Reviews with content warning for Death - Clariel: The Lost Abhorsen

This book was great but also so sad. Nix does such a great job at reminding you of how his world works without being annoying about it, which is very helpful when it’s been awhile since you’ve read the others. I was so angry about how Clariel’s parents seemed to not care about her at all, though they did eventually make up for it.

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laylagrace's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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addie's review against another edition

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adventurous dark sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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totallyshelfaware's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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bluejay21's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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aylaravenstar's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Clariel was much harder to get through than the others in the Old Kingdom series, though overall I did enjoy it. The main character was hard to like, but it's a worthwhile read if you're planning on continuing the series.

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amandaquotidianbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Nix's writing style has changed a lot since the final volume of the Abhorsen trilogy. I found him to be more verbose in Clariel and, specifically, to focus on detailing the settings in which his characters were moving (a not verbatim example: In the room there was a bed, next to which was a small table. There was a lamp on top of the table and a small, clay chamber pot under the table). Lots of extra words that didn't really add to the story. I found it rather distracting. Also, he gave many superfluous characters names, which were, again, extra details and extra words that had no value for the plot.

Clariel was an entertaining prequel to the Abhorsen trilogy (which is one of my favourite series of all time), but I am most excited for his upcoming books which continue Nick and Lirael's stories.

2022: I really appreciated the aromantic and asexual representation, but this world is a lot more jaded, corrupt and bleak than the world in the trilogy. Not an entirely enjoyable reading experience.

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