Goldenhand
The fifth book in the New York Times bestselling Old Kingdom Chronicles.
Lirael is no longer a shy Second Assistant Librarian. She is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, with dead creatures to battle and Free Magic entities to bind.
She's also a Remembrancer, wielder of the Dark Mirror. Lirael lost one of her hands in the binding of Orannis, but now she has a new hand, one of gilded steel and Charter Magic. When Lirael finds Nicholas Sayre lying unconscious after being attacked by a hideous Free Magic creature, she uses her powers to save him. But Nicholas is deeply tainted with Free Magic.
Fearing it will escape the Charter mark that seals it within his flesh and bone, Lirael seeks help for Nick at her childhood home, the Clayr's Glacier. Even as Lirael and Nick return to the Clayr, a young woman from the distant north braves the elements and many enemies in a desperate attempt to bring a message to Lirael from her long-dead mother, Arielle.
Ferin brings a dire warning about the Witch With No Face. But who is the Witch, and what is she planning? Once more a great danger threatens the Old Kingdom, and it must be forestalled not only in the living world, but also in the cold, remorseless river of Death.
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Garth Nix
In Garth Nix’s worlds, the dead rarely stay quiet, magic obeys ancient and perilous rules, and courage often looks like a teenager holding a bell, a sword, and the weight of two realms. Best known for the Old Kingdom series, Nix has carved out a space in fantasy literature that hums with mythic resonance and emotional depth—where necromancers clash with free magic creatures and heroines face destiny with grit rather than grandeur.
Born in Melbourne, Australia, Nix grew up in Canberra, absorbing stories that blurred the line between the ordinary and the extraordinary. He worked in bookstores, publishing, and even the Australian Army Reserve before turning his attention fully to fiction. That eclectic journey quietly shaped his writing—there’s a sense in his stories that the fantastical doesn’t sit apart from reality, but seeps into it through forgotten doorways and ancient bloodlines.
The Old Kingdom
Also known as the Abhorsen Trilogy (only in the USA).
The Old Kingdom consists of six primary books, and includes three additional books that complement the series but are not considered mandatory reads — considered a complete series. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
