Garth Nix: Sabriel

So, I have read this before. It has been over 5 years and I needed a mental vacation, so I decided to re-read the trilogy.
I LOVED this series when I read it the first time. I remember being captivated and thrilled that the female heroine was so strong.
This was my first introduction to the fantasy realm after a long absence, and one of the first YA books I read with a strong heroine in the lead.
That being said, re-reading this, especially after Cashore's texts, didn't impact me in the same way that the first reading warranted.
Sabriel is whiny, and Nix rambles at times when a more concise description would be more appropriate. With this text, it is evident that a man is writing in the voice of a female, and with a second reading I realized that it really isn't that successful.
Now don't get me wrong--the world that Sabriel exists in is extremely unique (at least for me), but I wanted a little bit more than what is produced overall. The action is good (when it is there), and I appreciate the focus on Sabriel and Sabriel only.
Overall, I am glad that this series did inspire me to venture out more into the fantasy realm--otherwise I'd have never read Graceling...