soph22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Grief, Animal death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death of parent, and Vomit
twistykris's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I appreciate the world-building, in that it builds gradually throughout the course of the book, instead of info-dumping. And the descriptions Nix uses are just SO incredible. Pages of descriptions that actually felt like a sheet being dragged off of a scene- rooms and areas being revealed slowly, letting your mind focus in. I liked the characters, but I didn't really feel much of a connection to them. Their personalities didn't feel very developed and the romance between Sabriel and Touchstone felt very unestablished. Mogget was honestly my favorite character, if only for his snarkiness.
I went back and forth between reading a physical copy of the book and listening to the audiobook narrated by Tim Curry and I found myself more drawn towards the audiobook. I just can't help it with his voice- even if a couple character voices were very Nigel Thornberry-esque... SMASHING xD
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Gore
Moderate: Blood, Slavery, and Violence
Minor: Child death, Vomit, and Animal death
thereadingdude's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Gore and Blood
Minor: Vomit and Slavery
anastasiamakes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Violence, and Grief
Minor: Vomit and Child death
naitane's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent and Death
Minor: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Violence, Vomit, Sexual content, and Animal death
limiwh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Death of parent
Moderate: Murder, Slavery, and Violence
Minor: Vomit and Animal death
shieldbearer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, and Slavery
Minor: Animal death, Vomit, Child abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
Death- the entire book is centered around necromancy,Spoiler
Sabriel dies at the beginning and end, her father dies, the officer from the start of the book, Touchstone describes the death of his Queen, many unnamed characters and slaves die,Spoiler
Sabriel, at the beginning and end, though it doesn't take. Some of her classmates die. Unnamed children are implied to die as part of being used as bait.Spoiler
Sabriel's mother dies in childbirth, Sabriel's father dies at the endSpoiler
Sabriel gets bruised severely, stabbed through the stomach, Touchstone breaks a legSpoiler
Touchstone is confined in a wooden figureheadSpoiler
Mogget is enslaved by his collarSpoiler
villain forces a kiss on SabrielSpoiler
Touchstone is the bastard son of the QueenSpoiler
the army combats the dead with gunsbearystarry's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Vomit, Animal death, Body horror, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Child death, Slavery, and Child abuse
skai's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Moderate: Slavery, War, Violence, Murder, Grief, Death of parent, Death, and Child abuse
Minor: Vomit
bencaroline's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
This is one of many fantasy worlds in which bloodline is not only relevant but sacred, and can we be done with that bullshit please? And while we're at it let's abolish forced hetero romance that there's no established reason to care about, also present in this book.
That being said, I still appreciated the way this book explores death and its meaning and its fantasy possibilities, and while the heteronormativity is pretty major, this seems to be a world with very little gender bias or sexism. I'm looking forward to rereading the rest of the series.
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Gore
Moderate: Animal death, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Trafficking, Murder, and Body horror
Minor: Vomit, Torture, and Adult/minor relationship