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Across The Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories
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Product Description
Review
"Anyone familiar with Garth Nix's children's trilogy Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen will snatch up this anthology… there's a little bit of everything here." SFX
From Garth Nix fans at www.garthnix.co.uk
‘Amazing and brilliant, Nix always finds a new way to captivate the reader with each story.’
‘This collection of stories is a great read, even if you haven't read any books in the Old Kingdom trilogy. Whether it be Nicholas Sayre and The Creature in The Case, or the short, tragic tale that is Endings, you'll be hanging onto every word and asking yourself why this book wasn't published earlier.’
‘Awesome awesome book. My dad and I both were laughing our heads off at the Choose your own adventure and my personal favorite was the beautiful tale Endings. Can't wait to read more by Garth Nix.’
Product Description
Must-have short story collection by Garth Nix, containing thirteen stories all introduced by the author himself.
ACROSS THE WALL brings together an eclectic mix of Garth Nix’s writing spanning several years.
The opening story is the 2005 World Book Day novella and Old Kingdom story NICHOLAS SAYRE AND THE CREATURE IN THE CASE, winner of two prestigious Aurealis Awards.
The rest of the collection includes two tales inspired by Arthurian legend, a war story, a western, a traditional tale with a twist and a hilarious choose-your-own-adventure spoof.
The volume is introduced by the author himself and, even better, so is each story – giving context, anecdotes and a generous dollop of Nix’s own wry humour.
Plus! A final bonus section of frequently asked questions for which Garth Nix supplies vital answers.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
169 of 172 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Garth Nix changed the face of dark fantasy with his tales of Sabriel, Lirael and the gruesome enemies they defeated. Now he provides not only a novella in the world of the Abhorsen Trilogy, but several other short stories that he has penned over the years -- dark, chilling, beautiful and amusing.
After the events of "Abhorsen," Nicholas Sayre has decided that he wants to go to the Old Kingdom, to be near Sabriel and Lirael. Unfortunately, he gets sidetracked at a secret government base. Then a maddened official steals his blood to awaken a hideous Free Magic creature, which has lain dormant inside a clear case. Now the creature is on a rampage, seeking more blood to increase its power -- and Nicholas has no way to stop it.
That novella, called "The Creature In the Case," is the main draw for this collection of short stories. But it's also not the only one -- Nix includes several other stories: A pair of Arthurian stories, one about Nimue and the other about the Lady of the Lake; a man comes to the island of Lisden as its new owner... not knowing that he's been duped; and a young boy is enlisted by his grandfather to help save a forest from his greedy dad. Nix also shows off his more playful side in "Down to the Scud Corner," a hilarious spoof of those "choose your own adventure" books.
There are also darker stories in here as well. One story focuses on sex and death, as a young man tries to save the local girls from a lover who can call down lightning. And "Charlie Rabbit" is a surprisingly harrowing story about two boys hiding in a flooded building during a war. And the fairy-tale adaptation "Hansel's Eyes," while not unusually dark, has a rather macabre ending.
In all these stories, Garth Nix shows all his writing talents -- he's funny, he's chilling, and he's good at adventure stories and likable characters. It's wonderful to check out his earlier stories, and see how he has matured as a writer. But the main novella is perhaps the best of all, giving the underrated Nicholas a chance to shine. It also hints at possible future adventures for Sabriel, Lirael and their friends.
The stories are not completely even, since Nix wrote them at different times in his life -- apparently some of his earliest work, including a story written when he was six, were not deemed worthy. But apparently he's had his rich, detailed writing style for a long time now, best evidenced by the internal monologue of the Lady of the Lake. While a few like "Lightning Bringer" feel rather underfleshed, most of his short stories feel satisfyingly complete on their own.
"Across the Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories" adds to Garth Nix's impressive list of dark fantasy. This collection is well-worth reading, for some chilling, vivid storytelling.
After the events of "Abhorsen," Nicholas Sayre has decided that he wants to go to the Old Kingdom, to be near Sabriel and Lirael. Unfortunately, he gets sidetracked at a secret government base. Then a maddened official steals his blood to awaken a hideous Free Magic creature, which has lain dormant inside a clear case. Now the creature is on a rampage, seeking more blood to increase its power -- and Nicholas has no way to stop it.
That novella, called "The Creature In the Case," is the main draw for this collection of short stories. But it's also not the only one -- Nix includes several other stories: A pair of Arthurian stories, one about Nimue and the other about the Lady of the Lake; a man comes to the island of Lisden as its new owner... not knowing that he's been duped; and a young boy is enlisted by his grandfather to help save a forest from his greedy dad. Nix also shows off his more playful side in "Down to the Scud Corner," a hilarious spoof of those "choose your own adventure" books.
There are also darker stories in here as well. One story focuses on sex and death, as a young man tries to save the local girls from a lover who can call down lightning. And "Charlie Rabbit" is a surprisingly harrowing story about two boys hiding in a flooded building during a war. And the fairy-tale adaptation "Hansel's Eyes," while not unusually dark, has a rather macabre ending.
In all these stories, Garth Nix shows all his writing talents -- he's funny, he's chilling, and he's good at adventure stories and likable characters. It's wonderful to check out his earlier stories, and see how he has matured as a writer. But the main novella is perhaps the best of all, giving the underrated Nicholas a chance to shine. It also hints at possible future adventures for Sabriel, Lirael and their friends.
The stories are not completely even, since Nix wrote them at different times in his life -- apparently some of his earliest work, including a story written when he was six, were not deemed worthy. But apparently he's had his rich, detailed writing style for a long time now, best evidenced by the internal monologue of the Lady of the Lake. While a few like "Lightning Bringer" feel rather underfleshed, most of his short stories feel satisfyingly complete on their own.
"Across the Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories" adds to Garth Nix's impressive list of dark fantasy. This collection is well-worth reading, for some chilling, vivid storytelling.
41 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Format:Library Binding
I am a huge Garth Nix fan; I love his variety - for example the power of the Old Kingdom series to the relatively light humour of the Keys To The Kingdom series. I am not blinked in my admiration, I thought Sir Thursday could have been better as could the Ragwitch but overall a truly excellent author.
As a book, Across The Wall has been on my wish list for sometime and I just hadn't gotten around to reading it, I had read The Creature In The Case as a stand alone book some time ago so I couldn't see the benefit to reading this - thankfully I finally got around to it.
The bulk of this collection is dedicated to Nicholas Sayre and TCITC and is - for me - the most polished book in here. You can really feel connected to how Nicholas is growing with his new found power, infused as it is with the stiff upper lip that a public school life gives one. Whilst back in Ancelstierre Nicholas is battling his fears about the old Kingdom, he realised after some soul searching that the only way to conquer them is to face them head on - and return. His Uncle offers to help in return for spending some time at Dorence House with the secret department 13. However more than a few armed policemen and a jovial old man lurk in the bowels of the old house...
I loved the story for the connection it gave me to the Abhorsen trilogy and a taster to what may never be written but to what I truly hope will be. As I mentioned it does feel polished and is a real stand alone novel, the book is worth purchasing for this story alone.
Thankfully though, there is more. Much more - 12 more stories in fact. Some are quite a bit longer than others and they are so varied that I couldn't put my finger on one thread that runs through them other than that Garth Nix wrote them! I really enjoyed the Arthurian stories Under the Lake and Heart's Desire - I found these such interesting twists on novels of this ilk. As a previous reviewer mentioned, Charlie Rabbit is brilliantly, but harrowingly written, how we hold on to the small things in a crisis. I loved the humour in Down to the Scum Quarter and My New Really Epic Fantasy Series, the latter being frankly complete genius and I won't ruin any of it for you.
Overall this is an excellent insight into how the mind of such a great author works and as I am in the middle of the Keys to the Kingdom series it feels like an excellent reminder that Garth Nix is so much more than one character.
As a book, Across The Wall has been on my wish list for sometime and I just hadn't gotten around to reading it, I had read The Creature In The Case as a stand alone book some time ago so I couldn't see the benefit to reading this - thankfully I finally got around to it.
The bulk of this collection is dedicated to Nicholas Sayre and TCITC and is - for me - the most polished book in here. You can really feel connected to how Nicholas is growing with his new found power, infused as it is with the stiff upper lip that a public school life gives one. Whilst back in Ancelstierre Nicholas is battling his fears about the old Kingdom, he realised after some soul searching that the only way to conquer them is to face them head on - and return. His Uncle offers to help in return for spending some time at Dorence House with the secret department 13. However more than a few armed policemen and a jovial old man lurk in the bowels of the old house...
I loved the story for the connection it gave me to the Abhorsen trilogy and a taster to what may never be written but to what I truly hope will be. As I mentioned it does feel polished and is a real stand alone novel, the book is worth purchasing for this story alone.
Thankfully though, there is more. Much more - 12 more stories in fact. Some are quite a bit longer than others and they are so varied that I couldn't put my finger on one thread that runs through them other than that Garth Nix wrote them! I really enjoyed the Arthurian stories Under the Lake and Heart's Desire - I found these such interesting twists on novels of this ilk. As a previous reviewer mentioned, Charlie Rabbit is brilliantly, but harrowingly written, how we hold on to the small things in a crisis. I loved the humour in Down to the Scum Quarter and My New Really Epic Fantasy Series, the latter being frankly complete genius and I won't ruin any of it for you.
Overall this is an excellent insight into how the mind of such a great author works and as I am in the middle of the Keys to the Kingdom series it feels like an excellent reminder that Garth Nix is so much more than one character.
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Library Binding
I am a huge Garth Nix fan; I love his variety - for example the power of the Old Kingdom series to the relatively light humour of the Keys To The Kingdom series. I am not blinked in my admiration, I thought Sir Thursday could have been better as could the Ragwitch but overall a truly excellent author.
As a book, Across The Wall has been on my wish list for sometime and I just hadn't gotten around to reading it, I had read The Creature In The Case as a stand alone book some time ago so I couldn't see the benefit to reading this - thankfully I finally got around to it.
