I enjoyed the magic system and the world itself, both being well built and easy enough to understand despite the amount of names and terms needed to explain it all. I wish the seven bells were easier to remember, as having to go back to the page that describes them all is annoying, but other than that reading along was easy and enjoyable.

I couldn't quite believe how Ancelstierre and the Old Kingdom could live beside each other despite having vast differences between them. Ancelstierre has more in common with our world because of its technology, and the Old Kingdom is full of rich magic and history. The citizens of Ancelstierre generally don't believe in magic, as it doesn't work on their side of the wall, and technology doesn't work in the Old Kingdom on the other side of the wall because of a magical interference of sorts. But, without having been immersed in the world of magic, it would make sense why belief doesn't exist. It at least made for an interesting read when showing the two sides, but it was jarring to realize that a 'modern' world existed along with this magical world. I'm used to a fantasy setting that doesn't have telephones and cars, so it took some getting used to.

I also enjoy the importance of the Abhorsen - not just as a character, but as a title. And seeing characters in that role - and heading to it, as an Abhorsen-in-waiting - intrigues me. I enjoy reading through the struggles and the triumphs of such an important being, and I'm glad that this series provided me with that.

I liked how the story was told from multiple points of view - mainly Lirael and Sameth - and the world was a much richer place when I could see from the Clayr's Glacier as well as from the Old Kingdom. The other characters were interesting as well, and I was glad to see that Mogget was back again.

I also liked how it was casually mentioned that the Clayr, who were mostly women, reproduced with male visitors in a casual manner. This tiny bit of information made the world more interesting despite the little relevance that it had to the story. This fact of the world was told straight and then the story continued on without commentary, allowing us to learn something without lingering on it.

The pacing was good (although the beginning was a bit slow to get through since the only goal we had to hope for was Lirael getting the Sight), but I cared enough for the characters and the plot to read until the end with pleasure.

The world is great to immerse oneself in, the magic is fascinating, and the characters are great ones to experience the plot through. All in all, this entire series is worth reading.