By Garth NixSixteen-year-old Clariel is not happy about the move to the city of Belisaere in the Old Kingdom. She misses her old life where she could roam the forests, and be on her own. City life is busy, crowded, and surrounded by ugly stone walls. All Clariel wants to do is find a way out so that she can start to live her own life. However, she soon realizes that things are not all that they seem. A dangerous creature is loose in the city and someone wants to harm the King. Can Clariel find a way to regain her freedom and prevent chaos from descending on Belisaere? Or is it too late? The book Clariel is a prelude to The Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix (Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen, and Across the Wall). I love this series. Clariel takes a little bit of time to get into it, but once you do the story really takes off!