This book review was part of a podcast discussion.
Listen to the episode here.
The worldbuiliding was one of my favorite parts of this series. The night and day differences between the Old Kingdom and Ancelstierre was a brilliant contrast that I have rarely seen in other books. The Old Kingdom is a typical medieval fantasy setting with magic everywhere. Ancelstierre is similar to a pre-WW1 England where technology rules. Magic can still work, but only in the north, close to the Old Kingdom. The worldbuilding shines when the story looks at the northern border of Ancelstierre, where the two cultures still mix. Another part of the world I enjoyed was the depiction of Death—which I will leave as a surprise.
The magic system in this book comes into two main types: Charter Magic and Free Magic. Free Magic includes necromancy which, instead of using wands, runes, or spells, employs the use of bells to control and summon the dead to life. I loved the use of bells here because of the versatility. Each of the seven bells has a different use, with endless possible combinations… if the necromancer is skilled enough to control them. Sometimes the bells have a mind of their own.
I enjoyed less the romance between Sabriel and the male lead. It felt rushed and sloppy. Without spoiling the subplot, it just felt too much like the girl meets boy trope.
Overall, I recommend this book to people looking for a different magic system and interesting worldbuilding. Read by Tim Curry, the audiobook is also great.
South Carolina
I am new podcaster who has been enjoying the fantasy genre for many, many… many years. I will read most any fantasy book but high and steampunk are my favorite subgenres.
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