A Guide to the Necromancer Bells

Abhorsen

by Garth Nix

Seven bells are used by necromancers to summon and control the Dead. While most such bell-wielders will be Free Magic sorcerers, the most highly-accomplished wielders of the seven bells come from the Abhorsen family. They are always Charter Mages, and they use the bells to defeat the Dead and compel them to return into Death and pass beyond the Ninth Gate, from which there is no return.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Fiction

32 pages, ebook

First published October 1, 2009

About the author

Garth Nix was born in 1963 in Melbourne, Australia, to the sound of the Salvation Army band outside playing 'Hail the Conquering Hero Comes' or possibly 'Roll Out the Barrel'. Garth left Melbourne at an early age for Canberra (the federal capital) and stayed there till he was nineteen, when he left to drive around the UK in a beat-up Austin with a boot full of books and a Silver-Reed typewriter.

Despite a wheel literally falling off the Austin, Garth survived to return to Australia and study at the University of Canberra. After finishing his degree in 1986 he worked in a bookshop, then as a book publicist, a publisher's sales representative, and editor. Along the way he was also a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve, serving in an Assault Pioneer platoon for four years. Garth left publishing to work as a public relations and marketing consultant from 1994-1997, till he became a full-time writer in 1998. He did that for a year before joining Curtis Brown Australia as a part-time literary agent in 1999. In January 2002 Garth went back to dedicated writer again, despite his belief that full-time writing explains the strange behaviour of many authors.

He now lives in Sydney with his wife, two sons and lots of books.

Reviews

[kashiichan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read via the Old Kingdom website: http://oldkingdom.com.au/extras_bells...

Nothing really new; more a summary of the seven bells and their effects. Good for reference.

[Jerecho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice... 😊

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another great overview of the world-of the 7 bells, and another that I think is best read before starting the series. Great info to know, to understand this world!

[Melinda Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is also on the Old Kingdom website (as is the Essay on Free Magic), and again it's hard to find the section with these little additions. But this isn't exactly an ebook and it's not 32 pages long.

This is simply a little reference list of the bells, which I have wanted to reference more than once in the Abhorsen series. So I'm glad it exists and lists them out. I wish it hadn't been so hard to find when I went looking the first time.

[Nighteye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intresting to get a bit more information about those bells.
Good that its free read on the homepage.

[Kathryn Baron · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not actually a story. World building.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

codex entry #2

[Gabby · Rating 3 out of 5]

World building of the bells and their uses. It is available in the other books but also allows you a chance to read of them in a separate place where the story does not distract and lose their meanings.