Across the Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories » (Reprint)

Garth Nix grew up in Canberra, Australia. Besides being a full-time writer, he has worked as a sales rep, publicist, editor, marketing communications consultant, literary agent, and part-time soldier. He is the author of Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen, the books in the internationally bestselling Abhorsen trilogy, as well as Shade's Children and The Ragwitch. He now lives in Sydney, a five-minute walk from Coogee Beach, with his wife, Anna, his sons, Thomas and Edward, and lots of books.

Thoughts of Lirael and Sam haunt his dreams, and he has come to realize that his destiny lies with them, in the Old Kingdom. But here in Ancelstierre, Nick faces an obstacle that is not entirely human, with a strange power that seems to come from Nicholas himself.

With "Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case," Garth Nix continues to explore the magical world of the Abhorsen Trilogy. In additional short stories that range from two widely different takes on the Merlin myth to a gritty urban version of Hansel and Gretel and a heartbreaking story of children and war, Garth Nix displays the range and versatility that has made him one of today's leading writers of fantasy for readers of all ages.

Publishers Weekly

Garth Nix fans will enjoy the author's preface to Across the Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories, which offers insight into his writing process, almost as much as the dozen tales offered in the collection (all previously published), plus a novella set in the Old Kingdom of his Abhorsen Trilogy ("Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case"). Nix offers a brief introduction to the pieces, which range from a game of sorts, "Down to the Scum Quarter: A Farcical Fantasy Solo Adventure," with a comical set of rules, to a haunting retelling of Hansel and Gretel. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.