Abarat: Absolute Midnight

I have been enthralled with this series since the release of the first book. The story is gripping, the characters are fascinating, and the artwork is amazing. I awaited the release of this, the 3rd novel, eagerly and set aside an entire weekend to read it. I was greatly disappointed. Barker has lost touch with his genius and, more importantly, with his characters. The plot has gaping holes; characters become strangely two dimensional and difficult to distinguish. There are great leaps in both storyline and logic. It is evident that Barker has no clear idea where he is taking the story and thus the reader is left confused and frustrated along the way. While I cannot recommend the first two books of the Abarat highly enough, the third is hugely disappointing. Readers should lower their expectations. Barker has lost his touch.

I love the Abarat series for many reasons, but one of the main reason I love these books are the images Clive Barker created. I think that not including these images in the kindle version of the books is a shame. This review has nothing to do with the story, I think it is great, I am only reviewing the way it was poorly presented in the kindle edition. I highly recommend getting the hardcover version of this book!

If Harry Potter is a 10 and Bartemaeus and Golden Compass are nines, and The Hobbitt and Aborsen books are eights, this series is about a 1.5. Unlike in good fantasy books, the world this author creates has none of the consistency that would give it a flavor of reality. The literary quality of the writing is low: The omniscient narrator's voice is not interesting, but is manipulative. The descriptions of places and characters are un-poetic and superficial. I feel like this author should try reading a few books before he tries writing any more himself. I could make up a better story on the spot for my kids at bedtime. I gave up halfway through the first book in annoyance; and I'll usually read anything to the end.

The third in the Abarat series, Absolute Midnight takes the battle back to the Abarat. The buildup from the first two books culminates in a worldwide (granted, the world of the Abarat is kinda small) battle for dominance. Mater Motley's lifetime of scheming comes to a head as she unleashes her terrors on the unsuspecting world in hopes of being its absolute ruler.

The general idea of the Abarat books comes from a series of paintings that Clive Barker does of imagery he ends up incorporating into his story. As such, a lot of time is spent describing his fantastical art. There's no doubt he's a talented artist, but at times it feels the narrative is almost exclusively around describing these small bits of information in his paintings, rather than anything purposeful to advance the story.

Nonetheless, it's an exciting tale, which feels like a culmination until you recognize that there are some pretty major plot threads still dangling. There's always been additional books planned, so it doesn't feel as though they have been abandoned, just postponed. Given how long it's taken to write the three books we do have, however, let's just hope they finally get published.

The Abarat series is marketed as YA, but there's really terror, love and death involved. I suppose that's typical for YA nowadays, but it reads just fine for adults as well.

I ran across the first Abarat while browsing at MediaPlay (which I dearly miss), just looking for something to read. Bought it. Loved it. I waited for the next one, and it came out and good, fine. loved it. Then I waited. And waited. And waited. And I kept searching online, saw that it was going to come out, but never did, never did...then I forgot about it. Every time I saw Abarat on my bookshelf, I'd look up again to see when the third one was coming out. Then I'd forget again. So this past fall (Oct. 2013) I was talking to a gentleman at work whose son is into the same kinds of movies/books as I am, and I mentioned the Abarat series and how I was waiting for the 3rd one to come out, but I'd been waiting a looooong time. He gave me a funny look and said, "It came out 2 years ago - my son has all 3 books!" WHAT!?!? I totally missed it! Went right home, put it on my the store Wishlist for another time and my sister bought it for me for Christmas. So happy! Am half way through and loving it, although I am tempted at times to put it down and re-read the first 2 because I've forgotten about a lot of things in the book (did I mention it's been a long time?) Clive is one of my favorite authors (especially The Thief of Always) and I hope he keeps them coming. It's dark, a little ugly, a bit scary, and totally magical - thanks, Clive!

Having waited seven years to read the third book in the Abarat series by Clive Barker, I was frustrated and my hopes were high. I even had to go back and read the first two books (Abarat and Abarat: Days of Magic Nights of War) so I could remember what the heck happened.

But the pre-reading was all worth it. Not only did it remind me of the story, but it also reminded me why I love the series.

Abarat concerns Candy Quackenbush. In Absolute Midnight, we find Candy in serious trouble. Abarat is in trouble too as Mater Motley wants to take over as Empress and create an absolute midnight. It is up to Candy whether or not she will have the strength to fight.

