Fantasy

Terciel and Elinor

Terciel and Elinor

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-11-03 07:19:07
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Garth Nix
  • ISBN：B08R3TTQSK
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Summary

Bestselling novelist Garth Nix returns to the Old Kingdom for the never-before-told love story of Sabriel’s parents， Tericel and Elinor， and the charter magic that brought them together—and threatened to tear them apart。 A long-awaited prequel to a classic fantasy series。

In the Old Kingdom， a land of ancient and often terrible magics， eighteen year-old orphan Terciel learns the art of necromancy from his great-aunt Tizanael。 But not to raise the Dead， rather to lay them to rest。 He is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting， and Tizanael is the Abhorsen， the latest in a long line of people whose task it is to make sure the Dead do not return to Life。

Across the Wall in Ancelstierre， a steam-age country where magic usually does not work， nineteen year-old Elinor lives a secluded life。 Her only friends an old governess and an even older groom who was once a famous circus performer。 Her mother is a tyrant， who is feared by all despite her sickness and impending death 。 。 。 but perhaps there is even more to fear from that。

Elinor does not know she is deeply connected to the Old Kingdom， nor that magic can sometimes come across the Wall， until a plot by an ancient enemy of the Abhorsens brings Terciel and Tizanael to Ancelstierre。 In a single day of fire and death and loss， Elinor finds herself set on a path which will take her into the Old Kingdom， into Terciel’s life， and will embroil her in the struggle of the Abhorsens against the Dead who will not stay dead。

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Reviews

Step ，

As comforting as returning to the Old Kingdom always is。 A delight。

Eliyahu Zvi ，

An excellent prequelManages to fill in the blanks without to in the original series without to obvious retcons。 Even knowing the fate of the characters from the beginning you still can feel happy for their successes。

Lizzie Huxley-Jones ，

I knew Terciel and Elinor， a novel about Sabriel’s parents， was going to hit me right in the chest， and it did。 It has。 But it also stands alone on its own strength; a story of young people growing into themselves and falling in love against the rising tide of danger。Elinor has grown up South of the Wall， raised more by Mrs Watkins and Ham than her own mother， who is now dying。 One day， a mysterious young man appears at the door， brought with the North wind， along with a whole host of truths Eli I knew Terciel and Elinor， a novel about Sabriel’s parents， was going to hit me right in the chest， and it did。 It has。 But it also stands alone on its own strength; a story of young people growing into themselves and falling in love against the rising tide of danger。Elinor has grown up South of the Wall， raised more by Mrs Watkins and Ham than her own mother， who is now dying。 One day， a mysterious young man appears at the door， brought with the North wind， along with a whole host of truths Elinor didn’t know were concealed from her。 I really loved Elinor in particular — a storyteller and skilled knife wielded — who goes in search of her heritage。 I really loved the section in Wyverly College， where Pullman’s quote about these books being fantasy that reads like realism rings true - I loved the charming moments when Elinor and her students share a guide to sex wrapped in newspaper and talk about contraception spells。 My favourite Elinor moment is similar， a really ruh-roh moment of knowing too much。 please come scream about it and the rest of this book with me。It’s a series starting point as Elinor knows so little about The Old Kingdom， and Terciel as the new Abhorsen-in-Waiting learns his place too， so new readers don’t be put off by my nods to the wider series！ For returning readers， T&E doesn’t shy from the wider story， with Elinor’s Clayr abilities flashing moments of the future， and how on the cusp of adulthood they separately confront the realities of love， sex and parenthood in a world where darkness rises。 If you haven't read them all， or haven't re-read in a while， T&E is a great place to rejoin the story。 The epilogue made me cry， because of course it did。 I cried in the first 100 pages。It's out today in hardback and audiobook！ Thank you to Hot Key Books for sending me a proof， and to Garth Nix for continuing to write stories that feel like homes， despite all the danger。 。。。more

Rt ，

This is apparently a prequel for other books about （spoiler） Terciel and Elinor’s kid/s。 They are magic users—Terciel the heir to the Abhorsen， which is a job fighting evil magic/Free Magic using marks， which are a language of thousands of symbols that are hard to learn。 Elinor was kept ignorant of magic until the day it tried to kill her， in the form of an evil magician who wanted her death for a working。 They meet early on but then part to have separate adventures， then meet up again。 I think This is apparently a prequel for other books about （spoiler） Terciel and Elinor’s kid/s。 They are magic users—Terciel the heir to the Abhorsen， which is a job fighting evil magic/Free Magic using marks， which are a language of thousands of symbols that are hard to learn。 Elinor was kept ignorant of magic until the day it tried to kill her， in the form of an evil magician who wanted her death for a working。 They meet early on but then part to have separate adventures， then meet up again。 I think if you already liked the world， this would be more fun。 。。。more

