Still one of the very best
The cover quote on my copy of this book is from Leigh Bardugo and says: ‘There is no joy like returning to the Old Kingdom.’
Whilst shying away from the absolute nature of this statement, I do find myself in general agreement with it. It is one of reading’s many joys to return to the ‘Old Kingdom’ fantasy world of Garth Nix.
I must say, I am not greatly enamoured of much YA fantasy these days. It too frequently regurgitates the same tropes with only relatively minor variations of character and plot. However the Old Kingdom books are most certainly an exception. I may well have a certainly loyalty to them, having followed the fortunes of its world ever since the publication of the first book, Sabriel, here in UK, almost twenty years ago. But it is more than that. Garth Nix’s creation is one of the most original and compelling of post-Tolkien fantasy worlds aimed at this readership. Only a few currently rival it.
Backwards and forwards
Garth Nix’s is a complex world, divided by a wall that almost (but not quite) keeps southern, non-magic Ancelstierre secure from the magic of the northern ‘Old Kingdom’. The doings of this northern realm principally involve ongoing conflict between the wondrous ‘Charter Magic’ and its dangerous counterpart, ‘Free Magic’. This means a constant battle against the threat of the malevolent dead for whoever is the current supreme mage, the Abhorson. In all this, the author has given himself so much scope for imaginative plotting, fully exploited, that he never fails to thrill and compel. He has also been very clever, over the years, in not over-working one set of characters. Instead he has moved his stories significantly forwards and backward in Old Kingdom history, giving himself the opportunity for fresh characters and scenarios, whilst still maintaining the integrity of his overall creation - and retaining the loyalty of his readers.
Page turner
The latest extension of this world, Terciel and Elinor, is no exception. In a reading order that reflects the history of the Old Kingdom, this book comes after Clariel but before the original trilogy that starts with Sabriel. Although his two new eponymous protagonists meet early in the story and, inevitably, join up before conclusion, for most of the book we follow their fortunes separately. The employment of interleaved narrative strands is, of course, not new, and is classically found in The Lord of The Rings, following the ‘Breaking of the Fellowship’. However, Garth Nix uses this technique in masterly fashion, ensuring his reader is engrossed in the situation of one of character, right up to the point of being desperate to know what happens next, before switching to repeat the contrivance with the other. It is an approach guaranteed to keep the pages turning, and it certainly does here.
Humour, tragedy, romance and magic
Both main characters are vividly and evocatively drawn, as are other key figures in the narrative. However, Garth Nix always writes particularly strong female characters and, if anything, it is the drama-loving Elinor who is the more interesting of the leads. The author also has an engaging wit, when he chooses to use it. This was well in evidence in his recent stand-alone fantasy, The Left-Handed Booksellers of London, itself a very entertaining, if generally lighter, read. His lively and sometimes cheeky humour makes some appearance in Elinor’s story too, although this is balanced by very affecting loss of people dear to her, making for rich and rounded writing. It is her story that essentially prevents that of ‘Abhorsen-in-Waiting’ Terciel from being just another apprentice magician scenario. However, her presence, together with the author’s masterly storytelling overall, make this a compelling read. There is a touch of romance too, of course, but whilst endearing, this does not prevent the narrative from revolving around the captivating ‘Charter Magic’ (with bells and even some whistles!) and the inevitable battle with horrendous evil, in this case in the person of powerful ‘Greater Dead’ magician, Kerrigot.
Not to be missed
It is a good while since I sank into a fantasy and luxuriated there in quite the way I have done in this one. I am confident that followers of the Old Kingdom books will love this new manifestation. Fantasy lovers from about 12yrs upwards who don’t know this sequence at all are missing out.