I did like Lirael, overall, but it's definitely a step down from Sabriel. This book features dual POVs, and Prince Sam is just not compelling enough for MC status. Lirael is interesting, but she takes well over half the book to be set on the path that moves the plot forward. Because, unlike Sabriel, Lirael isn't a standalone that just shares a world with its predecessor; its resolution is directly contingent on you reading the next book, so this book takes all the time in the world to develop anything resembling a plot. And boy, does it TAKE ITS TIME!

I just feel cheated because I loved Sabriel and its MC, but that was just one book. Why couldn't Sabriel have multiple books to herself (instead of jumping to the next generation)? Because in retrospect, she needed them. Sabriel and Touchstone got married and were cranking out kids less than 5 years after they met. Nope. Not a fan of that. (BTW, I'm not trying to shit on anyone who gets married and has kids very early in the relationship...it's just not a plot point I thought I'd be reading in a book/series where Abhorsens are fighting hordes of the dead.)