I highly recommend checking out this series if you were previously unaware of it, simply because it was published decades ago.

It is truly remarkable how often it is alluded to by contemporary fantasy series nowadays. The first book and the next one are quick and fun reads.

No one can write a more fluid fantasy chase scene than Garth Nix. I can vividly envision every single bit of the action in my mind, as if it were presented in crystal clear graphics.

Yet, he is never overly wordy, and his prose never even comes close to being purple. This entire series revolves around strong female characters and a well-defined, wholly original system of magic.

When I read and loved this series, I was not recording my reading very consistently. Therefore, I wanted to go back and plug these in.

I believe that the first two books in the series are the favorites of most readers because they both flow effortlessly. The prose is exquisitely written, and the characters are fascinating, just like the system of spells and wardings that Nix implements.

And let's face it, who could read these books and not fall in love with the demon cat? Mogget is an inspired character. The later installments in this series become more and more complex, and they probably appeal most to hardcore high fantasy readers.

These early installments, on the other hand, are more palatable to urban fantasy readers or readers of all sorts. None of the installments end in cliffhangers exactly, so it is completely possible to read just one or all of them.

Adding this to my "would have loved this as a kid but sadly I'm not one anymore" list.

As a child, I would have been absolutely thrilled to have this. The excitement and wonder it would have brought me are indescribable. However, time has passed, and I've grown up.

Nevertheless, I don't want this wonderful item to go to waste. So, I've decided to donate my copy to a small little library. I believe that in this way, it will find a good home.

Some lucky child will come across it and experience the same joy and excitement that I would have had. It gives me a sense of satisfaction to know that this item will continue to bring happiness to others, even though it's no longer for me.

I hope that the library will appreciate my donation and that many children will get to enjoy this amazing thing.

Very good YA fantasy!

The adventures of Sabriel, an innocent young woman, are truly captivating. She has numerous run-ins with various types of dead, undead, once dead, sorta dead and should-be-dead people and creatures.

Luckily for almost everyone involved (except the forces of evil and the dead ones they control), Sabriel is a necromancer by heritage and training, possessing a fair amount of power over death. However, some of these once-dead and should-be-dead creatures have apparently killed Sabriel's father, the necromancer-in-chief or "Abhorsen," and are in the process of taking over the kingdom.

It is up to Sabriel and her companions, a talking cat with mysterious powers and a once-sorta-dead (for 200 years) guy, to attempt to turn the situation around.

This is a well-written and enjoyable fantasy. Although it is occasionally a little on the grim and gruesome side, it still remains within the bounds of what I would consider YA appropriate, at least for teens who aren't overly sensitive. Garth Nix creates an intriguing and imaginative fantasy world.

This is also the first book in a series, but it doesn't leave you hanging off the edge of a virtual cliff. It functions quite well as a stand-alone read. I haven't yet gotten around to reading the rest of the series, but they are on my "probably, sometime" mental list.

Content notes: There are frequent battles with deadly creatures who sometimes resemble zombies. Some good characters die. The sexual content is very mild, but there is a scene where a character overhears lovemaking in the next room, and a somewhat detailed description of a naked statue who turns into an actual naked man, but that doesn't lead where you might be forgiven for thinking :).

Fear and the acceptance of one's own ignorance were the best medicine against stupid pride.

\\n  \\n   

El miedo y la aceptación de la propia ignorancia eran la mejor medicina contra el estúpido orgullo.

\\n  \\n

For a long time, I had been looking for this book as it had great reviews, but it was an old edition and thus impossible to find in this country. Yes, that word doesn't exist.

So when I came across it on a clearance table (and for $30 OH MY GOD), I didn't hesitate for a second. In fact, I think I let out a scream. A friend is a witness. And it was a hardcover, I couldn't believe it.

At first, I had trouble understanding what was going on, especially because not a bit of the magic system in this world is explained, and because clearly anachronisms coexist: we're talking about a declining kingdom, without a regent king, with bordering hordes, an Ancient Kingdom that nobody wants to know anything about, witches, necromancers, and magicians, all living together with buses, revolvers, high schools, etc. It was difficult to get used to. I didn't understand why the author would put both realities in one world (in fact, at one point they mention a Scottish skirt, and I thought \\"But if Scotland never existed in this world\\", and Xime cried and the book cried, and it was all a confusion). But then I said to hell with it, the author can do what he wants. So I forgave it, let myself be carried away, and I ended up really liking the story.

