#Review of Clariel (Abhorsen #4) by Garth Nix #Published @HarperTeen #Thanks @NightOwlReviews ~ Crossroad Reviews

Sixteen-year-old Clariel is not adjusting well to her new life in the city of Belisaere, the capital of the Old Kingdom. She misses roaming freely within the forests of Estwael, and she feels trapped within the stone city walls. And in Belisaere she is forced to follow the plans, plots and demands of everyone, from her parents to her maid, to the sinister Guildmaster Kilip. Clariel can see her freedom slipping away. It seems too that the city itself is descending into chaos, as the ancient rules binding Abhorsen, King and Clayr appear to be disintegrating.
With the discovery of a dangerous Free Magic creature loose in the city, Clariel is given the chance both to prove her worth and make her escape. But events spin rapidly out of control. Clariel finds herself more trapped than ever, until help comes from an unlikely source. But the help comes at a terrible cost. Clariel must question the motivations and secret hearts of everyone around her - and it is herself she must question most of all.

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About the Author

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Biography

Garth Nix has worked as a bookseller, book sales representative, publicist, editor, marketing consultant and literary agent. He also spent five years as a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve. A full-time writer since 2001, more than five million copies of his books have been sold around the world and his work has been translated into 40 languages. Garth's books have appeared on the bestseller lists of The New York Times, Publishers Weekly (US), The Bookseller(UK), The Australian and The Sunday Times (UK). He lives in Sydney, Australia, with his wife and two children.

My Review 2 Dragon Charred Stars

Although I had to get the cliff notes version of what the first three books were about. This one was ok at best. I think that there should have been more magic right off the bat. This is the long awaited conclusion to the Abhorsen series and well it felt like it was over to soon. This story is slow to start. The note at the end of the book will make you jump for joy! I just hope that it doesn't take the author another 10 years to release it. I will not be going out to get the first three books in this series. I did feel like I missed out a lot reading this book first. However, a friend was near to fill in the gaps lol. So it wasn't all that bad. The other issue this book had was it had a lot of build up but then no action. Fans of this series will also love that you get a lot of history of the Old Kingdom.

The main character Clariel, I thought that she was a very whinny character. I have been told that she is like Lirael but opposite as in the fact that Lirael wanted to just belong and Clariel wasn't to leave and do her own thing. It really made the book drag on with her wanting to run away. At one point I remember yelling at the book for her to just DO IT ALREADY! It was very irritating.

The plot was great but again slow to start. And the other characters seemed kind of dumb for the fact that they would just decide not to do what they were supposed to be doing but no reason was given.

So if you are a big fan of this series I would say check it out but if this is a new series for you, you might want to check out the library first.

Go Into This One Knowing

Slow to start, Irritating characters, need I say more?

"All opinions are 100% honest and my own."

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From the Back Cover

Clariel is the daughter of one of the most notable families in the Old Kingdom, with blood relations to the Abhorsen and, most importantly, to the King. When her family moves to the city of Belisaere, there are rumors that her mother is next in line for the throne. However, Clariel wants no part of it—a natural hunter, all she ever thinks about is escaping the city's confining walls and journeying back to the quiet, green world of the Great Forest.
But many forces conspire against Clariel's dream. A dangerous Free Magic creature is loose in the city, her parents want to marry her off to a killer, and there is a plot brewing against the old and withdrawn King Orrikan. When Clariel is drawn into the efforts to find and capture the creature, she finds hidden sorcery within herself, yet it is magic that carries great dangers. Can she rise above the temptation of power, escape the unwanted marriage, and save the King?
In Clariel, New York Times bestselling author Garth Nix weaves a story that is as rich and compelling as the original Abhorsen novels. Clariel, prelude to the Abhorsen trilogy, is set approximately six hundred years before the birth of Sabriel. Devoted Old Kingdom fans and new readers alike will clamor for this epic fantasy adventure.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Goodreads and Amazon for the book cover, about the book, and author information.