Sabriel

This may be the first book of yet another "cross-over" fantasy trilogy--theoretically equally appealing to both children and adult readers--but thankfully Sabriel has enough verve and panache about it to reach just such a wide readership and to ensure that author Garth Nix has created a bandwagon all of his own. Constantly rich and meaty, the story is intriguing from the off. Page by page the tension builds and draws you into a highly imaginative landscape that has familiarity and originality in equal measures.

Sabriel attends Wyverley Girls College in Ancelstierre (Nix's version of normal) and has recently graduated with runaway firsts in every subject. But her particular school has certain extra-curricular activities, like the learning of Magic, because of its proximity to the Wall which marks Ancelstierre's border with the Old Kingdom. Over the wall, life is very different and the use of magic is commonplace. Then, on the edge of death, Sabriel's father, Abhorson, sends her a cryptic message that means she must venture into the Old Kingdom and calm the storm that is brewing there, and which will surely multiply at her father's passing. Refusing to accept his fate, Sabriel inherits the tools of her father's trade and his name. Her new duty is to lay the disturbed dead back to rest with the help of seven powerful bells worn across the chest. Sabriel seeks her father's slayer in a mammoth journey that is hindered by dark magic, monsters-a-plenty and shadowy unsubstantial evils.

The narrative builds into a luxurious tale of good versus evil, with a re-assuringly likeable central character to take us through it all. Nix's writing is solid and well-planned, his prose convincing and rounded. Make a note to look up the sequels Lirael and Abhorsen in due course--they're unlikely to disappoint. (Ages 10 and over)--John McLay

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Courtesy of Teens Read Too - Rated
The first thing that hit me when I finished reading this book was that I should have read it much sooner. I'd been meaning to read it for the past six or seven years but never quite getting around to it--and that was a mistake. In SABRIEL, Garth Nix introduces the reader to a compelling fantasy world that comes alive through the actions of the title character and others.

The Old Kingdom is a place of magic, both Charter magic, wielded by those with some connection to the ancient Charter that bound magic to benevolent purposes, and Free Magic, the creatures that escaped the binding and defy the Charter. Free Magic is also used by necromancers desiring to defy the Charter by animating dead bodies. Only one person, the Abhorsen, combines use of Charter and Free Magic for the purpose of returning dead spirits to their final rest and dead bodies to their graves. As the Abhorsen's daughter, and herself Abhorsen-in-Waiting, Sabriel must learn how to use the Abhorsen's tools to venture into Death and bind destructive spirits so they cannot cause harm to others.

However, things in the Old Kingdom are becoming more and more dangerous by the minute, and as a result Sabriel grows up in Ancelstierre, the Old Kingdom's southern neighbor, close enough to the border that she is able to learn and practice Charter Magic, but far enough removed that she is ignorant of the customs and traditions of her home country. The story begins when eighteen-year-old Sabriel, about to finish preparatory school in Ancelstierre, receives a messenger from her father, carrying the bells and sword of the Abhorsen, a signal that he is in danger and requires her help. Sabriel must cross over into the Old Kingdom, a place she knows little about, and somehow find a way to save her father from whatever fate has befallen him before his spirit is pulled too far into Death. Along the way, she meets a fickle magical spirit in the form of a talking cat named Mogget, the traditional helpmeet of a long line of Abhorsens, and a former Royal Guard called Touchstone who has been frozen in the form of a ship's figurehead for the past two hundred years. Together, Sabriel, Mogget, and Touchstone journey through the Old Kingdom as they learn more about the necromancer who has tried to kill Sabriel's father and who will wreak destruction upon the land on both sides of the border if they cannot stop him.

Nix's writing is lean and easy to read, creating characters whose thoughts are clear and whose motives are intensely human. The relationship that develops between Sabriel and Touchstone is emotionally real and rich, and I enjoyed reading about all of their interactions. Even secondary characters are detailed and have personalities of their own. I was also impressed by Nix's concept of magic, which is deeper and more textured than the point-and-spell world of Harry Potter or countless other similar stories (although this book will certainly appeal to fans of the former class of fantasy). In the Old Kingdom, performing magic depends upon a deep knowledge of the required Charter marks, and in Sabriel's case, upon her mastery of the seven bells that assist the necromancer's trade by helping command the dead. This book is truly original--I have not seen anything like it before.

Reviewed by: Candace Cunard

amazing! - Rated
No matter how many times I read this book it never dissapoints! The characters are all so lifelike and the emotions they feel are so real. Garth Nix has created an amazing world and paints a picture of death so vividly and the following books only improve on this original materpiece which is sure to gow down as one of the new modern classics among the ranks of Harry Potter, His Dark Materials ect. I would advise anybody who loves storys full of action, romance, death, life, magic and great plotlines to buy this book right away!

Corny - Rated
I liked this book enough to read it all the way through, but not enough to ever read it again or to look at the sequels. I thought the depiction of necromancy was very imaginative and I liked the character of the talking cat, but that was about it.
The protagonist of the novel named, unsuprisingly, Sabriel lives in a non-magical kingdom which borders a magical kingdom. The non-magical kingdom, named Acalstreirre (I think) is so obviously based on Britan between the wars that it jars against the medieval magical kingdom. There is no explanation for this. I dislike the way that in "Sabriel" there is little explanation for anything. Why are the dead restless? Dunno.
Sabriel's world has little depth ( the only nations mentioned are Acaltreirre and Magic Land) and, thus is not believeable.

spellbinding - Rated
an absolutly fab book, i couldnt put it down once, then had to rush out to get the others. an excellent triogy...

Complete lack of emotion... - Rated

Continuous action, cheap suspense, confusion, flat characters...if you enjoy these sorts of things, then this is a book for you.

This book tells about a young necromancer girl called Sabriel who inherits her father's business of putting the undead to eternal sleep.

This book has one virtue. An imaginative and original (?) take on necromancy.
I've never read a fantasy book wich such onedimensional, uninteresting and bland characters. Do they even have personality? They are dead. Dolls. There's no emotion in this book. You can't care what happens to these characters. Some of the action sequences are somewhat enjoyable but completely trite.

Work has been but into creating this fantasy world but it lacks a finishing touch and its possibly imaginative features are never taken advantage of in the execution.

Come on people! An interesting take on necromancy and controlling undead with the use of bells doesn't warrant a 5 star review!
If you like this kind of cheap, unexplained sense of mystery and continuous action then this is a book for you. On the other hand if you are searching for a fantasy book with memorable and lovable characters, multilayered plot, emotion and atmosphere then stay the **** away!