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A review by caseybones
Sabriel by Garth Nix
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence and Violence
Minor: Child abuse and Vomit