Sabriel
Friday, May 31, 2013
I was feeling depressed and sad, so I took advantage of the fact I’d picked up Sabriel as a deal at one point, and decided it was just what I needed to re-read.
Sabriel has spent most of her youth in Ancelstierre, and is now preparing to return to the Old Kingdom and her father, who is the Abhorsen. Unfortunately, a disaster draws her back into the Old Kingdom earlier than expected–and to search for her father.
Ancelstierre is kinda, but not quite, England in 1910 to 1920. This gives you a world that is familiar and yet very different, and is very easy to fall into.
And there is also writing I very much love.
An intensely dark shape stood there, as if someone had cut a man-shaped figure out of the night, carefully choosing a piece devoid of stars.
And characters I love, like Mogget.
“I have a variety of names,” replied the cat. It had a strange voice, half-mew, half-purr, with hissing on the vowels. “You may call me Mogget. As to what I am, I was once many things, but am now only several.
And how necromancy works.
All necromancers had to be musical, had to be able to whistle, to hum, to sing.
So my for my career as a necromancer, since I can’t whistle at all.
And how the story notes little things that have happened to you, but of which you’ve taken no notice.
“One, two, three, push!” announced Mogget. Sabriel pushed on “three” and Touchstone on “push,” so their combined effort took several seconds to synchronize.
I love the little bits like that, that make it seem real to the reader.
But mostly I loved how the story pulled me out of myself and then things that were bothering me.
Rating: 9/10
Published by HarperTeen
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