Quite mixed in quality - read the Abhorsen Trilogy first - Rated 
Barcode: 9780007221462
I'm so glad i've discovered Garth Nix's books as they are some of the best writing i have come across. His worlds are imaginative, his characters realistic and are a joy to follow in the various adventures Nix creates for them. His Abhorsen Trilogy is a masterpiece which is why i reccomend reading that first as it is the best representation of his work.
What we have here is a collection of short stories written at various points in Nix's life - i'll give you a brief run down of what i think of each one.
1. Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case
By far the best story of this compilation it follows on from the events of the aforementioned Abhorsen Trilogy and is of just as high a quality as those books. Nicholas Sayre, a character i found initially hard to empathise with is presented in a far better light here and you quickly grow to admire his courage in this chilling tale.
2. Under The Lake
The first of the Merlin/Arthur inspired stories in this compilation - i wasn't keen on this story. It has very little plot and focuses more on immense description and feelings. Not that enjoyable but i suppose it's interesting to see that Nix can write extremely mature material if he wants.
3. Charlie Rabbit
Thankfully the next story is a return to his usual style that we all know and love. Part of this story's power is its anonymity - it could be describing a conflict anywhere in the world - especially relevant with the current state of the world - this is a gripping story.
4. From The Lighthouse
Not sure where i stand on this one - a lot of it seems quite random and perhaps too much is left unexplained but it does have a certain charm to it.
5. The Hill
I really like this one. Perhpas it is because Nix is writing about his homeland, Australia, that this has a far more personal feel to it. It deals with the themes of old age and fear of the future extremely well and leaves the reader with some very interesting points to think about.
6. Lightning Bringer
Short and sharp, this is an enjoyable little story. A sexual predator who can command lightning? Awesome idea!
7. Down To The Scum Quarter
Sadly, the most pointless story in the compilation, i didn't even bother to read this - a 'choose your own adventure' style thingy in the vein of Fighting Fantasy, a series i actually used to play. I appreciate Nix's comic take on the genre but this story doesn't work in the context of this compilation because the rest of the book is straight prose, i don't think many people suddenly then want to switch to a game halfway through and go flicking back and forth through pages to complete it.
8. Heart's Desire
The second of the Merlin/Arthur themed stories, this one has a strong sexual theme to it and is better than 'Under The Lake' at any rate but still feels hard to immerse yourself completely in which you can do so well with the rest of Nix's fiction.
9. Hansel's Eyes
Another enjoyable little tale - this is an innovative new take on the classic fairytale. Some great ideas in this one and some pretty scary stuff too.
10. Hope Chest
This one reads like it has the potential to be developed into a full fledged novel, something i'd like to see. Nix creates a distopian world - a terrifying alternative American Wild West - the conclusion of this story is nail-bitingly tense and amazingly good in how terrifying it is.
11. My New Really Epic Fantasy Series
Just too random. Again, a nice attempt at humour but i don't think this translates well to the page.
12. The Three Roses
With this story Nix creates an extremely well-done take on classic tales of morality and it works a treat - great imagery.
13. Endings
In very much the same vein as 'The Three Roses', this is another short tale of decisions and good & evil. A perfect ending to the compilation.
You then get a few questions with Garth Nix which are very interesting and contain a lot of inspiring advice for young writers. So, in conclusion - this compilation has some good stuff and some not so good stuff. On a whole though, when Nix gets things right, the result is so powerful that i'd still most definitely have to recomend this book - just check out the Abhorsen Trilogy first, ok?
Rubbish........Compared to the Sabriel Series - Rated 
The sabriel books are so much better than this. If you want to read really good fiction,go along with G Nix's earlier work and work similar to like-minded authors.
He is trying to revive the Sabriel Series ghost. It is not that good as a singular book,and is rubbish compared to Sabriel,Lirael and Abhorsen.
Don't disappoint yourself and read it.
OK - Rated 
I thought that Across the Wall would be a lot better than it turned out to be. I don't know if this is because i enjoyed Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen so much that this was bound to leave me feeling cheated.
The title Across the Wall hints at a glimpse of short stories focussed around the world that we have all read about.
