Book Review: Across the Wall : A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Across the Wall : A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Garth Nix
Class/Genre:   Fantasy   Young Adult   Juvenile   [Short Stories]
Eos, Aug 2005, $16.99

Middle school children and other fans of Garth Nix’s Abhorsen stories will appreciate the superb clever novella, "Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case". The story line centers on the young hero struggling far from the Wall against a creature, whom somehow he must bring back to the Old Kingdom, but his opponent, seems to gain its power from Nicholas. The other twelve contributions are wonderful short stories that have been printed in other publications over the past decade but apparently mostly overseas. The tales run the gamut of the genre. This reviewer especially enjoyed the Arthurian-Merlin tales and the haunting “Hansel’s Eyes” that reminded me of some crazy fairy tale plays my spouse put on with elementary school children. Though the short stories are well written and fun to read, Mr. Nix’s legion will remain focused on Nicholas’ latest adventures while asking why he was not the star of all the tales of ACROSS THE WALL, which obviously refers to him.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner