Garth Nix

(1963- )
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 38 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. Learn more at
Garth Nix’s website.
Sabriel by Garth Nix
Sabriel is one of the best fantasy books out there, full stop. Although not up to the deep literary analysis of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings or Pullman's His Dark Materials, it is a realistic, fantastical, intriguing and thought-provoking novel that's right up there with the best of them. Garth Nix creates a dark, almost Gothic world that echoes with age and believability that is intoxicating to explore: the magically-imbued Old Kingdom that lies across the Wall from the more scientific-orientated Ancelstierre, which has the mechanics and technology of a post-Victorian Britain (by my estimation anyway).
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Lirael by Garth Nix
Lirael is the sequel to Garth Nix's best selling book Sabriel, and the second of his Old Kingdom trilogy. Set fourteen years after the events of Sabriel, this book surrounds the actions of two main characters. Prince Sameth is the capable, but rather inexperienced son of Touchstone and Sabriel, overshadowed by his elder sister and disheartened by the fact that he is the next Abhorsen — the necromancer chosen to put to rest undead legions with the help of seven magical bells. Lirael is an orphan of the Clayr: clairvoyant allies of the Royal Family who live in a vast glacial community. Unlike all of her brethren, Lirael does not possess the Sight, and so spends her days as librarian, sometimes going for months on end without speaking to another human being.
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Abhorsen by Garth Nix
Abhorsen is the final book of Garth Nix's Old Kingdom trilogy, which could basically translate into the second half of Lirael (the first installment Sabriel stands on its own, but its follow-up Lirael needs Abhorsen in order for the story to be completed). In the final chapter of Lirael, our four travelers Lirael, Sameth, Mogget and the Disreputable Dog have found sanctuary (albeit temporarily) at the Abhorsen's House where further revelations concerning Lirael and Sam's connection are discovered. With the missing pieces of her family's history now set into place, Lirael realizes that the burden of Abhorsen-in-Waiting has now been placed on her.
Yet there is no time to dwell ... Read More
Clariel: The Lost Abhorsen by Garth Nix
It's been over ten years since Garth Nix released a book set in the world of the Old Kingdom, where an ancestral line produces individuals who take on the mantle of the Abhorsen, the necromancer responsible for keeping the dead beyond the Gates where they belong.
Set six hundred years before the events of Sabriel, Clariel is a young woman with dreams of becoming a forester, preferring solitude to anything the city can offer. Unfortunately her mother is one of the most sought after goldsmiths in the world, and the family's move to the royal city of Belisaere provides her with more materials for her craft. Clariel hates it, and in the dinner parties and formal lessons that follow, she quietly plots her escape.
An opportunity arises from unexpected quarters. After an "attack" that's so clumsily staged even Clariel realizes it's just for ... Read More
Across the Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories by Garth Nix
Most fans will find that the most exciting feature of this Garth Nix collection is undoubtedly the short story "Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case," set in the world of the Old Kingdom (the setting of the Old Kingdom trilogy; Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen) and acting as a type of coda for the character of Nicolas Sayre, left damaged and traumatized in the last book. Set six months later, Nick is desperate to return to the Old Kingdom, to visit his old friend Sameth and — particularly — to see the Abhorsen-in-Training Lirael again. Unfortunately red tape is making it difficult for him to get across the Wall, until his political uncle drops him off at the country house of Alastor Dorrance, the leader of Depa... Read More
To Hold the Bridge by Garth Nix
This is not the first time Garth Nix (or at least his publisher) has released an anthology like this one: a short story collection that heavily emphasizes the inclusion of a brand new tale set within the Old Kingdom (the setting of his most famous works: Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen and the recent Clariel) but which also contains an eclectic assortment of unrelated stories.
The last anthology was called Across the Wall, and as with that book there may be a few readers disappointed in the fact that only the first story is set within the Old Kingdom – and unlike Across the Wall, it does not contain any familiar characters from the rest of the series, only the city of Belisaere and the Guilds that make up such a large part o... Read More
Shade’s Children by Garth Nix
Garth Nix published Shade’s Children in 1997. Shade’s Children is a complete book, not part of a series. It reads like a really well-made B movie. It isn’t terribly deep, it doesn’t take itself too seriously, just provides a decent action adventure.
In the near future, a cataclysmic “Change” made everyone over the age of fourteen disappear. The children have been captured and live very short lives in Dorms. On their fourteenth birthdays, the Overlords who now rule earth come and take them away to become part of the Meat Factory; a Parts Department for their fighting creatures — Screamers, Trackers, Wingers, Myrmidons and Ferrets. Every one of these monsters is engineered; part magical, part machine and part human. There is a rumor that some fourteen-year-old girls are forced into a breeding program and may live to be ... Read More
The FIREBIRDS anthologies edited by Sharyn November
Firebirds is the first of the three FIREBIRD anthologies edited by Sharyn November. Some people don’t like short stories, especially in anthologies where you are reading several different authors. I, however, almost always have a volume of short stories on my bedside table. Even if I manage to get no other reading done during a hectic day, it is a way for me to finish a whole story in 15-20 minutes. In an age where many authors seem incapable of writing anything other than multi-novel epics, it is a treasure to be able to enjoy a whole tale in one sitting.
Many collections of fantasy short stories are a compilation of hit or miss attempts to match a loosely defined theme for the volume. The Firebird Anthologies far exceed the industry standard. They are edited by Shar... Read More
February 16th, 2008.
Ruth Arnell (RETIRED)´s rating:
4.5 |
Delia Sherman,
Diana Wynne Jones,
Emma Bull,
Garth Nix,
Kara Dalkey,
Lloyd Alexander,
Megan Whalen Turner,
Meredith Ann Pierce,
Nancy Farmer,
Nancy Springer,
Nina Kiriki Hoffman,
Patricia McKillip,
Sherwood Smith |
Short Fiction,
Young Adult |
SFF Reviews |
no comments
Mister Monday by Garth Nix
Be a Player, Not a Pawn.
Garth Nix's Mister Monday begins a brand new children's fantasy epic: The Keys to the Kingdom. This Australian author is fast-becoming one of the biggest names in fantasy with his reinvention of the genre and his intricate, fascinating plots. Unlike other such authors, who place their heroes in a medieval realm of magical swords, horse-back riding and dragons, Nix follows the example of writers such as Philip Pullman, Susanna Clarke, and (to a lesser degree) J.K. Rowling by creating a more contemporary fantasy-world with the flavors and style of the 18th and 19th cent... Read More
Drowned Wednesday by Garth Nix
By now the formula to the Keys to the Kingdom series is in place — taking place over a week-long period (with each book chronicling a day) young Arthur Penhaligon travels into the mystical realm of "the House" in order to find seven pieces of a torn Will. This Will was destroyed by the personified Days of the Week (or the 'Morrow Days'), each of whom embody one of the seven deadly sins. Arthur has already defeated Mister Monday's sloth and Grim Tuesday's greed, and now comes up against Drowned Wednesday's terrible gluttony. By doing this, Arthur hopes to bring order once more to the House, in accordance with the instructions left by the Architect (the world's Creator) in the Will she left behind.
There's a lot more to it than that, so I strongly suggest reading Mister Monday and Grim Tuesday Read More
Sir Thursday by Garth Nix
By now the basic premise of Garth Nix's seven-part The Keys to the Kingdom series is well established. Arthur Penhaligon has been thrown into an extraordinary world: the epicenter of the universe, known as "the House". Ruled by the treacherous Morrow Days (named after the days of the week and each personifying one of the seven deadly sins: Mister Monday/sloth; Grim Tuesday/greed; Drowned Wednesday/gluttony and now Sir Thursday who appears to be pride), Arthur has been given the task of reassembling the missing pieces of the Will that will strip these characters of their power and return it to the Rightful Heir — himself!
Perhaps a bit more exposition is needed: the Will is the written word of the creator of this world; a mysterious female-deity known as the Architect. Each piece of the Will takes the form of an animal befo... Read More
Lady Friday by Garth Nix
At the epicenter of the universe is the House, a sort of celestial bureaucracy that is responsible for recording everything that happens in the Secondary Realms (the world as we know it). It is the Architect who is responsible for creating all this, with a range of guidelines and rules in place for keeping order in each world.
Named after the days of the week and personifying the seven deadly sins, the trustees took over the House when the Architect disappeared, disregarding the instructions she left behind in the form of the Will. As such, they have failed to appoint the Rightful Heir that the Will stipulates should take over in the Architect's absence. It is not until several thousand years pass that a piece of the Will manages to escape its imprisonment and find the Rightful Heir to defeat the seven trustees and claim the keys to the kingdom.
By this stage, if you have not yet been introd... Read More
Superior Saturday by Garth Nix
The longest week of Arthur Penhaligon's life is drawing to a close in this, the penultimate installment in Garth Nix's The Keys to the Kingdom seven book series. Although he has managed to win five Keys from the immortal Trustees that rule over the House (the epicentre of the universe) and free five parts of the Will (the embodiment of the legislation left behind by the mysterious Architect) he still has the two most dangerous challenges left to defeat: the powerful Superior Saturday and the enigmatic Lord Sunday.
As in all the books, Arthur must free the next part of the Will and wrest the Key from the Trustee, but Nix's skill as a storyteller keeps this formula from getting stale. By this stage, the situation is dire and things just keep getting worse for our intrepid hero. The terrible Nothing is swallowing up the lower portions of t... Read More
Lord Sunday by Garth Nix
In the concluding installment of Garth Nix’s The Keys to the Kingdom, Arthur Penhaglion has to organize an assault on the Incomparable Gardens, home to Lord Sunday, who controls the last part of the Architect’s Will. But Arthur isn’t the only one trying to liberate the last magical fragment of the will — he also faces the armies of Serious Saturday and the Piper, both intent on reaching the Will before Arthur can free it to join the other six parts (which will allow the will to be fulfilled). And Arthur has to get the Will soon, because the House is falling to the forces of Nothing, and if it reaches the Will first, all will be undone — including his life back at home.
I had only read the first book in The Keys to the Kingdom series (Mister... Read More
Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz: Three Adventures by Garth Nix
When I think of Garth Nix I think of excellent fantasy literature for children, but Nix writes for adults, too. Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz: Three Adventures is a collection of three previously published stories about a knight and artillerist named Sir Hereward and a magically animated puppet called Mr. Fitz. The duo works for the Council for the Saftey of the World and they’ve taken a vow to hunt down and exterminate the supernatural beings who are on a proscribed list of evil godlets. Sir Hereward contributes his skill with explosives while Fitz does the magic. Each of the adventures in this collection tells how they dealt with one of the godlets.
“Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz Go to War Again” (originally published in Jim Baen’s Universe, April 2007, edited by Eric Flint) — Hereward and Fitz travel to a pastoral community where a proscribed godlet is... Read More
Newt’s Emerald by Garth Nix
Here’s a charming young adult novel that you could file under both “Regency Romance” and “Fantasy.” In this fun story, Lady Truthful is celebrating her nineteenth birthday with her cousins when her slightly dotty father, a retired British admiral, brings out the family heirloom that Truthful will inherit in a few years. It’s an emerald that has magical power over the weather. As the admiral is displaying it, a fierce storm suddenly blows in and, in the hubbub, the emerald is stolen and the admiral is injured. To save the family heirloom, to keep its magic from falling into the wrong hands, and to protect her father’s fragile health, Truthful sets off to London to find her emerald.
Since it’s unsuitable for a proper young lady to be running about London by herself, Truthful disguises herself as a Frenchman. She gets help from a few people, including her great aunt and a handsome young m... Read More
Frogkisser! by Garth Nix
Anya is an orphaned young princess, about twelve or thirteen years old, and a bookworm (as many of the best princesses in literature seem to be). She and her fifteen year old sister Morven are orphans under the dubious care of their stepmother, a botanist who is enthusiastic about plants but completely uninterested in and uninvolved with the girls, and Duke Rikard, their stepstepfather (which is what you get when your stepmother remarries after your father dies). Morven is supposed to be crowned as the queen when she turns sixteen in three months, but she’s far more interested in handsome princes than in ruling. This suits Duke Rickard just fine: he’s a black-hearted sorcerer who’s intent on making his control of the Kingdom of Trallonia permanent.
