The long awaited prequel to the original ‘The Old Kingdom’ trilogy will cause glee for fans, as it lays down a satisfying foundation for the stories yet to come in this spellbinding and different world. If you haven't yet ventured into this fantasy kingdom, you can read this as a standalone novel, once you do though, you may find yourself wanting to travel six hundred years into the future to catch up. This really does feel as though history is being laid before your feet and there is quite a lot of scene setting before the action really starts. Clariel is a fascinating character, she doesn't yet fully understand herself and it’s very easy to empathise with the path she begins to forge. If you do already know this world, there will be several moments of recognition and understanding to greet you! ~ Liz Robinson
This is the long-awaited prequel to Garth Nix's wonderfully imaginative Old Kingdom series. You don't have to have read the Old Kingdom books, Clariel works perfectly as a stand-alone story, but if you want to, all The Old Kingdom books are now available in ebook form...
The highly anticipated prequel to Garth Nix's astonishingly successful OLD KINGDOM series - now available in paperback!
Sixteen-year-old Clariel is not adjusting well to her new life in the city of Belisaere, the capital of the Old Kingdom. She misses roaming freely within the forests of Estwael, and she feels trapped within the stone city walls. It seems, too, that the city itself is descending into chaos, as the ancient rules binding Abhorsen, King and Clayr appear to be disintegrating.
With the discovery of a dangerous Free Magic creature loose in the city, Clariel is given the chance both to prove her worth and make her escape. But events spin rapidly out of control. Clariel finds herself more trapped than ever, until help comes from an unlikely source - and at a terrible cost. Clariel must question the motivations and secret hearts of everyone around her - and it is herself she must question most of all.