We Do Not Welcome Our Ten-Year-Old Overlord

We Do Not Welcome Our Ten-Year-Old Overlord by Garth Nix (Allen & Unwin) RRP $17.99 ISBN: 9781761180491

Reviewed by Melissa Wray

Kim and Eila have the normal sibling rivalry happening, but this soon escalates when a globe is plucked out of the local lake. The two quickly discover that it has otherworldly powers. Kim senses the danger immediately but Eila is quick to dismiss Kim’s concerns. Instead, she is drawn to the globe, fondly named Aster, and assists it to learn more. Kim is soon desperate to make his sister see the danger but when she refuses to, he knows he will need to do something before it’s too late,

There are themes of dungeons and dragons in the story, but the reader does not need to be familiar with this game to enjoy the references included in the novel. While Kim and his friends are engrossed in playing Dungeons and Dragons they are also impacted by Eila and Aster and use their game knowledge to try and combat the increasingly powerful globe. This tactic in the story was very clever and merged the two nicely.

Nix has created a world that is relatable for the reader, includes some science fiction elements to push the boundaries, but also increases the risks for the characters involved, creating a terrific balance of action, tension and consequences. Before long, it was difficult to take a breath before the next wave of challenges had been laid for the character.

The writing style flowed easily, making this a terrific, page turning read. We Do Not Welcome Our Ten-Year-Old Overlord is a high stakes, action-packed story, suitable for a 9+ years readership.

We Do No Welcome Our Ten-Year-Old Overlord

We Do Not Welcome Our Ten-Year-Old Overlord by Garth Nix (Allen & Unwin) PB RRP $17.99 ISBN: 9781761180491

Reviewed by Kellie Nissen

Something about Garth Nix’s new mid-grade fantasy grabbed me right from the beginning.

The cover? It is very striking, and Maeve Norton has managed to create a glorious blend of ominousness and beauty.

The title? We Do Not Welcome Our Ten-Year-Old Overlord is unusually long with an immediate ‘what-the?’ overtone and so many questions: How can an overlord be ten? Why aren’t they welcome? Who is ‘we’?

The opening paragraph? Not only does the sun ‘go out’ but only one scientist was ‘paying attention’, while all the other scientists (who presumably weren’t paying attention) said she was wrong and that it was a computer glitch.

Or perhaps I was invested because the story is set in the mid-1970s (my childhood era) with a setting based loosely on Canberra (where I grew up – as did the author). Although, we’ll forget about the Dungeons and Dragons bit because that was not my thing.

Whatever it was, I was hooked from the start through to the end.

Despite this story being of the fantasy genre, the main characters – Kim and his younger and unquestionably smarter sister Eila – along with Kim’s D&D friends, Bennie (and her sister Madir), Theo and Tamara, are all patently believable characters who you might expect to see in your own neighbourhood. The exception, of course, is the weird glowing orb Eila pulled out of the lake and soon starts speaking to, referring to it as Aster.

Aster is here to learn and, according to Eila, to save the world – but Kim and Bennie aren’t so sure. For starters, there is the creepy voice Kim hears when he touches ‘Aster’, the electric shocks and the sensation that something is trying to probe its way into his mind. Kim is used to Eila lording it over him, but this is next level.

With Bennie somewhat reluctantly in tow, Kim sets out to discover what Eila is up to with Aster. After a series of mishaps and near misses, they are joined by Tamara and Theo, and it becomes a case of trying to outwit a glowing orb and two ten-year-olds.

Mind-control, aliens, sibling rivalry, D&D – Garth Nix has it all wrapped up in this exciting-yet-menacing story with its plot that could well be entirely plausible.

Whether or not you’re a sci-fi or fantasy fan – and even if you’ve never played D&D – We Do Not Welcome Our Ten-Year-Old Overlord is a great read and will capture the imaginations of readers 10 years and older.

Terciel and Elinor: Book 6 of The Old Kingdom series

Terciel and Elinor by Garth Nix (Allen & Unwin) PB RRP $22.99 ISBN 9781761069970

Reviewed by Kerry Gittins

The Old Kingdom is a place of great magic, and one that eighteen-year-old orphan Terciel, the Abhorsen-in-waiting, must understand and navigate if he is to take over from his great-great- aunt Tizaneal. Tizaneal is the current Abhorsen and a master of the Charter – ancient magic cultivated and practised to ensure the Dead do not return to life. Terciel must learn the art of the Charter and the secrets behind the seven bells that have somehow chosen him if he is to become the next Abhorsen. On the other side of The Wall that separates the Old Kingdom and the non-magical land of Ancelstierre, lives a young woman Elinor, who knows nothing about the mark on her forehead, or about magic and enchantment. She has been raised by Mrs Watkins, her governess, and Ham, an old theatre and circus performer, at Coldhallow House. Elinor’s mother has always been distant but is even more so now she has taken to her bed. She doesn’t speak but sometimes hums softly. As she hums, a thin layer of ice seems to form over her skin. When Elinor informs the doctor and Mrs Watkins of this peculiarity, they exchange worried glances and the doctor simply says, ‘The North.’ Elinor has no idea what has just passed between the two, but when Terciel suddenly appears at Coldhallow and begins questioning both Mrs Watkins and Ham, Elinor realises there is much she has not been told about her past. Little does she realise that from now on, hers and Terciel’s lives are inextricably entwined, and she will play a pivotal role in the Abhorsen’s fight against Kerrigor, the most powerful of the Dead.

This is the prequel to Sabriel, the first in the Old Kingdom series. Terciel and Elinor are Sabriel’s parents, but we are not made aware of how this came to be until this, the sixth book. Here we follow the story of how Terciel and Elinor met, their journeys into the Old Kingdom, how they became masters at their magical crafts, and how they fell in love. Garth Nix never fails to engage and seduce readers with superbly crafted characters and storylines. He is a master at weaving together complex and intricate backstories along with important secondary characters to create an enthralling, fast paced fantasy adventure that will have you hooked from the very first page.

Highly recommended ages 14 + years. Themes for teaching could include fantasy, magic, relationships, playwrights, theatre, and circus performers.

The Sinister Booksellers of Bath

The Sinister Booksellers of Bath by Garth Nix (Allen & Unwin) PB RRP $24.99 ISBN: 9781761180002

Reviewed by Kellie Nissen

In 1977, in the English city of Bath, a young man finds himself alone near the Abbey on a dark night, being pursued by a grey stone lady. After a confrontation with another entity, this one in a gold mask, the young man is translocated into a map, along with the woman. A quarter section of the map is torn away during the translocation and eventually finds its way into the collection of a local book collector.

Six years later, the book collector has passed away and the bookshop is now run by the extended St Jacques family. However, it is more than just a bookstore for the booksellers, comprised of ‘left-handed booksellers’ – fighters and field agents in the magical arts – and right-handed booksellers who possess more mundane, yet still magical, arcane arts. Together, they police and protect the Old World.

And, so begins this tale, a mix of fantasy and thriller that tracks Merlin, Vivian and Susan as they fight to unravel the mystery of the map, the ancient cycle of murders and ultimately to keep Susan safe from being the next victim, thus increasing the power of Gwyre – the stone lady.

The Sinister Booksellers of Bath is the sequel to The Left-Handed Booksellers of London and, while readers may benefit from reading the latter one first, I had no trouble engaging with its sequel as a standalone.  

Author, Garth Nix, has sold over six million copies of his books, worldwide which range from fantasy and science fiction to regency romance and short fiction. The Sinister Booksellers of Bath will captivate long-standing Garth Nix fans and find a new audience of adolescents aged from 14 years and above – some of whom ‘have never liked the fantasy genre’.

Terciel and Elinor

Terciel and Elinor by Garth Nix (Allen & Unwin) ISBN 9781760878818   RRP $24.99

Reviewed by Claire Stuckey       

Marketed as Book Six in the Old Kingdom series this title is a prequel. In this action-packed fantasy, we meet the young Elinor, desolate with only her governess Mrs Watkins and her brother Ham as company. Elinor’s mother is ill with a strange malaise that leads to her death.

 We are also introduced to Terciel, an orphan who has been taken in as apprentice by his great-aunt Tizanael, the Abhorsen. His training has commenced in the art of necromancy, weaponry, and war. When Elinor and her companions are faced with an army of the “undead” from a nearby cemetery Terciel arrives to assist, moving around the kingdom where attacks from a new enemy are taking place. Elinor brought up in Ancelstierre has only has her juggling and circus skills. Valuable lessons once practised with Ham during her childhood.

Elinor has lost her mother and her dearest companion. Her home is burnt to the ground. The towns people are fearful of the “north wind” all this cause Elinor to move away. Armed with more information on her own ancestry and insight into “charter magic” Elinor travels to the Wyverly College to learn and develop her knowledge and skills. Eventually she forced away from the school after several attacks she travels to the Old Kingdom to meet Terciel and Tizanael and to learn more about the magic she has inherited. Terciel and Elinor become lovers. Despite their loving relationship Elinor is troubled. As her skills develop further Elinor sees a disturbing future event.  

For those that have read the Old Kingdom series this will refresh the interest in the vibrant characters developed by Nix 25 years ago when Sabriel was published.  This title provides the story behind the series introducing the young Terciel who returns in Sabriel but as a secondary character, her father.

