Sabriel

“Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?”

This statement was not to my taste at all. It required all of my mental fortitude not to abandon it. The first 70 or so pages were excellent, but then it simply lost its appeal for me. (If you liked this book - that's great for you! However, you probably shouldn't read the next part, as a serious rant is about to follow.)

So, what I did like:

- The beginning, especially the prologue - it seemed as if this was going to be an exciting high fantasy with an amazing world, characters, and backstories. Oh, how wrong I was.

- The representation of death and Sabriel's journeys into it.

- I liked the names and illustrations in my edition. (Sadly, it wasn't enough.)

What I did not like (or truly hated):

- The world is so strange and not explained at all. Why is there a modern era on one side of the wall and a fantasy land on the other, when they know about each other and teach kids magic in schools? How does this magic even work? Why can the dead walk among the living and harm them? There are so many questions and no explanations. I could go on about this for a long time.

- Sabriel is strange. She is 18 and experienced in various deadly situations, but she seems and talks as if she were 8 or 10.

- Literally, all of the plot is just going to some place and then fighting there with the help of magic we know nothing about to save the kingdom we know (almost) nothing about.

- The writing style was not my favorite. The dialogues were stiff and the descriptions were excessive.

- Three words: NO CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.

- Also... they were going to fight the villain on *DRUMROLL PLEASE* freaking TANKS! If I hate anything in fantasy, it is the use of modern era weapons. But in my wildest dreams, I wouldn't have expected someone to actually use tanks.

Nope. This book did not work for me. 1.5/5

Where was this book when I needed it?

5 stars!

Seriously, this book was GLORIOUS. It is an absolute gem. If you are in search of a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat, action-packed book, then look no further. This one is truly for you.

Mogget is, without a doubt, my favorite character in this book. He is so delightfully sassy, sarcastic, and morbid, yet also fluffy. I just can't get enough of him!

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“It sounds like a terribly brilliant plan to me,” muttered Mogget. “The genius of simplicity…”

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The character development of Sabriel and Touchstone was truly brilliant, especially Sabriel's. By the end of this book, she has transformed into a completely different person. And Touchstone is so dreamy. Ay kennat.

I'm not entirely sure about the romance, though. Don't misunderstand me. You all know that I'm a sucker for romance and can ship almost every character with any living thing. However, the romance here felt a bit like a throwaway. It just didn't quite click for me. Maybe it's just my perception. I still love our main couple, though. I ship them with all my heart and sincerely wish them a fruitful relationship. Lmfao.

The world that Nix created was incredibly complex and stunning. His descriptions were so vivid and clear that you could easily picture the entire world in your mind's eye.

I am eagerly looking forward to reading the next books in the series!

Sabriel is a book that I first read as a preteen. I remember loving it so much that I asked my parents to buy me the second book in the series. However, I never continued the series and forgot all the details. In recent years, I met many people who cherish this series, so I decided to reread the first book. I'm glad I did, as it set the stage for what I believe will be an incredible series.

The world of the Dead and the Abhorsens is created wonderfully in this book, but it could have been more fleshed out. I adored every sentence about this world, but I wanted more world-building. The act of necromancy is portrayed in a fascinating and risky way, and the Dead are downright creepy. Sabriel's character is a double-edged sword. I wanted to love her, but I had a hard time connecting with her at first. However, by the end of the book, I was able to connect with her more solidly.
The romance in this book is insta-love, which is a trope I'm not a fan of. The love interest falls in love with Sabriel very quickly, and it felt a bit forced. However, a fellow blogger pointed out that insta-love can be used as a plot device to show how naïve the characters are, and that could be the case here. Overall, this book has flaws, but it also has a lot of potential and an interesting storyline. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Trigger warnings: death, murder, blood, death of a parent, gore.

On 9/9/2020, for some reason, it took me a whole week to reread this year, which is very unlike me. I still love the story, but part of me wishes I'd listened to the audiobook again because there were definitely parts that I read in Tim Curry's voice this time.

On 31/5/2019, this was one of my favorite series in high school, and I'd been meaning to revisit it for the past couple of years. That immediately got bumped up to the MUST REREAD NOW pile when I discovered that the audiobook is narrated by Tim Curry. I love this story a lot, and having Tim Curry read it to me was delightful.

