Sabriel

By: Garth Nix

Narrated by: Tim Curry

Ever since she was a tiny child, Sabriel has lived outside the walls of the Old Kingdom, away from the random power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who won't stay dead. But now her father, the Mage Abhorsen, is missing, and to find him Sabriel must cross back into that world.

Though her journey begins alone, she soon finds companions: Mogget, whose seemingly harmless feline form hides a powerful and perhaps malevolent spirit; and Touchstone, a young Charter Mage long imprisoned by magic, now free in body but still trapped by painful memories.

With threats on all sides and only each other to trust, the three must travel deep into the Old Kingdom, toward a battle that will pit them against the true forces of life and death, and bring Sabriel face-to-face with her own hidden destiny.

A tale of dark secrets, deep love and dangerous magic, Sabriel introduces Garth Nix as an exceptional new talent.

Don't miss books two and three of this trilogy! Lirael: Daughter of the Clayr and Abhorsen.©1995 Garth Nix (P)2002 Random House, Inc., Listening Library, An Imprint Of The Random House Audio Publishing Group

Critic reviews

"It's an epic journey in a world as richly realized as Middle-earth and much darker and bloodier than Harry's trials at Hogwarts...Tim Curry brings authority to the reading, grounding the fantastic elements with nuance of character and depth of emotion. (AudioFile)

"Rich, complex, involving, hard to put down, this first novel...is excellent high fantasy." (Publishers Weekly)

"A page-turner for sure." (Booklist)

Enraptured

I am 62 years old and found myself completely enraptured by the combination of Grath Nix's prose and Tim Curry's narration. I am thrilled to have discovered this series that now ranks #1 on my list of all time favorite fantasy novels.

One of my favorites!

Garth Nix is one of my favorite fantasy novelists. Sabriel begins with a young woman leaving school after she receives a message that her father is in danger. She must travel into the Kingdom, across the Wall, and enter Death to find her father. In this fantastic three-book sequence, Nix creates an extraordinary world, full of magic and horror. Parents, if you are worried about younger readers scaring themselves, there is a scene sequence early on in Sabriel that is one of the scariest I've read. Definitely worth a pre-read if you're concerned. Tim Curry is my favorite audio book reader and he outdoes himself in this sequence!

Eh

This was recommended to me as wonderful. I would say it was good. Its well read and the story is interesting. Its a little predicable and I'd say its a little younger feeling than the average YA book. I'd say more in the 10-13 age range rather the later teens. I will not complete the series.

Wonderful Wonderful Wonderful

Fantastic listen, gets you from the start, and swishs you away. If you like fantasy..this series is a must. This is one of those books that hooks you and even though you just started the first of the series, you want to slow it down and savor every minute of it..Tim Curry's naration no doubt makes this series the hit it is. GET IT, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED

Great narrator!

Tim Curry's narration is amazing!!!!! Good story as well with strong character and an engrossing plot.

an old favourite

It's got a colourful setting, vivid characters, a tough, kind, smart heroine, and plenty of twists and turns in the action scenes.

That said, while Curry is a perfectly competent narrator, I just didn't warm to his voice and at times listening felt like a chore.

Sabriel

This book is weird at first but trust me it gets much better. Well worth the purchase!

Like Auditory Velvet

Would you listen to Sabriel again? Why?

I would listen to Sabriel over, and over again! The story is richly woven; a very real heroine facing a fantastical struggle wrought over centuries by a long line of those who have one foot in life and one foot in death. Even beyond truly fabulous storytelling, Tim Curry is the perfect reader for this tale. His voice is like rich, heavy, dark velvet. I just want to roll around in the words as they drip off of his tongue. Even better, he has a great way of altering his voice for different characters - making each distinct - while neither losing his own tone of narration, nor making the characters sound silly and over-exaggerated.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I loved Mogget, from start to finish. You want to know more about him, you revel in his snark and smarm, all the while resisting the urge to pick him up and snuggle the sass right out of that little white kitty body.

Which character – as performed by Tim Curry – was your favorite?

I think that I most enjoyed Tim Curry's performance of Sabriel. As a character she couldn't be different from him; she's eighteen, a young school girl, drifting somewhere between a fanciful girl and a hardened necromancer. Yet somehow, I grasped her tone in his voice. He didn't try to be overly feminine in his voice, didn't make her sound like a man reading in a parody of a woman's tone. Rather, he softened the hard edges, rounded out his tone, and made me believe in a husky-voiced young woman who ranges from terrified, to giddy, to over-confident, to devastated. It was truly a fantastic performance.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There are several; the most memorable of which was Sabriel's reunion with her father. Although I've read the book before (I own the boxset of the trilogy), I found myself pulling over on the shoulder of the road to wipe at my eyes before I could continue to drive. It was just very beautifully read.

Any additional comments?

Yes! READ THIS BOOK! It's a wonderful dive into the darker side of fantasy. The heroine appeals to a YA demographic, while being real enough (and developing enough) to hook a more mature reader. The darker aspect of fantasy displayed might be a bit much for small children (I first read the book at fourteen and found that I was prepared for it, but someone younger may or may not be. Just be warned, there's lots of necromancy and death), but it will appeal to anyone who likes to look for the light in the darkness. Tim Curry has a perfect voice for the tale, and his narration is spot on, witty, and highly engaging. I recommend this audio book highly -- especially as a first foray into audiobooks.

WARNING: The quality of the story and reader might set a ridiculously high bar for other audiobooks!

Tim Curry!!!! Swoon

Any additional comments?

I've loved Garth Nix for years. When I saw this fabulous coming-of-age story was narrated by Tim Curry, I did a happy dance. I was not disappointed. The story is still awesome and Mr. Curry's performance is phenomenal. Check out Lirael and Abhorsen, too!

Awesome!

Great story but not a fan of the voice actor. Takes me back though! Read this years ago