boydskiboo's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
geldauran's review against another edition
4.0
A few minor complaints : I think the pacing missed the mark here. With the exception of Sabriel, none of the abhorsen books have a traditional pace/plot, but I still think this one would have been better off spending the larger chunk of the book on the end.
The ending felt rather anticlimactic, but it still tied up a lot of loose ends from Lirael/Abhorsen/Clariel, so I was happy.
Despite having a main POV character from the far north, and despite some of the book taking place North of the Bridge, there wasn't enough world building to satisfy me. What we got was enticing little snippets, but not the exploration that I feel I've been waiting a decade+ for.
The entire book was also aggressively pushing happy endings on all fronts. After feeling bothered by this, I wondered why I was so bothered by this, and have now decided that damn it- I like happy endings.
Overall, I was very happy to return to this book world. There were many small details that really satisfied me. I liked Ferin and Young Laska. Sabriel and Touchstone were charming as ever. It felt like a.... conclusion to the series in a lot of ways, which made me sad. But yeah, a solid effort all around.
The ending felt rather anticlimactic, but it still tied up a lot of loose ends from Lirael/Abhorsen/Clariel, so I was happy.
Despite having a main POV character from the far north, and despite some of the book taking place North of the Bridge, there wasn't enough world building to satisfy me. What we got was enticing little snippets, but not the exploration that I feel I've been waiting a decade+ for.
The entire book was also aggressively pushing happy endings on all fronts. After feeling bothered by this, I wondered why I was so bothered by this, and have now decided that damn it- I like happy endings.
Overall, I was very happy to return to this book world. There were many small details that really satisfied me. I liked Ferin and Young Laska. Sabriel and Touchstone were charming as ever. It felt like a.... conclusion to the series in a lot of ways, which made me sad. But yeah, a solid effort all around.
book_consumer's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
annamcc_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
moddey_dhoo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
mrsilvers's review against another edition
4.0
The worst part about this book is that it is the end of a series of amazing stories.
I love that Nix continues to delve into the same story line but manages to keep it intriguing, although this books wasn't as wonderful as those that came before it. But, if you enjoy the series, it is worthwhile to see it through to the end.
I love that Nix continues to delve into the same story line but manages to keep it intriguing, although this books wasn't as wonderful as those that came before it. But, if you enjoy the series, it is worthwhile to see it through to the end.
shai3d's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
alchaea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
kittykornerlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
First, let me get this out of the way... Lirael Goldenhand is a regrettable name for a folk hero, and Goldenhand is a regrettable name for a book. That being said, I really enjoyed this fifth installment in the Abhorsen books. I liked the double narrative of Ferrin from the northern tribes and Lirael and Nicholas coming up from the South to converge at the Clayr's glacier to save the Kingdom. I had some problems with the pacing at the end; there was a lot of build-up and the ending felt rushed and anticlimactic. Still, I enjoyed it but as a fifth book. Neither the prequel nor this one come up to the standard of the original Sabriel trilogy.