Abhorsen

From School Library Journal Grade 7 Up-Garth Nix's trilogy comes to a dramatic and apocalyptic close, with all the clever plot twists and inventive voicings by Tim Curry that made Sabriel and Lirael (both 2002) award winners. In this segment, both Sabriel and Lirael, the latter now elevated to the powerful rank of Abhorsen (a kind of magician) in Nix's parallel world, have important roles-but so do Sabriel's son Sam, Mog the cat, and a ubiquitous and charming creature known affectionately as the "disreputable dog." Nix's imagined world seems to be situated near the time of our own turn from 19th to 20th century, the perfect backdrop for a classic theme, played out refreshingly within this story: the perils and the promises of technology. Magic, the antithesis of human ingenuity, flows both for the good and against it. The forces of evil are able to swell the ranks of their army through the recycling of dead folks into almost-invulnerable foot soldiers. Besides death and the good vs evil struggle, another folk motif brought into focus here is that of friendship: Sam's lifelong friend, Nicholas, literally must lay down his life in the course of the action. Abhorsen is an excellent denouement for a fantasy that is both literary and popularly accessible. Out loud, the powers of this future classic are intensified, especially through Curry's inspired dramatization.Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. Product Description Before she went to join Sam and Mogget downstairs, Lirael paused for a moment to look at herself in the tall silver mirror that hung on the wall of her room. The image that faced her bore little resemblance to the Second Assistant Librarian of the Clayr. She saw a warlike and grim young woman, dark hair bound back with a silver cord rather than hanging free to disguise her face. She no longer wore her librarian's waistcoat, and she had a long Nehima at her side rather than a library-issue dagger. but she had kept her library whistle, tucking it into the small pouch at her belt. Though she was many, many leagues from any help the whistle might summon, she felt the need to cling to some small part of her past and her identity.She had become an Abhorsen, Lirael thought, at least on the outside. From the Inside Flap Before she went to join Sam and Mogget downstairs, Lirael paused for a moment to look at herself in the tall silver mirror that hung on the wall of her room. The image that faced her bore little resemblance to the Second Assistant Librarian of the Clayr. She saw a warlike and grim young woman, dark hair bound back with a silver cord rather than hanging free to disguise her face. She no longer wore her librarian's waistcoat, and she had a long Nehima at her side rather than a library-issue dagger. but she had kept her library whistle, tucking it into the small pouch at her belt. Though she was many, many leagues from any help the whistle might summon, she felt the need to cling to some small part of her past and her identity.She had become an Abhorsen, Lirael thought, at least on the outside. About the Author GARTH NIX was born in 1963 in Melbourne, Australia. After graduating from the University of Canberra, he worked in a bookshop, then as a book publicist, a publisher's sales representative, and an editor. Along the way, he was also a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve. Nix left publishing to work as a public relations and marketing consultant for three years before becoming a full-time writer in 1998. He currently lives in a beach suburb of Sydney, with his wife Anna, a publisher. From AudioFile The amazing conclusion to Garth Nix's trilogy makes it one of the best series available. The production combines the solidity of the world created by Garth Nix, the magic of the story, and Tim Curry's ability to breathe emotion into each character. Curry's narration forms a rich setting that draws