On 18/11/2015, after several years away from this series, I'm bumping this up to 4.5 stars. Because it's just that good. The characters are wonderful, the world building is fabulous. I love the dramatic differences between the Old Kingdom and Ancelstierre, and I adore Mogget more than I can say. Basically, this is excellent, with a side of teen years nostalgia.

On 22/2/2012, I read this book in high school when it first came out, read it a few times throughout high school, and haven't read it since. So when I picked up Garth Nix's "Across the Wall" at the library several weeks ago and loved it, I knew it was time for a reread of the Abhorsen trilogy. I suspect part of my love for this trilogy stems from the fact that I read them when I was a teenager. If I were reading them for the first time now, I'm not sure how I'd feel. That said, I loved it. The magic fits into the story nicely, the necromancer side of things isn't cheesy and overdone, and the differences between the Old Kingdom and Ancelstierre are well done. Sabriel grows up quickly, becoming the Abhorsen the country needs. But Nix has managed to also keep her a teenager, shown through her desire to find her father and hand responsibility back to him, as well as through her relationship with Touchstone. The gradual unfolding of Touchstone's past works well, avoiding an information dump. Highly recommended.

Wondrous storytelling ♡

Sabriel will be the last Abhorsen/Necromancer, but not before escaping the gates of death.

She was born to a mother who passed away during childbirth. The Abhorsen, her father, brought the blue infant back to life and raised Sabriel as his daughter. First, she was cared for by a wetnurse and later attended a boarding school in Ancelstierre. Sabriel is an excellent student with a keen interest in the subject of Magic. Her inborn ability to reach deep within herself to rescue others from death is a secret she tries to keep hidden for as long as possible.

Sabriel's father visits her only once a year at her boarding school. One day, instead of him, a parcel and letter arrive, and she realizes something terrible has happened. She must now save him.

In an amazingly imagined world that combines elements of beauty and darkness, Sabriel discovers the Old Kingdom and the 9 gates of death that a living thing must pass through to reach its final demise.

As she embarks on her journey to search for her father, she encounters magical creatures and makes both friends and foes. Although danger lurks in the Old Kingdom, she pushes on, crossing more and more gates to rescue her father, who is presumably dead. What follows is the dark unleashing of forces from the Old Kingdom and a race against time. As the old Abhorsen said, "there is a time for everyone to die." In the end, there will be only one Abhorsen left on the brink of death, but was it the right time?

***

This was a magical read with a captivating beginning. If you're looking for a creative story that's highly imaginative, from the world to the creatures, and includes elements like a boarding school and magic, then this is a great choice.

I had this novel on my shelf for a long time, and it turned out to be a wonderful gem. When I start a new book and it grabs me with something different, that little extra something, it always makes me happy that I chose to open that particular book at that moment.

Some of the imaginative elements in this novel reminded me of Neil Gaiman's writing and storytelling. If you like that kind of flavor, you'll understand what I mean. It's hard to say exactly if it's more character-driven or fantastical; it's simply a symphony of all things magical, good, and evil. These perfect ingredients make Sabriel (Abhorsen, #1) a great start to a trilogy. I hope you'll enjoy it too.

Happy Reading!

More of my reviews here: Through Novel Time & Distance

Tim Curry narration!!!!! OMG! Imma gonna pee my pants!

So far, it has a strong 3.5 storyline. And when it comes to Tim Curry, his performance is a solid 5.

His voice for the cantankerous cat spirit is truly superb! It adds so much life and character to the story.

This book was quite engaging, especially the last couple of chapters. I can clearly see why it instantly became a classic YA fantasy series.

Sabriel is on a search for her father, the Abhorsen, a kind of necromancer who has gone missing in the land of the dead. Along the way, she meets a spirit that has been under the control of the Abhorsens for about fourteen centuries and a sailor nicknamed Touchstone. There are constant adventures that follow.

The bad thing about audio books is that I never know how to spell the special words in a fantasy novel. There is a villain who wishes to kill all of the Abhorsens and take control of the kingdom, and the trio constantly battles against him. His breath is described as having "the scent of a thousand abattoirs." I will definitely finish this series - all because of Tim Curry.

Bahahaha Read#2 - I totally forgot how directions are given in this series. It makes me crack up every time! This repeat read has really fleshed out the humanity of Sabriel. She falls in love. I didn't really focus on her heart before, but now I see that it breaks on her adventure - for her father and for the role she must assume.