Duke Rickard is also given to transforming unlucky servants and hapless princes into frogs. Morven asks Anya to do the dirty work of changing his latest f... Read More
Angel Mage by Garth Nix
Chaos, death by the magical Ash Blood plague and by monstrous beasts have consumed the country of Ystara, killing all who remain within its borders. The last survivors, holed up in a cathedral, speculate that this disaster must have been caused by a “ferociously single-minded” young mage, Liliath, whose unprecedented power to call on angels, particularly the archangel Palleniel, has somehow led to things going catastrophically awry.
One hundred thirty-seven years later, Liliath awakes from her magical sleep in the temple of Saint Marguerite, in the neighboring country of Sarance. The weakened angel who awakened her informs Lilith that there are now suitable candidates for her plan — though only four rather than the hundreds she envisioned. But four will do.
Liliath’s targets are four young people who have met in Lutace, the capital of Sarance:
Simeon, a very large bla... Read More
Reposting to include Marion's new review.
The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix
1983-era London, with a half-twist toward the fantastic, mingles with ancient British mythology in Garth Nix’s new urban fantasy, The Left-Handed Booksellers of London (2020). Art student Susan Arkshaw, a punkish eighteen-year-old from rural western England, takes leave of her loving, vague mother and heads to London to try to find the father she’s never met. She starts with an old family acquaintance, “Uncle” Frank Thringley, but Frank turn out to be, in rapid succession, (a) a crime boss, (b) disincorporated by the prick of a magical hatpin, and (c) a Sipper — which is a milder type of blood-sucker than a vampire.
The wielder of the silver hatpin is attractive nineteen-year-old Merlin St. Jaque... Read More
Lightspeed Magazine is edited by the formidable John Joseph Adams, who has produced a long series of wonderful anthologies and is soon to launch a new horror magazine. One might be concerned that such a busy schedule would mean that something would get short shrift, but if that is the case, it certainly isn’t Issue 26 of Lightspeed.
About half of the content of this magazine, which is produced in electronic format only, consists of interviews, novel excerpts, an artist gallery and spotlight, and author spotlights. In addition, roughly half of the fiction offered is original; the rest is reprinted, though the choices are inspired. The novel excerpts are available only to those... Read More
The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 2007
In many ways, The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 2007 anthology is a difficult book to review. For one thing, to me and a lot of my reading/writing circle, this is easily the definitive bible when it comes to short stories of the genre. For another, many of the stories that are included in this collection have been featured in other anthologies as well, so there's an overlap in terms of stories featured. But I'll try and talk about what makes this anthology unique from other similar anthologies.
The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror is quite comprehensive about its subject matter, not just featuring short stories but poems and articles. The first dozen pages are articles summarizing the important events that happened in the two genres including the obituaries of the previous year. That’s really quite valuable from an archiving standpoint, an... Read More
December 30th, 2007.
Charles Tan (GUEST)´s rating:
4 |
Catherynne M. Valente,
Daniel Abraham,
Delia Sherman,
Elizabeth Hand,
Ellen Datlow,
Garth Nix,
Jeffrey Ford,
Kelly Link,
Kij Johnson,
Lisa Tuttle,
Ted Chiang |
Short Fiction |
SFF Reviews |
no comments
The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 2008
For me, The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 2008 has been a two-headed beast. On one hand, it's an eagerly anticipated book by people involved in the industry, usually for the summation at the front of the book and the honorable mentions list at the back. The various editors are quite thorough and detailed when it comes to this part. The other aspect is, of course, the story/poetry selection, which is what will likely attract the casual reader.
