Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
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based on child development research. How do we rate?
Prequel to "Sabriel" combines danger, dark magic, romance.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In TERCIEL & ELINOR, Terciel, the young Abhorsen-in-Waiting, travels south of the Wall to Ancelstierre to offer aid to a rural estate facing a mysterious illness. A young woman named Elinor explains that her mother is comatose in bed. None of the non-magical doctors that came to call could have guessed that a malevolent spirit possessed her body, that this is trouble from the magical Old Kingdom. Terciel realizes he's in over his head when the spirit puts up a fight, the house catches fire, and bodies rise up around them to fight. He gathers Elinor and her house staff in a final stand by the river until his mentor arrives to do the vital work of every Abhorsen: ring special bells and send the dead back into death. This dangerous encounter is Elinor's first impression of Terciel and of the magic of the charter that her prejudiced mother kept from her. After Terciel heads back to the Old Kingdom, she's determined to learn enough magic to travel there as well. Little does she know that she's still in danger from the dark creature that possessed her mother precisely because of her connection to the Old Kingdom and the Abhorsens.
Is It Any Good?
Fans of the Abhorsen trilogy will be thrilled to get to know two new characters in this prequel, and readers new to the series who love zombies and magic and a bit of romance will dive right in. The easiest entrance into the world of Ancelstierre and the Old Kingdom is Sabriel, the book about and named for Elinor and Terciel's daughter, but readers comfortable not knowing exactly what charter magic is or how paperwings fly or why you should stand in a stream when attacked by the undead will still fall under the spell of Terciel & Elinor. The character Elinor also begins the story knowing nothing about magic, but learns quickly. She puts some surprising skills to good use -- staging plays, juggling, knife throwing -- as she gets closer to the Wall and then over it to the magical side. She feels called upon to be a part of the world denied to her by her mother for so many years and her drive, and the evil forces after her, pull the story along.
Compared with Elinor, Terciel is the less compelling character. He lives in the shadow of his mentor, his gruff and talented great-aunt, he does his duty as the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, but can be reluctant and fearful. It's hard to see him in his future role as the Abhorsen. Maybe the sweet relationship with Elinor is what he needs. It's definitely what the story needs to end on a hopeful note after the climactic action. As usual in the Old Kingdom, there's a nasty army of evil zombies and necromancers to defeat before the book is finished. A budding romance balances out a dangerous trip into the land of the dead rather nicely.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about zombies in Terciel & Elinor. The first book set in this world came out in the mid-1990s, at a time when zombies weren't all the rage. Why do you think TV shows and books are filled with undead characters again?
Have you seen enough and read enough zombie stuff to not get ruffled by the gory descriptions of the undead in this book? Is it ever too much? What about the deaths in this story by fire and fighting and magic? What kind of violence has more impact?
Would you read more about Elinor and Terciel? Do you think this book needs a follow-up? If you've read other books in the Abhorsen Trilogy and Old Kingdom series, which is your favorite? Why? Who makes the best Abhorsen?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Arts , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Animals
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Katherine Tegen Books
- Publication date : November 2, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 17
- Number of pages : 352
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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