Mrs。 Kenyon ，

Terciel is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting and is working closely with his great-aunt Tizanael， the current Abhorsen。 He is currently learning about necromancy to help the Dead rest。 When he becomes Abhorsen， his number one job will be to make sure the Dead do not come back to Life。 Elinor has always led a life apart from others。 She does have friends， but they work for the family and are much older than her。 With her mother’s death， she learns many secrets， including the truth that she is touched by ma Terciel is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting and is working closely with his great-aunt Tizanael， the current Abhorsen。 He is currently learning about necromancy to help the Dead rest。 When he becomes Abhorsen， his number one job will be to make sure the Dead do not come back to Life。 Elinor has always led a life apart from others。 She does have friends， but they work for the family and are much older than her。 With her mother’s death， she learns many secrets， including the truth that she is touched by magic。 Now she sets out to learn enough magic to cross the wall and enter the Old Kingdom。Terciel and Elinor is the sixth book in The Old Kingdom series。 Although it is a prequel to the other books， this novel should be read after the others have been completed。 Readers will delight in discovering the backstory of Sabriel’s parents and the magic that brought them together。 Nix took a beloved world and crafted a wonderful story for fans。 This was a great escape read and I was delighted with the ending。 。。。more

Myth ，

On the one hand -ooooohOn the other - I know how this whole thing ends

Alli ，

Yayyyy。 RTC。

Asher ，

This was a solid offering in the Old Kingdom series。 I wouldn't suggest picking this up as your first read， instead read it after you have already read the other books in the series。 It fills in some blanks and provides glimpses of younger versions of minor characters。 I wasn't disappointed by it， but I did find that it didn't give me a satisfactory narrative to account for Elinor dying in the prologue of Sabriel。 I wanted this book to really earn her death， and it didn't。 This was a solid offering in the Old Kingdom series。 I wouldn't suggest picking this up as your first read， instead read it after you have already read the other books in the series。 It fills in some blanks and provides glimpses of younger versions of minor characters。 I wasn't disappointed by it， but I did find that it didn't give me a satisfactory narrative to account for Elinor dying in the prologue of Sabriel。 I wanted this book to really earn her death， and it didn't。 。。。more

Sarah ，

It's been a while since I've been so excited for a book's release， and I think it was probably the last Old Kingdom book😅 Next to 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'Harry Potter' this is my favourite book series！！！！ Massive thanks to Netgalley and Bonnier Books for the digital ARC。 Eighteen year old Terciel is the Abhorsen-in-waiting to his imposing Abhorsen great aunt， Tizanael。 In contrast， nineteen year old Elinor， was raised in Ancelstierre across the Wall from the Old Kingdom。 She knows nothing o It's been a while since I've been so excited for a book's release， and I think it was probably the last Old Kingdom book😅 Next to 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'Harry Potter' this is my favourite book series！！！！ Massive thanks to Netgalley and Bonnier Books for the digital ARC。 Eighteen year old Terciel is the Abhorsen-in-waiting to his imposing Abhorsen great aunt， Tizanael。 In contrast， nineteen year old Elinor， was raised in Ancelstierre across the Wall from the Old Kingdom。 She knows nothing of magic and lives in a mansion with her mother， and loves acting plays and learning circus skills from the families groom。 That is until the Dead come and burn the mansion to the ground， killing all the family bar Elinor。 Now she must learn magic and go to the Old Kingdom to help Terciel and Tizanael face a Greater Dead creature 🧟‍♂️ 5⭐- this is the long anticipated back story of Sabriel's parents and it is wonderful！ Garth Nix has a rare gift for knowing how to write strong， capable female lead characters 💪 I won't spoil anything here， but many familiar characters from the series pop up！ If you're a fan of the Old Kingdom， get your copy from 2nd November， and if you've no idea what this is all about， do yourself a huge favour and get a copy of 'Sabriel' to start your journey into the Old Kingdom 😁 。。。more

cecereads23 ，

When you come back to the old kingdom it is like coming home and this is what this book is。 It was just how I wanted it to be and made me cry all over again。 I do hope that this is not the end of the old kingdom because I am not ready to say goodbye again。

