Sabriel did a decent job of scratching a recent itch I've had for high fantasy novels, but it often felt unconvincing. While the world Nix has created is in itself interesting, the way it was explored and described left me acutely aware that I was reading someone's fantasy novel. Sabriel is a very isolated character until roughly halfway in when Nix introduces two compelling characters, Mogget (a demonic cat) and Touchstone (an amnesiac & fallen hero). It was only as Sabriel began to interact with them that I felt her personality became distinct and complex. Those two characters definitely didn't get enough time in the novel, and I think these relationships deserved to be explored a little more before the resolution of the story.
It's been so long since I've rated something two stars. This was so boring and was a real task to get through. I get that this book probably has a ton of layers. It's probably rewarding to re-read this closely and understand all the complex meanings behind every sentence. But I will never voluntarily read this again, because it was just - so - boring.
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