Customer Reviews

Sabriel

5 star:		(364)
4 star:		(41)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

*laughs* I got into this book because of the cover. Seriously. The artist was the same as drew the cover to another of my favorite books, Wise Child, and the name intrigued me. So, I asked for it for Christmas my 7th grade year... and it's been one of my favorites ever since!

I've re-read Sabriel... oh, 3 or 4 times now and forced my friends to read it as well. Most liked it though a few found it too 'dark'. And for good reason. Sabriel is about Death, and the people who work in and with it, the necromancers. People die, dead things come to life, and blood is cruelly spilled.

All of this is made tangible through the beautifully wroght descriptions and characterizations, and all the fantastical elements are handled with such a normalcy that it is easy at times to believe there is a strange, magical kingdom to the north... where I would go in an instant if I could. Overall, it's one of the best written novels I've read in a long while, particuarly of this genre, and here I am a college student and still loving this book as much as I did the first time I read it, during classes even I was so enthralled. *guilty grin*

Read Sabriel. You won't regret it.

An amazing book that kept me in continual suspense. It's a great read for those who like a little (and I do mean very little) bit of romance mixed in with a lot of adventure and fantasy. It felt like I was playing a RPG game so all in all it is a book I'd suggest to anyone and everyone. It's worth trying out.

I READ LIRAEL BEFORE SABRIEL(I KNOW I CHEATED) AND WAS EXPECTING A LITTLE BIT OF A BETTER BOOK... BUT THIS ONE IS STILL A WONDERFULL ADDITION TO THE SERIS. SABRIEL IS A YOUNG WOMAN GOING TO THE OLD KINGDOM FOR THE FIRST TIME TO TRY AND FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO HER FATHER WHO IS TRAPPED IN DEATH. SHE MATURES BELIVABLEY THROUGHOUT THE BOOK, BATTLING THE DEAD AND SLOWLY FOLLOWING IN LOVE. A GOOD BOOK COMPLETE WITH SACRIFICE,SADDNESS,DANGER,LOVE,A LITTLE HUMOR, THE DEAD, AND SOME UNFORGETTABLE CHARECTERS.
NOTE:IT IS POSSIBLE TO READ THE SECOND AND THIRD BOOK WITHOUT THIS ONE AND NOT GET CONFUSED

The first thing that hit me when I finished reading this book was that I should have read it much sooner. I'd been meaning to read it for the past six or seven years but never quite getting around to it--and that was a mistake. In SABRIEL, Garth Nix introduces the reader to a compelling fantasy world that comes alive through the actions of the title character and others.

The Old Kingdom is a place of magic, both Charter magic, wielded by those with some connection to the ancient Charter that bound magic to benevolent purposes, and Free Magic, the creatures that escaped the binding and defy the Charter. Free Magic is also used by necromancers desiring to defy the Charter by animating dead bodies. Only one person, the Abhorsen, combines use of Charter and Free Magic for the purpose of returning dead spirits to their final rest and dead bodies to their graves. As the Abhorsen's daughter, and herself Abhorsen-in-Waiting, Sabriel must learn how to use the Abhorsen's tools to venture into Death and bind destructive spirits so they cannot cause harm to others.

However, things in the Old Kingdom are becoming more and more dangerous by the minute, and as a result Sabriel grows up in Ancelstierre, the Old Kingdom's southern neighbor, close enough to the border that she is able to learn and practice Charter Magic, but far enough removed that she is ignorant of the customs and traditions of her home country. The story begins when eighteen-year-old Sabriel, about to finish preparatory school in Ancelstierre, receives a messenger from her father, carrying the bells and sword of the Abhorsen, a signal that he is in danger and requires her help. Sabriel must cross over into the Old Kingdom, a place she knows little about, and somehow find a way to save her father from whatever fate has befallen him before his spirit is pulled too far into Death. Along the way, she meets a fickle magical spirit in the form of a talking cat named Mogget, the traditional helpmeet of a long line of Abhorsens, and a former Royal Guard called Touchstone who has been frozen in the form of a ship's figurehead for the past two hundred years. Together, Sabriel, Mogget, and Touchstone journey through the Old Kingdom as they learn more about the necromancer who has tried to kill Sabriel's father and who will wreak destruction upon the land on both sides of the border if they cannot stop him.