So, how does it actually fare? Well, with regards to the first aspect, there are no disappointments. When covering the highlights of the previous year (and alas, the obituaries) and the various media (comics, movies, and music) in which either fantasy or horror plays a part, the book has it covered. The writing is functional and achieves what it sets out to do.
With regard to the stories and poems, this is a wel... Read More
March 3rd, 2009.
Charles Tan (GUEST)´s rating:
4 |
Catherynne M. Valente,
Daniel Abraham,
Delia Sherman,
Elizabeth Hand,
Ellen Datlow,
Garth Nix,
Kelly Link,
Kij Johnson,
Lisa Tuttle,
Ted Chiang |
Hugo Award,
Nebula Award,
Short Fiction |
SFF Reviews |
no comments
Fast Ships, Black Sails edited by Jeff and Ann Vandermeer
I was never a big fan of pirates (ninjas, on the other hand...) but nonetheless, the very word evokes adventure and the high seas. Fast Ships, Black Sails doesn't really stray far from that expectation and delivers eighteen stories marked with action, treachery, and a sense of wonder.
A good chunk of the stories revolve around traditional concepts of a pirate, with only a few exceptions, such as "Boojum" by Elizabeth Bear & Sarah Monette, which takes place in space. The rest take place on stormy waters with sea-worthy vessels manned by rascally crews. Surprisingly, many of the stories are ... Read More
Troll's Eye View: A Book of Villainous Tales edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
Fairy tales were my first love when I was a child. My mother introduced me to the joys of stories with The Golden Book of Fairy Tales long before I learned how to read. My early reading included the first three volumes of The Junior Classics and Andrew Lang’s colorful fairy tale books. When Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling started editing anthologies of new takes on the old tales for adults with Snow White, Blood Red, I was delighted. And when Datlow and Windling started editing a series of original fiction for young adults based on fairy tales, I coul... Read More
March 20th, 2011.
Terry Weyna´s rating:
4 |
Catherynne M. Valente,
Delia Sherman,
Ellen Datlow,
Garth Nix,
Holly Black,
Jane Yolen,
Kelly Link,
Midori Snyder,
Nancy Farmer,
Neil Gaiman,
Peter S. Beagle,
Terri Windling |
Children,
Short Fiction |
SFF Reviews |
no comments
The New Space Opera 2: All-New Tales of Science Fiction Adventure edited by Gardner Dozois & Jonathan Strahan
The New Space Opera 2: All-New Tales of Science Fiction Adventure is, as its name implies, the second of Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan’s themed anthologies attempting to put a modern spin on space opera, a subgenre of science fiction which causes many of us to think of big metal spaceships crewed by handsome blaster-wielding men who protect us from evil aliens that want to destroy the Earth, or at least steal it’s shrieking scantily clad women. We laugh at these old stories now — the way they ignore the vacuum of space and the effects of relativity, the way their aliens seem a lot less alien than they should, and the way that they rarely seem to display the variety in specie... Read More
February 4th, 2014.
Kat Hooper´s rating:
3.5 |
Bill Willingham,
Bruce Sterling,
Cory Doctorow,
Elizabeth Moon,
Gardner Dozois,
Garth Nix,
Jay Lake,
John Kessel,
John Meaney,
John Scalzi,
Jonathan Strahan,
Justina Robson,
Kristine Kathryn Rusch,
Mike Resnick,
Robert Charles Wilson,
Sean Williams,
Tad Williams |
Short Fiction |
SFF Reviews |
no comments
Swords & Dark Magic: The New Sword & Sorcery edited by Jonathan Strahan & Lou Anders
Swords & Dark Magic: The New Sword & Sorcery is a book I’ve been eagerly anticipating ever since it was first announced in 2009. I was particularly excited about the anthology’s impressive list of contributors which includes several authors I enjoy reading like Glen Cook, Greg Keyes, Scott Lynch, Joe Abercrombie, Garth Nix, Tim Lebbon, Caitlin R. Kiern... Read More
June 15th, 2010.
