Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen

Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen by Garth Nix

I’d been looking Sabriel for awhile but hadn’t picked it up to read, mostly because I already have too many books I’ll read when I have time to get around to it, but I read some positive comments about the books, and decided to read them over the break.

The books were very good. The stories are set in two connected worlds. There is the world that feels to me a bit like England before WWII, and the magical world, whose entrance is guarded by a military conversant in weaponry both modern and medieval. In the first book, Sabriel was sent to school in the mundane world, with a magical education, but must then go live in a magical world of which she has few memories and a more theoretical than actual education.

Her primary companion turns out to be Mogget, a creature forced by magic into cat form. I really like Mogget, but then I’m particularly fond of characters whose allegiances are not always clear. But I really liked Mogget after this:

Mogget didn’t answer, but sat at her feet, and made a movement that looked very much like he was going to be sick. Sabriel recoiled, disgusted, then halted, as a small metalic object fell from Mogget’s mouth and bounced on the floor.
“Almost forgot,” said Mogget. “You’ll need this if I’m to come with you.”

The characters are excellent, and the story is fantastic. Despite being a fast read for me, the characters were well developed, as was the plot. The story and the settings are unique, as are the characters, which is always a good thing.

The second book was my least favorite of the trilogy. Set several years after Sabriel, the main characters are Lirael and Sameth, with appearances by Mogget and the Disreputable Dog, a character Lirael conjures to combat her loneliness, but who is much more than expected. Lirael I like quite well, Sameth, however, I found irritating for most of the book, and read through his sections very quickly. Nevertheless it is still a good book, and well worth reading as it provides all the backdrop for Abhorsen, the third book.

Abhorsen keeps Lirael as the main character, although other characters from the first and second books do play important roles. The story moved along at a much more rapid pace than Lirael, which didn’t make Lirael a bad book, just a slower moving one.

If it is important to you (it is to me) each book is resolved. No cliffhanger endings where you must immediately run out and find the next book. Mind you, you’ll want to do so, because the books are very good, but you’re not left wondering whether the characters will survive. (I hate it when books do that.)

Excellent books. I highly recommend them. Go buy them and start reading them right this instant, you’ll like them.

• Browse the archives:
  
• Paper Mage » »
• « « His Dark Materials