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Gets an extra star because the audiobook is narrated by Tim Curry.
The novel itself is perfectly fine. I liked the concept, the setup, and I really liked how the ending was not what I expected it to be. A lot in between the setup and the conclusion was hit or miss for me, but I enjoyed it overall.
An unusual adventure story with a lot of intriguing elements to the world. However, I found the importance of bloodlines kind of dumb, and the royal aspects mostly uninteresting. I liked the villain, though it reminded me maybe too much of The Farthest Shore by Ursula K Le Guin.
But, yeah, good enough.
The novel itself is perfectly fine. I liked the concept, the setup, and I really liked how the ending was not what I expected it to be. A lot in between the setup and the conclusion was hit or miss for me, but I enjoyed it overall.
An unusual adventure story with a lot of intriguing elements to the world. However, I found the importance of bloodlines kind of dumb, and the royal aspects mostly uninteresting. I liked the villain, though it reminded me maybe too much of The Farthest Shore by Ursula K Le Guin.
But, yeah, good enough.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Peak
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was a good fantasy, the first of a trilogy about a young anti-necromancer suddenly thrust into her first dire quest. The world building is an interesting blend of modern(ish), medieval, and various sorts of magic, and well done. Solid plot and character building as well, very enjoyable. I would’ve liked a more compelling connection with the protagonist.
Nekromancja, śmierć, magia, fajnie wykreowany świat oraz demoniczny, gadający kot - czego chcieć więcej? Każdy z tych elementów mi się podobał. Wpadło to w moje upodobania. Szczególnie Mogget - on jest najlepszą postacią, jaką mogliśmy dostać. Sabriel też nie jest głupia. Co prawda dużo się jeszcze musi nauczyć, ale nie upiera się przy wybieraniu złych decyzji.
Mam nadzieję, że w następnych tomach system magii zostanie szerzej wytłumaczony, bo jest interesującym aspektem.
Mam nadzieję, że w następnych tomach system magii zostanie szerzej wytłumaczony, bo jest interesującym aspektem.
I have to admit, it took me longer than usual to get through this book. Only because I felt I had to digest what was going on, which is never really a bad thing. The author did a fantastic job world-building and creating some unique creatures. It did get a little cliche and disappointing near the end, but the journey along the way was great and I loved following Sabriel through it all.
So I'll get out the parts I didn't like first. As I said, it got disappointingly cliche. The one where the woman and the man fall in love after only knowing each other for a few days? Yeah, that happened. Also, a lost prince who just so happened to be the guy Sabriel falls in love with. Not saying I didn't still like the book; I just liked it a lot less after those cliches were put in place. The deus ex machina at the end was a little disappointing, too. There was so much building up to it, so many battles and so many lives lost... and the big bad was defeated in a fairly simple and convenient way. I don't know what I was expecting, but that just gave me an "oh... what?" feeling.
But on to the good stuff. I thought Mogget's character was the most fascinating one in the whole bunch. I wanted to know more about it: what it was, how it came to be under the Abhorsen's control, why it chose different forms and how it determined which forms to take, et cetera. I would love to read more about it. I also liked the captain guy who saw Sabriel as a daughter figure. How he knowingly put himself in a deadly situation was tragic. Sabriel was great too, of course. One of the strongest, best-written female characters I've seen. Except for the romance cliche, but I guess you can't win them all.
Overall, it was a great book. It took me a while and I was exhausted at times, but it was worth the trip.
So I'll get out the parts I didn't like first. As I said, it got disappointingly cliche. The one where the woman and the man fall in love after only knowing each other for a few days? Yeah, that happened. Also, a lost prince who just so happened to be the guy Sabriel falls in love with. Not saying I didn't still like the book; I just liked it a lot less after those cliches were put in place. The deus ex machina at the end was a little disappointing, too. There was so much building up to it, so many battles and so many lives lost... and the big bad was defeated in a fairly simple and convenient way. I don't know what I was expecting, but that just gave me an "oh... what?" feeling.
But on to the good stuff. I thought Mogget's character was the most fascinating one in the whole bunch. I wanted to know more about it: what it was, how it came to be under the Abhorsen's control, why it chose different forms and how it determined which forms to take, et cetera. I would love to read more about it. I also liked the captain guy who saw Sabriel as a daughter figure. How he knowingly put himself in a deadly situation was tragic. Sabriel was great too, of course. One of the strongest, best-written female characters I've seen. Except for the romance cliche, but I guess you can't win them all.
Overall, it was a great book. It took me a while and I was exhausted at times, but it was worth the trip.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated