Book Review: Sabriel

Sabriel's titular character is a teen studying magic who must investigate a mysterious message from her father, a famous necromancer known as Abhorsen. Abhorsen is a unique necromancer in that he banishes the dead, instead of summoning them. However, finding him may prove more difficult that Sabriel hopes.

Best Parts (No Spoilers): Sabriel treats death seriously, and this is one of the things this book does best. It is difficult to explain this without spoiling the book, but grief of many kinds is throughly explored here.

Sabriel also presents a richly detailed high fantasy world. Many people know Charter magic, a kind of all purpose magic, and Sabriel encounters all kinds of fantastic creatures. These range from a flying paper airplane big enough to carry Sabriel and her friends; Mogget, a sassy cat; and terrifying horrors from the Gates of Death.

Sabriel leaves the reader wanting more of this fantastic world. The beginning takes its time, letting the reader soak in the mysterious events and landscape Sabriel encounters on the way to her father's house. However, after the main characters discover a nefarious plot, they rush back through this scenery. I assume Nix did this to make his ending fight scene seem more dynamic, but I wish the Deus Ex Machina did not feature so heavily in the ending.

Read More: Thankfully, Nix has written other great books set in the same world, although around 20-30 years after Sabriel. Liriel is one of them and features another intriguing animal companion. The Charlie Bone series could also be a series for readers interested in similar themes.

Score: I had read Sabriel before and wanted to revisit it. I read the paperback edition, featuring new cover art (the previous cover art was done by the award-winning duo Leo and Diane Dillon) of a fiery symbol. I guess this is supposed to be a Charter Mark, which Charter Mages have on their foreheads? The book was just as good as when I read it years ago, and I actually think I appreciate it more reading it now. This is why I suggested Adults read this book as it does deal with some mature themes (Death, desire for power, grief). There is a hint of romance, though it does not play a major role in the book. Sabriel is a strong female heroine. I did not rate this book 5 stars since it isn't perfect (the ending felt rushed), but the series as a whole is definitely Curiosity Mars Rover Awesome!