Terciel & Elinor cover art

Terciel & Elinor

The Old Kingdom, Book 6

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Terciel & Elinor

By: Garth Nix
Narrated by: Billie Fulford-Brown
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About this listen

Best-selling author Garth Nix returns to the Old Kingdom for the never-before-told love story of Sabriel’s parents, Tericel and Elinor, and the charter magic that brought them together - and threatened to tear them apart.

In the Old Kingdom, a land of ancient and often terrible magics, 18-year-old orphan Terciel learns the art of necromancy from his great-aunt Tizanael. But not to raise the Dead, rather to lay them to rest. He is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, and Tizanael is the Abhorsen, the latest in a long line of people whose task it is to make sure the Dead do not return to life.

Across the Wall in Ancelstierre, a steam-age country where magic usually does not work, 19-year-old Elinor lives a secluded life. Her only friends an old governess and an even older groom who was once a famous circus performer. Her mother is a tyrant who is feared by all despite her sickness and impending death...but perhaps there is even more to fear from that.

Elinor does not know that she is deeply connected to the Old Kingdom until destiny places her on a path of magic, romance and a fight against the Dead who will not stay dead.

©2021 Garth Nix (P)2021 Penguin Random House LLC Epic Fantasy Fantasy Magic Science Fiction & Fantasy Fiction Royalty Necromancy

Critic Reviews

"Enjoyable, engaging, and well written." (Kirkus)

"Terciel’s mix of competence and vulnerability is appealing, but Elinor’s journey - buoyed by her resilient spirit - is particularly rewarding. Fans will relish this return to a beloved world." (Booklist)

"Passionate, compelling and teeming with the fantastic, the story of Elinor and Terciel - a prequel to Nix's beloved Old Kingdom classics - will charm new readers and thrill long-time fans." (Cassandra Clare, author of the Mortal Instruments series)
All stars
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This story had more twists than I was expecting and was entirely enthralling. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Captivating

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Too brief in parts, too brief overall. I never want to leave the old kingdom and could happily soak a thousand more hours in further detailings of events, characters and environments of Nix's worldbuilding.

Nice to meet another Abhorsen.

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Belinda did a great job of narrating different characters, and her narration style added a depth, lightness, and vivacity through her playful mix of tone, diction, and pacing. This style painted beautiful pictures in the minds eye or ratched tension. I am sure I'll listen to it again and again.
p.s. so much better than narration for Abhorsen (unfortunately), I hope this narrator could re-do the other one day.

Captivating

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Wonderful storytelling, another brilliant piece from Garth Nix, and a very enjoyable performance by the narrator!

excellent!

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It was good to return to the Old Kingdom with this prequel. Even though it is book 6 you could read it first, but I liked reading it after all the others/original trilogy. All the neat little nuances that make the old kingdom fun and full of magic were in this book - it had a little of everything - and it was nice to learn more about Sabriel’s parents. Aw. The narrator is great, so enthusiastic especially with every chapter announcement - like "Here we go!"

Sweet - good to go back

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