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A review by queer_bookwyrm
Sabriel by Garth Nix
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
5 ⭐ CW: Violence, death, blood
Sabriel by Garth Nix is book one in the Abhorsen series. This was a book that I somehow missed out on when I was growing up. It was published in 1995, but honestly, it could have been published today it holds up so well.
We follow Sabriel, the daughter of the Abhorsen, a kind of necromancer that puts the Dead to rest when they walk when they shouldn't. When Sabriel's father goes missing, she is plunged into a quest to find him and defeat the Great Dead that took him and caused the fall of the Old Kingdom.
I really loved Sabriel as a main character. She has lots of growth throughout the book. She starts off as kind of timid and in denial about being the new Abhorsen, but as she goes on her quest, she becomes stronger and more confident in using the Abhorsen sword and the bells. The magic system is fascinating. In this world they use Charter magic (similar to runes) to spell things, and necromancers use bells to bind or get rid of various Dead that won't cross the gates of Death. There is a neat mix of technologies too. I would say this world is similar to our WWI era as far as technology goes.
Sabriel also travels with two other characters: Mogget, a Free Magic entity that has been bound in the body of a white cat and is the most sarcastic (I love him your honor); and Touchstone, a man found frozen in wood in the Old Kingdom. I do wish we had gotten a bit more world-building, but that may come with the sequel.
This was a great read that I can see myself rereading at some point. I'm very excited to read the rest of the series after that cliffhanger!
Sabriel by Garth Nix is book one in the Abhorsen series. This was a book that I somehow missed out on when I was growing up. It was published in 1995, but honestly, it could have been published today it holds up so well.
We follow Sabriel, the daughter of the Abhorsen, a kind of necromancer that puts the Dead to rest when they walk when they shouldn't. When Sabriel's father goes missing, she is plunged into a quest to find him and defeat the Great Dead that took him and caused the fall of the Old Kingdom.
I really loved Sabriel as a main character. She has lots of growth throughout the book. She starts off as kind of timid and in denial about being the new Abhorsen, but as she goes on her quest, she becomes stronger and more confident in using the Abhorsen sword and the bells. The magic system is fascinating. In this world they use Charter magic (similar to runes) to spell things, and necromancers use bells to bind or get rid of various Dead that won't cross the gates of Death. There is a neat mix of technologies too. I would say this world is similar to our WWI era as far as technology goes.
Sabriel also travels with two other characters: Mogget, a Free Magic entity that has been bound in the body of a white cat and is the most sarcastic (I love him your honor); and Touchstone, a man found frozen in wood in the Old Kingdom. I do wish we had gotten a bit more world-building, but that may come with the sequel.
This was a great read that I can see myself rereading at some point. I'm very excited to read the rest of the series after that cliffhanger!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Violence and Blood