Rating: 
Summary: Shorter but Better!
Review: "Abhorsen" is great! It is a worthy follow-up to both "Sabriel" and "Lirael," though I do not reccommend reading "Abhorsen" without having read at least "Lirael" first. I am happy to report that Nix neatly ties up all the numerous plot-threads he introduced in "Lirael" while providing more jolts to the heart than a lightning strike. (Yes, that is a double entendre.) Equally happy, "Abhorsen" is once again a tightly-woven story, like "Sabriel" and as opposed to "Lirael," which though I loved, I felt that it was a bit too loose.
The story revolves around Lirael, Sam, the Dog and Mogget as they seek to prevent the Destroyer from living up to its name and destroying the world. Favorite characters and locations put in appearances, and Nix once again wowed me with his dead-on portrayal of army life. All in all, a great read, filled with real emotion, magic, and determination. I was also intrigued by the hints for the future that Nix dropped; I sincerely hope that he writes another novel (or dozen) set in the world of the Old Kingdom.
Rating: 
Summary: You had to get this one if you read the previous one
Review: OK, Nix left you on the cliff with the previous book, so you had to get this one. It doesn't matter if you like it or not. You're going to have to read it. The only way to not read it is to not read Lirael.Now there are some good points here. The character development is improving. You start to have a feel for them all, know where they stand. You get to meet the Gods of this world & a lot of it is very poetic. The names of the Gods are graceful. The land of the dead is captivating as well as suspenseful. The familiar animals, Mogget & the Disreputable Dog, are a nice sort of comic relief. Unfortunately, the fields of destruction and death are pretty overwhelming. And, once again, the main characters can't turn around or take a breath without coming face to face with a zombie, in true video game like quality. I find this constant attack, attack, attack pretty dismal after a while. And, of course (though this may be a spoiler) much like Sabriel, the ending is very abrupt. I would have liked to linger longer and savor some of it, but no. It's just over. Speaking of spoilers, the editorial review reveals the name and identity of the secret bad guy who isn't revealed until near the end of the book. How dare they! A lot of this book is about mystery about who is being fought & what the enemy wants. These guys need about 1000 lashes with a wet noodle.
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