Abhorsen

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Abhorsen

Author	Garth Nix
Cover Artist	Leo and Diane Dillon (?)
Country	Australia
Language	English
Series	Old Kingdom series
Genre(s)	Fantasy novel
Publisher	HarperCollins
Released	2003
Media Type	Print (Hardcover, Paperback), Audio Cassette, Audio Download, e-book
Pages	528 pp (paperback edition)
ISBN	ISBN 0-06-052873-7 (paperback edition)
Preceded by	Lirael: Daughter of the Clayr

Abhorsen is a fantasy novel by Garth Nix, first published in 2003. It is the final novel in his Old Kingdom trilogy (following Sabriel and Lirael). It features the recently revealed Abhorsen-in-Waiting, Lirael, Lirael’s new-found nephew and descendant of the Wallmakers, Prince Sameth, Mogget, bound servant of the Abhorsen line, and the Disreputable Dog.

[edit] Plot summary

The novel begins at Abhorsen's House, which is besieged by Dead Hands (the author's term for a variety of evil spirits and magic wielders closely resembling zombies and ghosts dragged back from death by necromancers) led by Chlorr of the Mask, once a powerful necromancer who has died and come back as one of the Greater Dead, a powerful undead spirit. She is in turn under the control of Hedge the Necromancer, who serves The Destroyer (Orannis). The Destroyer is the Ninth Bright Shiner, and the most evil magical force or being. It had destroyed many worlds before It was defeated by The Seven Bright Shiners, the free magic entities that formed the charter after defeating Orannis. The Seven also bound Yrael, the Eighth Bright Shiner, who was a free magic entity who would not join the charter. The Seven were known as Ranna, Mosrael, Kibeth, Dyrim, Belgaer, Saraneth, and Astarael. These Seven binders are also the names of the seven necromantic bells and some of the original natures of The Seven linger in these bells. Lirael and Sameth must escape the Abhorsen's House to stop the Destroyer and to save Sameth's friend Nicholas Sayre, who is being used by Orannis as an avatar. In their necessity to escape the house, they go through the old well outside the house to bypass Chlorr and the Dead. At one point down in the dark tunnel, a remnant of the Seventh Bright Shiner, Astarael, appears. Lirael, Sameth, and the Disreputable Dog get through unscathed, but Mogget is taken by her. Mogget eventually rejoins Lirael's party.

Lirael and Sameth now have to travel to the Red Lake, where The Destroyer is being unearthed. As Lirael and Sameth journey through the Old Kingdom they learn more about Orannis and its plans to destroy all life.

Meanwhile, Prince Sameth's parents, the Abhorsen Sabriel and King Touchstone are in Ancelstierre trying to stop the probable death of thousands of Southerling refugees if they are allowed to enter the Old Kingdom without the protection of the Charter (see also the Five Great Charters). While they are in Ancelstierre attempting to reason with a corrupt government they become victims of an assassination attempt and barely escape with their lives. They flee to the Old Kingdom to attempt to save the lives of the Southerling Refugees from the other side of the Wall.

While Sabriel and Touchstone are trying to get back to the Old Kingdom, Lirael, Sameth and the Disreputable Dog are trying to save Nicholas Sayre, Sameth's best friend and also the host of the Destroyer. The question becomes one of whether Lirael and Sameth are able to stop The Destroyer from completing its plans for eternal freedom and the destruction of the world and other worlds after this. Orannis is successful in joining the hemispheres that imprisoned him. Nick appears to die in the process of the rejoining. Lirael uses her Rembrancing powers to figure out how the original Seven bound Orannis. During her journey through Death to use the Dark Mirror, she is confronted by and defeats Hedge. In the end, Lirael and her friends defeat Orannis , who must once again bind Orannis by re-enacting the original binding of the Seven with each member holding a bell and adding a bell’s voice. Lirael takes Astarel, and prepares to strike at the hemisphere with a new sword, forged from her panpipes and Nehima, that Sameth made for her. The others include King Touchstone (Ranna) and Abhorsen Sabriel (Saraneth), Sayre and Ryelle (Mosrael), Ellimere (Dyrim), the Disreputable Dog (who is truly a remnant of Kibeth), and Sameth (Belgaer). The first attempt at rebinding shows that the Destroyer is strong enough to resist. Eventually, Sameth frees Mogget who reveals himself to be the Eighth Great Shiner, Yrael. Yrael fights against the impulse to kill the Abhorsen, and sets itself against Orannis. This shocks Orannis, and gives the added power to bind him. As Lirael prepares to make the final blow, she readies herself to die. Unexpectedly, the Disreputable Dog takes the blow for Lirael and disappears into Death. In the end, though, the Disreputable Dog gives Nick back his life, and they all live rather happily (though Lirael did lose her hand as Dog saved her in the last strike, she will be made a new one of gold by Sameth.)

[edit] List of important characters

[edit] Trivia

Abhorsen is the name of the executioner (spelled Abhorson in the play) in Shakespeare's Measure for Measure.