Sabriel, Chapters 16-23

[Prof. Sky Alton]

And we’ve reached chapters 16-23 of Sabriel.

We encounter a lot of dramatic settings in these chapters. Garth Nix has often mentioned how he loves pawing through travel magazines and how sometimes what he sees can find its way indirectly into his writing. Do you think a landscape that borrows from ‘real’ elements but puts a twist on them can be more effective than one that tries to be entirely original?

Remember to use spoiler tags to disguise specific elements of the plot so you don’t accidentally ruin it for anyone else.

[Prof. Gustavo Flores]

Regarding Sky’s discussion question, I believe it helps when authors borrow from “real” elements. Afterall, we live in the “real” world so for a reader it is easier to make a connection with the things or events that s/he is already familiar with. Of course, authors that manage to create something completely different, out of nothing have to be praised and it is indeed admirable when they do that. Truth is, if that is the case, you have to be very descriptive to make yourself understood. It happened with this story, at first I didn’t understand how magic worked and the Charter marks and all of that, until I read a better description that helped me to understand.

About the events of the chapters, I liked to see some more displays of magic, like when Touchstone casted the arrow ward, or when Sabriel defeated the Mordaut, or when they casted the four marks (cardinal wards) when they finally found Father’s (Abhorsen) body.

My favorite chapter was chapter 18. It was interesting to know the story of Rogir (Kerrigor) , how he is related with Touchstone, and how he became corrupted. I really appreciate to learn moreabout the past of the main antagonist and I didn’t expect him to have a close relation with Touchstone.

I also liked chapter 23 and to read howKerrigor was “defeated” again. I really enjoyed seeing Sabriel and her Father working together as a team, fighting for the same cause, finally united. That made happy. To know that the antagonist hasn’t been completely defeated yet adds another twist to the story, and I have to praise Sabriel’s courage of accepting her Father’s death and accepting her new mission: going back to Ancelstierre and find Rogir’s body to finally defeat him.

I’m almost done with the book. I haven’t totally loved it but it has kept me entertained enough to continue until the end.

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

Again with time-turner, since I've just finished the book and didn't want to write any more observations after my first one in case I utterly failed in my quest to read it ...

Well.

I really enjoy that Sabriel gets to be with her father again and that they interact as people who love each other. He shows so clearly his strength and love and she shows she is his daughter. Well done.

However, just as I'm starting to enjoy the story, and we have folks interacting with each other in a way I understand, whether as friends or as enemies, we encounter more definitions of its magic that simply don't compute for me. As a world, it is well thought out, yes, but for me it's like the magic in it is an oxymoron. Maybe that is why I don't just step in and be involved like I am with some other books.

[Elizabeth Mayes]

I was glad we finally got to meet Sabriel's father and see them interact together. Then we find out so shortly after that there is no going back, that Sabriel's father is dead despite all her effort. Yet despite that, we see Sabriel accept this fact with grace, followed by the bravery of her father and Mogget in staying behind so that Touchstone and Sabriel can escape. I was definitely more saddened by the loss of Mogget as I wasn't expecting it and it isn't really clear if he is truly gone or not.

I agree that authors pulling from real life things/places helps readers to connect with the book. There are some amazing books out there set in completely new worlds, but I always find myself taking longer to connect with them since I have so much to learn about it. Pulling from real like gives me an immediate connection and recognition that allows me to just power through the book. That being said, I mostly read books that are almost entirely set in completely new worlds. Getting started does take longer as I take more frequent breaks to think about the new things I've learned about the world, but I love the challenge of having to figure it all out.

This allows me to relate back to things people have said about the magic system in Sabriel. I agree that it isn't making a ton of sense to me right from the beginning, but I think that's part of what makes this book so interesting to me. As I read more I learn more about it and expand my understanding and that makes reading this book fun for me. I definitely plan on looking into the next book in the series and really hope Garth Nix goes into more detail about how it works.

[Vanessa Tilley]

I have always been a sucker for books. My mother had me reading at an early age so books have been a big part of my life. The only bad thing is that I didn't really have a lot of friends because I spent more time reading than I did talking to people. I was in the library reading a lovely book called "It" by Stephen King. At that moment, a ghost came by and decided it would be funny to scare me. He did too good a job and literally scared me to death.

I still haunt the library because I can't bring myself to leave my love of books. I love the library because they have this thing called a book club where people come together to read the same book and then talk about it! It is so much fun and so insightful to hear how someone else interprets a story. Plus, I get to hear about different books that I didn't get to read when I was alive. I just wish I could still smell the books

Lady Lavinia
~Ghost post~