Favourite Book by Garth Nix?

[manic_depressive13]

Hello everyone.

It is with great shame that I admit that, while I am an avid reader of Fantasy and Science Fiction, I've never read any of Garth Nix's work despite his wide critical acclaim. I know that a lot of the Escapist loves Fantasy, so I was hoping you could tell me where I ought to begin since he is a rather prolific writer. Is he as good as he is made out to be? Are his books the sort that have to be enjoyed when you're younger, or can they be appreciated by readers of any age?

I appreciate your input!

 

[CAPTCHA]

I've only read one series and that was the Abhorsen Trilogy. In my eyes the books were written for a younger (read teen) audience and are aimed more towards girls. Tone wise the books wouldn't look out of place on a book shelf alongside Harry Potter and the Cronicles of Narnia, although the content of the Abhorsen books tends to be a little darker as it deals with death (they are about a necromancer) and some other more gothicy topics. Without going into spoliers, the first book in the triogy is a stand alone story, while the latter two are joined with the second book ending on a "to be continue".

I wouldn't be against reading more of his stuff based on what I have read, but as I said it's not really aimed at me, so I'm not rushing down the book shop to buy them.

 

[manic_depressive13]

-snip-

Fair enough. Out of curiosity, what made you feel that they were aimed at girls?

 

[Esotera]

Start with a short story if you're not entirely sure you want to commit to a novel, I'm fairly sure he's written quite a few. I can only remember reading Necropolis and Skullduggery Pleasant by name, both of those are good reads. The writing style is definitely aimed towards a younger audience but can still be enjoyed by adults, it's also quite a unique style.

 

[Sean Hollyman]

I've never heard of him... :/

 

[RN7]

I really liked Keys to the Kingdom. It was pretty interesting considering the odd concept of creation being defined into one singular point that was represented by a house that contained a parallel universe filled with a combination of victorian, steampunk, sci-fi and dystopian elements. I haven't read the last book in the series, Lord Sunday, but I would recommend any of the others. In order to go save time by explaining the series itself, I can say it's most comparable to Harry Potter, though the two books are so different to a point upon which they could have entirely divided fanbases based off of the elements of their construction alone. It's also much darker and grim than Harry Potter, especially considering the protagonist's situation, which is a major, spoiler-filled plot point.

If you like Sci-Fi or fantasy, go read the books in the Keys to the Kingdom series.

 

[Crenelate]

I read Sabriel when I was about 13/14 I think. I think they are aimed at girls mostly, or maybe it just felt that was because of the female protagonist. Though it's kind of a shame that it's an assumption that only girls would like reading girls! I enjoyed it, if I remember correctly, but I couldn't get into the second one, don't know why.

Give it a go, nothing to lose!

(Haven't read any of his other stuff though, sorry...)

 

[CommanderL]

I am a fan of keys to the kingdom well written with a good plot likeable protaganists

 

[Dragoon]

I've read both the Abhorsen trilogy and the Keys to the Kingdom series and I highly recommend both. While the Abhorsen trilogy is more aimed towards girls (female protagonist, romance) it's still a damn good read. Keys to the Kingdom is pretty awesome too, very steampunky and more aimed towards guys with great characters and decent pacing. It has been 4 years since I read through these but I did read all of these right after another so they must have been good

 

[AngloDoom]

I'd disagree for the most part that the Abhorsen trilogy is aimed at girls: the female protagonist and dealings of romance in His Dark Materials didn't seem to label it particularly aimed at a female audience. I'd certainly say that the books are aimed at a young teen audience, but I wouldn't say that it prevents most readers from enjoying it.

That aside, I'd start with the Abhprsen trilogy - it's a lot smaller than the Keys to the Kingdom series so there's a lot less to read and therefore there's not as much commitment needed when you're experimenting with a new author to see if the style suits you. I remember it rocking my teen years.

 

[Mr Thin]

I've only read one series and that was the Abhorsen Trilogy. In my eyes the books were written for a younger (read teen) audience and are aimed more towards girls. Tone wise the books wouldn't look out of place on a book shelf alongside Harry Potter and the Cronicles of Narnia, although the content of the Abhorsen books tends to be a little darker as it deals with death (they are about a necromancer) and some other more gothicy topics.

Exactly this.

I read the Abhorsen trilogy, and it was slightly unique but ultimately forgettable. Just generic teen fantasy, with a bit of gothic necromancy thrown in.

And yes, it does seem like it was more intended for girls, though I can't really say why.

I'd borrow the books from a library or a friend, but I don't consider them worth actual money.

 

[Trivun]

I read the Abhorsen trilogy, and loved them all (and I also made a point of tracking down the related short story about Nick at The Wall and reading that too). I've also read the Keys to the Kingdom series, up to and including Lady Friday, but I didn't ever get around to reading the last two, which is a shame as I really liked that series as well. I will one day get around to it, but can't see it happening for the time being . Finally, I read Shade's Children when I was younger. Good stuff too

Still, I'd love to see the Abhorsen trilogy turned into a trilogy of films. That would be pretty cool, and it'd be interesting to see who could play Sabriel and Lirael. I'd say possibly Tallulah Riley or Keira Knightley for Sabriel, or maybe Anne Hathaway if it was a Hollywood thing and they insisted on USA actors. Lirael would be played well by Evanna Lynch, I think, or possibly Dakota Fanning...

 

[CAPTCHA]

-snip-

Fair enough. Out of curiosity, what made you feel that they were aimed at girls?

A little late replying, but anyhow.

Its aimed at girls because the main charaters are all girls and their conflicts are very feminine in nature. For example, the main character in the second book is suffering through a problem which is allegory for been late to have her first period and jelous of the other girls who have. The male characters are defanged and made more approachable for young girls by making them insecure and somewhat hopeless without the guiding hand of a woman to encourage them and keep them on the straight an narrow. The aesthetics of the books are feminine too. In a book for men a necromancer might be seen weilding a staff or a sword to defeat his enemies by force, but in Abhorsen their tools of the trade are bells; delicate, ornimental devices that border on being jewelry.

 

[Ratbag92]

I loved the Abhorsen trilogy, they're still among my favorite books ever. They are aimed at a young adult audience (sort of-ish).

@ Djinn8: It's a load of horse-crap that they're aimed at mostly girls. Lirael's issues are not "allegory to her first period" and Garth Nix explained why they use bells- it's because of a poem in which a line is "Call the dead with candle, tome and bell" and he wasn't sure how he could use candles in his story. Also, all of the characters use swords.

 

[manic_depressive13]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I guess I'll start with the Abhorsen trilogy since a lot of people seemed to like it and I'm curious about the disagreement over whether or not it's aimed at a female audience.

 

[TheFinish]

I've only read, and loved, the Abhorsen trilogy. I was especially enamoured with its depiction of the underworld and the way magic worked.

Haven't read anything else by him. Maybe I should correct that.

 

[saintdane05]

I couldn't really get into his stuff for some reason.

However, I do know that he has one of the most awesome names ever.

 

[LordFish]

Spoiler: This. So much this.

 

[Kahunaburger]

Re: Sabriel, I dunno if it's aimed at an audience of a particular gender. It's basically about a young woman who fights the undead with sorcery. If that sounds like your thing, it probably is. I re-read it somewhat recently, and unlike a lot of other YA fiction it holds up very well. World-building is particularly excellent - Garth Nix is basically China Mieville for teenagers. As mentioned, Keys to the Kingdom is preyyt awesome, too. Shade's Children, as well.