Lirael

Book Title: Lirael

Author: Garth Nix

Series: The Old Kingdom #2

Date Started: October 13th 2020

Date Completed: October 27th 2020

Genres: Fantasy, Adventure

Quality Rating: Four Stars

Enjoyment Rating: Four Star

Final Rating: Four Stars

Review:

Lirael, like the first book in the Old Kingdom series, was another really fun read - again, I know I would've appreciated and enjoyed it more as a kid than I have as an adult.

I do have to say I felt a lot more immersed in this one. I had an idea of the world and its rules already, so I was really able to pay attention to the new things Nix was introducing and exploring. That's always the most fun in fantasy, and while Sabriel was packed full of it the action was also such a dominating force forward that it was hard to balance focus on both at the same time.

For me, Lirael's story did veer a little too much in Sam's direction for a book named Lirael in the middle, but once they met up she definitely got to come into her own and Nix's token balance of power dynamics in various relationships shone once again. (Speaking of, I also really liked the way Nix referenced the first book and its events a lot, but allowed Lirael to be its own story).

My one complaint is about the ending, and I don't think I can possibly be alone in that - let's be honest, it was a cop-out. We get to such a high point of tension, a dramatic reveal, and then we just end - quite similarly to Sabriel. At least this finale won't be quite as rushed as I always felt Sabriel had been, but it was a bit of a let down for the story to finish so suddenly without solving the big problem from the start of the book. It felt too constructed to bridge over to the next book to be satisfying.