From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Old Kingdom series (also known as the Abhorsen series in North America) is a trilogy of books by Garth Nix. It begins with Sabriel, then Lirael and concludes with Abhorsen. In addition, a supplement to the series entitled Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case was released, first separately for World Book Day and later as the lead story of the short story collection Across the Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories.
[edit] Sabriel
-
Sabriel has just graduated from her school in Ancelstierre, where she has been raised in order to keep her safe from the undead her father, the Abhorsen, regularly destroys. On the night during which he is usually supposed to magically visit her, however, Sabriel is only visited by a spirit controlled by her father bringing her his sword and necromantic bells, with the explanation that he is trapped in Death. Sabriel immediately leaves for the Old Kingdom, where she is soon confronted by a powerful undead creature known as a Mordicant. She flees to the Abhorsen's House, her family's house and fortress, protected from undead by being build on an island of the major river Ratterlin, since the Dead cannot cross running water. The Dead begin to attempt to cross the river using boxes of grave dirt to make a bridge, but Sabriel, along with the Abhorsen's cat servant Mogget summon a surge in the river and escape by Paperwing. Landing in Holehallow, an ancient crypt of royalty, Sabriel finds the mysterious Touchstone trapped as the wooden figurehead of a ceremonial boat. Touchstone accompanies Sabriel and Mogget to Belisaere, the capital of the now anarchic Old Kingdom, where they find the ancient castle's reservoir, which contains the six Great Charter Stones, three of which were broken by the evil Kerrigor around the time that Touchstone was trapped as wood. There they find the Abhorsen and free him from Death, but his long submergence in Death has effectively ended his life. It is revealed that Touchstone is a prince of the royal line, and Kerrigor arrives, planning to use their blood to break the remaining Great Charter Stones. The Abhorsen, however, allows Touchstone and Sabriel to escape by ringing Astarael and throwing Kerrigor and his minions into Death, sacrificing himself. Touchstone and Sabriel hear Astarael, but manage to resist its call by kissing, realizing that they love one another. Escaping the reservoir, they are attacked and Sabriel is wounded, but Touchstone's berserker blood throws him into a rage and he kills the attacker and, running, carries Sabriel until they meet Sanar and Ryelle of the Clayr. Sanar and Ryelle advise them that Kerrigor cannot be killed until his physical body is destroyed, and that his physical body is located in the northern part of Ancelstierre, where magic sometimes works. The heroes travel there as fast as they can, and with the help of all the available Charter Mages from Sabriel's school, attempt to open Kerrigor's sarcophagus, which is hopelessly sealed. Kerrigor attacks the school, and despite defense by Ancelstierre's magically capable Perimeter army troops, there are heavy casualties. Finally, in Sabriel's final desperate attempt to bind Kerrigor, she uses Mogget's binding ring to bind Kerrigor under Ranna after some of her other bells, including Saraneth, are broken. Sabriel slips into Death from her wounds, but is brought back by the power of her long-dead ancestors, because the Abhorsen line is required to continue.
Spoilers end here.
[edit] Lirael
-
[edit] Abhorsen
-
