Sabriel

My 13 year old son and I have recently discovered Garth Nix so I decided to add this story to my i-pod library.I was not disappointed. Nix creates an imaginary world that is both exciting and full of new ideas and notions. I have since bought the book for my son and he found it equally diverting and we have had lots of dicussions about this new world that has been opened up for us. Get through the first couple of chapters which can be a little confusing and you are in for a treat. My son has already moved on to the second book. What greater success could an author ask for?

I've never come across Garth Nix before and I was delighted by this. It has one of the best opening scenes I've come across in a fantasy novel, and it manages to sustain the same level of suspense and invention throughout. Sabriel is a strong and believable heroine. Oh, and Tim Curry's narration is great - you can really enjoy his rich, expressive voice but he doesn't overdo things. He clearly has fun with the character of Moggett though.
(Does anyone else find that the problem with writing reviews for audio books is that you have no idea how to spell any proper names?)

One of the few audiobooks you cant stop listening too, the combination of excellent writing by Garth Nix and the calming tones of Tim Curry. A truely imaginative book that consistantly has you thinking. 5 stars

This book is not as famous as it deserves. Excellent writing, totally original concepts, gripping story line and characters that you can believe in. A fantasy classic! The reading is also one of the best I've heard.

Having loved the books I got these audio versions and haven't been disappointed! The narrator does a fantastic job and I have had many happy hours listening! Already listened to them all twice! Fantastic!

Sabriel is a novel where death, in all its sinister wickedness, comes to life. The eponymous heroine is to battle with the dead to send them back to beyond the 9th gate of death, from where they cannot return. Garth Nix has created a wonderful world for this novel, where a typical fantasy style "Old Kingdom", sits across "the Wall" from "Ancelstierre", which is pretty much like Britain at the time of the first world war (1914, if your history is rusty). With so much evil death around who else could pull off this novel other than Tim Curry? His voice seems perfect for this novel, and he really brings it "to life", or should that be "to death"? He tries hard to inject just the right amount of emotion into each line, each description and each speech, although he struggles a little to give Sabriel a feminine voice. He has particular fun with "Mogget", a sarcastic and grumpy cat that accompanies Sabriel on her quest, and he really hams up the character to the max.

The novel has been around since 1995 and is very popular as a fantasy novel. It is pretty well written, with prose quite a cut above what you might expect of a fantasy novel, but he does use similes a lot more often than he should. Although the world Nix creates has striking elements of originality, I personally found the overall structure too much like a standard fantasy novel, the themes a little flat and inconsequential. But don't let my high expectations put you off. For what it is, it is very good, and enjoyable. If you like fantasy novels, this is definitely something you should listen to.

This is a great story, reminding me of a cross between "A Wizard of Earthsea" and "His Dark Materials", that will appeal to anyone who likes these kinds of books. The narration is also very well done.

Very enjoyable for adults as well as kids. Of the trilogy, this and Abhorsen were the favourites. Sabriel in particular is arrestingly original, with great characters and a nice mix of action and character development. One of our favourites.

I loved this audio book so much that I continued to listen to the next ones in the series. Tim Curry is a fantastic narrator (cheeck out the Lemony Snicket series too) and this book is as engaging for adults as I am sure it is for children too. This book and the others in the series are fantastic and I am amazed they are not more well known. They certainly deserve to be and are truly in the tradition of other great fantasy novels.

Awesome audiobook, beautifully read! I'm 23 and loved it without the excuse of a child. I would recommend it to anyone. It is a wonderful book and an exciting trilogy!