I read the Abhorsen Trilogy (also known as the Old Kingdom Chronicles) when I was in early highschool, but I had to re-read part of it for a class 2 years ago and found it just as charming the however-many-times-around it was. Not only does
Garth Nix write about a believable and complex set of female characters, they're all inextricably tied to the history of their world, but not in the overwhelming way that some fantasy writers play it (sorry Tolkien fans). The first book is all about Sabriel, and she gets to play with the dead. Which I think is pretty bad-ass. I have this weird fixation with death-lore and underworld mythology apparently. The best part about the series is that Nix has woven a ridiculous amount of allusions to other stories and clever plays on language into his story. Most people aren't going to notice that some of the necromantic bells are named after angels, that Sabriel's name is a clever blending of name-ology, and that there's a reason the cat is the way he is, but to someone who's versed in a range of mythological traditions the books take on a whole new meaning. Someday I'll sit down and do a close reading of them and publish that shit and become famous. But that day is not today, because alas, I am tired. But eventually, it shall be done!
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