Dayanara Ryelle ，

I have to stop and take a deep breath， because I am about to go after one of my favorite authors and I don't love it。（pardon my yantra）Terciel & Elinor reads as if some meddling editor got the brilliant idea to demand a book about Sabriel's parents， completely uncaring whether it fit with the rest of the series and whether the author wanted to write it， so long as it was X length and done by Y time to suit the publisher's needs。 （And he had to obey， because it was part of his contract。）Other tha I have to stop and take a deep breath， because I am about to go after one of my favorite authors and I don't love it。（pardon my yantra）Terciel & Elinor reads as if some meddling editor got the brilliant idea to demand a book about Sabriel's parents， completely uncaring whether it fit with the rest of the series and whether the author wanted to write it， so long as it was X length and done by Y time to suit the publisher's needs。 （And he had to obey， because it was part of his contract。）Other than filling in a few blanks here and there， this book made no significant contributions to the series and retconned or made confusing various elements along the way。 A few that I can remember:• I feel pretty confident that in Abhorsen， Mogget tells Sam and Lirael that Terciel had forbidden him from wearing his dwarf form; but in Terciel & Elinor， he wears it all the time （or something like it） and the claim is made that he has to， because Terciel doesn't like cats。• For the entire series （and even the beginning of this book）， it's made clear that Paperwings have to have someone piloting， （view spoiler）[but when they're getting ready to head out to the battle with Kerrigor， they're sent home like well-trained horses or errant dogs。 If they can do that， why would Sanar and Ryelle need to fly two separate paperwings to the palace in Sabriel？ Why couldn't someone from the paperwing flight just spell one off to them？ （I acknowledge that the Clayr had to tell Sabriel where Rogirek's body was buried， but there were surely other options。）• How the hell can a chain be so powerful that two Abhorsens can drag Kerrigor 88% of the way into Death and force him underwater， yet so weak that he can pop up thirty years later and go back to the way things were？ That not only makes little sense， it ends up being a giant plothole in the long run。 （hide spoiler）]Sadly， Terciel & Elinor is a completely skippable attempt at returning us to the Old Kingdom。 While Clariel was full of hateful characters and an outcome that left me uncomfortable， at least it provided something of value to the fictional world we know and love。 Terciel & Elinor， however， takes mostly decent characters （except the stonehearted Tizanael） and places them on a course that makes it appear that the author doesn't seem to know what to do with them。（view spoiler）[P。S。: to whoever thought locking a Clayr up in an asylum was a good idea， I regret that I have but two middle fingers to give。 （hide spoiler）]["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]> 。。。more

Chris G。 ，

In a return to the stories of Charter Magic and the Old Kingdom， Terciel is doing his best to learn his future role from great， great aunt Tizanael， the current Abhorsen。 Terciel senses that his progress is painfully slow and Tizanael’s instruction is deliberate， cautious， and ignores his questions。 Meanwhile， south of the border wall that separates the world of the Charter Magic from ordinary people， the arrival of a mysterious undead enemy leaves Elinor’s family murdered and Elinor fleeing to In a return to the stories of Charter Magic and the Old Kingdom， Terciel is doing his best to learn his future role from great， great aunt Tizanael， the current Abhorsen。 Terciel senses that his progress is painfully slow and Tizanael’s instruction is deliberate， cautious， and ignores his questions。 Meanwhile， south of the border wall that separates the world of the Charter Magic from ordinary people， the arrival of a mysterious undead enemy leaves Elinor’s family murdered and Elinor fleeing to a school where she hopes to learn a few charter marks before moving north to meet the community of future-seeing Clayrs， from whom she is descended。Terciel and Elinor meet at his fortress home in the middle of a northern river and begin a relationship as they set off to send their fierce enemy back to death。 Lush description makes the setting practically another character but does slow the pace a bit toward the end of the book。 There’s no need to have read the others in the series to enjoy this one。 EARC from Edelweiss。 。。。more

Shima ，

How did I not know about this？ （Putting my bandolier on。 Sound-checking my bells）

Janette ，

I really enjoyed this book。 I have never read the earlier Old Kingdom books but remembered that my daughter used to love them so I was interested to read this prequel and I am now definitely hooked and can’t wait to read the earlier books。We begin by meeting Terciel who is an orphan in the old kingdom when he is claimed by a distant relative and taken to live with her to learn about Charter Magic。 The story then switches to Elinor who knows nothing about magic and is living with her sick mother， I really enjoyed this book。 I have never read the earlier Old Kingdom books but remembered that my daughter used to love them so I was interested to read this prequel and I am now definitely hooked and can’t wait to read the earlier books。We begin by meeting Terciel who is an orphan in the old kingdom when he is claimed by a distant relative and taken to live with her to learn about Charter Magic。 The story then switches to Elinor who knows nothing about magic and is living with her sick mother， her governess and the groom who is an ex circus performer。 The book is far more Elinor’s story than Terciel’s and she is a lovely character and totally believable。 Her journey from her home to the school and then to the Old Kingdom is enthralling。 There is romance between her and Terciel but it is not a major feature of the book until the very end。 I loved both the worlds of Ancelstierre and the Old Kingdom。 Garth Nix does a great job of providing enough detail to make the worlds real but not so much that it slows the story down。I don’t know how this compares to the previous books but this works perfectly well as a stand alone as I didn’t feel that I was missing anything as I read it。This was a brilliant read and I am very grateful to Net Galley and the publishers， Hot Key Books， for providing me with this ARC in return for my honest review。 。。。more

