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Sabriel by Garth Nix

Summary

Since childhood, Sabriel has lived outside the walls of the Old Kingdom, away from the random power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who refuse to stay dead. But now her father, the Charter-Mage Abhorsen, is missing, and to find him Sabriel must cross back into that world. With Mogget, whose feline form hides a powerful, perhaps malevolent spirit, and Touchstone, a young Charter Mage, Sabriel travels deep into the Old Kingdom. There she confronts an evil that threatens much more than her life--and comes face-to-face with her own hidden destiny.

304 pages, 5th grade and up

Discussion questions

Spoiler alert! Some of the questions contain key elements of the plot. Do not read if you don't want to know what happens!

  1. Describe Sabriel. What kind of person is she? Brave? Independent? How does she change over the course of the novel?
  2. How was Sabriel raised? What is her relationship like with her father?
  3. Describe the differences between the Old Kingdom and Ancelstierre.
  4. What are Charter symbols? How did you picture them in your mind?
  5. How do the seven bells of the necromancer work?
  6. Did you like the romance between Touchstone and Sabriel? Did you see it coming? What do you predict for their future?
  7. While reading the book, did you believe Sabriel would be reunited with her father? How is she able to come to resolution with his death?
  8. Is Mogget the cat helpful? What feelings does he have deep inside that sometimes show? Why is this?
  9. The author includes a map of Sabriel's world at the beginning of the book. Did you refer to it while reading the book? At what points did you look up the map? Do you like it when books include maps?
  10. Have you read the sequel to this book, Lireal? If not, are you interested in reading it now that you've finished Sabriel?

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