This is an enjoyable fantasy with lots of action, a range of real and magical characters to follow, and a well-developed plot. As a prequel it brings a back story to the established series which has been repackaged for the 25^th anniversary.  I had not read the series before but still enjoyed the book. A colleague who had read the series rushed at the opportunity to revisit the series and the characters. Having really enjoyed the Left- Handed Bookseller of London in 2021 also, I looked forward to this title. Nix has provided quality fantasy fiction for teen and middle grade readers in Australia for decades and continues to do so.

Recommended for ages 13 years plus.

Goldenhand

Goldenhand by Garth Nix (Allen & Unwin) PB RRP $24.99

ISBN 9781741758634

Reviewed by Daniela Andrews

Sound the bells (…erm, not the Abhorsen’s) because the highly anticipated fifth novel in the Old Kingdom series is here! Once again, it is Charter Magic versus Free Magic in the flawlessly detailed and intriguing fantasy world created by Garth Nix.

The novel begins in the Sixth Precinct of Death, where Sabriel and Lirael are seeking Chlorr of the Mask. Lirael has a replacement hand, crafted by Sameth and imbued with charter spells that give it a golden glow. We meet a new character, the brave and mysterious Ferin, relentlessly chased by a host of Free Magic creatures that do not want her to deliver an important message to the Clayr (or, specifically, Lirael). Lirael is unaware of the situation and has gone south of the wall to respond to Nicholas Sayre’s request for help in investigating a magical creature. There is much suspense in the novel about where Nick’s allegiance now lies, given he has a fragment of Orannis (Free Magic) inside him.

The chapters in the novel alternate from Ferin’s story, to Lirael’s, until the message is delivered. After that, the stories merge into one. The action pinnacles at the Ninth Precinct of Death and the simultaneous battle at Greenwash Bridge, in a spellbinding mission to destroy Chlorr of the Mask.

There is much personal growth in the character of Lirael, especially when she returns ‘home’ to the Clayr. Being the Abhorsen-in-waiting improves their level of respect for her, but it doesn’t shield her from her memories of past insecurities. It is wonderful to see the way she works through her awkwardness and embraces her new role, especially in the absence of Sabriel. She also realises – and acts upon – her feelings for Nick.

Garth Nix has a lovely, succinct way of recounting the past and explaining principles of magic without really breaking from the story or drama at hand. Because of this, he is able to retain the attention of familiar readers, and draw in those completely new to the Old Kingdom. He has once again delivered an alluring, magical story for young adults!

Readers who feel sad upon its completion will delight in the new, exclusive Old Kingdom short story included at the back, along with a great interview with the author.

Spirit Animals Book 3: Blood Ties

Spirit Animals Book 3: Blood Ties by Garth Nix & Sean Williams (Scholastic Inc)

PB RRP $12.99

ISBN 978-1-74362-000-7

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Conor, Abeke, Meilin and Rollan are four children who have bonded with some of the Great Beasts of Erdas; a wolf, a leopard, a panda and a condor. They are the Chosen Ones, the children and their spirit animals who protect their world from the Devourer and his Conquerors. But they have not yet learned to work as a team, they have not learnt to trust one another, and they all have doubt about their abilities and whether they deserve the honours bestowed on them.

Meilin is only just beginning to appreciate her Spirit Animal but her impatience with the slow, peaceful lumbering Jhi -a Great Panda - still bubbles to the surface often. A girl of action, Meilin is unwilling to be stillfor long enough to learn what Jhi is offering. Instead, she rushes back to her homeland of Zhong to find her father. But Zhong has been overthrown by the Conquerors and Meilin finds herself lost in the bamboo maze with only Jhi to help.

Conor, Abeke and Rollan travel to find Meilin and then continue on their way in search of the ‘Slate Elephant’ talisman hidden deep in the heart of a jungle. This quest may cost the lives of those dear to the children.

Once again, the authors of this instalment are well established in the fantasy genre. Blood Ties is an extremely well written book. The characters are not just vehicles for the action, they grow internally and learn more about themselves, others and their world. As a reader I am growing more attached to them as the series progresses and each book offers something new, rather than just action.

This is a fabulous series. Erdas is a wonderfully built world, with countries different in landscape, setting, people and cultures. All the characters, not just the main ones, are really well fleshed out, interesting and real. The action is fast and gripping, but there is reflection time as well to slow the pace occasionally.

I think this is a series which will captivate and inspire lovers of fantasy, action, animals and storytelling. It will suit middle school readers mostly, between grades five and eight.

Read the book, and then discover the action role-playing game online, complete with a spirit animal of your own, at www.spiritanimals.scholastic.com