Abhorsen vs Stardust: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Magic, Fantasy, Fiction
Abhorsen
“THERE WAS ANOTHER fog, far away from the smog of Corvere.”
Book three in Garth Nix's internationally acclaimed Old Kingdom fantasy trilogy that began with Sabriel and Lirael.Beneath the earth, a malignant force lies waiting, greedy for freedom from its ancient prison. As the…
vs
Stardust
E-book extra: Neil Gaiman's "Writing and the Imagination."In the tranquil fields and meadows of long-ago England, there is a small hamlet that has stood on a jut of granite for 600 years. Just to the east stands a high…
1 film adaptation
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Stardust is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 7 for Abhorsen.
- Stardust has the widest readership — 488385 ratings behind its score.
- Abhorsen runs the darker storyline; Stardust stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Want a one-evening read?
Stardust
≈ 4h vs 7h for Abhorsen
Want the crowd-tested pick?
Stardust
488385 ratings vs 129552 for Abhorsen
New to the genre?
Abhorsen
Light vs Moderate for Stardust
In the mood for something dark?
Abhorsen
a darker storyline than Stardust
Want something lighter?
Stardust
an easier tone than Abhorsen
Scores by source
| Abhorsen | Stardust | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.2 (129552) | 4.1 (488385) |
| Hardcover | 4.3 (364) | 4.4 (11) |
| Google Books | 5.0 (1) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (168) | 4.5 (529) |
Reception
| Abhorsen | Stardust | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 129552 | 488385 |
| Editions | 33 | 62 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 31064 | 414213 |
| Reading it now | 1059 | 10063 |
| Written reviews | 3371 | 29370 |
| Wikipedia attention | 1032 | 5321 |
| Pages | 392 | 220 |