/r/Abhorsen

Photograph via snooOG

The Clayr Saw a subreddit, and so I was. For fans of the fantasy series by Garth Nix.

The Clayr Saw a subreddit, and so I was.

For fans of the fantasy series by Garth Nix. Discussion, art, fan theories... it's all welcome.


/r/Abhorsen

3,950 Subscribers

58

Does Freeing Mogget Change the Nature of Magic in the Old Kingdom?

The Charter is a working of the Seven and the world of the Old Kingdom has been defined by that creation throughout it's history. But now the eighth is free from bondage and even the ninth shiner has inadverently created an inheritor of its power. Do the rules change? Does the Kingdom become wilder

26 Comments
2024/10/18
00:43 UTC

26

Sam and the book of the dead

Do you think that Sam could >!even open the book of the dead? Seeing as you need innate talent for necromancy to do so?!<

30 Comments
2024/10/14
23:46 UTC

112

clariel

a female protagonist with a rage problem is fun. the anti-social tendencies are giving. she doesn’t give two shits about the wheelin and dealing. she just wants to be in the damn woods by her damn self.

i’m only a bit of the way in. so no spoilers please.

why couldn’t they just leave her alone? WHY?

35 Comments
2024/10/13
21:54 UTC

126

Brutal charter spelled arrows

Garth Nix hid a clever and brutal charter spell in Goldenhand. Avoiding spoilers, a fishing village is put at risk and they are taking stock of their weapons, tools, and skills. An Archer mentions they have a few charter spelled arrows, with marks to "cut, unravel, and flense"

I had to look up "flense". It is both terrifying and appropriate for a fishing villager: it means to slice the skin or fat from a carcass, especially a whale.

Goddamn Mr. Nix, you brushed past that real quick 👀👀

5 Comments
2024/10/09
23:16 UTC

31

East Asian influence in The Old Kingdom?

Listening to Clariel, 600 year before Sabriel, Tea has just been introduced from "far away" and become very fashionable. There is a bamboo ladder casually mentioned. Also, "exotic" fish from far away are discussed. Also, a lot of spices are described in multiple of the books that in our world come from largely tropical or near tropical islands and climates.

My question is: where do they get all this? It seems unlikely to be trade across the wall, as that kind of volume to come from Ancelstierre's broader world, then make its way all the way to the wall and successfully cross the boarder lands consistently...

Is there successful trade with as yet in mentioned islands to the east and west of the one landmass we're aware of? The northern steppes or the great forest don't sound like the right areas to get tea or bamboo or fun spices. Maybe put past the Northwest desert? I haven't gotten to Goldenhand yet so maybe I'll learn more there 🤷

26 Comments
2024/09/26
18:23 UTC

54

The Perimeter Scouts and being self-taught Charter mages

I've always been fascinated by the Scouts. The books indicated that they're self-taught and even the best of them are not very powerful etc. I'm wondering how that works given that clearly someone baptised them at some point.

Clearly they enspelled their own swords etc but are they all completely self-taught or would someone magical from the Old Kingdom have come and run a masterclass with them?

In to Hold the Bridge, we get a glimpse of self-taught mages within the Old Kingdom so I realise it's possible to be 'entirely self taught' but I am very curious about how it all works and not just because Francis Tindall is my favourite non main character :D

20 Comments
2024/09/25
20:32 UTC

73

Audiobook!

I just started the Sabriel audiobook for the first time this week and it’s such a completely unique experience. It’s heightening my enjoyment of the story so much (and I already love it enough that I’m planning to get a tattoo). I don’t normally go for audiobooks, but it was only when I found out in this subreddit that it’s read by Tim Curry I decided to try it out and it’s brilliant. Anyone else who’s not into audiobooks, please do give it a shot. Tim Curry just makes it.

21 Comments
2024/09/24
12:19 UTC

53

Modern cities and The Dead

Would modern cities with sewers and water pipes everywhere be accidentally remarkably safe from The Dead (and weak free magic beings)? The aqueducts in Belisaere work wonders apparently, so I don't see why all our pipes wouldn't work for us!