Nicholas and the Creature in the Case was alright, but all I cared about was whether we were going to see a return of our favourite characters ( a fleeting one does not count )
I would have enjoyed this more has the others not been so good, but it quenched my Garth Nix hunger temporarily
Short stories well told - Rated
The main draw for me was "The Creature in the Case" and it was a good read but there were few poor reads in this, many of them wry and humourous. I think that some of them suffered in comparison to others rather than being truly poor. It was also helped by the introductions by Garth Nix for each story and his disarming modesty.
The stories that stood out (apart from The Creature in the Case) were Under the Lake - one of two Arthurian stories; Charlie Rabbit - a poignant war story; Lightning Bringer - a story of a man who controlls lightning (a story that takes this selection away from Childrens and into young adult more than many of the others); Heart's desire - the other Arthurian story; Hansel's Eyes - a retelling of Hansel and Gretel; Hope Chest - a strange western that I'd like to see a bit more of; Three Roses - poignant and sweet and Endings - a story that just cuts through a lot of the waste other stories have.
Even though that's almost all the stories in it, and the rest didn't really stand out, they were good reads anyway. Garth Nix has a way of writing stories that just manages to make you very happy that you read them.
Essential for budding authors - Rated 
This short story collection by "the man" Garth Nix is perfect for those who want to write, want to see into a great author's mind or simply want more from Nix and the Old Kingdom. Opener "Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case" is the main draw, but the other twelve stories easily warrant a purchase without it. Some seem a little rushed or rough around the edges, but that's only to be expected in such an anthological (a real word?) collection. Here is a few words on each story and what I think of them:
1. Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case - Following on from Abhorsen, this is an engrossing and compelling tale set surprisingly in Ancelstierre, not the Old Kingdom. I won't spoil it, but seeds are planted for possible future storylines and the plot is just as strong (if shorter, of course) than the full Old Kingdom books. The only problem is there is only double-space in over 100 pages, meaning a lot to get through without putting the book down. And believe me, you won't want to.
2. Under the Lake - Wow. An Arthurian tale from the point of view of the Lady of the Lake. Inspired, beautiful and unforgettable, that's all you need to know.
3. Charlie Rabbit - An earlier review describes this as "harrowing", and I can't put it any better. A perfectly contained short story, and it might just make you cry.
4. From the Lighthouse - One of the weaker stories, but still good. An odd mini-chapter style structure makes it feel a bit of a novelty. Over way too quickly to be believable. But still, by no means unreadable.
5. The Hill - Nix was forced to remove Aboriginal elements from this story for political reasons, and unfortunately it shows. What's left is just too bare and too unbelievable.
6. Lightning Bringer - Seems to be too "adult" for the sake of it, but still a compelling and memorable story.
7. Down to the Scum Quarter - A "Choose Your Own Adventure" parody, this will have you in stitches. Once again, I can't bring myself to spoil a word of it.
8. Heart's Desire - Another Arthurian alternative, this is amazing but can't quite reach the heights of "Under the Lake".
9. Hansel's Eyes - A modern Hansel and Gretel story, this is nowhere near as polished as some of Nix's later works, but is nevertheless an excellent read.
10. Hope Chest - Starts off as a classic Western story, and brilliant it is too. However, it deteriorates into a shoot-everything fest at the end, with a weird otherworldly element that isn't really necessary. Reasons for the shooting build up for the character over many years, but are covered for the reader in around two pages. This just makes the climax seem a bit OTT. Having said that, all the faults are forgotten after the phenomenal ending.
11. My Really Epic New Fantasy Series - Another funny story, this quite frankly rules. Originally a speech, it works just as well written down. Hilarious.
12. Three Roses - As good as fables get, and very thought-provoking.
13. Endings - Makes you cry, makes you think, makes you gasp. A perfect ending. Or should I say endings...
As if all that wasn't enough, there is a prelude from Garth Nix, and also brilliant introductions to each and every story. These give each story context, and transform the book from excellent to essential, especially for those aspiring to write themselves (like me, I might add). For the UK edition, there is also a Q&A section that among other things finally lets everyone know how to pronounce Lirael (buy it to find out...).
So all in all, a must for anyone who enjoyed the Old Kingdom books. But I wouldn't blame you if you waited until October for the next in the series of most-beautiful-paperback-covers-ever.
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