Sabriel (The Old Kingdom Trilogy #1) by Garth Nix

 "A high fantasy coming of age story that follows Sabriel and her investigation into the whereabouts of her Father and why the dead are suddenly coming back to life."

4 Stars

Pros: Mogget is the best character, hands down. Some of the scenes with Kerrigor and the Dead were truly unsettling but gripping. 

Cons: I wanted to learn more about the Abhorsen and how one learned the art but perhaps Nix was vague for a reason/The Charter was a hard concept to grasp. 

Full Review: 

Sabriel is the only daughter of the Abhorsen, a necromancer who can walk freely between life and the river of death. It's the Abhorsen's job to send the dead and other free magic creatures back into proper death when they decide to escape into life. Sabriel doesn't know much about the art of necromancy, though she's the next in line. But she's spent most of her life at a school in Ancelstierre and only being visited by her father through magical sendings. 

But when she suddenly receives the seven bells that are the tool of the Abhorsen, she knows that something terrible must have happened to her father, or will happen, so she crosses the wall into the Old Kingdom and goes in search of her Father. She's helped by a Free Magic Creature, Mogget, who's in the form of a white cat. He's sarcastic, scathing and helpful but in the most unpleasant way possible, so he makes for an interesting travel companion. 

When Sabriel and Mogget go deeper into the Old Kingdom in search of answers, they stumble upon s man who's been trapped by a magic spell. Sabriel frees him and he eventually admits that he was a guard of the Queen who was led to her death in an ambush by her own son, who'd become a dangerous and powerful Charter Mage. 

Kerrigor, who's the reason Sabriel's father is trapped in death and has been freeing the dead and controlling them in life is at large and wreaking havoc. So, Sabriel and Touchstone know that they have to cross the wall into Ancestierre and stop Kerrigor once and for all. 

This was a very unique idea though the concept of the Charter was a bit confusing. It seems to be a free flowing, source of power in nature that grants those who know the appropriate marks, power. Sabriel and Touchstone are both strong Charter Mages and with Sabriel's ability to walk between life and death, they make a formidable team. The story was interesting enough to keep me reading and see how the adventure continues in Lirael and so far, I've not been disappointed.