Review - Sabriel
Sabriel (Garth Nix)
I've always loved Sabriel, and the world it introduces -- I like this trilogy more than the other Garth Nix books I've read, in general, but Sabriel might have been my favourite of the three because it can stand alone, and I loved the characters of Sabriel, Touchstone and Mogget. I loved all of the characters, really, even the ones we only have brief glimpses of, like General Horyse.
It's a good introduction to Sabriel's world, since she both knows enough that she's not completely over her head, and her survival isn't so very unrealistic, and she doesn't know everything so there's a path of discovery made. There's a lot to be learned, to make everything make sense, about the bells and the duties of the Abhorsen and the world of death, and about the kinds of magic they have, and thankfully Garth Nix doesn't overload it in one fell swoop or something foolish like that.
One of my favourite parts is the kiss between Sabriel and Touchstone -- desperate and life-affirming and not overwritten at all. I love the idea of them as a couple, even given their rough start.
I've always loved Sabriel, and the world it introduces -- I like this trilogy more than the other Garth Nix books I've read, in general, but Sabriel might have been my favourite of the three because it can stand alone, and I loved the characters of Sabriel, Touchstone and Mogget. I loved all of the characters, really, even the ones we only have brief glimpses of, like General Horyse.
It's a good introduction to Sabriel's world, since she both knows enough that she's not completely over her head, and her survival isn't so very unrealistic, and she doesn't know everything so there's a path of discovery made. There's a lot to be learned, to make everything make sense, about the bells and the duties of the Abhorsen and the world of death, and about the kinds of magic they have, and thankfully Garth Nix doesn't overload it in one fell swoop or something foolish like that.
One of my favourite parts is the kiss between Sabriel and Touchstone -- desperate and life-affirming and not overwritten at all. I love the idea of them as a couple, even given their rough start.