Even individual houses/apartments have water pipes everywhere. So if The Dead get in, just turn on all your faucets and the shower! 😁

12 Comments
2024/09/23
17:01 UTC

29

What is 'silver-washed steel'?

This is the material described as being used for several blades described in this series. One in particular I remember off the top of my head are the librarian's daggers. I've tried asking Google and haven't gotten anywhere.

11 Comments
2024/09/20
19:46 UTC

130

The Clayr are quietly Awesome

Re-listening to Lirael. The Disreputable Dog offhandedly tells Lirael that the Clayr Observatory guard have amongst their magical weapons a Charter-spelled Axe. There's a future-seeing warrior woman guarding an Old Kingdom Observatory with an Enchanted Battle-Axe. That's Metal 🤘

19 Comments
2024/09/14
04:09 UTC

122

Echolalia + "BUNNEH".

Sabriel is my all-time favourite novel and The Old Kingdom is my favourite series, but I've somehow never gotten around to giving the audiobook a go! After seeing the post here about it a couple of days ago, I decided to check it out.

It's wonderful and Tim Curry has done an (unsurprisingly) incredible job telling this story. I'm so glad that he was hired for this audiobook!

Despite reading about it in the other post, I was NOT prepared for Jacinth's "BUNNEH". It made me laugh so much that I also made my partner listen to it several times haha.

HOWEVER. I'm autistic with ADHD and am a big vocal stimmer; a huge part of this vocal stimming is echolalia.

...

I've been "BUNNEH"-ing repeatedly, loudly and in full Tim Curry mode for the last 24 hours. At home? BUNNEH. On a train? BUNNEH. In a café? BUNNEH. At the shop? BUNNEH OUT OF NOWHERE. I can't see it stopping any time soon, since my echolalia words/phrases can last a really long time.

If any of you are in Scotland and hear a "BUNNEH" in the wild, it's just me.

27 Comments
2024/09/07
00:52 UTC

231

yalllll this audiobook goes hard

i read this series when i was in middle school, now in my mid 30’s. reread a few times over the course of the years. decided to give the audiobook a try while commuting with my partner.

YALL.

TIM CURRY????

i did not knowwwwww.

that is all. thank you for your time.

27 Comments
2024/09/04
10:30 UTC

24

Were the 5 Great Charters inspired by the Magna Carta?

The 9 Bright Shiners would be the players here, with the 7 as 'rebel barons' and Orannis as the wicked king. What would be the issues up for debate? What would each of the 7 fought for or against in the creation of the Charter? I always imagined, based on Yrael's response to Orannis, that the issue under contention was the right of mortals to live and thrive but I'd love to hear other theories. It would be cool if someone who's more of a historian than I am could weigh in.

1 Comment
2024/08/26
23:53 UTC

41

Mistborn?

Has anyone read this? Whenever I search for books similar to the Old Kingdom series, it comes up. I was just wondering what others thought and it if was worth my time?

40 Comments
2024/08/26
15:12 UTC

21

DragonCon

I'm thinking about swinging by for an afternoon to people watch.

I was wondering if I should keep an eye out for some cool Old Kingdom cosplay?

3 Comments
2024/08/25
15:33 UTC

55

The Seven Bells Podcast Update!

Hey everybody! It's been quite a while since the last time we posted, I hope you are all well! We took a bit of a break after finishing Goldenhand, but are now about to record our first episode of Terciel and Elinor! Come hang out, the water is cold and dark!

You can find the podcast most places podcasts are available, and there are five books of backlog if you are new! We hope to see you there!

Please be advised: we are a NSFW podcast, we have sailors mouths.

--Alex and Zack

17 Comments
2024/08/16
00:56 UTC

16

Reading order

Hi all!

So glad to have found this sub! I’ve been a huge fan of the series for about 20 years now and have read all the books in the series almost every year.

But now I’m contemplating reading it chronologically. Would you recommend, and if so, which order would be correct?

Thanks!

11 Comments
2024/08/10
19:20 UTC

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