Rachel B ，

I couldn't give this anything less than 5 stars， I am so happy to be back in the Old Kingdom， and now I need to try and out my happiness into proper words。。。 I couldn't give this anything less than 5 stars， I am so happy to be back in the Old Kingdom， and now I need to try and out my happiness into proper words。。。 。。。more

Laura ，

While this is being labeled Book 6 in the Old Kingdom series， it's really a prequel to the Sabriel story， centered on how her parents met。 Elinor has lived a sheltered life in a remote manor， homeschooled and spending her time only with her nanny and her nanny's uncle。 Of course， things change。。。 and she meets Terciel （the Abhorsen-in-Training）。 Adventures follow， with the Abhorsen and Terciel trying to bring an escaped being back to Death's Ninth Level; as it turns out， Elinor plays a necessary While this is being labeled Book 6 in the Old Kingdom series， it's really a prequel to the Sabriel story， centered on how her parents met。 Elinor has lived a sheltered life in a remote manor， homeschooled and spending her time only with her nanny and her nanny's uncle。 Of course， things change。。。 and she meets Terciel （the Abhorsen-in-Training）。 Adventures follow， with the Abhorsen and Terciel trying to bring an escaped being back to Death's Ninth Level; as it turns out， Elinor plays a necessary role in that endeavor。If you haven't read any of the other Old Kingdom books， this is fine to read because it sets up a later book。 And if you have read them， it fills in backstory that you didn't know you needed。eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss。 。。。more

Laura ，

Garth Nix’s Abhorsen books have been a favourite autumnal read for me since I was a teenager， and although none of the later titles in the series ever reached the heights of Sabriel or Lirael， I still always enjoy returning to the Old Kingdom。 This latest instalment， Terciel and Elinor， jumps back in time to focus on Sabriel’s parents， moving between their stories and ultimately interweaving them。 Terciel is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting， charged by the current Abhorsen to help her bind the Greater De Garth Nix’s Abhorsen books have been a favourite autumnal read for me since I was a teenager， and although none of the later titles in the series ever reached the heights of Sabriel or Lirael， I still always enjoy returning to the Old Kingdom。 This latest instalment， Terciel and Elinor， jumps back in time to focus on Sabriel’s parents， moving between their stories and ultimately interweaving them。 Terciel is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting， charged by the current Abhorsen to help her bind the Greater Dead creature Kerrigor， who we know will become significant later on in the history of this world。 Elinor has grown up in Ancelstierre knowing nothing of the Old Kingdom， convinced that the Charter Mark she bears on her forehead is a disfiguring scar – until she is forced to come face to face with her heritage。 I always get most out of the parts of the Old Kingdom books that are set in one of Nix’s marvellous set-piece locations （my favourite sequence in any of the novels is the part of Lirael where Lirael is still living with the Clayr） and so I was delighted to find that some of them feature here: Wyverley College and Abhorsen’s House （though sadly， we don’t see much of the Clayr’s Glacier）。 Like its predecessors Abhorsen and Goldenhand， Terciel and Elinor is fun and immersive， but doesn’t imaginatively introduce or expand this world in the ways that Sabriel and Lirael did; therefore， I can’t rank it as highly as the first two books， which were truly magical。 Nevertheless， fans of the Old Kingdom series should like this。I received a free proof copy of this novel from the publisher for review。 。。。more

Maiko Lenting-Lu ，

I always love returning to the Old Kingdom so for that reason alone， I am happy this book exists。 It does otherwise feel wholly unnecessary。 Enjoyable， but definitely needed more Mogget。

