Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Sabriel by Garth Nix

6 reviews

caseybones's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

This is my first time re-visiting Sabriel since reading it in middle school. Aside from a few details about the world of the book, I didn’t remember anything about the plot so in many ways it was like reading it for the first time. 

The world Garth Nix introduces in Sabriel is complex, and I finished wishing I knew more about it and it’s history. His prose alternately frustrated me with avoidable word repetition, and impressed me with beautiful descriptive flourishes. The whiplash was sometimes maddening, but not enough to ruin anything.

My primary critique is the lack of character development . Although Sabriel grows in knowledge and experience, her core character attributes remain mostly unchanged by the end of the story. Touchstone’s trajectory is similarly flat, despite the information we learn about his past and his parentage.

Finally, the romance between our protagonists felt predictable and unnecessary. Developed over the course of what felt like only a few pages, it’s based more on proximity than anything else. I wish their platonic relationship could have been solidified by the events of this story so that a romantic connection based on more than shared trauma could be explored in another.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence and Violence

Minor: Child abuse and Vomit

thenoboshow's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Slavery, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, and Fire/Fire injury

mattiedancer's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Please note: With this book, I’m incapable of removing the amount of bias I generally try to remove before writing reviews. Sabriel is a book I read when I was in my teens, and it has stayed with me over the years. Further, it would transgress my own values to give this book anything other than a five-star review, given the lasting and impeccable impression it left on me. Lastly, in a world where young women are often handed books full of dangerous, exhausting, and demeaning tropes, I fully love Garth Nix for introducing me – at a young, impressionable age – to a female character who is strong, capable, powerful, and loves fully.

Writing: 5⭐️/5 

I love how Garth Nix uses the perfect mixture of language to hook us into this story. Starting with a young woman who wants to save a rabbit, it’s clear through his language that this story will supersede those simple expectations. I love how the dialogue feels natural and I really love his clarity to expose such a complicated world with ease.

Characters: 5⭐️/5

Sabriel is one of my all-time favourite characters. She is a badass without being snippy, she’s sassy without being harsh, and she’s strong without giving up her femininity. I also fell in love with Touchstone the first time I read this novel. I loved his gallantry, his humility, and his growth throughout the book. Beyond those two, the side characters are invaluable and fascinating. I love Mogget: a small cat-like creature who desires freedom from its cage without truly wanting it, who defends his Abhorsen, who appears innocent and actually holds immense power. Sabriel’s father, full of flaws and regrets, feels real – instantly real and vibrant – despite getting very little “screen” time. A whole cast of fantastic, deep characters to enjoy and read about. 

Plot: 5⭐️/5 

I mean, I love this book, and the plot follows suit. With a mixture of fast-paced adventure and world-building, I really love (and have always loved) how the plot progresses, slowly introducing us to our world and then quickly identifying our big bad. No notes.

World 5⭐️/5 

The Old Kingdom is a rich world. I love the mixture of high and low fantasy elements, with a world similar to ours edging on a world that’s very different. I love the references to technology, I love the thoughtfulness of the world’s politics, structure, and beliefs. To quote Leigh Bardugo: “There is no joy like returning to the Old Kingdom.”

Who Should Read This Book? 

• Readers looking for a fantastic fantasy read with a drop of romance
• Young adult readers looking to bridge into high fantasy
• Readers looking for a good fantasy read with a great female lead.

Content Warnings? 

Blood, injury, injury detail, death, death of parent, death of child, slavery, body horror, gore, sexual content, confinement, grief

Post-Reading Rating:  5⭐️/5

*sigh* I just love it.

Final Rating: 5⭐️/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Gun violence, Sexual content, and Gaslighting

spacerkip's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

A shame I didn't discover this when I was younger - if I read this as a teenager, I think it would have become part of my personality.

The worldbuilding immediately drew me in. The magic system wasn't ever really explained, but it clearly operated on a concrete set of rules - both narratively and in-universe - that made me curious. Sabriel herself is a wonderful character, emotionally mature and yet sheltered to the world of Old Kingdom. She struck a wonderful balance between being competent and still out of her depth.

I didn't realize this was part of a series, but even though this first book can stand on its own, I'm definitely picking up the next one. I wanna know more about Old Kingdom! And Charter magic! And I definitely want to see what happens to Sabriel as she steps into her role as Abhorsen.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Death of parent, and War

Minor: Animal death and Sexual content

shieldbearer's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• 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

I really liked this one more than I expected. The worldbuilding is superb, and the magic system is extremely interesting. However, loses points for a few unnecessary lines and the weird Vibes that were in the last confrontation with Kerrigor

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Death- the entire book is centered around necromancy,

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,

, Violence- people are slashed and impaled, the army uses bayonets at one point, Child death-

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.

Death of parent-

Sabriel's mother dies in childbirth, Sabriel's father dies at the end

Body Horror- some of the dead spirits have bodies or forms that are warped- mouths too wide, arms too long that drag, etc. Injury-

Sabriel gets bruised severely, stabbed through the stomach, Touchstone breaks a leg

Fire- a spirit in the form of flame appears a few times Confinement-

Touchstone is confined in a wooden figurehead

Slavery- a few scenes where the dead use living slaves or where humans force children to be their decoys when scavenging in the dead areas,

Mogget is enslaved by his collar

. Child abuse- aforementioned child slaves Sexual content- Sabriel admires a naked male and hears a couple having sex through the wall of her room Sexual assault- the

villain forces a kiss on Sabriel

Pregnancy- Sabriel's mother dies in childbirth at the start of the novel, Infidelity-

Touchstone is the bastard son of the Queen

Vomit- Sabriel feels she may vomit at one point Alcohol- characters consume beer Animal death- Sabriel feels an animal die, hunted by its natural predator Gun Violence-

the army combats the dead with guns

totallyshelfaware's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.25

It's been maybe eight years since I last read this and I still love it as much as I did then. And not even in an oh-my-i'm-swimming-in-a-sea-of-nostalgia way.

Okay, yeah, that too.

Sabriel is still as wonderful as I remembered. The magical system is still one of the best I've come across. Mogget is still as snarky and sassy as ever and this is only Book #1.

Between the Abhorsen Chronicles and Keys to the Kingdom, Garth Nix just wins all the awards for his world-building.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Gun violence, Slavery, and Death of parent

Minor: Trafficking