Abhorsen
core novel 2003 The Old Kingdom
Record
| First published | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 4.25 (129,678 ratings, collected 2026-09-13) |
| Page count | 358 |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780060278250 |
| Internal chronology | 5 |
Synopsis
Abhorsen is the third novel of Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series, continuing directly from Lirael. An ancient and catastrophic force known as the Destroyer, long imprisoned, draws steadily nearer to freedom, and as darkness spreads across the Old Kingdom its people look to the Abhorsen, the hereditary guardian who commands the Dead, for protection. But Sabriel, the current Abhorsen, has gone missing in Ancelstierre, leaving Lirael, newly discovered as the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, as the realm's best remaining hope. Alongside her brother's friend Nicholas Sayre and other companions, Lirael sets out on a perilous journey across both the Old Kingdom and into Ancelstierre, racing to reach Sabriel and to confront the gathering catastrophe before the Destroyer can break free and unleash its power on both nations.
Where it sits
- Universe: The Old Kingdom
- Series: The Old Kingdom core; position 5 of 6 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Garth Nix
Awards (verified)
- Aurealis Award (Best Fantasy Novel), 2003: won
- Aurealis Award (Best Young Adult Novel), 2003: won; Joint winner with Dragon Keeper (Carole Wilkinson).
- Ditmar Award (Novel), 2004: nominated
Notes
- From the series record (The Old Kingdom): Publication order (Sabriel/Lirael/Abhorsen/Clariel/Goldenhand/Terciel and Elinor) diverges sharply from internal chronology (Clariel and Terciel and Elinor are prequels). No 7th novel confirmed announced; series status (open/closed) is unconfirmed either way.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings and are never conflated: a book's place in one says nothing about its place in the other.
- Publication order, within the series The Old Kingdom: position 3 of 6: previous Lirael (2001) · next Clariel (2014)
- Internal chronology, within The Old Kingdom: position 5 of 6: previous Lirael (2001) · next Goldenhand (2016)
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Old_Kingdom
- Garth Nix official site
- https://garthnix.com/books/the-old-kingdom/abhorsen/
- Aurealis Awards
- https://www.sfadb.com/Garth_Nix
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