Ahira's Hangar

When does Abhorsen come out, and where did you read part of the book on the internet? <i></i>

Abhorsen is already out in most book stores, Amazon.com, Borders, Barns and Noble, and some others I think. The first part of the book is on Nix's website, the link is a few posts up. I ordered the book, I can't wait, I hope it's as good as Sabriel, which is my fav so far. All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost.
The old that is strong does not whither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.<i></i>

I thought Abhorsen was great, but Garth Nix could still tell us a few things about the Old Kingdom. I still have a lot of questions about the characters.

~MsMary~ "Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?"<i></i>

I just finished Abhorsen, and it was great. Most things were explained, but I'd still like to know more about the Old Kingdom, and the Begining. I still liked Sabriel the best though.
Hmm, and a bit of an odd question, does anyone know what font he used for Lirael and Abhorsen? <i></i>

Did the five great charter bloodlines come out of the seven.
If they did, anyone know which one's they were. I guess Kibeth the Disreputable Dog, and Astarael the Weeper under the Abhorsen's House were the two out of the seven not involved in making of the charter. Wait, ugh, I'm confused.
So then the five bloodlines are seperate from the seven? Does the walker choose the path or the path choose the walker?<i></i>

BelgaerThinker, here is my attempt to answer your question...hope it helps.

SPOILER ALERT!!
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*My understanding is that the Seven went into the making of the 5 Great Charters. We know who the Seven are: Ranna, Mosrael, Kibeth, Dyrim, Belgaer, Saraneth, and Astarael. The 5 Great Charters include 3 bloodlines: The Abhorsen, the Clayr, and the royal house, plus the Wall and the Great Stones (which somehow came from the Wallmakers - I am not really clear yet on exactly what the Wallmakers were.).

~MM~ "Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?"<i></i>

SPOILER as well

This is how I take it
1) Ranna-5 great charter bloodline (guess Wallmaker)
2) Mosrael-5 great charter bloodline (guess Clayr because Sanar and Ryelle hold it at the end)
3) Kibeth-Disreputable Dog not part of the charter
4) Dyrim-5 great charter bloodline (guess Royal because Ellimere wields it at the end, and she is royal blood)
5) Belgaer-5 great charter bloodline (guess Wallmaker)
6) Saraneth-5 great charter bloodline (guess Abhorsen because it say's "Saraneth was the favorite bell of all Abhorsens" (Nix 32) and Sabriel wields it at the end)
7) Astarael- person under the well, not part of the charter
Yrael/Mogget- Eighth Bright Shiner not part of charter and didn't support it
9) Orannis-Destroyer
Hope that helps sort it out, though some are still guesses. All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost.
The old that is strong does not whither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.<i></i>

SPOILER:
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Interesting analysis, SagaEuterpe. I like the way you connected the bloodlines with the Bells they held at the end of Abhorsen.

But I disagree with you about Kibeth and Astarael. They were both definitely part of the Charter.

~MsMary~
"Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?"<i></i>

Well yea, they were a part of the charter, but not as strongly connected to it as the other five. Otherwise they wouldn't be a bell. But they're not in the "Five great Charters knit the land..." thing, in that way. All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost.
The old that is strong does not whither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.<i></i>

Interesting analysis, Saga, but I have to agree with MsMary. I think all of the Seven went into the making of the Five Great Charters. Certain of the Five may be more associated with certain of the Seven, but I don't think it's to the exclusion of the others.

~Foamy~ <i></i>

From what I remember of the books, what happened was that the Five (Ranna, Mosrael, Dyrim, Belgaer, Saraneth) gave themselves completely over to the making of the Charter, becoming the five bloodlines. From the bloodlines, two of them (both called the Wallmakers) decided that the magic would be better preserved in lasting structures, because blood will become diluted and spread out over time. As for the other Two of the Seven, Kibeth and Astarael, they gave a great deal of themselves over to the Charter, but their part was mostly in the construction of the Charter -- the transforming magics cannot be transformed. Kibeth wasn't ready to give it up, and for some reason I'm thinking that Astarael was the one that broke Orannis (SPOILER: drawing from Lirael's actions), and so she was broken in two as well.

I could go on and on about this... this is the only book series I've ever read that I consider fit to share a shelf with LOTR. <i></i>

fantasy book series, that is <i></i>

These books sound very interesting (as do the Pullman ones). I think I'll have to check them out one of these days! Unfortunately, at the moment, the stack of stuff "to be read" on my desk can probably be easier measuerd in feet rather than volumes. And I have to do about twenty hours of pharmaceutical continuing education by this summer. But one of these days!!! I do want to read these!!! Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell<i></i>

Exactly what are the genders of the Nine bright Shiners? I know Astarael is female, Kibeth is female, Mogget is male but that’s all I know unless I missed something. Orannis is an it. I always thought that Kibeth was trapped in the soapstone of the statue. Maybe she was bound?

Tiger

}{If you want comfort go get hurt}{
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Those are good questions, Tiger.

SPOILERS:
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I don't believe that Garth Nix ever tells us the genders of the other Bright Shiners, but I'll have to check (and will also ask other fans of the books).

As for Kibbeth being bound in the soapstone statue of the dog, that doesn't really ring true to me. I had the feeling that Kibbeth was too powerful to be bound in that way. And wasn't she in the soapstone statue while the Clayr were saying good-bye to Lirael, when Lirael was setting off by boat from the Clayr's Glacier? (If I remember correctly.) It was only after they were well away from other observers that the Disreputable Dog reappeared in the boat at Lirael's side.

~MsMary~ "Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?"<i></i>