--- product_id: 32078363 title: "Clariel: The Lost Abhorsen (Old Kingdom, 4)" price: "20098CFA" currency: XOF in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.sn/products/32078363-clariel-the-lost-abhorsen-old-kingdom-4 store_origin: SN region: Senegal --- # Clariel: The Lost Abhorsen (Old Kingdom, 4) **Price:** 20098CFA **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Clariel: The Lost Abhorsen (Old Kingdom, 4) - **How much does it cost?** 20098CFA with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sn](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/32078363-clariel-the-lost-abhorsen-old-kingdom-4) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Award-winning author Garth Nix returns to the Old Kingdom with a thrilling prequel complete with dark magic, royalty, dangerous action, a strong heroine, and flawless world building. This epic fantasy adventure is destined to be a classic and is perfect for fans of Rae Carson, Kristin Cashore, Scott Westerfeld, and Cassandra Clare. Clariel is the daughter of one of the most notable families in the Old Kingdom, with blood relations to the Abhorsen and, most important, to the King. She dreams of living a simple life but discovers this is hard to achieve when a dangerous Free Magic creature is loose in the city, her parents want to marry her off to a killer, and there is a plot brewing against the old and withdrawn King Orrikan. When Clariel is drawn into the efforts to find and capture the creature, she finds hidden sorcery within herself, yet it is magic that carries great dangers. Can she rise above the temptation of power, escape the unwanted marriage, and save the King? Review: Clariel delights, with fascinating world-building and intrigue - A very fitting addition to the lore of the Old Kingdom, providing fans with additional history, new characters, and even a taste of Free Magic. As a fan of the series since Sabriel, I ordered this book without hesitation and devoured it within two days. Like the other books, it's all too easy to become absorbed in this world, and difficult to put down. Nix continues to enchant with his characters, locations and plots, including in large part the society and culture of Belisaere from 600 years past. It's fair to say that the story starts off a bit slow, and by the time things get really exciting, you'll be dreading the fact that the remaining pages are dwindling too quickly. I desperately hope that Nix is interested in writing a sequel to Clariel. I thoroughly enjoyed her story, and we leave her only at the very beginning of it. How excited I would be if this turned out to be the first installment in a new trilogy! While I was not able to relate to Clariel quite as much as I did Lirael, the two are similar in many ways. Their personalities, interests and talents run counter to those around them, and they often feel trapped in a world that doesn't understand them. Clariel has been criticized in other reviews for being petulant and selfish, and for her obsessive needs to achieve her one goal: to escape the city and live in the forest. Indeed, a significant proportion of Clariel's statements and thoughts in the book end with something to the effect of "and then I can escape and go live in the forest". The more confident she is that this will happen, the more determined the plot becomes to thwart her ambitions. And even though she's a bit obsessive, I did find it easy to relate with her here. If I lived in such a society, surrounded by those who constantly judge and manipulate me, I'd be plotting my escape just the same. Wouldn't you? Clariel also offers a fascinating look at the history of the Old Kingdom, with surprising differences from the more "modern" version that we've come to know and love. We find a society almost decaying from its complacency and disinterest in some of the traditions that have helped it to prosper in the past. Charter Magic has become almost unfashionable, Abhorsens are shirking their duties in pursuit of leisure, and too few seem to notice the dark threats that loom on the horizon, ready to take advantage of the spiritual slumber of the Old Kingdom's denizens. I love the rollercoaster ride of good and evil that Nix paints in his history of the Old Kingdom, and I thirst for more of this riveting history. By far my favorite aspect of this book is that we finally get a proper taste of the metallic tang of Free Magic. And it's quite delicious. Here we see another side to Free Magic, learn a bit more about how it works, and about some of the creatures that channel it. Absolutely fascinating, and again I hope to read a sequel some day that explores this a further. I won't say any more here so as not to spoil things. I recommend this book without reservation to fans of the series, and also to newcomers who are interested in fantasy. And I look eagerly forward to the next installment in the Old Kingdom series, whenever that may be. Review: A Wonderful New Journey to the Old Kingdom - WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD. I first read the Abhorsen trilogy when I was twelve or thirteen years old and re-read all three books constantly throughout my teen years, so I couldn't wait for Clariel to be released! The book starts off establishing characters and relationships, with lots of new information about the history and culture of the Old