Abhorsen
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| Author | Garth Nix |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Leo and Diane Dillon |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Series | Old Kingdom series |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Publication date | 2003 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover, Paperback), Audio Cassette, Audio Download, e-book |
| Pages | 528 pp (paperback edition) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-06-052873-7 (paperback edition) |
| Preceded by | Lirael: Daughter of the Clayr |
Abhorsen is a fantasy novel by Garth Nix, first published in 2003. It is the final novel in his Old Kingdom trilogy (following Sabriel and Lirael).
Abhorsen features Lirael, who is the recently revealed Abhorsen-in-Waiting, Prince Sameth, who is Lirael’s new-found nephew and descendant of the Wallmakers, Mogget, a bound servant of the Abhorsen line, and the Disreputable Dog.
[edit] Plot summary
The novel begins at Abhorsen's House, which is besieged by Dead Hands (the author's term for a variety of evil spirits and magic wielders closely resembling zombies and ghosts dragged back from death by necromancers) led by Chlorr of the Mask, once a powerful necromancer who has died and come back as one of the Greater Dead, a powerful undead spirit. She is in turn under the control of Hedge the Necromancer, who serves Orannis the Destroyer. The Destroyer is the Ninth Bright Shiner, and the most evil magical force or being. It had destroyed many worlds before It was defeated by the Seven Bright Shiners, the free magic entities that formed the Charter after defeating Orannis. The Seven also bound Yrael, the Eighth Bright Shiner, who was a free magic entity who would not join the charter. The Seven were known as Ranna, Mosrael, Kibeth, Dyrim, Belgaer, Saraneth, and Astarael. These Seven binders are also the names of the seven necromantic bells and some of the original natures of The Seven linger in these bells. Lirael and Sameth must escape the Abhorsen's House to stop the Destroyer and to save Sameth's friend Nicholas Sayre, who is being used by Orannis as an avatar. In their necessity to escape the house, they go through the old well outside the house to bypass Chlorr and the Dead. At one point down in the dark tunnel, a remnant of the Seventh Bright Shiner, Astarael, appears. Lirael, Sameth, and the Disreputable Dog get through unscathed, but Mogget is taken by her. Mogget eventually rejoins Lirael's party.
Lirael and Sameth now have to travel to the Red Lake, where The Destroyer is being unearthed. As Lirael and Sameth journey through the Old Kingdom they learn more about Orannis and its plans to destroy all life.
Meanwhile, Prince Sameth's parents, the Abhorsen Sabriel and King Touchstone are in Ancelstierre trying to stop the probable death of thousands of Southerling refugees if they are allowed to enter the Old Kingdom without the protection of the Charter (see also the Five Great Charters). While they are in Ancelstierre attempting to reason with a corrupt government they become victims of an assassination attempt and barely escape with their lives. They flee to the Old Kingdom to attempt to save the lives of the Southerling Refugees from the other side of the Wall.
While Sabriel and Touchstone are trying to get back to the Old Kingdom, Lirael, Sameth and the Disreputable Dog are trying to save Nicholas Sayre, Sameth's best friend and also the host of the Destroyer. The question becomes one of whether Lirael and Sameth are able to stop The Destroyer from completing its plans for eternal freedom and the destruction of the world and other worlds after this. Orannis is successful in joining the hemispheres that imprisoned him. Nick appears to die in the process of the rejoining. Lirael uses her Rembrancing powers to figure out how the original Seven bound Orannis. During her journey through Death to use the Dark Mirror, she is confronted by and defeats Hedge. In the end, Lirael and her friends defeat Orannis, who must once again bind Orannis by re-enacting the original binding of the Seven with each member holding a bell and adding a bell’s voice. Lirael takes Astarel, and prepares to strike at the hemisphere with a new sword, forged from her panpipes and Nehima, that Sameth made for her. The others include King Touchstone (Ranna) and Abhorsen Sabriel (Saraneth), Sanar and Ryelle (Mosrael), Ellimere (Dyrim), the Disreputable Dog (who is truly a remnant of Kibeth), and Sameth (Belgaer). The first attempt at rebinding shows that the Destroyer is strong enough to resist. Eventually, Sameth frees Mogget, who reveals himself to be the Eighth Bright Shiner, Yrael. Yrael fights against the impulse to kill the Abhorsen, and sets itself against Orannis. This shocks Orannis, and gives the added power to bind him. As Lirael prepares to make the final blow, she readies herself to die. Unexpectedly, the Disreputable Dog takes the blow for Lirael and disappears into Death. In the end, though, the Disreputable Dog gives Nick back his life, and Lirael has a hand of gold made for by Sameth to replace the hand she lost while being saved by the Dog.
[edit] List of important characters
(In relative order of importance in book)
- Lirael - New Abhorsen-in-waiting, daughter of the Clayr and Rememberancer.
- Hedge - Evil necromancer, and a servant to Orannis.
- Orannis - The destroyer, the beginning seven defeated him and broke him.
- Prince Sameth - Sabriel's and Touchstone's son, prince of the Old Kingdom.
- Disreputable Dog - Lirael's best friend, a free magic and Charter sending that Lirael summoned from a dog statue that she found in the library. Also, the Disreputable Dog is what was leftover from when the great Charters were created; she is Kibeth, the Walker.
- Mogget - Abhorsen's servant in the form of a cat. Can also change shape into an albino dwarf. Another leftover from when the great Charters were created; he is the Eighth Bright Shiner, Yrael. He was neither for nor against the creation of the Charter.
- Sabriel - Abhorsen and Queen of the Old Kingdom.
- King Touchstone - King of the Old Kingdom.
- Nicholas Sayre - Friend of Sameth, avatar of Orannis, the Destroyer. Ancelstierren.
- Princess Ellimere - Princess of the Old Kingdom, next in line to the throne.
- Chlorr of the Mask - The greater dead, follows Hedge's wishes. Close to the end of the book, Mogget hints that Chlorr was once an Abhorsen.
[edit] Trivia
Abhorsen is the name of the executioner (spelled Abhorson in the play) in Shakespeare's Measure for Measure.
| Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series | |
|---|---|
| Novels | Sabriel • Lirael • Abhorsen • Across the Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories |
| Characters | Chlorr of the Mask • Disreputable Dog • Hedge • Kerrigor • Lirael • Mogget • Orannis • Sabriel • Terciel • Touchstone • Sameth • Nicholas Sayre |
| Bloodlines | Abhorsen (office) • Royal Family of the Old Kingdom • Clayr • Wallmakers |
| Magic | The Charter • Five Great Charters • Free Magic • Nine Bright Shiners |
| Places | Ancelstierre • Death • Old Kingdom |
| Magical objects | Necromantic bells • Nehima • Paperwing |
| Novels by Garth Nix | |
|---|---|
| The Keys to the Kingdom: | Mister Monday • Grim Tuesday • Drowned Wednesday • Sir Thursday • Lady Friday • Superior Saturday • Lord Sunday |
| The Old Kingdom series: | Sabriel • Lirael • Abhorsen • Across the Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories |
| The Seventh Tower: | The Fall • Castle • Aenir • Above the Veil • Into Battle • The Violet Keystone |
| Standalone novels: | The Ragwitch • Shade's Children |
