Sabriel Theme of Mortality

You knew we were getting to this one, right? Death—a.k.a. the final frontier—is probably the most pervasive theme in Sabriel. It's Sabriel's job to know Death more intimately than anyone else in the Old Kingdom, and it's also her duty to ensure that Dead creatures stay in Death where they belong. At the core of the Old Kingdom magic system is the idea that everyone has a time to die, and otherwise, you shouldn't be in Death at all—unless you're an Abhorsen. And once you're dead? Please do everyone a favor and just stay that way.

1. In Sabriel, Death is not the Great Unknown. It's a real place, and necromancers know what happens when you go there. Does this knowledge of death change the way people in Sabriel's world think about dying? How about living?
2. Sabriel has been visiting Death since a very young age. How has this affected her?
3. In this story, the antagonist refuses to follow the rules of magic, including the rule about staying in Death once you're dead. Why is his rejection of Death so evil? Is it only evil?
4. What do you think about Nix's vision of Death, with the icy river and the series of Gates? Does it remind you of any other concepts of Death you've seen before?

Death can be a good thing, but only if it happens at the right time.

Garth Nix's description of Death has a few things in common with how Death is depicted in other stories and mythology.