Sabriel was sent as a child across the Wall to the safety of a boarding school in Ancelstierre, far from magic and the restless Dead. When she receives a mysterious message indicating that her father, the Abhorsen, is missing, eighteen-year-old Sabriel must return to the Old Kingdom to find him. There she faces dangerous spirits, necromantic powers, and the realm of Death itself. As she takes on her father's role, she discovers her own abilities and confronts a growing threat to both the living and the dead.