael establishes a journey of a thousand steps all beginning with the first, leaving her home, the only place she's ever known. The book ends with a whirl wind cliff hanger and jumps right into the last and final book The Abhorsen. The book brings home Lirael as a strong magician wielding her Charter Magic with ease as we all now see what Dog, had seen from the very beginning, Lirael as a loner with great curiosity is the sole key to unlock the Destoryers undoing. Her hard bitten exterior and inner shyness make her the prefect breaker of old terrible magic.
The last page and last paragraph have never made me so happy to see a main character (could be any of the great characters) fall into the thralls of death :)
I've read many many many books and that last few pages, those last few unveilings give this book and it's series the best ending ever. These books will scratch any itch you have about magic and death, life and mystery. It was dark and hearty at the same time. A wonderful read that makes all readers wish they had a Mogget or Disreputable Dog to call a friend.
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Sue McDade
5.0 out of 5 stars Great story of Magic and life
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2023
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These stories are well written. I eagerly read the first 3 books . I will continue to read more. A nice adventure.
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Sneaky Burrito
4.0 out of 5 stars pace is much better than in book two
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2017
Verified Purchase
I finished this book yesterday and don't feel like I have a lot to say about it, which is weird. I think part of my issue is that this really just felt like the second half of a book as opposed to a book on its own. The second volume in this series, Lirael, ended abruptly, and I feel like the reader would've been better served for some of Lirael to be cut and the rest to be merged into this volume. There may be some spoilers for the previous books in here.

But this is a review of Abhorsen, book 3, not of Lirael or of the whole series. As such, I did enjoy this book. That is not surprising -- most of the action and conflict was packed into the second half of this story, or in other words, into this volume. So the pacing was fast, there was lots of action and danger, there were some clever endings to confrontations, etc. I think that is why I finished it in about two days, despite it being the middle of the week and me having to go to work and such. Finishing a book that quickly is a good sign for me; it indicates the book kept my interest pretty much all the way through.

If you are new to this series, go back and start with Sabriel, the first book. It introduces you to the world of the Old Kingdom and some of the magic system. And then even though I feel book 2 is a bit weaker, you'll need it because the plot of this book is set up there. At that point, you'll be familiar with the world, the creatures, the characters, etc. They don't really change. There are aspects of this book that you've seen in other volumes (some of the types of Dead creatures, people leaving their bodies and traveling into Death to accomplish a goal, etc.). One could argue they're repetitive, but I feel that the surrounding circumstances are different enough, and the magical system of this world is set up such that you couldn't really do something new and different to get out of a difficult situation. The tactics have been set. It would be worse if the author started introducing completely new concepts that didn't have support in the previous books. (There was a new ability, that of "Remembrancer," set up in book two, but I felt that was a logical extension of the abilities of the Abhorsens and Clayr, and just the sort of thing that might pop up were those two bloodlines to cross.)

For reference, these are YA books. That doesn't bother me; good YA writing should stand on its own (that is, being YA is not an excuse for being simplistic or bad) and I do read some YA fiction on occasion. So yes, the primary characters are young (about 17-19 in age) and they are still learning and finding their places in the world. I feel that Prince Sameth and Lirael are decent proxies for the reader; Sameth has spent a good part of his youth at school outside of the Old Kingdom, so there are a few things he doesn't know, while Lirael has been boxed up in the Clayr glacier, not fully included in the Clayr life because of her inability to See. (There are also a few scenes with Nick, Sameth's school friend, who is from across the Wall and who has never been to the Old Kingdom before and who doesn't believe in magic, etc., and I think the author writes from his perspective quite well). In other words, you don't get characters who should know something like the back of their hands explaining it via internal monologue. I actually feel like there was very little unnecessary description and explanation here.

I don't know that there was a ton of character development (I actually thought there was much more of that in Lirael) but character development is hard to carry through when you've been with the same folks for more than a book or two. Writing is much the same as in previous books, but it *seems* better because there is less focus on whiny teenagers here since the situation is dire for most of the book.

In the end, if you have read the series up to this point, definitely see it through. I feel that this is an improvement on book 2 although not quite as good as book 1. I have continued on with book 4 in the series already!
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5.0 out of 5 stars consistently good
Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2024
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Mr. N won’t let you down. Keep reading and hope will come again. But dark times first. Keep on. Keep on.
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Michael Heinl (mheinl@aol.com)
5.0 out of 5 stars best yet
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2024
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I thought one was good until I read two. Three hit the ball out of the park. I care about these people! Good writing too!
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stardancer
5.0 out of 5 stars ENTHRALLING FANTASY
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2018
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This Old Kingdom trilogy has to be one of the best Fantasy series I have read. The world Garth Nix creates is truly original and enthralling. I loved the build-up from 'Sabriel' to 'Lirael' to the climax of 'Abhorsen', in which the Charter mages attempt to bind and break, Orannis, the Destroyer; who plans to kill all Life and rule over a kingdom of the Dead. To do this, Lirael must enter the river of Death and there use the bells and the sword Nahima at great risk to herself. Unlike some readers, I always felt that Lirael was the strongest and most interesting character in the series. In 'Abhorsen' she fully grows into her role as the Abhorsen-in-waiting, when together with the help of her faithful Dog she finds the courage to face Death.
I found the descriptions of the Nine Gates in the darkly misted river of Death as fascinating as the clear, icy beauty of the Clayr Glacier in the previous book. The author's descriptive prose is magical. His characters are also captivating, both human and creatures. I loved both Mogget, the cynical cat, and the loyal Disreputable Dog.
Without giving anything away, I found the conclusion unexpected, and satisfying; even though it brought a tearful reaction.
Wonderful world-building. Engrossing storyline.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Tom Sharp
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book in an awesome series!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 14, 2022
Verified Purchase
This is actually book 3 in the old kingdom series. Book 1 is 'Sabriel' and book 2 is 'Lirael', book 4 is 'Goldenhand'. The numbering on amazon seems to be wrong for some reason. Either way, what an incredible series! I cannot get enough of these books. Highly, highly recommended.
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matheus alves
3.0 out of 5 stars Abhorsen
Reviewed in Brazil on October 29, 2020
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aparenta que foi forçado/dobrado o livro
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YourFriendChris
5.0 out of 5 stars Rare cover!
Reviewed in Canada on June 8, 2019
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I have been looking for this edition for years to complete the trilogy!
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Amit K.
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!! Another great read by Garth Nix.
Reviewed in India on September 29, 2019
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The Old Kingdom Series is one of the best i've read and i love the medieval world of Charter magic created by Garth Nix in this book. Ever since i read Lirael i had been waiting for this sequel and i can say this was totally worth the wait. However i think he should write another book explaining the origins of The Nine Bright Shiners, a side story i found very intriguing.
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Roberta
5.0 out of 5 stars Abhorsen
Reviewed in Italy on July 20, 2018
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Garth Box non delude mai. Mi sono innamorata della serie fin da "Sabriel" e ogni sequel l'ho divorato velocemente. Super consigliato!
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