Sabriel by Garth Nix

Welcome to Fossick Book Reviews!

To celebrate my first post - and to prepare myself for Garth Nix's new book coming out on the 24th of September - I've decided to review an old favorite of mine; the classic young adult novel Sabriel. Adult readers, don't be frightened off by the 'young adult' label. Sabriel is one of those rare novels that is accessible to teenagers and adults alike.

The story takes place in the Old Kingdom where the outlaw of necromancy is enforced by the Abhorsen, the guardian between life and death. Sabriel, the daughter and heir to the current Abhorsen, is summoned home to assist her father who has become trapped by an ancient evil. She is guided by the ambiguous Moggett and the mysterious Touchstone, each of whom with their own agendas that may or may not align with her own.

In many ways this book is the classic hero's quest; the protagonist is summoned out of the safe non-magical land she grew up in and must journey through a dangerous world to reach her father, developing her skills and knowledge as she goes. However, this relatively simple storyline works perfectly, giving Nix room to expand on the other story elements. He fleshes out a grim world that has its own bleak beauty, with an oppressive atmosphere of ever-present danger. You'll really believe this is a world where the dead can rise and kill you in your sleep.

The character Sabriel is an engaging heroine; uncertain in her experience, but determined to follow through regardless. Her mistakes, when she does make them, are usually based on lack of knowledge and she doesn't waste time angsting over them, just jumps straight to fixing them. This may be a deliberate contrast to Touchstone, who is haunted by a terrible past mistake, and Moggett, who is hinted to have negligible knowledge of regret, if any. The repulsive villain, Kerrigor, is slightly one-dimensional in his drive for power, but this is explitely attributed to the effect of Free Magic and actually works as a reminder of why the Abhorsen's role is necessary.

Teenagers will love this book and adults will enjoy it as well. As it does involve what are essentially zombies there is some violence but it's not over the top gore. Sex is discussed but not explicitly so. While the central theme could be best described as dealing with loss and growing up, this is not a depressing story. It's a thoroughly enjoyable read and ends on quite a hopeful note.

This is still a fairly popular book, so most bookstores should stock it in the young adult section. It's also available online, including Amazon, Booktopia, and Book Depository.