Saturday, October 10, 2015

A Book Review: Abhorsen by Garth Nix (Old Kingdom #3)

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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