Cold, Ice, and Frozen Things
Death is a frosty place in Sabriel's world. When necromancers visit Death, they wade through an icy river so cold that their physical bodies, left behind in Life, become visibly frozen. And when Sa...
Water
Water plays a big part in the magic system of the Old Kingdom, and—quite literally—it prevents Death. Dead creatures can't cross running water, so bodies of water are used as barriers for prote...
Walls and Barriers
There are tons of walls in this story, the most obvious of which being the capital-W one that divides the Old Kingdom and Ancelstierre. This Wall is a crucial barrier, serving to separate the magic...
Keys
So what's going on with the key symbol on Sabriel's Abhorsen garb? The official tunic is "dusted with embroidered silver keys that reflect the light in all directions" (10.37). An entire tunic cove...
Bells and Sound
Let's talk about Sabriel's bells for a minute. Her set of necromantic bells, passed to her by her father, is the most important tool of her trade, in addition to being a dramatic fashion statement,...
Crosses in Death
When Sabriel dies in her final battle with Kerrigor, impaled on a sword, a familiar image is visible on her face: Her sword loomed above her, blade and hilt casting the moon-shadow of a cross upon...