Kingdom and the nature of free magic. Since I love the world, I didn't mind the frequent long passages of description at all, but other readers might. I especially liked the conflicted relationship between Clariel and her parents that Nix paints, but I think the relationship could have been fleshed out further. I also liked the fact that all figures of authority were missing, indifferent, cowardly or corrupt - it reminds me of Nix's Keys to the Kingdom series very much - but sometimes they were unrealistically so. As previous reviewers have stated, once the plot picks up in the second half of the book, it rushes along at a breakneck pace and is impossible to stop reading. Actually, the book finished far too speedily and abruptly for me, especially concerning the Princess's return. Instead of ending without even meeting the Princess, wouldn't it have been more satisfying for readers to meet her and find out the reason for her absence, which could also have been used set up a new plot twist/enemy/challenge to look forward to in a future book? It just felt like a cliffhanger at the wrong time. Overall, I enjoyed reading Clariel very much, and absolutely loved seeing Mogget again! Nix's greatest strength, world-building, is clearly evident in this book. However, it comes at the price of occasionally weak characterization and uneven pacing. Like other reviewers, I found it difficult to sympathize with Clariel's self-absorption and occasional lack of a moral compass. However, I can understand it given her upbringing by weak and neglectful parents, and it helped me to understand what she eventually became. I applaud Nix for featuring a less likeable protagonist who is doing her best in a murky situation, in contrast to Nix's previous heroines in the series, Lirael and Sabriel, who fairly smoothly and quickly accept their heritage, are certain of their identities, and are acting in dire but morally clear circumstances. This is a book best suited for teens, given the identity/profession seeking theme (aka teen angst), and for those who have already read the original Abhorsen trilogy. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #342,913 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #148 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction on Girls' & Women's Issues (Books) #222 in Teen & Young Adult Epic Fantasy #854 in Teen & Young Adult Wizards & Witches Fantasy | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 3,681 Reviews | ## Images ![Clariel: The Lost Abhorsen (Old Kingdom, 4) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71PWZxQHlJL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Clariel delights, with fascinating world-building and intrigue *by M***L on January 10, 2015* A very fitting addition to the lore of the Old Kingdom, providing fans with additional history, new characters, and even a taste of Free Magic. As a fan of the series since Sabriel, I ordered this book without hesitation and devoured it within two days. Like the other books, it's all too easy to become absorbed in this world, and difficult to put down. Nix continues to enchant with his characters, locations and plots, including in large part the society and culture of Belisaere from 600 years past. It's fair to say that the story starts off a bit slow, and by the time things get really exciting, you'll be dreading the fact that the remaining pages are dwindling too quickly. I desperately hope that Nix is interested in writing a sequel to Clariel. I thoroughly enjoyed her story, and we leave her only at the very beginning of it. How excited I would be if this turned out to be the first installment in a new trilogy! While I was not able to relate to Clariel quite as much as I did Lirael, the two are similar in many ways. Their personalities, interests and talents run counter to those around them, and they often feel trapped in a world that doesn't understand them. Clariel has been criticized in other reviews for being petulant and selfish, and for her obsessive needs to achieve her one goal: to escape the city and live in the forest. Indeed, a significant proportion of Clariel's statements and thoughts in the book end with something to the effect of "and then I can escape and go live in the forest". The more confident she is that this will happen, the more determined the plot becomes to thwart her ambitions. And even though she's a bit obsessive, I did find it easy to relate with her here. If I lived in such a society, surrounded by those who constantly judge and manipulate me, I'd be plotting my escape just the same. Wouldn't you? Clariel also offers a fascinating look at the history of the Old Kingdom, with surprising differences from the more "modern" version that we've come to know and love. We find a society almost decaying from its complacency and disinterest in some of the traditions that have helped it to prosper in the past. Charter Magic has become almost unfashionable, Abhorsens are shirking their duties in pursuit of leisure, and too few seem to notice the dark threats that loom on the horizon, ready to take advantage of the spiritual slumber of the Old Kingdom's denizens. I love the rollercoaster ride of good and evil that Nix paints in his history of the Old Kingdom, and I thirst for more of this riveting history. By far my favorite aspect of this book is that we finally get a proper taste of the metallic tang of Free Magic. And it's quite delicious. Here we see another side to Free Magic, learn a bit more about how it works, and about some of the creatures that channel it. Absolutely fascinating, and again I hope to read a sequel some day that explores this a further. I won't say any more here so as not to spoil things. I recommend this book without reservation to fans of the series, and also to newcomers who are interested in fantasy. And I look eagerly forward to the next installment in the Old Kingdom series, whenever that may be. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Wonderful New Journey to the Old Kingdom *by L***H on October 17, 2014* WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD. I first read the Abhorsen trilogy when I was twelve or thirteen years old and re-read all three books constantly throughout my teen years, so I couldn't wait for Clariel to be released! The book starts off establishing characters and relationships, with lots of new information about the history and culture of the Old Kingdom and the nature of free magic. Since I love the world, I didn't mind the frequent long passages of description at all, but other readers might. I especially liked the conflicted relationship between Clariel and her parents that Nix paints, but I think the relationship could have been fleshed out further. I also liked the fact that all figures of authority were missing, indifferent, cowardly or corrupt - it reminds me of Nix's Keys to the Kingdom series very much - but sometimes they were unrealistically so. As previous reviewers have stated, once the plot picks up in the second half of the book, it rushes along at a breakneck pace and is impossible to stop reading. Actually, the book finished far too speedily and abruptly for me, especially concerning the Princess's return. Instead of ending without even meeting the Princess, wouldn't it have been more satisfying for readers to meet her and find out the reason for her absence, which could also have been used set up a new plot twist/enemy/challenge to look forward to in a future book? It just felt like a cliffhanger at the wrong time. Overall, I enjoyed reading Clariel very much, and absolutely loved seeing Mogget again! Nix's greatest strength, world-building, is clearly evident in this book. However, it comes at the price of occasionally weak characterization and uneven pacing. Like other reviewers, I found it difficult to sympathize with Clariel's self-absorption and occasional lack of a moral compass. However, I can understand it given her upbringing by weak and neglectful parents, and it helped me to understand what she eventually became. I applaud Nix for featuring a less likeable protagonist who is doing her best in a murky situation, in contrast to Nix's previous heroines in the series, Lirael and Sabriel, who fairly smoothly and quickly accept their heritage, are certain of their identities, and are acting in dire but morally clear circumstances. This is a book best suited for teens, given the identity/profession seeking theme (aka teen angst), and for those who have already read the original Abhorsen trilogy. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Fabulous Return to the Old Kingdom *by J***N on October 22, 2014* Originally published on Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/flyicarus In a return to the Old Kingdom, that place we all know and love (and are a little frightened of), author Garth Nix gives us the origin tale of Clariel, who Abhorsen series readers will later know as the necromancer and Greater Dead Chlorr of the Mask. That future is far away, though, and Nix introduces us to Clariel as she was before she started walking her dark path. Clariel is the daughter of a Goldsmith that was summoned to Belisaere, the capital city of the Old Kingdom, but she goes unwilling. Clariel has a passion for the forest near Estwael, the town she was born and raised in, and she hates that she's being forced by a weak father and a domineering, distant mother to go somewhere she willed not; all her thought is bent on escaping somehow. Little does Clariel know that her new home is a snake pit of machinations, politicking and danger both visceral and magical. As Clariel becomes aware of the danger that is around her, her desire to be free grows, and tragedy and unrest in the Kingdom come before she realizes entirely what is happening. All Clariel knows is that she wants to be free, to be on her own, and whether she gains that freedom through Charter or Free Magic is something inconsequential to her. She understands all too late the price she must pay. I'm a huge fan of Nix's Old Kingdom series, and I've been waiting for this book for years - sometimes patiently, sometimes not. I actually had to stop myself from staying up all night to read it, because I could easily have devoured the book entirely if I had stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to finish, but I'm glad I didn't. This was a really good book and a nice addition to the Old Kingdom series - I'm glad that we as readers had an opportunity to see more of the world we love, and also have this prequel with insight into Chlorr of the Mask's origins. When I first started reading I had difficulty actually caring about Clariel - I think this may have been because I know what