Abhorsen is the 3rd,
and the final book in Old Kingdom trilogy, a series of
award-winning, YA fantasy novels. This trilogy's author, Garth Nix,
is an Australian novelist who resides in Sydney. In the past two
decades, Old Kingdom trilogy attracted readers of all ages,
from the young and the old. I began reading this trilogy upon the
recommendation from Goodreads, and I enjoyed the first two books.
Therefore, with great anticipations and excitement, I journeyed into
Abhorsen, the concluding chapter in this trilogy. Here are my
thoughts about this book.
Synopsis:
A terrible legend in Old Kingdom sings
a song about a turbulent time in history, a time when Orannis, also
known as The Destroyer, fought The Seven at the beginning of time and
lost. The Seven bound Orannis, broke him in two, and buried him deep
in the bowel of the earth. There, Orannis and his lust for
destruction was to be imprisoned for eternity.
However, this Old Kingdom legend is
about have a new chapter. Hedge, a loyal servant of Orannis has been
hard at work to free him from his subterranean prison, and Hedge is
on the verge of success. Should Orannis be restored, unprecedented
destruction will visit the world.
The burden of stopping Orannis falls on
Lirael, the new Abhorsen-in-waiting, who must figure out a way to
prevent Orannis from being restored to his full power. The problem
is, Lirael has no idea how to begin this quest. Together with her
faithful friends, Lirael sets out on a mission, racing against time
to stop Orannis before all life is destroyed.
My thoughts on this book:
Abhorsen brought Old Kingdom
trilogy to a satisfying conclusion. The characters are very well
developed in this book. Furthermore, this book, like both of its
predecessors, knits its chapters together closely and tells a fast
paced story. Suspense and actions populate this book, and readers
will encounter many nail-biting moments. Yet, what separates Abhorsen
from a “conventional and entertaining” novel, is its overarching
theme about death, which is captured in a quote that appeared several
times in this trilogy:
“Everyone and everything has a time
to die”
In Abhorsen, Lirael and Sam,
both protagonists in this book, had to constantly deal with losses
and deaths of both innocent people as well as their loved ones.
However, unlike conventional fantasy novels, Abhorsen (and
this trilogy overall) does not treat death as a bad thing. Rather,
the overarching theme in this trilogy argues that loss builds one's
character, and that through dealing with losses and making sacrifices
we grow and mature. Abhorsen fleshed out this theme when its
concluding chapter brought the story to a touching end. I do not want
to spoil the story, so let me just say, the ending of this book was
solemn yet joyous. Abhorsen imprinted a bitter sweet memory on
my mind long after I closed this book.
The second recurring theme in this
trilogy explores the idea of destiny. Ok, at this point, you are
probably thinking, “oh, so it's the cheesy plot device about a
chosen one with a great destiny again?” If this is your concern,
then I tell you there is no need to worry, because Old Kingdom
trilogy uses the plot device of “destiny” in a refreshing way
that is believable and meaningful. The theme about destiny is
captured in this quote, which recurred throughout the trilogy:
“Does the walker choose the path, or
the path the walker?”
What a thought-provoking quote, right? I do not think there is a “simple and correct” answer to this question. However, here I offer to share my take on this quote based on the context of the story. This book's two protagonists, Lirael and Sam, were adolescents entering a phase, a stage where they were trying to find personal identities and figuring out their places in the world. However, life forced them to take up responsibilities, leaving them with one option; making the best out of the circumstances they were given. Then by doing that, in turn, they found their identities and places in the world. Personally, I think the theme in this book is particularly relevant and meaningful for young adult readers.
There are so many things in this book I
can talk about, but I think my review should have provided sufficient
information, giving you some insights about this book (and the
trilogy in general). Overall, I recommend Abhorsen to those
who have already read the first two books in Old
Kingdom trilogy. Meanwhile, I also recommend Old
Kingdom trilogy to those readers who are lovers of fantasy
fictions. I enjoyed reading Old Kingdom trilogy, should you
venture into this trilogy, then I wish you will discover the magics
in these novels and enjoy them as much as I did.
Until the next time, happy reading!
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