This book was fantastic. It’s an action-filled dark fantasy novel, in the best sense of the word. Nix hardly gives his characters or readers a moment’s breath to rest, as whatever evil they faced was almost constantly at their back. The writing style in itself is not particularly memorable, but the briskly paced plot makes up for it.



This is definitely a YA rather than a children’s book: I’m not sure how many parents would appreciate any non-teen reading scenes where the Abhorsen hears giggles, moans and bed-springs creaking from a room next door. The villains and the entire world of the dead is naturally very dark with imagery and violence that I would also consider inappropriate.