The second Abhorsen book, or rather the first half of one -- this one doesn't complete its story.
It opens with the title character Lirael growing up among the Clayr, a daughter, though she keeps on not having the Clayr Sight emerge to let her see the future. At one point, the despair of this nearly leads her to suicide, but two Clayr manage to get her a job to distract, working as a librarian. And she learns a lot of Charter magic -- though I found this part somewhat slow going.
And a shift to Prince Sameth, Sabriel and Touchstone's son, who, after a near disaster involving his school cricket team and necromancers on the other side of the Wall, is being pressured by his parents and older sister into duties, because he's obviously the Abhorsen In Waiting. He's also writing to his old school friend Nick who (unbeknownst to Sam, and for that matter Nick) encountered the necromancer himself, and who intends to cross the Wall.
These events lead into others: Lirael being Seen for the first (known) time -- just after she deduced she had been Seen before; Sam being forced to dance in a festivity; using a slingshot against a Gore crow; a dead horse; a couple of surcoats with emblems; using a tub as a boat, and more.
