What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

I'm looking for help finding a book I started to read as a child, but didn't finish. I remember what the cover of the book looks like & some general themes but not much else.

The name of the book is the same as the main character's name. All I remember is it begins with an S. It's a shorter name, under 10 letters. Sabine is the name by brain came up with but it's not that, I've done extensive googling with that name.

It's set in the past, maybe the past of an alternate universe. There's no technology. The main character who is a girl in her early teens lives on a big estate, maybe with a castle that she lives in. There is a cat, I cannot remember if the cat talks or not but I feel like it does. The main character starts to learn how to use magic and/or fight. I don't remember there being any other kids in the book (at least not in the beginning) but there are a couple adults.

Book cover description: The cover was not a photo, featured the main character who has black hair. The cover is framed in black and is very simple. It just shows the main character (& maybe the cat?) and the title above her. The main character is off-set to the left. The colors were very simple - just black & cream/white and a small dot of something red.

I would have read this book someone between 1999 - 2008 but I don't remember if it was a new book. Definitely a chapter book that would have been about 200-300 pages? Maybe longer.

My Google searches turned up this: Sabriel. It sounds like it matches?

That's it! You are amazing!! THANK YOU!