Fantasy review: Sabriel by Garth Nix

Sabriel is the daughter of the abhorsen, a necromancer of enormous power who protects the old kingdom by frequently going into death to prevent evil spirits from coming back.  Sabriel, motherless, was raised across the wall in Ancelstierre, a land that had no belief in the ancient magic or the dangers that lurked in the old kingdom.  But when her father disappears, Sabriel is called into duty as abhorsen in waiting---despite her complete lack of experience.  Nix has created a completely engrossing world in which you can easily get lost.  I read this book for a grad school class that required a fantasy novel, and a student suggested this one. I liked it so much I wound up reading the sequels immediately after, despite needing to read other genres for my clas.  This is one of the better fantasy books I've read, and the sequels all break new ground rather than follow the same character again and again.  Highly recommended to fantasy fans, and a suggested read for others.