A Book Review: Lirael by Garth Nix (Old Kingdom #2)

Between 1995 to 2003, Australian novelist Garth Nix published Old Kingdom trilogy. This is a series of critically acclaimed, YA fantasy novels. This trilogy began with Sabriel, a stand-alone novel. I liked Sabriel and the story did leave rooms for a sequel. Therefore, my next stop in Old Kingdom was Lirael, which is the 2nd book in this trilogy. The story in Lirael took place 18 years after the events in Sabriel, and this book introduces a new protagonist. If you haven't guessed from the title of the book already, the new protagonist is a girl called Lirael.

Is this sequel any good? Or is it suffering from the sequel syndrome? Allow me to share my opinions about Lirael in a book review.

Synopsis:

Almost everyone wants to belong to somewhere or be a part of something. This is especially true for the case for Lirael, who never felt like a true daughter of the Clayr. Why? To begin with, Lirael's physical appearance differs to all other daughters of the Clayr. But more importantly, the gift of Sight, which is the Clayr's birthright, never blossomed in Lirael even though she was well into her adolescence.

Lirael felt as if she was a stranger among her own people. Feeling abandoned and alone, Lirael seek refuge in the Clayr's library, using solitude as a sanctuary to shelter her heart from an overwhelming sense of alienation. In her self-exile, Lirael traversed the library's dark passages until she encountered and befriended the Disreputable Dog, a magical creature of mysterious origin.

Day after day, this friendily duo adventured in the library, unpacking millenmia old secrets and sharing a peaceful life together until the day arrived, when a dangerous mission of paramount importance was suddenly bestowed upon Lirael. The outcome of the mission would shape the fate of Old Kingdom.

Together with her faithful friend, the Disreputable Dog, Lirael set out on a quest to save Old Kingdom from the claws of a growing, evil force.

My thoughts about this book:

I think most readers will be charmed by the richness of the story in Lirael. Garth Nix packed a lot of story into this book. He also injected a good dose of suspense into the story, keeping the book interesting while surprising readers with major plot twists. The story in Lirael moves at a slower pace when compared against the story in Sabriel. However, this does not mean Lirael is a chore to read. In fact, I think Lirael tells a well-paced story. A pace that allowed the story to explore the characters in depth.

The narrative in Lirael has two POV characters; Lirael and Sameth. Both characters were adolescents who wrestled with personal struggles as they came to age. “Coming of age” is the hallmark of YA fiction, and Lirael tells a classical tale about “coming of age”. It has characters that adolescents can relate to, characters who wrestled with a range of issues such as acceptance, expectations and finding a personal identity. Lirael explores these themes through the lens of adolescent characters in the book.

In this story, Lirael was depressed because she did not have the Sight and couldn't become a true daughter of the Clayrs. While Sameth, being the prince of Old Kingdom and the son of Abhorsen, was constantly pressured to meeting this expectation to be a future Abhorsen despite his heart wished to follow a different path. I do not wish to spoil the story, so let me just say both characters eventually found their places in the world. However, I think younger readers may identify and resonate with the themes in the book, and the message behind this story here may even be useful to them. I mean, if I was 15 years younger, I would have found the story in Lirael relevant to me as well (oops, spilling the secret of my age here...).

Having said this, those who have read Sabriel may need some time to adjust to Lirael. This is because the protagonist in this book, Lirael, has an introspective personality, making her a a very different character to Sabriel. However, I liked Lirael's character. As a (hopefully) mature adult, I empathized with Lirael's personal struggles because I was after all, an young adult once upon a time. This also means I believe young adult readers may easily identify with Lirael and finding her a likable character.

Lirael's faithful friend, the Disreputable Dog, also captured my attention in this book. I like the Disreputable Dog. Her friendship with Lirael is heart-warming, and she is a very interesting character since much of her origin is shrouded in mystery. Without showing any spoilers, let me just say the end of the book hints at a sequel where the Disreputable Dog may play a major role.

I enjoyed reading Lirael, this is a very good book and a worthy sequel for Sabriel. In fact, I would actually say I enjoyed reading Lirael more than Sabriel because the story in this book is very rich in character developments. Therefore, if you liked Sabriel, then make sure you to check out Lirael. On the other hand, if like me, you don't usually read YA fictions but enjoy reading fantasy novels, then don't let the label, “YA fantasy”, stop you from checking out Old Kingdom trilogy.