2017 Reading Challenge: first in a series

Summer Fantasy Fest read #21

Amount Read: Approximately 25%

I first read Sabriel around five years ago and didn't really like it. However, due to the fact that all my friends on Goodreads seemed to love it so much, I decided to give it another chance. This time, I opted for the audiobook, mainly because of Tim Curry. But unfortunately, even his narration couldn't save it for me.

The main thing that sticks in my mind from my first reading is how incredibly bored I was, and that's exactly how I feel this time around as well. I listened until the part where Mogget the cat appears, but I wasn't impressed with him either, so I decided to stop.

Admittedly, the world building in Sabriel is objectively quite interesting. However, the level of detail that Nix uses is something I find extremely frustrating. Sabriel and her bells are described in such minute detail that it's like reading about all the ships that sailed to Troy in Homer's Iliad. I really don't need to know every single name and the entire history of each one.

Also, Sabriel herself has almost no personality. She just travels around and does things, but there's nothing about her that makes her stand out or seem interesting. Everything in the story just feels so dull and unexciting.

I understand that this book is magical for a lot of people, but for some reason, I just can't get into it. Maybe it's not the right book for me, or maybe I'm just not in the right frame of mind to appreciate it. But whatever the reason, I don't think I'll be giving it another try anytime soon.

This was me attempting to figure out how a YA fantasy book would fare as an audiobook. As I've previously stated, I have difficulties with audiobooks because it drives me crazy when narrators do 'voices'. It's entirely unavoidable, and perhaps non-fiction is the only thing acceptable for me in that format.

This particular audiobook was read by Tim Curry. As long as he was doing the voices of villains or the creepy cat, it worked extremely well. However, when he tried to do the voice of an 18-year-old girl, it was simply disturbing. An old dude with a raspy voice simply can't convincingly do the voice of an 18-year-old girl, and that's the end of it. (I've just finished listening to a romance novel where a lady with a delicate feminine voice was trying to do the voice of our sexy, brooding Scottish hero, resulting in him sounding like a horny 12-year-old - with a Scottish accent).

I wonder why I'm so bothered by all of this when it doesn't seem to be a problem for most people. I've thought about it a great deal and decided it has to do with growing up in Poland. You see, in Poland, when foreign movies are shown on TV, we don't really have dubbing or subtitles. What we have is called a lector. The entire dialogue in the movie is read in an even, monotonous voice of one person while you can still hear the original dialogue in the background. The idea is that in your head, you mix it up - you take the meaning from the Polish voice-over and the "feeling" from the original seeping through. Anyone who wasn't raised watching movies like this would find this absolutely maddening (in fact, after being away from Polish TV for 10 years now, I, too, find it difficult to watch), but I just can't stomach dubbing. The voices never seem real. I remember Canal+ showing Friends, dubbed in Polish, and watching Jennifer Aniston speaking in a weird Polish voice was just cringeworthy. Anyway, maybe this explains why I can't take it when people do voices. Just read everything in your own voice, for God's sake. I'll figure out who is talking!

Now, as for the actual book - apparently, it's a classic of sorts, but it somehow passed me by entirely. We have two worlds separated by a border, one full of magic, and the other one similar to the early 20th century. A girl who belongs to the magic world grows up in the regular one until she is "called". So begins the usual fantasy quest - the girl must save her father, who is a necromancer. However, the quest is really about the girl growing up and taking on responsibilities she didn't feel she was ready for, and basically taking over her dad's business. All that while fighting and befriending various creatures in various stages of being dead or alive (which, of course, is not as binary as we believe it to be in our world).

She also manages to save a prince, but unlike fairy tale heroines, she doesn't do it via the pureness of her love or something like that, but with her mad necromancing skills.

This should be a good book, and it's clearly beloved by some, but it didn't do it for me. The stakes never felt high enough. Sabriel never seemed to really struggle with things, either internally or externally. She was just a very mature, level-headed girl who did what had to be done, somehow always figuring out the right thing to do. We never really saw her in normal social settings where she would get to be a person and we could see some character development. The romance came completely out of nowhere and it looked like something written by someone who has never read a romance book but nonetheless had formed a very strong opinion about how they are written.