laurel [the suspected bibliophile] ，

Storyline: 3 starsWorldbuilding: 4 starsNostalgia: 5 starsOverall， not too much happens over the course of 560 pages （if you've read Sabriel， you already know what happens to the Big Bad）， and unlike the usual frantic chase scenes leading to a rough climax and quick finish I've gotten to expect from the Abhorsen series， this was more a slow build in establishing characters （particularly Elinor's， Terciel was just kinda whiny and studying all the time）， and really delving into the world of Ancels Storyline: 3 starsWorldbuilding: 4 starsNostalgia: 5 starsOverall， not too much happens over the course of 560 pages （if you've read Sabriel， you already know what happens to the Big Bad）， and unlike the usual frantic chase scenes leading to a rough climax and quick finish I've gotten to expect from the Abhorsen series， this was more a slow build in establishing characters （particularly Elinor's， Terciel was just kinda whiny and studying all the time）， and really delving into the world of Ancelstierre and the Old Kingdom， and laying down why Wyverly College， of all places。Elinor and Terciel meet briefly in the beginning， then are separated for the majority of the book until the end。 Their chemistry is more thrust-together than not， although they do have an immediate attraction。I dunno。 I really enjoyed this in terms of knowing more about the backstory of the Old Kingdom and Ancelstierre， but was left wanting to know more about these two kingdoms instead of the brief glimpse I had through Elinor's eyes （she who was cooped up in Coldhallow House knowing absolutely nothing about anything except how to act and put on plays。。。the fighting comes in handy though） and the briefest of glimpses through Terciel's POV that is mainly the walk from Wall to House and then the house itself （always fascinating）。 And I enjoyed having more time spent in Abhorsen House， particularly with the Sendings because they have always fascinated me。But now， what I'd really like to see is an adult fantasy that is not adult-fantasy-pegged-as-YA-because-that's-what-the-others-were about Terzinael and her life， because that sounds absolutely fascinating。 Or the life of Mirelle， one of the Ranger Clayr。Or I'd even love the years Terciel and Elinor had together before the birth of Sabriel。 Because this story was long and yet not enough。Full RTC， maybeI received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review 。。。more

Darcy Roar ，

I really enjoyed this window into the lives of Sabriel's parents （more than I thought I would given their circumstances in the original book）！ I guess I'd place it as the most romantically focused of the Old Kingdom series （that I've read， I still haven't gotten to Goldenhand yet） being something of an undead meet cute adventure， but not in a particularly sappy or saccharine way。 Even without my deep fondness for the world Nix has created Terciel and Elinor shines through it's characters。 Eli I really enjoyed this window into the lives of Sabriel's parents （more than I thought I would given their circumstances in the original book）！ I guess I'd place it as the most romantically focused of the Old Kingdom series （that I've read， I still haven't gotten to Goldenhand yet） being something of an undead meet cute adventure， but not in a particularly sappy or saccharine way。 Even without my deep fondness for the world Nix has created Terciel and Elinor shines through it's characters。 Elinor is extremely sheltered but ever so charming， and driven by goals of her own making （post inciting incident）。 Terciel feels a bit more gangling and awkward when not acting in his official capacity， but it absolutely works with his internal struggle to balance very important work with a hypothetical personal life。 The adventure plot is not Nix's strongest or most harrowing， but it doesn't need to be， it's not the main point of the book （though it does leave nice little tidbits hardcore fans will enjoy about the state of the Old Kingdom pre Sabriel）。 Long story short， if you love The Old Kingdom books you really must read Terciel and Elinor ， it is well worth your time and attention。 Many thanks to Net Galley for access to the eARC of this book！ 。。。more

Molly ，

I really enjoyed this。 The Old Kingdom is one of my favourite series。 I found Clariel and Goldenhand a little lacklustre in comparison to the original trilogy， but this book felt like a true return to the Old Kingdom I love。There's Charter magic， Dead creatures， winds from the north bringing the Old Kingdom into Ancelstierre。。。 everything that is at the core of the Old Kingdom trilogy is brought back here and it really captured that feeling of discovering Sabriel for the first time。 It was like I really enjoyed this。 The Old Kingdom is one of my favourite series。 I found Clariel and Goldenhand a little lacklustre in comparison to the original trilogy， but this book felt like a true return to the Old Kingdom I love。There's Charter magic， Dead creatures， winds from the north bringing the Old Kingdom into Ancelstierre。。。 everything that is at the core of the Old Kingdom trilogy is brought back here and it really captured that feeling of discovering Sabriel for the first time。 It was like coming home。 Terciel and Elinor were both fun to read about with very different experiences。 I also enjoyed having the viewpoint of a true Clayr for the first time and getting to see a little of how their visions feel。 It was also fun to see characters we've heard about before， like Tizanael， and get some more backstory to the events of the original trilogy。 Yeah。 I enjoyed this a lot。 。。。more

