Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Dana

In the land of the Old Kingdom, north of Ancelstierre, dwells a powerful and ancient family, known as the Abhorsens...

This is it, I say. This is the story that shattered all of my normal standards and created new ones. I first read it because, like any teenager, I saw the cover of the book and loved it. I didn't let the rather mundane prologue turn me off, and I'm very glad I didn't. It's the beginning of an epic trilogy that might only be surpassed by Lord of the Rings. Garth Nix, a relatively new author at this time, really knows his stuff.

Mixing reality with believable fantasy, he brings to us the story of the young Sabriel Abhorsen whose family is one of the most respected in the Old Kingdom. They exist mainly to bind the dead that are roused by evil necromancers, and never abuse their powers.

It starts in Ancelsteirre where Sabriel is just about to graduate from a rather normal boarding school. But just north of this land lies one full of Magic and danger. Here is her country of origin and the two are separated by a magical wall made to keep the Dead out of the peaceful nation of Ancelstierre.

When her father goes missing, Sabriel must go to the Old Kingdom to save him, encountering many dangers on the way. This isn't by any means your average story about a heroine, and is my favourite.

From the prologue about the birth of Sabriel, to the twisted end, this book will have you caught in the pages and hanging on to every last word. Garth Nix is truly one of the greatest modern writers there are. His books are a work of pure genius.