But there are a few things to get of the way first: she has the soul of Princess Boa inside of her and wants it out; Her father, back in the Hereafter, has found some magic and it has warped him even further. And Christopher Carrion, her old enemy, finds her.

Just when Candy thinks she has a handle on things, the very world as she knew it is turned head over heels and she no longer knows where time begins or time ends.

Notice I'm trying to stay as spoiler free as possible. That's because, if you haven't read the first two books in the Abarat series, you're missing out. And not only was Abarat: Absolute Midnight good, it blew the other two books out of the water. I read it once in ebook format and once in hardcover format, back to back.

If you haven't travelled to Abarat, what are you waiting for?

I have been following the Books of Abarat since the first release. I was eleven or twelve. If any of you have been in love with this series since the beginning, you know that we had to wait seven years between the release of "Days of Magic, Nights of War" and "Absolute Midnight."

I actually bought "Absolute Midnight" the day it came out, but could not bring myself to start reading until yesterday. Seven years' anticipation was brought to fruition in about sixteen hours of reading. I was not disappointed.

"Absolute Midnight" is fantastic.

Unlike the second book, I don't think you can delve straight into "Absolute Midnight" without reading the other books. It is a fully contained story, but it is firmly planted in the Abarat. There are no explanations of phenomena or mysteries addressed in the first two and very little backstory. So please, please, please read at least the second book before picking up this one.

The story basically picks up exactly where "Days of Magic, Nights of War" left off. The islands are on the verge of the greatest war the archipelago has ever seen. The consequences are dire: if the forces of darkness win, midnight will eclipse the Abarat forever. Candy and her friends (although "friends" seems too light a word for the relationship she has with Malingo and Co.)aren't just up against Mater Motley. Monsters hidden in the caves of the islands and depths of the ocean are eagerly awaiting the darkness, and monsters beyond time and dimension as the Abarat knows it are waiting to destroy the islands.

"Absolute Midnight", while keeping the lyrical wonder that characterizes the series, is almost shockingly dark. Destroyers beyond comprehension, the insane but almost paradoxically calculating Mater Motley, stitchling armies displaying ominous levels of intelligence not seen before, corrupt councils, and more--Candy's allies have either turned their backs, or been silenced. Even Princess Boa, supposedly the embodiment of all things good and pure, is more selfish and cruel than Christopher Carrion ever was.

Character depth was pretty astounding. The Carrion family in particular got a great treatment, continuing and deepening the development brought up in book two. I've rarely felt so badly for a character as I did for Carrion.

Most of the people in the book were treated similarly. Malingo has believably developed courage and confidence, as another example, and Candy has grown into herself admirably in the rather welcome absence of Boa.
There were a few instances involving other characters where I felt something was done outof character, or something was unrealistic in relation to a character's past behavior. There was also one deus ex machina moment that sat a little oddly, but in the end I was so grateful things turned out that way that I didn't think too much about it. One thing that did kind of strike me as not entirely believable was the speed and intensity of Candy and Gazza's relationship. I thought it was great, don't get me wrong, but I wish it had been developed with the same depth as the other relationships and characters.

My only complaint was that I was seriously hoping to get more about Letheo. As weak and flawed as he is, he is a fascinating character with potential to be either great, or terrible.

The book itself is gorgeous. Nearly 600 pages, this edition is large, glossy, and full of incredible artwork.

Overall, the story was definitely worth waiting for. I was terrified I'd be disappointed, but I wasn't. I was enthralled. Abarat keeps getting better and better. It hold YA fiction--or any fiction, for that matter-- to a magnificent standard that's been mostly lost. If you read it, you will not regret it.

Given the cliffhanger, though, let's all hope we don't have another seven years to wait =)

First of all, though this book may be classified juvenalia or "young adult" or whatever, I am nearly 50 and I love it. I've found over the last few years that there are a number of titles that are clearly intended for "young adult" readers that are well-written, well-plotted, and full of interesting characters.
I loved the first two, and I love this one. But differently. While the first book necessarily had a lot of scene setting about the strange and impossible world of the Abarat, and the second had more expository duties to perform with descriptions of the Abarat and the Abarat's relationship with our World, book 3 seems to be freer to just woosh our characters along in the story far more quickly. While I kind of missed Barker's enthusiastic embroidery on the alien nature of his imagined world - it always seems the writer is enjoying himself as he describes the billions of fascinating and odd points - it was good to have the story move even more quickly forward. (Not that I thought it dragged at all in the first two, though.) Anyway, I can't wait for the next.
Apart from the three Abarat books so far, I've not read any other books by Clive Barker, but I'm now considering it.

