Book Review: Sabriel by Garth Nix

So I finally got around to starting Garth Nix’s Abhorsen Trilogy. Sure took me long enough. I’ve been pushed and prodded by so many people on these over the years, and after seeing them come up once again a few months ago after the publication of his latest book Clariel, I’ve finally gotten off my ass and started with Sabriel. Overall, I’ve enjoyed the ride thus far.

I must admit that at first it was a little slow going. It took me a little longer than usual to get the hang of the world – the Old Kingdom, the Wall, the Charter, charter symbols, charter magic vs. free magic… I felt like I couldn’t fully wrap my head around things properly until about halfway through the book. I’m not sure if it’s because the world building was actually a little slow, or if it’s because I started it immediately after I finished My Lady Jane, which was a VASTLY different kind of writing and tone. I’m inclined to blame it on the latter, since I quite literally closed My Lady Jane and opened Sabriel. I probably should have taken a day or two to get my head out of alternate Tudor England before I started.

So that might be my bad, but it also might not? I guess I won’t ever really be able to tell without going back and rereading after I get some distance from it.

But regardless, once I did get all the pieces in place world-wise, I sped through the rest of this book. Just lovely. Nix crafts a really exciting, suspenseful story that pulls you right to the end. But while the story kept me riveted from that point on, even as the action drove me forward I did find myself wishing for a little more in some parts (mild spoilers ahead). My small qualms are mostly in regards to character development… or, lack thereof (which, to be honest, would have been far less noticeable if I had actually read the book when I actually still fell in the “young adult” age demographic… but I’m a crotchety full-fledged adult now, so here we go).

Specifically, I will say that I very much wish Touchstone was developed just a little bit more as a character, and that the relationship between he and Sabriel was a little less… instantaneous? Miraculous? Basically, there’s not really much of a transition period for Sabriel to go from “Oh he’s pretty but, ugh, annoying.” to “this dude is now a fully developed individual, and I love him.” And while it was admittedly nice to read about a strong, young, female protagonist where a romance subplot doesn’t really end up becoming the focus – the lack of development there did make the overall relationship seem a little unnatural. The few romance or sex oriented scenes/asides that were there ended up feeling really quite out of place.

But, all that said, as jarring as the “romance” part of the book was, it was also such a small part that I’m not sure it really mattered too much in terms of shaping my overall review. That facet of the book took such a massive backseat to the rest of the plot that what would normally be an enjoyment-ruining character development problem for me wasn’t actually that bad.

My only other qualm – which is not so much with Sabriel itself, but rather with the trajectory of the trilogy – is that while her development is also a bit slow in the beginning (but that might also be a result of me struggling to grasp the world), I did grow very attached to Sabriel (the character) by the end. And because of that I also must admit to not being in a super big rush to start the sequel since it seems to both time jump and introduce a new main character. That said, I’ve ordered it and do intend to start it as soon as I’m finished working through the tome of a biography of HRH Elizabeth II that I’m currently reading. Because while I definitely want to read more about Sabriel, I hope I’ll like Lirael just as much.

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In summary: Sabriel is a fun fantasy adventure through an interesting world that is definitely worth a read, even if it does let character building fall to the wayside in its relentless drive towards the final confrontation.

Overall rating: 3.75/5 stars

Would recommend to: Fans of fantasy.