During a recent trip to the city library, I stumbled upon an audio book with a fairly unassuming title, by an author I had never heard of: Sabriel by Garth Nix. I am not sure what about the book caught my eye, but after reading the synopsis, and discovering that it was narrated by the Tim Curry, I snatched it up and couldn't wait to get home and start listening.
Sabriel is a story about a young girl of the same name who was raised in a country known as Ancelstierre and has recently graduated, at the top of her class, from a girl's prep school. She has studied all of the usual subjects: English, music, math, science, etiquette, fighting arts, and magic, though the latter is only taught to certain privileged children. She isn't much different than the other girls her age, taking part in the usual gossip and going through typical adolescent phases, unless you consider that her father visits her each month by way of a "Sending", a form of astral projection, when he isn't visitng her in person and teaching her to read from The Book of the Dead.
Her father, Abhorsen, has visited Sabriel through a Sending every month, without fail, for the thirteen years that Sabriel has been away at school. Until one night, that is, when Abhorsen does not appear, and she learns that he is trapped somewhere in the land of the dead. A spirit messenger sent by her father leaves her with his belongings – a magical sword and a bandolier of bells – with little explanation of what has happened to her father. Sabriel is naturally concerned about Abhorsen, so she decides she must take a trip across the Great Wall in to the Old Kingdom, where magic is strong and undead exist in pestilent numbers, to try and save him.
Having been raised most of her life in Ancelstierre, which is something like a 1940s-era England, with rudimentary automobiles and airplanes, among other technologies, Sabriel knows little of the Old Kingdom. She does know that it is a dangerous place, not only for the increasing number of undead found there, but also for the "Free Magic" beings who exist as a counter to her own Charter Magic lifestyle.
Despite heading in to a land that is unfamiliar and dangerous, Sabriel undertakes her quest with the confidence of one who has lead a relatively sheltered life, but has seen enough in her time to feel like she has mastered it all. Sabriel makes for a very interesting character in this way; at times she displays a courage beyond her years, while at others she is burdened by her youth and inexperience.
In Sabriel, Garth Nix has created a world that is familiar, yet vastly different than any that you may know. While certain characteristic fantasy elements are easily identifiable, such as swords, magic, and the undead, other elements are relatively unique, such as traversing in to death as if it were just another room, using bells and music to bind the dead so they may not rise again, and etching Charter Symbols to create magical effects.
Reader beware, as the Old Kingdom is not a place for the faint of heart. Sabriel is a surprisingly dark book, especially for one which is found in the Young Adult section and stars a teenage girl, and there is quite a lot of blood, gore, and terror to be found here. It's something you might expect from a book plagued with the living dead, but may be more suitable for older teens or adults. The author never gets too out of hand, but there are certainly nail-biting moments in this book that may frighten younger audiences and the faint of heart.
To his credit, Garth Nix handles every scene in his book with the perfect amount of detail, and a welcome dash of humor from time to time. He surprised me with his attention to detail and knack for making mundane and trivial things add character to the story. When accompanied by the diverse and experienced voice of Tim Curry, Sabriel becomes a vivid, lively tale of adventure, as well as a dark and foreboding tale of dread.
Sabriel is a well-written, and spoken, book that is perfect for any fan of the fantasy genre that is looking for something distinctly different than a world of fearless heroes and fearsome dragons. Buy or borrow the book, and try the audio book, if you're in the mood for a fantasy novel suitable for older audiences.
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