Abarat: Absolute Midnight

The unique characters & the vastly strange and mind bending cosmic evil - all put into motion by one of the most evil witches in all fantasy/horror. Clive once again creates a totally alien fantasy world with so rich with so many things you've never seen or heard of before - yet again. He seems to be a door way to alternate realities. His visions are starting to rival H. P. Lovecraft for sheer "otherness". Something 99.9 % of all horror writers can not do. How does he come up with this endless dark fantasy? Makes one wonder... and more than wonder.

The great evil witch battles the great evil sea creature form the darkest depths of the ocean. Sheer insanity in it's power and unique strange visions. This takes a fantasy novel way beyond a children's book. Harry Potter seems like a dull uninspired old re-do of such tired old over-told stories compared to Clive's brain warping alien worlds. The scene actually makes you doubt your sanity it's so bizarre.

The guy's a chorus of voices.

with out goiving a spoiIer - I enjoyed some characters surprise turn around in values.

Is this a children's story? Is this a replacement of Harry Potter? Perhaps it is the next step into deeper magical worlds not nearly so tame as Harry Potter. It may start in a more safe fantasy world, but by the time we reach this book, Clive has taken us far far down the dark rabbit hole... into H. P. Lovecraft like cosmic darkness. I would not let small children read this book. But it brings out the best in childhood nightmare worlds in adults.

If he had stayed true to the original story.

It wasnt what I was expecting, it took us in a totally new direction. Who r these people behind the stars?

He was terrible. He mispronounced many names, & gave the characters new voices. It sounded like he forgot or maybe just ignored the 1st 2 books. Malingo & the John Brothers were the worst.

I would have handed him the entire book back.

Maybe I am being too harsh. I have waited so long for this book & I was so disappointed.

I have listened to all 3 Abarat books and I have loved every one of them.There is so much imagination going on in this writers mind!It does sometimes get confusing but the storyline is full of adventure,feelings and new understandings of ones place in 'his' world.

Hmmn...when a head grew wings.I don't want to give away too much.

His reading of the story brings ecery character to life.

Yes,but that is impossible.

Start w/book 1

I would rank it high enough to make it a worthy purchase. I will listen again to the entire trilogy. It will be a good one for my kids when they are teenagers.

I liked Christopher Carrion in this one. He seemed much humbled by his prior experiences.

Yes. I Enjoy his portrayal of characters.

Alice's story upside-down and much much better.

Having been a Clive Barker fan since I read his Books of Blood as an early teen, I am always eager to dive into one of his book. This is the third book in his Abarat series, and it does not disappoint. The story builds on the events in the second book of the Abarat, and it becomes increasingly darker as Mater Motley achieves her goal of Absolute Midnight. In addition, she becomes more and more evil and closer to becoming the Empress of the Abarat. Candy Quackenbush--who continues to be the central character--has to rely on more than just her intuition to step up to these new challenges.