Absolute (let down) Midnight. *SPOILERS* This long awaited third volume in the Abarat series could and should of been excellent. In my OPINION it is a let down on the potential for it that Clive Barker set up with the previous two books. I'm not bothered about Boa now being evil, in fact it is a break from the norm. I like to see authors take an unpredictable route with Characters. To be honest, I would like Barker to bump off Candy and Gazza. Especially Gazza, who fell in love at first sight with Candy. There are other better more interesting characters than Candy and the truly awful Gazza, who could fight the good fight for the good people of Abarat. Let the bad guys and dolls win for a change though!!! I really enjoy the Abarat books and I'm a fan of Barker. However, Absolute Midnight was a, well a...mess in quite a lot of ways. I'm sick of the heroes escaping impossible odds at the last minute from supposed powerful evil characters. I'm begining to root for Mater Motley!! It is over desriptive too, particularly when colours are described.It needed more attention to plot and the characters. I also feel like Clive needs a decent editor to assist him, the problem is that HarperCollins don't seem to care about Barker books anymore. They are no longer his publisher for his adult books, they dropped him and now only publish Abarat. I could not wait for Abarat 3, now, I don't care when book 4 comes out. Now, I just want Barker to find a new publisher and editor for all his books. I hope Barker's golden years have not gone forever, I know he has had personal issues etc and he is a kind and decent human being. But, he is capable of so much better, I hope book 4 delivers the goods.

What an amazingly creative author! Not only does he create a magical other world but he creates his own artwork! It's simply amazing that he has created such a wonderful novel. The characters are developing well, the landscape is expanding and changing, and the conflicts are becoming more complicated and lifelike as each character's past and flaws catch up with the underlying struggle. I don't think I would have enjoyed this book as much if it had not been illustrated. There are many pieces of this novel that words simply cannot convey and his images do just that. I ate this book up and I cannot wait for the next book release.

First of all, though this book may be classified juvenalia or "young adult" or whatever, I am nearly 50 and I love it. I've found over the last few years that there are a number of titles that are clearly intended for "young adult" readers that are well-written, well-plotted, and full of interesting characters.
I loved the first two, and I love this one. But differently. While the first book necessarily had a lot of scene setting about the strange and impossible world of the Abarat, and the second had more expository duties to perform with descriptions of the Abarat and the Abarat's relationship with our World, book 3 seems to be freer to just woosh our characters along in the story far more quickly. While I kind of missed Barker's enthusiastic embroidery on the alien nature of his imagined world - it always seems the writer is enjoying himself as he describes the billions of fascinating and odd points - it was good to have the story move even more quickly forward. (Not that I thought it dragged at all in the first two, though.) Anyway, I can't wait for the next.
Apart from the three Abarat books so far, I've not read any other books by Clive Barker, but I'm now considering it.

Absolute (let down) Midnight. *SPOILERS* This long awaited third volume in the Abarat series could and should of been excellent. In my OPINION it is a let down on the potential for it that Clive Barker set up with the previous two books. I'm not bothered about Boa now being evil, in fact it is a break from the norm. I like to see authors take an unpredictable route with Characters. To be honest, I would like Barker to bump off Candy and Gazza. Especially Gazza, who fell in love at first sight with Candy. There are other better more interesting characters than Candy and the truly awful Gazza, who could fight the good fight for the good people of Abarat. Let the bad guys and dolls win for a change though!!! I really enjoy the Abarat books and I'm a fan of Barker. However, Absolute Midnight was a, well a...mess in quite a lot of ways. I'm sick of the heroes escaping impossible odds at the last minute from supposed powerful evil characters. I'm begining to root for Mater Motley!! It is over desriptive too, particularly when colours are described.It needed more attention to plot and the characters. I also feel like Clive needs a decent editor to assist him, the problem is that HarperCollins don't seem to care about Barker books anymore. They are no longer his publisher for his adult books, they dropped him and now only publish Abarat. I could not wait for Abarat 3, now, I don't care when book 4 comes out. Now, I just want Barker to find a new publisher and editor for all his books. I hope Barker's golden years have not gone forever, I know he has had personal issues etc and he is a kind and decent human being. But, he is capable of so much better, I hope book 4 delivers the goods.

