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mattiedancer's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Writing: 4⭐️/5
In contrast to the other books in the series, I found Clariel lacking a bit something. The start of this novel is a bit lackluster, taking a while to get started. In contrast, the ending wrapped up a little quickly.
Characters: 3.75⭐️/5
*Some Spoilers*
*Some Spoilers*
Clariel, unlike Lirael, Sameth, and Sabriel, lacks a bit of depth. While the Clariel we see as the novel progresses does get deeper and more interesting, she never gets to a point where I believe her fully. For her motives, she’s relatively one-dimensional, searching for a way to escape the city without giving up her lifestyle. At nearly every interval we are reminded of this as a core of her being and, while I appreciate this motive, it makes her feel less real that she rarely thinks of anything else. I did enjoy Bel and the character shift we see in Mogget when left alone for too long.
Plot: 4⭐️/5
*Some Spoilers*
*Some Spoilers*
I do find the plot interesting, though I wonder at the initial plan to trap a Free Magic creature using two children. I did like following Clariel and watching her sanity slip away as she craves more and more Free Magic. As a backstory for Chlorr of the Mask, it served its purpose, creating an interesting backdrop in an already well-established world. I wonder what might have been gained if the attention was split or focused more on Bel, and how that might have helped the pacing and the characters.
World 5⭐️/5
Here’s the thing: the Old Kingdom and the world in which it resides is fascinating, well-developed, and always interesting.
Who Should Read This Book?
- Fans of The Old Kingdom
- Fans of Garth Nix
Content Warnings?
Gaslighting, Emotional Abuse, Murder, Death, Death of Parent, Animal Death, Animal Cruelty
Post-Reading Rating: 4.25⭐️/5
It’s always a good adventure into The Old Kingdom.
Final Rating: 4⭐️/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
naomi_k's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, and Murder
Moderate: Gore, Violence, and Misogyny
Minor: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting
gothnailcare's review
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Without saying too much, this book had a frustrating arc: one where the general gist of what will happen is easily guessed early on (by design, I must assume, especially given the cover art and tagline of the edition I had , but learning the nature of how those events came to be was frustrating and sluggish rather than interesting. I had read the older books more than a decade ago, and did not remember the character Chlorr in any particular detail, yet I knew I was reading the origin story of a villain or something like one from nearly the start. While I am open to reading books that challenge traditional narratives of agency and self-sufficiency, spending the back half of the book waiting for Clariel to do whatever awful and misguided thing she was going to do with the free magic creatures so that Bel could come and save her was an absolute slog. I didn't dislike Clariel's character at all, which only made it more frustrating that towards the end of the book, her internal reasoning seemed to crumble under the weight of narrative necessity: Chekov's gun was provided hideously early, and for hundreds more pages we were forced to watch Clariel stumble around in the dark trying to find it. With that said, the prose is as beautiful and successful as always, and I look forward to re-reading the rest of the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, and Confinement
Minor: Blood and Gaslighting
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