Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War
Encyclopedia
Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War (2004) is the second book in a series of five by author Clive Barker
, called The Books of Abarat
. This volume contains the adventures of Candy Quackenbush
an ordinary girl from Minnesota
, in the strange fantasy world of Abarat. Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War will be followed by three more books, Absolute Midnight
, The Dynasty Of Dreamers, and the currently named The Eternal. The book tied with Steve Burt's Oddest Yet for the 2004 Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers
.
. The book picks up several weeks after the original had left off; weeks wherein Candy Quackenbush
and Malingo the Geshrat (a character introduced in the first book) have traveled from Hour to Hour to evade the bounty hunter
Otto Houlihan. Christopher Carrion's whereabouts are revealed only in the second quarter of the book, wherein he plots with the Sacbrood in the Pyramids of Xuxux. Sacbrood are terrifying insect
s of all shapes and sizes which Christopher Carrion has been breeding in order to help him create Absolute Midnight. Under the cover produced by the Sacbrood, he expects, the destroyers called the Requiax will emerge from under the Sea of Izabella (which surrounds the Abarat) and annihilate everything they see, giving Carrion the opportunity to re-organize the world according to his will.
Candy begins to develop powers of great magic, with which she frees the mysterious beings called Totemix from their imprisonment in the Twilight Palace on the island of Scoriae. Malingo, separated from her on the carnival
island of Babilonium, joins with others of Candy's acquaintance to form a force of resistance against the armies of Midnight. Candy is eventually captured by Letheo, the lizard-boy servant of Christopher Carrion, and taken to the island Efreet.
The enchantress Diamanda, having died of an encounter with a monster
, travels as a ghost
to the human world, where she finds her also ghostly husband Henry and with him works to prepare Candy's home town for the flood
resulting from its imminent meeting with the Abarat. When this meeting occurs, Henry's opening of the factory farm which is the town's only industrial outlet is used as a comment on the variety-deprived lives of chicken
s raised in such factories.
This book introduces readers to new characters including Finnegan Hob, the would-be husband of Princess Boa, who is discovered by other characters in search of himself. Having persuaded him to give up his vendetta
against the Abaratian dragon
s, whom he blames for his fianceé's death
, the seekers travel to Efreet, where Candy is held prisoner by Christopher Carrion. They rescue Candy and at her request return her to the human world, where she intends to hide from the Abarat's perils. The two worlds meet in a dramatic climax
, wherein it is revealed by the magician Kaspar Wolfswinkel that Princess Boa's soul is contained within Candy's body
, having been placed there by the Fantomaya in obedience to the belief that Princess Boa, or her reincarnation
, could halt the Abarat's progressive degradation and revitalize the Abarat as a whole. Christopher Carrion clashes with his grandmother Mater Motley, having learned that she had concealed Candy's dual nature
from him, and is severely wounded in the process (whether he dies or not is unclear).
Candy and most of the major characters return to the Abarat when it is withdrawn from the human world. There, Mater Motley assumes control of Gorgossium Island, where she executes all of Christopher Carrion's living supporters. Kaspar Wolfswinkel's five hats, the source of his power, are left in the human world.
Clive Barker
Clive Barker is an English author, film director and visual artist best known for his work in both fantasy and horror fiction. Barker came to prominence in the mid-1980s with a series of short stories which established him as a leading young horror writer...
, called The Books of Abarat
The Books of Abarat
The Books of Abarat are a series of young adult fantasy novels written and illustrated by Clive Barker. The series is intended to contain five books, of which three have so far been published...
. This volume contains the adventures of Candy Quackenbush
Candy Quackenbush
A fictional character created by Clive Barker, Candy Quackenbush is a teenaged girl who is the main character and heroine of the Abarat Quintet. The circumstances of her birth are enigmatic until the end of Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War...
an ordinary girl from Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, in the strange fantasy world of Abarat. Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War will be followed by three more books, Absolute Midnight
Absolute Midnight
Absolute Midnight is the third book in the New York Times best-selling series Abarat by Clive Barker. It is a dystopian fantasy-adventure which follows the story of Candy Quackenbush and her journeys through the world of the Abarat. The book contains more than 125 full color illustrations...
, The Dynasty Of Dreamers, and the currently named The Eternal. The book tied with Steve Burt's Oddest Yet for the 2004 Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers
Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers
The Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers is a discontinued award presented by the Horror Writers Association for "superior achievement" in horror writing for young readers.-Winners and nominees:...