Intisar Khanani ，

TL;DR: This is a rather comforting read of two teens coming into their abilities--almost completely separately from each other。 For that， you may truly enjoy this book。 Do not expect a romance or any strong relationship development， and you'll be golden。 Actual rating: 3。5 starsThe review:When I got approved for an ARC of Terciel and Elinor， I literally had to stop myself from screaming out loud。 I loved Sabriel， enjoyed Lirael， and while I haven't kept up with all the Old Kingdom books， a book TL;DR: This is a rather comforting read of two teens coming into their abilities--almost completely separately from each other。 For that， you may truly enjoy this book。 Do not expect a romance or any strong relationship development， and you'll be golden。 Actual rating: 3。5 starsThe review:When I got approved for an ARC of Terciel and Elinor， I literally had to stop myself from screaming out loud。 I loved Sabriel， enjoyed Lirael， and while I haven't kept up with all the Old Kingdom books， a book that featured Sabriel's parents was a no-brainer。 Especially when it's billed as a bit of a romance--I mean， it's all there in the title， the cover， the description。 I quote， this is "the never-before-told love story" of Sabriel's parents。Unfortunately， that means I came in with some unhelpful expectations。 Y'all， this book isn't bad。 But if you're looking for romance--even just a base romance line in a strong fantasy story--it's 。。。 not what you might hope for。 This book is more about two teens finding their way mostly on their own， and then coming together to， uh， *spoiler spoiler* and， as is typical of 90% of fantasy books， take on the bad guys at the end。 The relationship development--"love story"--between them simply isn't there。 We meet in the first few chapters （OMG was I excited through the first few chapters）， and then we part ways until we're （view spoiler）[66% （hide spoiler）] of the way through the book。 I kid you not。 I checked my Kindle。 （view spoiler）[And even from there， the romance doesn't really develop， it just。。。 suddenly is。 （hide spoiler）]I also finished the prologue absolutely DESPISING Terciel's mentor Tizanael。 Literally nothing she did after that could rescue her in my eyes。 Which， you know， distinctly influenced the rest of my read。 I'm putting in spoiler tags here， but again， it's all in the prologue so。。。 not serious spoilery？ （view spoiler）[Okay， first off， I'm a parent， my kids are not all that old， so bear that in mind。 We find out in the prologue that Terciel and his sister Rahi were orphaned when Terciel was a wee babe。 Then Rahi disappeared when he was 4 years old。 We then fast forward to Terciel being about 10 years old and Tizanael coming for him--and find out that SHE was the reason Rahi disappeared。 She took Rahi away to become her Abhorsen-in-Waiting the same way she's come to get Terciel now （mind you， big sis eventually died in that role）。Well， bunnies， Rahi was super kind and caring of Terciel after their parents' death， which means there's NO WAY she left her baby brother to the streets willingly。 WTH， Tizanael？ No explanation for why you took Rahi and knowingly left her beloved 4 year old brother to fend for himself on the streets？ Yes， that sound you hear is me raging in the background， "cursing a black stream" as one might write。FURTHERMORE， Tizanael never， ever explains her decision or expresses any form of regret。 Nope， she only needed Rahi at the time， so that's all that mattered。 Never mind she has a literal fortress filled with magical servants who could have easily cared for a child， no skin off her back。 I mean， one character actually mentions how excited the servants get when there's actually something for them to do to fulfill their function。 WHAT。 Also， never mind that Abhorsen-in-Waiting's a kinda dangerous position so it's not a bad idea to， you know， keep another one of the bloodline alive if you can--if all you have are repressed emotions and a dedication to your job function to help you make your decisions， and no basic human decency whatsoever。So yeah， I am still angry about this， and had zero empathy or compassion for Tizanael for the rest of the book。 I don't care if she's a prickly person who has trouble showing she cares。 I've already seen that she very patently DOESN'T care， because seriously？ It's a freaking miracle that Terciel even survived。 As such， I also cannot comprehend how Terciel forgave her for separating him from his sister for the rest of her life， and at the risk of his own。 Pretty sure I would have held that grudge REALLY well through my teen years， especially when it would have been so well-founded。 But。。。 it never even occurred to him？ This whole prologue was utterly mind boggling。 （hide spoiler）]Finally， and this was the saddest aspect for me， there were many instances where the language--the descriptions of actions， the dialogue--were awkward or stilted。 Frankly， this is what good editors are for。 They are supposed to let an author know when something feels clunky so the author can go back and give it a little extra spit and polish。 I really， truly， deeply hope this happened in the final stages of editing， after the ARCs were created。 From my own experience， though， ARCs aren't usually put together until after the line editing stage， which means that chance has come and gone。 And that just makes me so， so sad。Nix needed an editor to identify the bits he could improve--not just green light his book because it would obviously sell regardless。 He needed an editor to point out things like the Glaring Character Flaw in the prologue that is never resolved。 And he SERIOUSLY needed the marketing team to figure out what they were doing and NOT market this as the ultimate love story between Sabriel's parents。 It's not。It is a rather comforting read of two teens coming into their abilities， each on their own。 For that， you may truly enjoy this book， and be able to let the other flaws fade in your mind。 I hope you do。 I wish I had come into the story with different expectations myself。Now I shall go drown my disappointment in some Fair Trade dark chocolate。 Because what else am I to do？Actual rating: 3。5 stars 。。。more

