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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
Necromantic combat and death magic; creatures from the dead river; age-appropriate for YA
Language
Barely any
Clean language throughout
Sexual Content
Barely any
No sexual content; an innocent friendship between the protagonists
Substance Use
Barely any
None
Emotional Intensity
Some
The weight of not belonging and the fear that one's destiny may be both inescapable and terrible
What this book is about
Lirael, a Clayr who cannot See the future, works as a librarian in the glacier stronghold while wondering who she really is—and Sameth, prince of the Old Kingdom, dreads his destiny as the Abhorsen-in-Waiting. Garth Nix's second Old Kingdom novel is longer and more complex than Sabriel, deepening the world's mythology of death magic and free magic while following two protagonists toward an inevitable convergence.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
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