Sabriel review

Sabriel by Garth Nix

HarperCollins, 1995, 491 pages

Last week was an Australian war novel of the 90’s book partially inspired by World War II, this week it’s an Australian fantasy novel of the 90’s book partially inspired by World War I. The story of a girl who is essentially an anti-necromancer, or Abhorsen as they’re called, in the first book of an epic fantasy trilogy.

Nix first thought of the idea of this book when he saw a picture of Hadrian’s Wall. The ground on one side of the wall was covered in snow; the land on the other looked more like it was springtime. At the time, Nix was considering writing a historical novel about World War I, but he also wanted to write a fantasy novel. In the end, fantasy prevailed, though his research of World War I didn’t go to waste. Some of the technology used in the book is reminiscent of the war, as well as some of the environment around The Wall.

Now, along with giving you the setting of the book, I’m going to explain a few key terms (without spoiling the book). The story takes place in the country of Ancelstierre, where technology is very prominent. The book’s protagonist, Sabriel, goes to boarding school here. Her father is a very important man in the Old Kingdom (the country to the north across The Wall, where magic is prominent and technology fails). He is the Abhorsen (the person responsible for keeping Dead creatures in Death). His equipment consists of a magical sword and seven magical bells, each one of different size and with a different power.

However, one night while Sabriel was expecting her father to visit, the school is attacked by a Dead creature. Sabriel soon slays it, but not before she receives her father’s sword and bells. Immediately, Sabriel realises something has happened to her father, and has to leave the school and head into the Old Kingdom to find him . . . if he’s still alive. She learns from Mogget (a creature bound by an Abhorsen many years ago and now serves as a servant to the Abhorsen, taking the form of a cat) that he had been called to the capital and had not returned. Sabriel, Mogget, and later Touchstone (a strange man revived from the figurehead of a boat who can’t remember much of his life) must travel through the wide, dangerous land of the Old Kingdom, and even travel into Death itself, to save a man who may not even be alive.

Who said fantasy was just for little kids? Garth Nix has created a masterpiece more suited for a teenage and young adult audience (since there are some mature themes in this book). This book will keep you wanting more right until the last word (I even had to look up another copy to make sure no-one had ripped out the last page).

My rating: 8/10

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