Sabriel by Garth Nix

I think that I’m going to have to make a rule, where I have to finish one book per week. Then I can not only get through my pile easier, but I can also actively blog. It’s a great idea, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before!!! OH, and I have something to show you guys, check it out. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/at-europe/at-europe-london-closeup-the-amazing-staircase-042543 It’s a staircase/bookshelf! I want it! This is the first thing that I’m going to do when I’m rich and get to design my dream house. The next thing I will do is make a huge bedroom which is just a bouncy and comfortable mattress going all the way to the walls – but that’s irrelevant.

Growing up outside the wall of the Old Kingdom, living the life of a student, Sabriel is whisked off her feet by the news that her father is trapped somewhere in Death. Using all that her father has taught her about necromancy and sending dead spirits to rest – Sabriel travels into the depths of the Old Kingdom to rescue her father and to make sure that the dead are not freed from their bindings. Pursued by evil spirits and taking many crash landings on the way, Sabriel has to face one of the Greater Dead (possibly the greatest) and use all that she has learned from her father to defeat it. But can she do it without using Astarael – the Sorrowful – which when rung would make all who hurt slip into death.

This book didn’t start slow at all, and that made me happy. It wasted no time in the beginning, and went right to making you form in your mind what the hell was going on with the setting. It has magic and technology mixed together, and the way that the author eased you into the world that Sabriel lived in was perfectly done. I enjoyed this book very very much.

The one thing that I would say needs some work is some character issues. I know that in Nix’s writing style character’s personalities are all very simple, but still. I think that he could work on the main character being a little more interesting. She doesn’t really have personality traits and seems kind of neutral about everything. I just wish that there would be something else that made her unique, besides being full of courage just like every other protagonist in fiction books.

The setting was wonderful, I loved the time and the world that Sabriel lived in. This is a great book, and I recommend it. Here is Garth Nix’s website. http://www.garthnix.com/ I give this one a steady 4 out of 5. (The pictures with the stars are on my other computer, Sorry!)

Later Cheese Graters,

MRR