Robert Thompson (RETIRED),
Stefan Raets (RETIRED) and
Greg Hersom (RETIRED)´s rating:
4.5 |
Bill Willingham,
Caitlín R. Kiernan,
Garth Nix,
Gene Wolfe,
Glen Cook,
Greg Keyes,
James Enge,
Joe Abercrombie,
Jonathan Strahan,
K.J. Parker,
Lou Anders,
Michael Moorcock,
Michael Shea,
Robert Silverberg,
Scott Lynch,
Steven Erikson,
Tanith Lee,
Tim Lebbon |
Short Fiction |
SFF Reviews |
20 comments
Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black & Justine Larbalestier
Back in 2007, Holly Black and Justine Larabalestier got in an argument about which fiction creature was superior — zombies or unicorns. Spurred on by that debate, they each recruited some of their author friends to write short tales in which they present the storytelling possibilities of the two mythic beasts. With header notes for each story in which they discuss the historical background for the different takes on the creatures, Holly Black heads up Team Unicorn, and Justine Larbalestier heads up Team Zombie.
Writing for Team Unicorn, we have Kathleen Duey, Read More
October 5th, 2012.
Ruth Arnell (RETIRED)´s rating:
3.5 |
Carrie Ryan,
Cassandra Clare,
Diana Peterfreund,
Garth Nix,
Holly Black,
Justine Larbalestier,
Kathleen Duey,
Libba Bray,
Margo Lanagan,
Meg Cabot,
Naomi Novik,
Scott Westerfeld |
Short Fiction |
SFF Reviews |
1 comment
Steampunk!: An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories by Kelly Link & Gavin J. Grant (eds.)
Steampunk!: An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories is a new young adult collection edited by veteran anthologists Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant. Featuring twelve conventional short stories and two graphic entries, Steampunk! showcases a wide variety of ideas and styles that fall under the steampunk umbrella. The collection is entertaining and is lent extra freshness by the variety of settings explored by the authors: none of the stories are set in Victorian London.
The book begins with “Some Fortunate Future Day” by Cassandra Clare. This is a creepy little story about a rather warped young girl who desires love but knows very little about it. Th... Read More
December 1st, 2011.
Kelly Lasiter´s rating:
4 |
Cassandra Clare,
Cory Doctorow,
Delia Sherman,
Garth Nix,
Holly Black,
Kelly Link,
Libba Bray,
M.T. Anderson,
Ysabeau S. Wilce |
Short Fiction,
Young Adult |
SFF Reviews |
2 comments
After: Nineteen Stories of Apocalypse and Dystopia by editors Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling
When I saw the new Datlow and Windling anthology After: Nineteen Stories of Apocalypse and Dystopia, I was so excited. I love YA fiction, I love dyslit, I love short story anthologies and I love Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling as editors, so I figured it was a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, my reading experience didn’t live up to my expectations.
After is an anthology of short stories set after. After what? Alien invasion, plague, environmental collapse, asteroid strike, it doesn’t matter. Just after. This leaves a lot of room for the authors to be creative, as they all can choose different afters to explore, and it leaves the anthology feeling a bit disjointed as you hop from one disaster to another. Technically, most of th... Read More
October 19th, 2012.
Ruth Arnell (RETIRED)´s rating:
2.5 |
Caitlín R. Kiernan,
Carrie Ryan,
Ellen Datlow,
Garth Nix,
Genevieve Valentine,
Gregory Maguire,
Jane Yolen,
Jeffrey Ford,
Katherine Langrish,
N.K. Jemisin,
Nalo Hopkinson,
Richard Bowes,
Sarah Rees Brennan,
Terri Windling |
Short Fiction |
SFF Reviews |
no comments
Old Venus by Gardner Dozois & George R.R. Martin
George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois’s themed anthologies are some of the most popular on the market these days. Soliciting the genre’s best-known mainstream writers, selecting highly familiar themes, and letting the length run to 500+ pages, Rogues, Warriors, Dangerous Women, Songs of the Dying Earth, Old Mars, and others are among the bestselling a... Read More
November 18th, 2017.