Nix's writing is lean and easy to read, creating characters whose thoughts are clear and whose motives are intensely human. The relationship that develops between Sabriel and Touchstone is emotionally real and rich, and I enjoyed reading about all of their interactions. Even secondary characters are detailed and have personalities of their own. I was also impressed by Nix's concept of magic, which is deeper and more textured than the point-and-spell world of Harry Potter or countless other similar stories (although this book will certainly appeal to fans of the former class of fantasy). In the Old Kingdom, performing magic depends upon a deep knowledge of the required Charter marks, and in Sabriel's case, upon her mastery of the seven bells that assist the necromancer's trade by helping command the dead. This book is truly original--I have not seen anything like it before.

Reviewed by: Candace Cunard

I really enjoyed this book. I haven't read anything before by this Australian author Garth Nix and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. The story was believable and when I got to the last chapter and the action was still happening and the outcome not yet defined I didn't want to read it quickly as I didn't want the story to end. The characters and scenery were drawn well and very believable for a fantasy world and story. The heroine Sabriel was great.

this book was too good for any formal title heh =)

"Sabriel" is a book beyond belief! If you haven't read a good book in a while or ever read a good book, "Sabriel" is definitely the place to start.

I highly reccommend this book to anyone who has the slightest amount vision or knows someone who can read it to them =)

Stop reading these reviews and check out "Sabriel"...NOW!

It's been 10 years since I read this book -- and I still can't stop thinking about it. Before the times of Harry Potter and the re-introduction of Lord of the Rings -- I had read this book. It satisfied each aspect of fantasy / drama / mystery / humanity that I needed to have completed to wholeheartedly enjoy a book. The idea of an Abhorsen -- lead my imagination into realms I didn't know it could go -- and as years passed if asked what was my Fave book -- it was always Sabriel. I finally discovered Lireal and Abhorsen -- in my later Uni years -- and just like I had been hooked 10 yrs ago with Sabriel -- I was lost in the magic of Garth Nix's world.

I can't forget this book -- and neither will you. Trust Me. You will find yourself wishing to re-read it and probably will as time passes.

Five stars are not enough. I'd give it a thousand if I could! But since I am limited to only five, I suppose five will have to do. :)

Sabriel manages to take its readers into a deep unknown world, so unlike the other fantasy worlds we've visited so many times in different books. Sabriel is an original. It is purely the idea of Garth Nix and no other. It would be difficult to find another fantasy novel such as this. Sabriel carries no similarities to that of Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, therefore making each new page and chapter a new and interesting read. The language itself is graceful and descriptive, making it superior to all other fatasty novels I have read.

Sabriel is a modern fantasy classic that can be enjoyed by all readers, both the young and old.

I really loved this book.It was exelent with all the myterious characters like Touchstone,it's an awesome adventure with many twists and new challenges for Sabriel to overcome.I do have to admit though that they wouldn't stop runnig into the dead...it gets a little bit tyring after a while.I also think that the ending was a bit sudden...Touchstone and Sabriel don't even kiss at the end witch i thought was unusual(at the end of most books i read there is a looooooooooooong kiss at the end).And there was one part i could not understand,what was Touchstone really doing with the maid at the hotel that they stay at.But as i said before i loved all the characters...as specialy Touchstone because I'm a big fan of twin swordsmanship.I also like Mogget for his arogence.He was really funny but i preferd him as the cat not the firey monster thing.But all these things made up a great book in the end(at least i think so)and i loved it.Good job mister Nix a great accomplishment.

I am a big fan of fantasy and read a lot of it. After a while, so many of them run together; they all seem to have a similar plot line, similar magical insturments ect... Not so with Sabriel. Garth Nix weaves an entirely original tale set in an entirely original land. I thouroughly enjoyed this novel and would recommend the entire series.