Sabriel - Likewise Book Reviews

"Just a fun fantasy read!"

"This is a plot driven story with lots of fun action scenes and old-school fantasy quests. However, because the focus was mostly on the plot we were left with one dimensional characters. A whole novel later I really can’t tell you much about Sabriel’s personality other than “brave”, “young” and “heroic”. I struggled to connect with a single character in this novel so I wasn’t really that invested in the will they/ won’t they survive ending. "

"It took me a while to get into. However, about halfway through, it sucks you in and refuses to let go. Once a book you thought you'd only be so-so on, once you turn the final page you realize, "Well, dang. Now I need to get the other two!" Highly recommend, even to those who don't normally enjoy fantasy. "

"It’s a classic. Perfect balance of dark fantasy and a heroine you can be all in for!"

"Jumped right into the second book (Lirael) after finishing the first. I’m at only 25% of the book but it’s already got me hooked!"

"Narrated by Tim Curry. "

"Love love love this book! 5 star read for sure. Fantasy that reads like realism!"

"Probably The Fellowship of the Ring. It’s still a difficult decision!"

"A great book with interesting use of magic. Not many books follow necromancy, and fewer still work with magic in such a unique way. Highly recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy."

"A light first book that sets the stage for more too come"

"@turnergray1 I recently read Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth, which were both fantastic. I also really loved The Blacktongue Thief. You?"

"A little less than three stars…<br/>It really wasn’t bad, but it did feel pretty slow. I definitely didn’t finish it as quickly as I could’ve if it had been more interesting. The descriptions kind of confused me, and I’m not sure I entirely understand the storyline of all the characters. I also had the urge to abandon in part way through. I did like Sabriel as a character though, and enjoyed seeing her try to complete her quest!"

"**DISCLAIMER**<br/>I didn't read a physical copy of this book, I listened to the audio book. Tim Curry's magical narration accounts for a good chunk of my four star review. And by good chunk, I mean about half.<br/><br/><b>THE UGLY</b><br/><br/>Going into this book, I was so excited. The prompt made it sound like an amazing story, but man did I get bored during the first half. It confused me because all of the elements I normally loved were there. Sabriel is an independent woman with a good head on her shoulders, the magical world is amazingly built, there's tons of action, and Mogget is hilarious—enough to make me want to name my own pet after him. <br/><br/>However, I found myself losing focus during most of the beginning and needed to rewind the audio to make sure I really understood what was going on. If it hadn't been for Tim Curry's amazing cat impressions and repeatedly saying the word "knickerbockers," I don't think I would have made it through. And it definitely would have been put down and forgotten had I been actually reading it. <br/><br/><b>THE GOOD</b><br/><br/>Thankfully, Sabriel stumbled across Touchstone and managed to rekindle my interest. <b>#SorryNotSorry</b><br/><br/>After that, the story really picks up and I LOVED it. I had to fight the urge to give it a five-star rating because the ending is so great. There's tons of action, running, zombies, and awesome Sabriel who manages to be her own hero without a male savior. *Fist pumps*<br/><br/><b>FINAL WORD</b><br/><br/>If you're anything like me and some of the other reviewers I've seen on here, hang tight during the first half because the last chunk makes it a worthwhile read.<br/><br/>And for the love of god, please do yourself a favor a listen to the audiobook."

"I loved this series. Sabriel is a unique character and the world Nix created is both fantastical and relatable. "

"Amazing book and start to the series!"

"Ive only read the first one so far but I cant wait to read Lirael!! Maybe in 2021 😍"

"The best book for finding perseverance in dark times."

"Love this book! Read it in middle school and it will forever be a favorite."

"Reading this rn! So good"

"Characters are amazing and the world is really interesting. It is one of my favorite books."

"I really enjoyed reading, Enchantress: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott. "

"Oh you are going to love it ☺️"

"Definitely heavy on the fantasy, if that's your thing. I loved it!"

"Sure thing!! Yeah he’s a good writer and that’s one of his best =)"

"Probably 13-16 primarily. He keeps writing new books in the series and I read and enjoy them in my late 30s. "

"Yes, I believe it is well worth it. I listened to it from the library as an auto book and it was read by Tim Curry it was epic."

"It’s been years since I read it but I remember the setting and the vibes I got from the book were very good. "

"I've been reading a lot of books by molly Harper. The mystic bayou series is golden and hilarious."

"You're welcome! "

"It was slow starting but a good read with a Girl lead! So yes add it to your list"

"I would count this book and it's subsequent series as among Harry Potter and The hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy as books that were the first to truly spark my love of reading. I read this book and it's sequel so many times that the paperback copies I own fell apart before the third one was even published. They are great books. And this first one is not overly horrifically long, but it's so good that I promise you will devour the second one even though it's probably three times as long."

"I absolutely love this book series. I've reread them at least 5 times. "

"I loved it. It starts off kinda slow at first but it picks up a lot. "

"Mogget. He's got quite the following in our house. ... But Sabriel's growth in the book is wonderful, too. Nix does excellent world-building as an author. "

"I have to admit when I read on only the second or third page that Abhorsen has the power to raise the dead, my hopes for the quality of the story were significantly dampened because I feared that eliminating the finality of death would compromise the emotional depth of the story. (It's hard to empathize with a character if that character's never in any real danger.) I was pleasantly surprised to find that Nix headed off this potential weakness through the several means of placing the Abhorsen in frequent mortal danger herself (and making her implicitly unable to revive herself), of only allowing the dead to be returned to life as normal if they are rescued very soon after death, of giving the Abhorsen a moral imperative not to revive the dead (but instead a contrary imperative to lay the dead to rest), and of creating a realm between life and death where the Abhorsen can interact with the undead (but where the final realm of death is hidden even from him).<br/><br/>Nix's writing style gets on my nerves, as when he describes a figure leaping with "impossible leaps" or when he has Sabriel stand still numbly waiting for a pursuer to come for so long that another character has to give Sabriel a push to get her to run, and Nix then immediately adds "but Sabriel needed no urging." In cases such as these, Nix writes cliched phrases with no regard for their literal meaning, apparently expecting the reader only to pay attention to the figurative meaning they have gained through their over-frequent use."