Upon finishing Abhorsen, I feel even more strongly that I should've read this series as a teenager. Nix has this way of balancing topics like death and impermanence with whimsy and wonder. It entranced me today as it would have back then. But now that I'm more well-read, I notice the flaws. The pacing, like with Lirael, is a tad off.
The Big Bad Guy is paint-by-numbers, which is frustrating because we have a better villain right there in Hedge. I think Nix bit off a little more than he could chew and had to wrap things up, no matter how messy. That said, there are some fantastic characters and some really fun payoffs with Mogget, Sam, and even Nicholas.
The Disreputable Dog and Lirael have entered my own personal pantheon of favorite duos in fiction. I'm honestly going to miss following those two around on their adventures. One thought on the series as a whole: the best part was the first half of Lirael. Growing up with her and The Disreputable Dog as she learns who she is and what she's capable of.
Not much of that in this book, but the finale captures some of the same energy of Lirael and The Disreputable Dog cautiously and bravely exploring the unknown together one last time. I hope I capture that energy in my covers. Read these books if you haven't. And give 'em a reread if you have.
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