However, in my opinion, it was lacking a couple of things. I don't know if to call it \\"emotion\\" or \\"action\\", because I don't like action much, but I must admit that it was a bit of a light novel, not because it was Young Adult, not because it was fantasy, and not because it was old. But because the story itself is quite light. There are no big plot twists, in fact, I think there aren't any. The villain is a bad villain and there are few main characters, so it's easy to become friends with them. Anyway, here's what matters to us:

\\n  

THE BEST:

\\n
• Piedra de Toque. I neither deny nor admit having fallen in love with a fictional character.
• The Abhorsen. The strong point of the novel is the type of magic it uses, the bells, the Gates of Hell, the Abhorsen sword, everything related to this crazy family, and, why not, to the Abhorsen himself, who captivated me with the few pages in which he appears, but whose love for his daughter is very noticeable and palpable.

\\n  

THE GOOD:

\\n
• The magic of the Guild. It's not very clear what the Guild is, but that it's powerful, luminous, and that it gives powers to the magicians, that much is understood. Beyond the secret passages it can open and the messengers it can send. Yes, very convenient.

\\n  

THE BAD:

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• The romance. It's a bit contradictory that I put this (just in case, there's a spoiler), given that I liked Piedra de Toque so much. But the boy doesn't notice Sabriel until the end of the book, and their love blossoms in just one day, and suddenly they're in love, and that just didn't work for me at all. I understand Sabriel's attraction to him (come on, what girl wouldn't feel attracted), but it doesn't seem believable or sensible to me, even though I wanted to see them together. It was rushed, and the book was too short for it to develop as it should have. I was hoping that this romance would evolve in the next book, until I discovered that in Lirael fourteen years had passed since the events of this book, and the protagonist is someone else. Okay, well.

\\n  

THE WORST:

\\n
• The bad villain, completely wasted, caricatured, and without a realistic motive. What a horror.

Despite all that, I enjoyed it more than I expected, and it would be unfair of me to give it a mediocre score. Regarding the narration, at first, Nix seemed a bit of a beginner to me, but only in the first few chapters. This is reversed in the remaining 300 pages: the descriptions, the sensations, it was very easy to imagine everything, especially what Sabriel was feeling. Nix is good at writing.

I really want to continue with the saga because the world created in this first book shows promise, a lot of promise. Also, we didn't reach the last Gate of Hell! I want to know what's behind it. How many Abhorsen will it take me to find out?

This one is the final read for the Tolkien Professor’s Faerie & Fantasy podcast seminar .

At the beginning, I had a great liking for the book. The world it presents, especially the necromantic magic system, is really quite clever and interesting. The story itself is not bad either. It is a bildungsroman following a young girl, Sabriel, who leaves her boarding school to find out what has happened to her father.

Soon we discover that the boarding school, which seems to exist in a more or less 'normal' WWI-era world, is only half of the picture. Across 'the Wall' lies the Old Kingdom where magic prevails and the dead walk. Sabriel is the daughter and heir of the Abhorsen, a necromancer who also protects the Old Kingdom from the ravages of the dead that are constantly trying to gain a foothold in life by preying on the living.

So far, everything is good, and overall Sabriel's adventures are entertaining. I must admit that I'm not generally a big fan of YA fiction, but this book manages to avoid sounding too much like it's specifically aimed at younger readers. However, I still found some of the author's turns of phrase a bit inappropriate at times, and the story dragged a little in the middle for me, especially when the obligatory tale of budding young love emerged. The ultimate resolution also seemed a bit rushed. But Nix's relative innovation, especially his great magic and world building, saved the book for me, and I ended up giving it three stars instead of a possible two.

It's a good read, but I won't be in a hurry to get the sequel just yet.

Have you read this series?

If your answer is no, well, stop reading this and do that instead.

These books have a lasting impression in my mind. I still vividly remember the feeling of reading them for the very first time, and getting completely lost in their captivating world. I'm revisiting them now because I have an intense desire to return to that enchanting place. They are complex and highly engaging. Sabriel, who is sharp and capable, is one of my all-time favorite characters. And let's not forget about the magic system! (!!!)