Aimee ，

I was gifted an ARC of this book… and I loved it。This is how a prequel should be - enough new content to keep old readers intrigued but still an easy gateway for new readers who are not familiar with the world。Fans of the Old Kingdom will rejoice as they return to a beloved setting， with all the elements of the world that we know and love - magic， danger， history and lore， sassy women， a man who’s slightly confused， paperwings， Sendings and a cat that’s not a cat。 New readers: this is the perfec I was gifted an ARC of this book… and I loved it。This is how a prequel should be - enough new content to keep old readers intrigued but still an easy gateway for new readers who are not familiar with the world。Fans of the Old Kingdom will rejoice as they return to a beloved setting， with all the elements of the world that we know and love - magic， danger， history and lore， sassy women， a man who’s slightly confused， paperwings， Sendings and a cat that’s not a cat。 New readers: this is the perfect place to start your Old Kingdom adventure！ You will learn so much about the world without being over burdened with complex world building moments or info dumps。 This story closes the loop on so many things fans have been waiting to know throughout the series and still surprises and offers something new and enjoyable。 There are so many elements that connect and information that’s been woven through the previous 5 （ish） books but it’s still fresh and exciting even to someone who’s been visiting this world for decades （I started my journey reading Lirael in around 2001/02 so this has been a long time coming for me！）My suggested reading order for the series for new readers:- Terciel & Elinor- Sabriel- Lirael- Abhorsen- Clariel- Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case （short story found in Across the Wall compilation）- Goldenhand 。。。more

Jen ，

I have read most of Garth Nix’s books at this point， and I was wonderfully surprised that this one continued the things I love about the Old Kingdom， disregarded any patterns or routines from the other books， and added life （and tragedy） to Sabriel’s history。 It was fun to see older characters in their youth and to meet more Abhorsens。 This book only furthers my belief in Nix’s compelling characters and his interesting relationship with The Dead。

Katelyn ，

3。5 StarsAs Sabriel is one of my favorite books， it's always comforting to return to an Old Kingdom novel。 I did wish there was a bit more relationship building between Terciel and Ellinor。 But I did find them both interesting and compelling characters to carry the story。 I did however feel the action was a little rushed at the end and their love was a bit too insta-lovey for me。I think this also gives us a deeper look at how different each side of the wall is。 Which has been lightly discussed i 3。5 StarsAs Sabriel is one of my favorite books， it's always comforting to return to an Old Kingdom novel。 I did wish there was a bit more relationship building between Terciel and Ellinor。 But I did find them both interesting and compelling characters to carry the story。 I did however feel the action was a little rushed at the end and their love was a bit too insta-lovey for me。I think this also gives us a deeper look at how different each side of the wall is。 Which has been lightly discussed in the other books in the series。 So that was fun to see！ Overall it's an enjoyable read for any fan of the Old Kingdom。 Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc。 。。。more

Charlie Newman ，

I enjoyed this a lot。 I will always want more Old Kingdom novels， and while some of Nix's other books have been just okay recently， it seems like going back to Ancelstierre always brings out the best in him。 What I wanted from this book: necromancy with bells， charter magic， a trip or two into the river， some Clayr， and more little bits and pieces from one of my favorite fantasy worlds。What I got: All of those things！ Plus---a couple flashes of perspectives of the normal people of Ancelstierre I I enjoyed this a lot。 I will always want more Old Kingdom novels， and while some of Nix's other books have been just okay recently， it seems like going back to Ancelstierre always brings out the best in him。 What I wanted from this book: necromancy with bells， charter magic， a trip or two into the river， some Clayr， and more little bits and pieces from one of my favorite fantasy worlds。What I got: All of those things！ Plus---a couple flashes of perspectives of the normal people of Ancelstierre I didn't know that I wanted but am now hungry for more of-A fun relationship between an Abhorsen and her Abhorsen-in-Waiting-Mogget backstory Mogget backstory Mogget backstory Mogget backstory-A really powerful and touching ending that I won't spoil but was IMMENSELY satisfying。The one main thing that didn't hit for me: Nix writes romance like he's holding it at the end of a ten foot pole。 Brief， efficient， and largely unromantic。 It's not necessarily bad， but not what I wanted either。 A little more slow burn between the main characters would honestly have been the thing to bump this up to a five star review for me。Overall， I did really enjoy this return to the Old Kingdom， and dearly hope to see more！ 。。。more

