Book Review: Goldenhand

Goldenhand by Garth Nix

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


When I was fifteen, I finally decided to buy the book I'd seen sitting on the shelf of my local bookstore for at least a month. I finished Sabriel in a day, ignoring everything around me in order to do that. I found the book in time to learn that a second book in the series was set for release and I bought a brand new perfect hardcover of Lirael a few months later. Abhorsen was released when I started my senior year of high school.

I say all this now so that everyone can understand, I've waited YEARS for this book to finally exist. My heart almost stopped when I saw it on the shelf at the store. I even got a little misty-eyed because darnit, I have wanted this book for so long. I admit, I haven't sat down and read Clariel yet because I wanted to know more about Lirael and Sam and Nick and Sabriel and Touchstone and while I do have that book (autographed, which makes it precious), I couldn't sit down and read it because it wasn't the story I'd been hoping for.

But now, NOW, I have Goldenhand and in so many ways it was perfect. Over the last dozen(!) years I have pulled out the original trilogy and read them again, from beginning to end, never getting tired of the story. I have all of the books in hardcover and in mass market paperbacks, which makes them easy to carry and conceal in my bag when I want them around. So believe me when I say that reading this book was like coming home. I have read the books about this world so many times and once I started this one, it was so familiar, so poignant, everything I wanted to see and new things I didn't know I wanted.

I knew what I was going to read about in this book, the threat that would be dealt with, and it was wonderful to see my favorite characters move and breathe while racing towards the end of this story. Lirael was better than I remembered and I was almost giddy with the developments for her character. She has stepped into her role as the Abhorsen-in-Waiting with strength and a new understanding of her importance in the world and within her new family. Lirael shares the story with a new character named Ferin, a young woman on an important mission to deliver a message before it's too late. Both women are strong, willing to do what is needed to save lives, and their stories are delivered with skill while the world is filled in around them.

My only quibble is that it ended too soon, too fast. I can only hope that there is more to come for my favorite characters. Garth Nix has to know that these characters are special to so many people, so I truly, desperately hope there might be one or two more books to come. I already know that I'll wait years just to see all these people again.



Rating on my Blog Scale: 10 Stars!! One of my absolute favorite series of all time. Still no word on more books but I mean, I waited this long for Goldenhand without knowing for sure if it would exist, so I can continue to wait and hope for more books in this world.



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