The bulk of this collection is dedicated to Nicholas Sayre and TCITC and is - for me - the most polished book in here. You can really feel connected to how Nicholas is growing with his new found power, infused as it is with the stiff upper lip that a public school life gives one. Whilst back in Ancelstierre Nicholas is battling his fears about the old Kingdom, he realised after some soul searching that the only way to conquer them is to face them head on - and return. His Uncle offers to help in return for spending some time at Dorence House with the secret department 13. However more than a few armed policemen and a jovial old man lurk in the bowels of the old house...
I loved the story for the connection it gave me to the Abhorsen trilogy and a taster to what may never be written but to what I truly hope will be. As I mentioned it does feel polished and is a real stand alone novel, the book is worth purchasing for this story alone.
Thankfully though, there is more. Much more - 12 more stories in face. Some are quite a bit longer than others and they are so varied that I couldn't put my finger on one thread that runs through them other than that Garth Nix wrote them! I really enjoyed the Arthurian stories Under the Lake and Heart's Desire - I found these such interesting twists on novels of this ilk. As a previous reviewer mentioned, Charlie Rabbit is brilliantly, but harrowingly written, how we hold on to the small things in a crisis. I loved the humour in Down to the Scum Quarter and My New Really Epic Fantasy Series, the latter being frankly complete genius and I won't ruin any of it for you.
Overall this is an excellent insight into how the mind of such a great author works and as I am in the middle of the Keys to the Kingdom series it feels like an excellent reminder that Garth Nix is so much more than one character.
As a book, Across The Wall has been on my wish list for sometime and I just hadn't gotten around to reading it, I had read The Creature In The Case as a stand alone book some time ago so I couldn't see the benefit to reading this - thankfully I finally got around to it.
The bulk of this collection is dedicated to Nicholas Sayre and TCITC and is - for me - the most polished book in here. You can really feel connected to how Nicholas is growing with his new found power, infused as it is with the stiff upper lip that a public school life gives one. Whilst back in Ancelstierre Nicholas is battling his fears about the old Kingdom, he realised after some soul searching that the only way to conquer them is to face them head on - and return. His Uncle offers to help in return for spending some time at Dorence House with the secret department 13. However more than a few armed policemen and a jovial old man lurk in the bowels of the old house...
I loved the story for the connection it gave me to the Abhorsen trilogy and a taster to what may never be written but to what I truly hope will be. As I mentioned it does feel polished and is a real stand alone novel, the book is worth purchasing for this story alone.
Thankfully though, there is more. Much more - 12 more stories in face. Some are quite a bit longer than others and they are so varied that I couldn't put my finger on one thread that runs through them other than that Garth Nix wrote them! I really enjoyed the Arthurian stories Under the Lake and Heart's Desire - I found these such interesting twists on novels of this ilk. As a previous reviewer mentioned, Charlie Rabbit is brilliantly, but harrowingly written, how we hold on to the small things in a crisis. I loved the humour in Down to the Scum Quarter and My New Really Epic Fantasy Series, the latter being frankly complete genius and I won't ruin any of it for you.
Overall this is an excellent insight into how the mind of such a great author works and as I am in the middle of the Keys to the Kingdom series it feels like an excellent reminder that Garth Nix is so much more than one character.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Dissapointed
After the previous books, I was very dissapointed with this book. I only read about half before putting it down. Read more
Published 7 months ago by S. Homewood
Not just about the Abhorsen
This is a collection of short stories by the author of the Abhorsen trilogy and the Keys to the Kingdom series for younger readers. Read more
Published 18 months ago by H. M. Holt
Eclectic mix
An interesting miscellany of stories which demonstrates the versatility of Garth Nix. Readers who are only familiar with the Old Kingdom books may be surprised that he can write... Read more
Published on 13 Jan 2010 by Read Saloud
Across the wall book
I bought the book for my husband. However, he did not like it as much as the previous three...
Not recommended.
Not recommended.
Published on 25 July 2009 by europe10
nix not at his best
just not as good as his usual fiction, maybe its making a lot of money that does it? Or he's running out of ideas?
Published on 13 Feb 2009 by Bridget
you really know how to write fantasies mr nix
several great short stories in this book. each is quite unique and individual and i love the little explanations of each of the stories from the author himself. Read more
Published on 15 Aug 2008 by Iorek
rubbish
This book contains only one good story. It is not worth the money. The other stories are poor and not up too the standard set in the Sabriel, Liriel and Abhorsen series.
Published on 9 July 2008 by Eileen Banford
Quite mixed in quality - read the Abhorsen Trilogy first
Barcode: 9780007221462
I'm so glad i've discovered Garth Nix's books as they are some of the best writing i have come across. Read more
I'm so glad i've discovered Garth Nix's books as they are some of the best writing i have come across. Read more
Published on 22 Feb 2008 by L. Green
Rubbish........Compared to the Sabriel Series
The sabriel books are so much better than this. If you want to read really good fiction,go along with G Nix's earlier work and work similar to like-minded authors. Read more
Published on 9 Dec 2007 by Ms. Ej Wolfe-murray
OK
I thought that Across the Wall would be a lot better than it turned out to be. I don't know if this is because i enjoyed Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen so much that this was bound to... Read more
Published on 29 Nov 2007 by Alexis Farseer
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