Kelley ，

When I saw a new Old Kingdom book coming out， I was THRILLED to get access to an advance copy！ This series has been a top favorite of mine ever since I discovered Sabriel， so it really felt like coming home as I dove into this book。 I confess， I was hoping for a bit more Abhorsen-ing， so the beginning threw me off a little bit。 （I also have to admit that while I enjoyed some parts of Elinor's story， I wasn't as interested in HER interests of the theater。） Switching back and forth between Terciel When I saw a new Old Kingdom book coming out， I was THRILLED to get access to an advance copy！ This series has been a top favorite of mine ever since I discovered Sabriel， so it really felt like coming home as I dove into this book。 I confess， I was hoping for a bit more Abhorsen-ing， so the beginning threw me off a little bit。 （I also have to admit that while I enjoyed some parts of Elinor's story， I wasn't as interested in HER interests of the theater。） Switching back and forth between Terciel and Elinor was interesting， although I kept wondering about what would bring their stories together。 The danger felt real， the mystery was deep， and the beauty and magic of the Charter felt just as big as I remembered it from the previous books in the series。 Once things really got rolling with the plot， I was super hooked and couldn't wait to read more。 This was basically a comfort read for someone who wants more of the Old Kingdom， and a lovely look into the history of Sabriel's parents。 It makes me want to reread this beloved series all over again！ 。。。more

Melissa ，

Sabriel was one of the books that shaped my love for fantasy， so I was really excited to read this prequel。 And I did love it， but quickly remembered the bad part of prequels。 You know what's coming for the characters so even when you start to really love their interactions， you want to read both faster and slower at once。 If you enjoyed the previous Abhorsen novels， you'll like this one as well。 *ARC provided though Netgalley Sabriel was one of the books that shaped my love for fantasy， so I was really excited to read this prequel。 And I did love it， but quickly remembered the bad part of prequels。 You know what's coming for the characters so even when you start to really love their interactions， you want to read both faster and slower at once。 If you enjoyed the previous Abhorsen novels， you'll like this one as well。 *ARC provided though Netgalley 。。。more

Sarah Leigh ，

This was a fun continuation of the Sabriel series。 Getting the answers of who Sabriel's mother is and where her parents met/first came to know each other was enjoyable to read， and it's always a pleasure to see old and familiar characters （I especially enjoyed Mogget）。 While I don't think that the novel covers significant new ground， there are moments that fill in small gaps in the other books， or provide a different look and a different context for events that happen later in the timeline but e This was a fun continuation of the Sabriel series。 Getting the answers of who Sabriel's mother is and where her parents met/first came to know each other was enjoyable to read， and it's always a pleasure to see old and familiar characters （I especially enjoyed Mogget）。 While I don't think that the novel covers significant new ground， there are moments that fill in small gaps in the other books， or provide a different look and a different context for events that happen later in the timeline but earlier in the series。 I especially enjoyed reading about more of the origins of Kerrigor and Hedge。 Overall， I think that if you enjoyed the Sabriel series， you'll likely enjoy this book as well。 。。。more

Amanda （MetalPhantasmReads） ，

**3。75 stars***NetGalley ARC*Having been a fan of this series for almost 20 years， I was really excited to have this prequel book。 I did love seeing the connections to the original trilogy and how some things came together。 There's also those nasty descriptions of all the dead creatures and the different gates of Death。 I also liked getting a bit more Abhorsen lore as well。 But sadly， this book is too short for the amount of story it was trying to cover。 This isn't a romance between Terciel and **3。75 stars***NetGalley ARC*Having been a fan of this series for almost 20 years， I was really excited to have this prequel book。 I did love seeing the connections to the original trilogy and how some things came together。 There's also those nasty descriptions of all the dead creatures and the different gates of Death。 I also liked getting a bit more Abhorsen lore as well。 But sadly， this book is too short for the amount of story it was trying to cover。 This isn't a romance between Terciel and Elinor; it's two people who literally have instalove happen and then they can't be separated。 That's not realistic to me and it didn't' convince me at all。 This trope is hardly ever done well for me and it fell flat pretty much immediately。 Plus the real meat of the story doesn't happen until the 75% mark， except for a good beginning。 I did like both Terciel and Elinor well enough but this book could've been longer to truly establish their romance and make it more believable。 I also think Terciel's chapters were way more interesting， with learning more Abhorsen lore in his storyline。 I'm glad Nix keeps writing in this world but I feel like this book should've been longer like "Lirael" was to get more story and have it feel more balanced。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Terciel and Elinor

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Terciel and Elinor&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Terciel and Elinor&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0