It's truly remarkable. I never thought a book could evoke such strong Feelings About Bells in me, but here we are. (Tag yourself, I'm Belgaer.)

These books have a unique charm that keeps drawing me back, and I'm excited to explore them once again.

DNF @ 49% (for now. I may give it a try again at another date but I just can't get into this one)

I reached the 49% mark in this game, but unfortunately, I had to call it quits for now. It's not that the game is necessarily bad, but for some reason, I just couldn't seem to get fully immersed in it.

Maybe it's the gameplay mechanics that didn't quite click with me, or perhaps the story didn't grab my attention as much as I had hoped. Whatever the reason, I found myself losing interest as I progressed.

However, I'm not completely ruling out giving it another shot in the future. There's always a possibility that my perspective might change, and I could discover something that I missed the first time around. For now, though, I'll have to move on to other games and hope to find one that truly captivates me.

**Original Article**: The importance of exercise cannot be overemphasized. It helps to keep our bodies healthy and strong. Regular exercise can improve our cardiovascular health, increase our muscle strength, and boost our immune system. It also helps to reduce stress and anxiety, and improve our mood.

**Expanded Article**:

The importance of exercise cannot be overemphasized.

It is an essential aspect of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Exercise helps to keep our bodies healthy and strong in numerous ways.

Regular physical activity can significantly improve our cardiovascular health. It makes our heart pump blood more efficiently, reducing the risk of heart diseases and strokes.

Moreover, exercise increases our muscle strength. By engaging in strength-training exercises, we can build and tone our muscles, improving our overall physical performance.

Another significant benefit of exercise is that it boosts our immune system. A strong immune system helps our bodies fight off diseases and infections more effectively.

In addition to the physical benefits, exercise also has a profound impact on our mental health. It helps to reduce stress and anxiety, and improve our mood. When we exercise, our bodies release endorphins, which are natural mood boosters. This can leave us feeling happier, more relaxed, and more positive about life.

In conclusion, exercise is crucial for our overall well-being. We should make it a priority to engage in regular physical activity to enjoy the many benefits it has to offer.

For the second time, I read it and skipped half of it.

....................................................................

On July 19, 2016

The world of Sabriel reminded me of its Eremite force set, completely unrelated! Of course, I really liked it. Overall, Sabriel had nothing new for me, and I almost forced myself to read half of it. Since fantasy should be read for pleasure and not by force, I skipped it.

Maybe I didn't read it at the right time, and maybe I'll come back to it at another time. Anyway, I didn't like it.

--------------------------------------------

The memorable parts of the book:

Does man choose the path or does the path choose man?

...

Time was forgotten in death.

...

The book is never the same as the previous one.

I really wish I had liked Sabriel more than I actually did. It had a decent idea, but as I kept reading, my mind continuously drifted off. I found myself thinking about events in my life or my plans for the next day because I was simply so bored. Merely saying a book is boring isn't a convincing or valid reason to conclude that it wasn't good. However, in this case, I struggled to stay engaged.

Have you ever read a book where endless things happen one after another, but you feel as if barely anything is occurring because the action is always so similar to the previous events and feels overused? That's exactly how I felt about Sabriel. The plot followed a rather repetitive pattern:

\\n  

“Let this be my final lesson. Everyone and everything has a time to die.”

\\n

Something bad happens
Sabriel defeats it
Something bad happens
Sabriel escapes
Something bad happens
Sabriel escapes
Something bad happens
Sabriel defeats it

Anyway, I thought the concept for the story was intriguing at first. The story is set in two fictional countries. To the south lies Ancelstierre, where technology and society are comparable to 20th-century England, and to the north lies the Old Kingdom, where magic and spirits wander the land.

In the Old Kingdom, there is always a sorcerer with the title Abhorsen who puts the dead (spirits) to rest. The dead are raised by Necromancers or black magicians who roam the Old Kingdom. Essentially, an Abhorsen is a Necromancer themselves, but they do the opposite. Sabriel is an Abhorsen who lives in Ancelstierre, while her father lives in the Old Kingdom. She sets out on a journey to the Old Kingdom after her father’s sudden disappearance.

