A review by thedisquietedpen
Terciel and Elinor by Garth Nix
5.0
I've been a fan of the Old Kingdom series since I first read Sabriel nearly twenty years ago, and I was so excited to get to meet Sabriel's unnamed mother from her book's prologue.
This book did not disappoint. I took issue with Goldenhand's split narrative approach, but with Terciel and Elinor, it makes perfect sense to alternate chapters focused on each of them. Unlike with Goldenhand, this book kept me wondering what was happening to the other main character while I was outside of their sections.
Another problem that Goldenhand and Clariel both had, I thought, was pacing. Both seemed to languish through the first two-thirds or so, and then pick up a reckless speed in the end. Although Terciel and Elinor certainly picks up speed towards the end, the pacing did not seem to be quite as mismatched as those two previous entries had been.
This is a fantastic book, and I sincerely hope that Garth Nix keeps writing novels set in the Old Kingdom!
This book did not disappoint. I took issue with Goldenhand's split narrative approach, but with Terciel and Elinor, it makes perfect sense to alternate chapters focused on each of them. Unlike with Goldenhand, this book kept me wondering what was happening to the other main character while I was outside of their sections.
Another problem that Goldenhand and Clariel both had, I thought, was pacing. Both seemed to languish through the first two-thirds or so, and then pick up a reckless speed in the end. Although Terciel and Elinor certainly picks up speed towards the end, the pacing did not seem to be quite as mismatched as those two previous entries had been.
This is a fantastic book, and I sincerely hope that Garth Nix keeps writing novels set in the Old Kingdom!