What an amazingly creative author! Not only does he create a magical other world but he creates his own artwork! It's simply amazing that he has created such a wonderful novel. The characters are developing well, the landscape is expanding and changing, and the conflicts are becoming more complicated and lifelike as each character's past and flaws catch up with the underlying struggle. I don't think I would have enjoyed this book as much if it had not been illustrated. There are many pieces of this novel that words simply cannot convey and his images do just that. I ate this book up and I cannot wait for the next book release.

The entire trilogy was excellent and can't wait for books four and five. The art work for 'Absolute Midnight' was excellent too (in the hardcover version). Barker not only created a wealth of characters which include, but certainly wasn't limited to Candy Quackenbush, Kaspar Wolfswinkel, Rojo Pixler, Commexo Kid, Christopher Carrion the Prince of Midnight and many many others but he also created a magnificent archipelago consisting of twenty-five islands, one for each hour of the day plus one extra. Barker at his best!

I enjoyed the first two Abarat novels, but this third one left me feeling unsatisfied. The story felt less cohesive and certain elements(the references to the Abarataraba, the introduction of a love interest for Candy, the revelations about Malingo) felt as if they were added on the fly. But the greatest sin that Mr. Barker has committed with this story was the ending. It was far too sudden for my taste.
All that said, I still mostly enjoyed this book. The Abarat remains an interesting place to visit. However, unless Mr. Barker really brings his A-game to the next volume, I don't think I'll be visiting it again.

Clive Barker has done something that I did not think could be done. With the stories of " The Abarat" i felt exactly the same as the first time I read "The Hobbit" series. You are pulled into another dimension. Truly fun traveling.

I pre-ordered Absolute Midnight and picked it up the day it came out. I was so ecstatic to have it after waiting seven years! Anyway, finished it in about 6 hours and it was as good as I had hoped. The only problem I had was not remembering enough from the previous two books. I would suggest rereading Abarat and Days of Magic, Nights of War before reading Absolute Midnight to have full enjoyment of the book.

Most middle books of a series wonder about without advancing the story or characters. This is not the case with Absolute Midnite. Barker sticks with the important few - Candy, Malingo, Chris, evil grandma Mater - and moves the story along at a brisk pace. Clive's fantastic paintings keep the pages turning as well. Let's hope he can stay focused and healthy so the wait is short for Abarat 4.

My good friend and I started reading the Abarat series two years ago, and we were literally counting the months until Absolute Midnight would come out! I have to say, it was 100% worth the wait. I cant wait to buy the hard cover version and see Clive Barkers magnificent paintings. I wish more people knew about this series because they are missing out on A LOT!

This book flows on beautifully from the last volume, and there are plenty of unexpected revelations. Nice to see the main character evolving and growing up, too. The only problem is how long I'm going to have to wait for the final instalment!

Read in October, 2011
format Hardcover
review: I received this book in a give-away. I think this book Abarat-Absolute Midnight deserves a 5+ just for the work involved in writting this, but I'll give it a 4+ for right now. I believe there to be two authors to this book or the author has a split personality or schizophrenic-which is fine by me. I've a touch of ADHD and see no problem with this author. It might have helped if I'd have read the first two books. I was lost for the first five chapters, but then every thing started little by little falling into place. The one thing I can say is one minute you think you've got a grip on all the adventures and characters and the next your reading something that is terrible hard to make sense of. I believe this author to have a very high IQ like 150 or above, which makes the book a challenge, but that's what books are for. There are a lot of oxymoran's through out this book-where contradictory terms are combined. There is a lot of killing and death, but not like the Hunger Games, more gruesome. I never understood why the protaganist father was around in his vest made from five hats who's spirits had died. He was an abuser, alcoholic and turned into a vial preacher man. What was his part in the ending of the world? To say this author has a vivid immagination would be an extreme understatement. Between the stichlings and seemstress, and the evil and nice twins, and Boa emerged in the protaganist's head, all the odd friends, Mater Motley, and so on-this book would need the readers full attention. He's great with words, but sometimes strings along a lot of adjectives. It's like he has a Thesaurus in his brain. You can tell he didn't use one for his book, he just knows all these words, and uses them very creatively. It's a challenge, but a great book. Laura L Helland