Book 3: Garth Nix's "Sabriel"

The first in the trilogy, "Abhorsen," "Sabriel" explains, highlights, and maps out the world I have come to know and love. A story about a young women who sets off to the country of her birth, crossing the wall into a place of danger, to track down her father, the Abhorsen. As Sabriel starts her journey she uses her skill as a necromancer to ward off the dead and seek help as she makes her way to the house she grew up in. 


The Old Kingdom and Ancelstierre are the two countries in this series, one full of magic, the walking dead, and mystery, the latter more like the early 1900's in our world. Sabriel, a woman of both worlds is the daughter of the Abhorsen, the one necromancer who vows to put the dead down rather than raising them. She comes to see the Old Kingdom as unfamiliar, changed territory. The dead roam in different variations, i.e. dead hands, shadow hands, etc. 


The story told has love, action, valor, and more interesting versions of zombies. A book I recommend to all, young and old (though not too young it is violent and it frankly would have terrified me as a child, though I was a wimp), male or female. The imagery is extremely vivid and the story elaborate but not enough that you want to gouge out your own eyes because you are sick and tired from reading pages about a single tree (thank you very much, "Lord of the Rings). I love this series and I can't wait to read the next book. It sucks you in, this book. I am so glad that there isn't a movie, that I know of, because Hollywood with all of its CGI, could not hold a candle to this book. 


There's the romance for the ladies, in the form of the smoking hot Touchstone. Sarcasm for the cynical in the character Mogget, who is perfect in his role as a demon cat. And badassery (I don't care computer, it is a word) in the form as just about every character in the book. I get excited just writing about this book, so I guess you could call me a fan.


"Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?" Awesome quote, until the next book readers! Five out of five awesome and magic stars.