However, quarter way through the book: Sabriel was a likable enough female character, so I have to give the male author some applause for writing a mildly believable female character. However, I felt no strong connection with Sabriel since her emotions were rarely expressed. Instead, there was a massive amount of description about many other things that caused me to yawn endlessly. Her love interest is—well, not interesting. He was flat and dull.

I feel as if I’m betraying the fantasy genre by not liking this as much as I probably should. I feel an obligation to like fantasy books that have original concepts, considering fantasy is one of my favorite genres. Oh well, I still praise the idea of the story very much, and I think that alone earns 3 stars, but I didn't find it to be an entertaining or engaging read for it to earn any more than that.

Reread on 6/18/24: Still as enjoyable as ever. I am reminded how terrible Tim Curry is at voices for young girls though his narration is otherwise fantastic.

Reread on 1/29/19. Well, relisten. I needed an audio book with a narrator I love to reset after a bad narrator from my previous audio book! Sabriel is narrated by Tim Curry and he is phenomenal. This listen really hit the spot, great story and great narration :). I wasn't originally intending to reread the whole trilogy but I think I will. Review from 2016 below.

----------------------------

Sabriel by Garth Nix is the first book in The Abhorson trilogy. The story opens fairly ominously with the death of a woman and child. The series of events that unfolds in the prologue grabs the attention and sets the stage nicely. We are introduced to two of the world's types of magic, given a little foreshadowing for what's to come and a slightly eerie tone is set. Once the story starts, we're gradually introduced to the world. Ancelstierre has a feeling of 1940's England while the Old Kingdom feels distinctly like medieval Europe where Free Magics and creatures that go bump in the night now reign. The two kingdoms are separated by a wall and crossing the border is like taking a portal to another world where even the weather is different. And, quite naturally, that wall is failing.

The characters we get to know are also excellent. Sabriel is a great fantasy heroine. She's a smart, clear headed, strong and a well balanced character. She looks at problems logically to make informed decisions and isn't afraid to take action. Touchstone starts off fairly annoying. It's obvious that he's more than just a guardsman and his servile attitude at first is grating. I'm glad the character out grows this habit as the story progresses. Nix had a lot of fun with Mogget. Mogget is the perfect magical entity in the form of a feline that both says and does things I can imagine a cat would.

The story is well paced. The action and suspense is superb. The final climax had me sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time. I love the eerie/creepy undertone that is carried throughout the book. It's exactly what you'd expect when dealing with the dead that don't want to stay dead. Nix has a refreshing take on necromantic magic that was quite fun to read. There is even an understated romance plot that is quite sweet and not at all like today's YA stories of instant love.

I listened to the audio book of this narrated by Tim Curry. I think I could listen to Tim Curry read from the dictionary! He is especially fun at narrating villains and magical creatures. That said, his depiction of a young girl's voice at the beginning of the story is so bad I laughed out loud. Overall, the audio book experience was enhanced by Curry's wonderful narration, despite that one small flaw.

I guess Garth Nix has a following, but I personally can't see it. The whole book felt, in a word, amateurish.

For one thing, the dialogue was unwaveringly wooden. It was as if the characters were trapped in a vice, unable to express themselves freely. They barely showed any life or personality, and it took many pages for them to even begin to emerge.

The description of the world was pretty, but often overly ornate and adjective-laden. It was like a beautiful painting that had been overdone, with too many details and colors vying for attention.

The bits of attempted romance were sudden and bizarre. They seemed to come out of nowhere, like a bolt of lightning in a clear sky.

So I was working hard to stay in the story.

Let's talk about the story, though. It's ridiculously convenient. In every other chapter, a new magical threat is presented, and in each chapter in between, a magical solution is presented that deals perfectly with the threat.

Being chased by zombies? Don't worry, running water will stop them. But wait, they can eventually cross running water with a barge of grave dirt! Don't worry though, we can summon a magical tide to smash that. But wait, how will we escape the magical tide, once summoned? Oh don't worry, there happens to be a magical flying machine lying around. And on and on.

Nothing is set up beforehand - Nix just hands the characters the ad hoc solution they need, and rarely through any ingenuity on their parts. So we meander through random scenes without a clue as to what should happen next.

The book is scenic though, and the world Nix creates is moody and intriguing. If he'd conjured a plot worthy of it, the book would be well worth reading.