Sabriel Read-A-Long: Week Three Discussion (Review) | 9-14-22

Hello Lovely Readers!

I finished up reading the book yesterday and am here to share that with you all! There are questions that have already been made for discussion by Jordyn @ Birdie’s Book Nook and today it will be put in a review format. Thanks for hosting this read-a-long!

Title: Sabriel
Author: Garth Nix
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publication Date: May 1st, 1995
Publisher: Varies
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

“Sent to a boarding school in Ancelstierre as a young child, Sabriel has had little experience with the random power of Free Magic or the Dead who refuse to stay dead in the Old Kingdom. But during her final semester, her father, the Abhorsen, goes missing, and Sabriel knows she must enter the Old Kingdom to find him.
With Sabriel, the first installment in the Abhorsen series, Garth Nix exploded onto the fantasy scene as a rising star, in a novel that takes readers to a world where the line between the living and the dead isn’t always clear—and sometimes disappears altogether.” (Goodreads)

I have finally finished the book! It has been on my tbr for awhile now so I am glad to have another one on that list checked off.

This book wasn’t exactly like how I thought it would be, but it’s not a bad thing. I did like a lot of the aspects it had to offer and some things just fell a bit short for me. I don’t know if it has been the hype surrounding this book or if it’s just me.

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Sabriel. She is a young girl who has gone to boarding school and now must find her father, the Abhorsen, in the Old Kingdom who has suddenly went missing and may be dead. It’s definitely a major task for someone so young but she pulls it off well. Sabriel is very strong willed and is very loyal to her father. She would do anything for him even if it means being a tad bit morally grey when figuring out what she would do if he was actually dead since she is a necromancer. I always like when characters walk the line because it makes them more human than just being purely good or evil.

I did some of the side characters, like Mogget. Talking animal companions will always get me! It also helps that he is a cat. I will say that some of the side characters felt a bit flat and I really wish there was more to them.

One thing I did struggle with was the world building. Although some things are explained, others were not as well established like the time periods and it made me a bit lost when trying to wrap it around my head, Luckily, it was explained by host of the read-a-long and I definitely appreciate that! It is a cool concept though to mix two different types of time periods together.

Personally, I wasn’t as invested in this book as I had hoped I would be. I don’t exactly know what it was because I don’t think it was entirely just my complaints. 🤷‍♀️

Overall, this was a good book. I’m still indecisive on whether to pick up the next book in the series. Only time will tell! If I do, it probably won’t be for a bit since I have other books I would like to get to first.