Book Review - Terciel and Elinor

AT LAST! IT'S TIME FOR A NEW OLD KINGDOM BOOK! ANYONE ELSE EXCITED? ... no? Just me then.

Title And Author: Terciel and Elinor by Garth Nix
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Copy gifted by UK publisher in exchange of honest review/reaction. I, also, preordered the Forbidden Planet special edition 

If you have followed me for a little while, you know that I adore this series. I reread via audiobook the series in summer 2020 (Covid 19 lockdown burnout and a terrible case of reading slump) and it was a wonderful experience - even Clariel, a book I'm not the biggest fan of, I went "This is lovely. I missed this world." Plus, I think about the lead, Clariel, quite often. So, when it was announced that we were getting another instalment in this world, you can guess how excited I was? And the fact that it was a prequel to the first book in the series, Sabriel, looking at her parents made me more excited. 

Now, before I go further and explain the book, we get most of the information about Sabriel's parents in the prologue of Sabriel so we know where their story ends. But we don't know how they met and how the relationship evolved and that's what this book is about: her parents meeting.

Ok, I need to talk the story, don't I? In the Old Kingdom, where Charter Magic and Free Magic exists, 18 year old Terciel is the Abhorsen-In-Waiting. A necromancer to bind the Dead down and lay them to rest. Soon, he will be the Abhorsen and soon, he will have to face the Dead and, maybe, Greater Dead. But when he is sent south into the Ancelstierre, he doesn't realise the ploy he's walking into...

In Ancelstierre, where magic usually doesn't work (unless close to the Old Kingdom or the winds blowing from the north), 19 year old Elinor lives a seduced life. Her closest friends are her governess and a former circus performer. Her mother lies in bed, close to death. But in a space of a night, everything she knows is burnt, killed or ripped away from her as a ploy from an ancient enemy brings Terciel into her life and the truth of her connection to the Old Kingdom is revealed.

And still, the enemy is waiting, buying their time...

Revisiting the Old Kingdom

During COVID-19 lockdown/self-isolation, I read and audiobook a lot! And, as you probably see from a month or so back, I hit a reading wall and was on verge of reading slump and blogging slump. So, I decided to reread Sabriel, the first book in the Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix. This is usually my Go-To book when I'm on the verge of or in a reading slump as I adore this book!

Plus, me rereading this series is a long time coming as, for the past 18 months, I have openly said that I would reread Lirael, the second book in the series. I've been wanting to reread this for such a long time as, while I adore Sabriel, Lirael has a soft spot in my heart as does Goldenhand (I will explain why a little further down).

So, the past few months, I finally sucked it up and reread the whole series. Expect, I've not reread them. I have audiobooked them, and while I've only ever audiobook Sabriel, so this is a new experience for me, and yet, not quite at the time same.

So, what do I class this? A Reread Post (aka re3 post) or a new post? A mix of both? An experience post?

Not sure where to start, so let's talk about rereading these books and me falling back in love with this world.

I suppose I should explain what the series is about, though that is a little of a hard one to explain. The Old Kingdom series is a high fantasy series which, primary, is set in the Old Kingdom, a kingdom where magic exist (well, two types. Charter Magic and Free Magic) and the Dead can walk, pulled back into Life by nercomancers or Free Magic adapts. Only the Abhorsen can lay the Dead to rest and force them into the cold river of Death and, hopefully, through the Nine Gates.

I suppose I should, also, explain reading order and history as, even as a fan, this is a weird one. Sabriel is the first, published in the UK in 2002 but published in Nix's homeland of Australia in 1995. This was, originally, a standalone so you can easily read this and you would be perfectly fine. Lirael and Abhorsen was published in 2003 and 2004. Set around 20 years after the events of Sabriel, this is one story told over two books, so you have to read this duology together. Clariel is a tricky one - almost the black sheep of the family - as it's a prequel, set around 300 years before the events of Sabriel and things happen in there that have an effect on the series. And Goldenhand takes place six months after the events of Abhorsen.

Which leads to reading order. There are, to my knowledge, three ways you can read this series, if you wish. You can read it in publication order (Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen, Clariel and Goldenhand with the two novellas, Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case and To Hold A Bridge before Goldenhand - yes, there are short stories set in this world, but not gonna touch on them in this post!), you can read in timeline order (Clariel, Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen and Goldenhand) or you do publication order but flip Clariel and Goldenhand about so the order would be Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen, Goldenhand then Clariel.

I know, that last order sounds weird, but it does work and make sense. Because Clariel is a prequel and hints at one or two things to come, you can either read it before or after Goldenhand. You can read it before and go "Oh, that's what happened" or you can read it after and go "Oh, that's what happened!"

But, in either way, I do say read Sabriel first as it sets up the world and magic system and Lirael and Abhorsen is one story told over two books and, if possible, read Clariel and Goldehand as close together if possible, though this isn't essential.

So, my reread and thoughts. Well, to no one's surprise, Sabriel and Lirael are wonderful books. I will happily push these two onto people. They are wonderful and am shocked that it's taken me so long to reread these. The same goes Wirth Abhorsen, though I don't have as much affection to it compared to Sabriel or Lirael. I feared at one point that this would be four stars, but Garth pulls it back right at the end!

Clariel and Goldenhand are odd balls. I've not read these as much compared to the others (only once or twice) and I have read affection for these. I read Goldenhand while in New York City on holiday with my partner who proposed on that trip, hence my soft spot. And with Clariel, I've been waiting for this book for such a long time and, while not my fave in the series, I do keep thinking about the main character, Clariel, quite often as she is quite a complex character.

But this reread was different. And I have two reasons for this. The first is I was audiobooking this time round and, because of that, I had three different narrators. Tim Curry, Graeme Malcolm and Heather Wilds. Now, I have listened to the audiobook of Sabriel many years ago so I have heard Tim Curry reading and I adore his voice. It just fits (plus, how he does Mogget is wonderful) so, I knew I would love his reading of Lirael and Abhorsen. And I did. Hugely.

But, as we all know, he suffered a stroke several years ago, meaning he was unable to continue acting and reading the series. Hence, Graeme and Heather stepping in to read Clariel and Goldenhand. And this is a bit jarring when you are doing one audiobook after another. I am going to be honest here, I see why Graeme was chosen to do Clariel, but I never warmed to his voice. The same goes, up to a point, with Heather. I see why she was chosen and I did like her reading, but some of the choices she made with character's voices were puzzling.

Plus, I did audiobook Goldenhand at the worst possible time in my life (I will explain in further but not now. At the time of writing, it'a too soon and too raw).

But I am, overall, really glad I revisited the Old Kingdom. And with the sixth book in the series coming out the end of next year (it will either be called Terciel and Elinor or Terciel [not sure as getting conflicting info on that front), I can;'t wait to come back into this world. Or maybe reread a book or two before diving straight back!

4 Weeks of Summer - Sabriel (#re3)

You can blame Chouett and SableCaught for this reread. We were chatting about Sabriel on Twitter a few months ago (SableCaught and I have read this series, Chouett hasn't) and we decided to read Sabriel throughout the course of July.

But I sped read as this is me, of course. This was me reading Rebecca, which I reviewed earlier in the week.

I know I really liked this book - it was my Waiting for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix book and I have very fond memories over this book (I read this so many times when I was at college).

I thought I know this book pretty well. It's one of my favourite books.

But what I found interesting about this reread was that I spotted two things.

The first is chapter seventeen. I always seem to forget about the village of Nestowe. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because it's not am exciting chapter compared to the rest of the book, but I always forget this moment. It's always quite an important because it reveals several quite important pieces of information.

The second is that this book, while being YA, is much more grown-up. There are mentions of menstruation, circumcised penis and other topics that readers would miss because of the magic involved in this world. You miss it, unless you are reading carefully.

It's always nice to reread a fave book. I think we all need to do this once in a while.

#re3 - Sabriel

I am trying to do a hell of a lot more rereads so this is coming back more sooner than I thought (see the answer for question 2 for the reason why) and, today, I am going to talk about my #re3 of Sabriel by Garth Nix. 

So, let's get to it! 

WHY DID YOU REREAD SABRIEL?
After my last read (the review for that should have gone up earlier in the week and I'm not linking that in this so...), I couldn't seem to settled into a book for several days and I feared that I was falling into a reading slump. Then, the lovely Laure Eve (author of Fearsome Dreamer) suggested that I reread a book that I love yet challenges me. And Sabriel was my first choice.

WHAT WAS YOUR HONEST OPINION OF THIS BOOK WHEN YOU FIRST READ IT?
I loved this book! This came in the gap between Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling (3 years according to Wikipedia) and this came perfectly. It was dark, gothic yet gripping. I couldn't stop turning to pages and, I loved it so much, I bought the audiobook (read by Tim Curry)!

WHAT IS YOUR HONEST OPINION NOW THAT YOU HAVE REREAD THIS BOOK?
I am actually surprised how much I remembered and how much I forgot about this book. I remember the basic of the plot and I would remember scenes and lines from the book very well. I remember large amounts (though the entire) of the prologue.

But I forgot details. While I vaguely remember what happened in Chapter 17, I read the whole chapter going "I don't remember this. Or this. Nor this!". Or the children moment in Belisaere - I'm pretty certain I blocked that from my mind.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO US?
I LOVE MOGGET! Sorry, but I think he's one of my fave characters!

I'm also surprised over details. Or lack. We get very little detail about Clayr (I know we get loads more in the sequel, Lirael) nor do we get much info about the legendary Wallmakers (again, this is corrected in the third book in the series, Abhorsen [if I remember correctly]) and, when this book was first published, this was meant to be a standalone. But I'm not complaining - from when I read this the first time and now, there's enough information for us to connect the dots.

BECAUSE OF THIS BOOK, WILL YOU REREAD ANY BOOKS WITHIN THIS SERIES?
Yes, I will. To my knowledge, the fourth book in this series - Clariel: The Lost Abhorsen - should be out late next year and I want to reread books 2 and 3 of the series - Lirael and Abhorsen - before then so I have a year to return to these. Which is good as I have completely forgotten what these two books are about!