re:mote voices

Title:The Creature In The Case
Author: Garth Nix
Publisher:Collins

The day that I picked up the Eric Brown novella Walkabout was the same day I picked up Garth Nix’s Abhorsen. Which once I had read, meant that I could read the Garth Nix novella The Creature In The Case. A 100-page book that was published for this years World Book Day, available for either £1 or with a WBD token. An agreeable offer for the page count, especially when compared to Walkabout.

The Creature In The Case fits into Garth Nix’s Old Kingdom series, though it is more of a spin off short story than part of the whole. Nicholas Sayre featured in Lirael and Abhorsen, a school friend of Sabriel and Touchstone’s son Sameth – who came to the Old Kingdom in Lirael and became a pawn of evil. Nicholas is the lead character of The Creature In The Case - because of his associations with people from the Old Kingdom he has been encouraged to help the secret police for his uncle, a prominent politician. However, one of the secrets that these agents is keeping is the creature in the case – a demonic and magical monster, that of course breaks free while Nicholas is visiting.

A lighter and more peripheral read than 3 novels that make up the trilogy, but you can’t really expect too much from a short. With that it is a nice enough addendum to the series, a quick little adventure.