So, with the introduction of the Icecarls in the last book, I thought Nix would spend a bit more time in the world that shouldn’t exist outside the Castle. I mean, they got giant narwhals, Shield Maidens and other things that have learned to live without sunlight. Nope, we’re going to go skipping back to the Castle. Even with Nix’s world building, the Castle is still rather stereotypical with its magical hierarchy and politics. At least the outside world is new and different. (Giant narwhals, […]
If George Lucas Asks You To Write a Kid’s Series
I guess you’d do it. I mean, I have prequel shaped wounds that time will never heal, but I still wouldn’t turn down getting George Lucas a glass of water if he asked for it. I mean, I might get a second glass to dump over his head while screaming “Han shot first!” But I would still make sure he wasn’t parched first. But being commanded by one of your idols to do something maybe isn’t the best way to get the creative juices flowing. […]
Most of these just need to be novels.
For a short story collection, this was pretty great. Garth Nix’s imagination can be a wonderful place, but also a scary one. Ugh, he is so creepy sometimes. The highlight was the first story, a novella set in the Old Kingdom from his Abhorsen series, which is one of my favorites. But there were also a couple of stories in here I loved, and would like to see more stories set in their respective worlds. Short reviews of each of the stories found below. “To Hold […]
Hey, Not Every Review I Write is Negative!
After reading a string of unsatisfying fantasy, I danced with joy when Clariel was released because I knew Garth Nix would not disappoint. If you have not read his Abhorsen trilogy yet, you should get on that immediately, especially if you are a fan of young adult fantasy with strong women characters. You could start with this book, because it’s a prequel to the trilogy and covers lot of the basics of the world building, I think it makes a better companion piece to the trilogy […]
And Then I Started Unnecessarily Going Off About Unnecessary Romantic Sub-Plots
Let’s be real, I had no idea what this book was about before I started reading it. I wasn’t even aware that it was the beginning of a series! I just noticed the title when I was at the used book store, picking up some mysteries for my mum. And then I took a peek at the cover and thought, “why not!?” It looked like a medieval-ish adventure tale, and that is exactly what I got! And it was slightly confusing at times, perhaps due […]
Slightly disappointing prequel to a series I love.
This is a prequel, and prequels can be dicey, so let me just start by saying: this could have been much, much, much worse. Clariel is the story–not of how young Clariel becomes Chlorr of the Mask from the original series like I was expecting it to be–but of how the foundations for that eventual change are laid. Seventeen year old Clariel moves with her family to the city of Belisaere. Clariel’s a girl of the forest, so right away this makes her unhappy, but the city […]