she turns into. However, around halfway through the book, I went from merely empathizing with Clariel to actively caring about her and feeling sympathetic, even wanting to take care of her. I'm sure many a reader can understand well the feeling of wanting to be free, yearning for some simple dream that is deferred or denied by those around you. I honestly wanted Clariel to be able to go back to Estwael and to the Great Forest, to live among the green and the animals, to have her peace. It was a tragedy, both of outside influence and her own making, that rendered it otherwise. It was interesting to have Clariel be a berserk, like Touchstone. I liked having that callback to something Nix had written before, and hearing more about others of the blood having that issue as well, and how they learned to cope with it, that there were resources out there for them, was really well done. Being berserk seems, at least to me, rather to be a kind of disability - blinding rage, loss of coherent thought, loss of memory, etc. Readers know of Touchstone being berserk, how he went into the rage after he witnessed his family being murdered at the hands of Kerrigor, and later, when someone attempted to assassinate Sabriel and he wrenched blindly at the throne as if to throw it at the assassin. It seems that Touchstone himself did not have many resources, at least none that were mentioned, but that there is that in the Old Kingdom - the opportunity to learn, to grow, to master yourself and live a normal, if controlled, life is huge to me as a reader. The ease with which queer relationships were mentioned, as well as what I interpret to be asexuality/aromantic tendences, was so so so huge to me - Clariel mentions repeatedly that she doesn't feel attachment to either men or women, and another character, Belatiel, infers that Clariel might like women when she tells him she's not interested, but a conversation with Clariel's aunt reveals that she doesn't desire (for the most part) anything sexual or romantic, she prefers to be alone. This kind of representation is hugely important, and it was so nice to see Nix include it and not in a way that was fetishizing or derogatory. I found that something that especially got to me where the dynamics between the characters - this is something that Nix does well, and a few areas I'd like to point out are: The relationship between Jaciel, Clariel's mother, and Clariel herself, for one. Clariel thinks that her mother has no feeling for her, that all Jaciel cares about is her work; this perception is altered slightly when Clariel realizes that Jaciel has the same berserk blood in her veins as Clariel herself does, and that Jaciel's work is her escape, her calming influence that keeps the rage in check. But, she still resents her mother, and as the reader, you also grow to resent Jaciel even as you get a hint of understanding as to why she is the way she is. However, when Kilp and his men attack Clariel and her family, you see Jaciel go into the rage at the murder of her husband and the threat to her daughter; she sends Clariel running with a Charter spell, and risks herself in the rage to save her. That was so powerful to me. I also really liked the dynamic between Clariel and Belatiel. Nix hinted at the possibility of Clariel feeling the same way for Belatiel but not realizing until too late, and then giving up on the possibility of something once she's separated from the Charter, scarred, traumatized, and tainted by Free Magic. I like to think about another world, where Clariel might've stayed with Belatiel and found her peace and belonging, learning to live with her berserk rage and also how to temper the Free Magic inside of her. I wanted Clariel to have a happy ending, even though I know, we all know, that isn't possible. Seeing Clariel start to become drawn to Free Magic was fascinating and horrifying - as a reader you can understand why Clariel wants that power, that freedom, but we know what it will bring her, what price must be paid. Horrifying, because we know what she becomes and, at least for myself, I wanted to help her turn from that path. Mogget as always was a delight, but I must say it was definitely a departure from the Mogget we know in the original trilogy. Mogget here was unrepentant and manipulative, if downright a liar, and it was directly his influence that led to Clariel falling as far as she did, and as fast. Though even Clariel herself says that she would have more than likely have been drawn to Free Magic/necromancy anyway, but there it is. Learning the origins of the mask and Chlorr's outfit was interesting as well, as where she would get her first set of bells. Charter skins! The insight into the history of the Abhorsens - Hillfair was entirely unexpected, as was the bridge over the stepping stones, but I really enjoyed the history of a people, a place, that I hadn't known before. Overall I was really pleased with this book and I can't wait for the continuation of the Abhorsen series with the book coming about Nick Sayre and Lirael. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sn/products/32078363-clariel-the-lost-abhorsen-old-kingdom-4](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/32078363-clariel-the-lost-abhorsen-old-kingdom-4) --- *Product available on Desertcart Senegal* *Store origin: SN* *Last updated: 2026-06-01*