Jesse Hudson (GUEST)´s rating:
2.5 |
Allen Steele,
David Brin,
Elizabeth Bear,
Gardner Dozois,
Garth Nix,
George R.R. Martin,
Ian McDonald,
Joe Haldeman,
Joe R. Lansdale,
Lavie Tidhar,
Matthew Hughes,
Mike Resnick,
Tobias Buckell |
Short Fiction |
SFF Reviews |
no comments
Nightmares: A New Decade of Modern Horror edited by Ellen Datlow
This anthology comes after a similarly titled anthology, also edited by Ellen Datlow, called Darkness: Two Decades of Modern Horror which came out in March 2010. Datlow also edits an annual anthology of horror fiction (collaborating with other editors on those). It seems then that Nightmares: A New Decade of Modern Horror (which came out in October 2016) is informed by a great deal of knowledge in the field of speculative horror literature. I am not generally a horror reader, but I still thoroughly enjoyed many tales in this anthology for their engaging storytelling and terrifying themes. What follows is a brief review of each of the 25 tales, in the order which they appear.
“Shallaballah” by Mark Samuels is a story about th... Read More
November 9th, 2017.
Skye Walker´s rating:
3.5 |
Caitlín R. Kiernan,
Ellen Datlow,
Garth Nix,
Gemma Files,
Gene Wolfe,
John Langan,
Kaaron Warren,
Laird Barron,
Lisa Tuttle,
Margo Lanagan,
Richard Kadrey |
Horror,
Short Fiction |
SFF Reviews |
1 comment
More books by Garth Nix
The Seventh Tower — (2000-2001) Ages 9-12. Publisher: Welcome to the Dark World. Tal lives high above, in a mountaintop castle where light is the ultimate commodity, the spirit world is the only escape and isolation from the outside world is complete. He does not think to question his world. He does not dare to dream of anything else. Then one day he tries to steal a sunstone, the only way of assuring his family’s safety. The attempt fails, and Tal falls from the Castle… straight into the unknown.






Stand-alone Novels:
The Ragwitch — (1991) Ages 9-12. Publisher: When Julia discovers an old rag doll on a deserted beach, she becomes enslaved by the evil Ragwitch. Her younger brother Paul follows them into another dimension in a brave attempt to save his sister and the Kingdom of Yendre. But first he must rally the four rogue Elementals of the Wild Magic if he is ever to defeat the Ragwitch.
A Confusion of Princes — (2012) Young adult. Publisher: A major stand-alone space opera, this is Garth Nix’s first novel for older readers since the conclusion of the Old Kingdom trilogy! and it’s worth the wait. A grand adventure that spans galaxies and lifetimes, A Confusion of Princes is also a page-turning action adventure. These are the three deaths of Prince Khemri. Told in his own words, we follow him as he trains to become a Prince of the Empire, an enhanced human being, equipped with biological and technological improvements that make him faster, stronger and smarter than any ordinary person. Not to mention the ultimate benefit: should he die, and be deemed worthy, he will be reborn! Which is just as well, because no sooner has Prince Khemri graduated to full Princehood than he learns the terrible truth behind the Empire: there are a million princes, and all of them want each other dead, because there can only be one Emperor!
CLICK HERE FOR FANTASY BY GARTH NIX.
Fantasy by Garth Nix and Sean Williams
TroubleTwisters — (2011-2014) Ages 9-12. Garth Nix and Sean Williams. Publisher: A spectacular new middle-grade fantasy series from NYT bestselling authors Garth Nix and Sean Williams, in which two twins find that they must act as wards against a threatening evil. The Evil has been trying to break into our dimension and dominate the earth for centuries. Unbeknownst to most of us, there are Wardens all over the globe, who protect humanity from the Evil that asserts itself at the Portals, which are the only places through which the Evil may pass into our world. Jaide and Jack Shield don’t know that the world is under attack. They don’t know that their dad and their Grandma X, who they move in with, are Wardens, or that they themselves are troubletwisters, young Wardens just coming into their powers.



