This book is by far the best out of the three that I read. The writing shifted away from focusing on the world and pushing the world and started focusing on plot and action and ‘are they going to make it out alive?’ About halfway through the book I remember thinking, ‘now we’re getting somewhere.’So long as Tal doesn’t think because he definitely is a little on the pansy side, not to mention that superiority complex comes back into play every now and then. I don’t like reading about that because without Milla, Tal would be vulture food and he really hasn’t seen that yet. However I’ll give him points for pushing himself more than he ever has, especially with Hazror and the Codex, where he was essentially carrying a door with a dislocated shoulder out from under a mountain that was falling on them. I’d probably do the same thing without crying as much as he was but good for him for reaching beyond his comfort zone, at least physically.While Milla is still pretty two dimensional, I’m liking her even more just because of how strong of a person she really is. Stubborn as all hell but strong nonetheless. The best moment for her is seeing her in her prime, fighting at the castle. She really is a warrior (not that I doubted that before), not to mention a real leader in a dire situation. Again, without her, Tal would have been captured because he never would have left his brother behind without Milla’s insistence. She really is a great character and is my favorite in the series.And I really like the Geico gecko in Aenir. He’s something like a Kushkar (I believe that’s the name), this little talking, fighting, walking history book of a lizard. I want one. I wonder if he can save me money on my car insurance. I don’t know if he’s supposed to look like a talking gecko but that’s the image I immediately got from him.There were a few things that bothered me about this one. There were a few instances of keyboard mashing here, especially with the lizard’s name and his language. It took me as long to sound out the name of his language as it did for me to read a page. Is that necessary? There were less conveniences in this one but they were still there in the shape of the Storm Shepherds and the Codex (although the Storm Shepherds were sometimes more detrimental than they were helpful so they get a partial pass). And some of Tal’s revelations just seemed kind of contrived. Like the guilt he had for taking Milla’s shadow. It’s only when he hears her name that he’s like, ‘oh yeah, I feel guilty about that.’ It just didn’t sit right with me.Sushin is the biggest issue I have with all of the books. Even at the end of this one, with the reader getting an inkling of what he actually is, he just seems like a character there for no other purpose than to give Tal these struggles and journeys. He’s the antagonist but for no reason that we know. I want to find out what his problem is but at the same time I really don’t because I’m afraid it’s going to be something insubstantial. He’s nothing but a piece of motivating force for action at this point and I’m getting kind of aggravated by it. I like to know why my villains are the way they are. I don’t like just seeing them being evil without a point or used as a catalyst for plot in the stories.If you can make it through the first one, I’d actually recommend reading these because they do get better as they go along. I’m not about to run out and buy the next book in the series to find out what happens (although finding out about the history of the wars and The Forgetting is pretty damn intriguing) but when I get a chance (who knows when that’ll be with the size of my TBR pile), I wouldn’t mind finishing them. I’m just not in a rush to do it.
One of the elements of writing in this genre that Nix is particularly gifted at is creating original fantasies and worlds. This series is no exception. However, in comparison to some of his other works, especially The Abhorsen Trilogy, the exploration of this world and the characters within is weak at best. The story is interesting because Nix presents the audience with a new mythology, but he rushes through the plot, circumnavigating what could be some really amazing explorations of the world he’s created. As a result, it’s more difficult to imagine this parallel universe and its characters and creatures, and it doesn’t draw the reader in nearly as much as it could.This series breaks one large story into several books, and since each of these is easily around the high 100s and low 200s in page length, Nix could have spent more time giving description, metaphors, and poetic/aesthetic language to flush this world out. This would make everything significantly more engaging for the readers, and ultimately, foster growth and interest in the books, the fantasy, the world, and the characters therein. Ultimately, there’s just nothing to bite into.-Lindsey Miller, www.lindseyslibrary.com
Do You like book Aenir (2000)?
Hmm. This book incorporates the spirit world of Aenir into the setting, bringing to life the concepts Nix introduced in the first two books in the Seventh Tower series. What I like about this is that there are deeper levels to his story, or his message if you will, in this book. It offers a mature, could-be-studied-in-English-class aura to a much younger audience. Readers can look at Tal's experience and question what they believe to be reality. They can consider what it really means to escape your reality and substitute another, sometimes dangerous, reality. And don't forget the troubles that can be started by evil entities taking a position of power over the masses. Oh and stir in an oppressive caste society to add some flavor.Great book to be enjoyed by all. Another 4 stars.
—Parcoast
I love Garth Nix's books. He's really good at quickly building up a world that has enough detail for you to know roughly the rules you're playing by, and what's going on, without telling you everything in a massive infodump. Aenir advances the plot without giving too much away: I haven't guessed the end, as I so often do with books.It's also a really quick read. I'd be happy with more detail, more character development, but it's pretty fun as it is -- unfortunately, I don't have much to say about the way it is. It's aimed, I think, at younger kids than Nix's other stuff: it's more simplistic. But it still keeps my interest, too (and I'm arguably an adult, whatever my parents think!).
—Nikki
In this book Milla and Tal go into the spirit world to find the Codex. A living book that knows all, they wish to use it to find out what is happening in the castle, and where Tal's brother is. Tal knows that the castle is no longer safe, and that for reasons unknown powerful Chosen have decided that he is an enemy that needs to be destroyed. While in this world the dangers are too many to count Milla and Tal accidentally manage to activate magic and because of this Tal has to save them at the cost of Milla's life dreams. They go their separate ways and both encounter deadly beings that have no love of Chosen or Icecarls. They have to work together to retrieve the Codex but can Milla forgive Tal for ruining her life?
—Alex Murphy