.
Plot summary
The entire book is spread out over eight weeks of time, compared to the two or three in Book 1, titled simply AbaratAbarat
Abarat is a fantasy novel written and illustrated by Clive Barker, the first in Barker's The Books of Abarat series. It is aimed primarily at young adults. The eponymous Abarat is a fictional archipelago which is the setting for the majority of the story.The title image contains an ambigram. The...
. The book picks up several weeks after the original had left off; weeks wherein Candy Quackenbush
Candy Quackenbush
A fictional character created by Clive Barker, Candy Quackenbush is a teenaged girl who is the main character and heroine of the Abarat Quintet. The circumstances of her birth are enigmatic until the end of Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War...
and Malingo the Geshrat (a character introduced in the first book) have traveled from Hour to Hour to evade the bounty hunter
Bounty hunter
A bounty hunter captures fugitives for a monetary reward . Other names, mainly used in the United States, include bail enforcement agent and fugitive recovery agent.-Laws in the U.S.:...
Otto Houlihan. Christopher Carrion's whereabouts are revealed only in the second quarter of the book, wherein he plots with the Sacbrood in the Pyramids of Xuxux. Sacbrood are terrifying insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s of all shapes and sizes which Christopher Carrion has been breeding in order to help him create Absolute Midnight. Under the cover produced by the Sacbrood, he expects, the destroyers called the Requiax will emerge from under the Sea of Izabella (which surrounds the Abarat) and annihilate everything they see, giving Carrion the opportunity to re-organize the world according to his will.
Candy begins to develop powers of great magic, with which she frees the mysterious beings called Totemix from their imprisonment in the Twilight Palace on the island of Scoriae. Malingo, separated from her on the carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
island of Babilonium, joins with others of Candy's acquaintance to form a force of resistance against the armies of Midnight. Candy is eventually captured by Letheo, the lizard-boy servant of Christopher Carrion, and taken to the island Efreet.
The enchantress Diamanda, having died of an encounter with a monster
Monster
A monster is any fictional creature, usually found in legends or horror fiction, that is somewhat hideous and may produce physical harm or mental fear by either its appearance or its actions...
, travels as a ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
to the human world, where she finds her also ghostly husband Henry and with him works to prepare Candy's home town for the flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
resulting from its imminent meeting with the Abarat. When this meeting occurs, Henry's opening of the factory farm which is the town's only industrial outlet is used as a comment on the variety-deprived lives of chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
s raised in such factories.
This book introduces readers to new characters including Finnegan Hob, the would-be husband of Princess Boa, who is discovered by other characters in search of himself. Having persuaded him to give up his vendetta
Vendetta
Vendetta may refer to:*Feud, a long-running argument or fight between parties-Film and television:* Vendetta, a 1919 German film featuring Harry Liedtke* Vendetta , an American drama produced by Howard Hughes...
against the Abaratian dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
s, whom he blames for his fianceé's death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
, the seekers travel to Efreet, where Candy is held prisoner by Christopher Carrion. They rescue Candy and at her request return her to the human world, where she intends to hide from the Abarat's perils. The two worlds meet in a dramatic climax
Climax (narrative)
The Climax is the point in the story where the main character's point of view changes, or the most exciting/action filled part of the story. It also known has the main turning point in the story...
, wherein it is revealed by the magician Kaspar Wolfswinkel that Princess Boa's soul is contained within Candy's body
Body
With regard to living things, a body is the physical body of an individual. "Body" often is used in connection with appearance, health issues and death...
, having been placed there by the Fantomaya in obedience to the belief that Princess Boa, or her reincarnation
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
, could halt the Abarat's progressive degradation and revitalize the Abarat as a whole. Christopher Carrion clashes with his grandmother Mater Motley, having learned that she had concealed Candy's dual nature
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
from him, and is severely wounded in the process (whether he dies or not is unclear).
Candy and most of the major characters return to the Abarat when it is withdrawn from the human world. There, Mater Motley assumes control of Gorgossium Island, where she executes all of Christopher Carrion's living supporters. Kaspar Wolfswinkel's five hats, the source of his power, are left in the human world.
External links
- The Beautiful Moment - The Official Clive Barker Website for All Ages - Official site celebrating the work of Clive Barker for younger readers - features Abarat and The Thief of Always.
- Revelations - The Official Clive Barker Online Resource - Includes a full bibliography, filmography and frequently updated news.