The Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick

Darkness. Two hours to midnight.

Marcus Sedgwick’s books have been amongst my favourite discoveries of the year, he is such a master at conjuring up a wonderful atmosphere for his stories to take place in.

So, it would seem then, leaving it unread on my shelves for a number of months, would be an error on my part. But no, this was always planned out (even more so, when I came across this review in Carl’s archives during the summer). You see the story takes place during the ‘dead’ days between Christmas and New Year, so it seemed only proper to read it at this time.

The days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve are dead days, when spirits roam beneath the surface of our lives. A magician called Valerian must save his own life within those few days, or pay the price that he made with evil so many years ago, but are no match against the great power pursuing him. Helping him is his servant, Boy, a child with no name or past, and the orphan girl, together they dig in death-fields at midnight, and are swept into the subterranean city on a journey from which there is no escape.

In a place known only as ‘City’ Boy works as an assistant to the stage magician, Valerian, who in return treats him cruelly.

Valerian, has become increasingly distracted over the past few months, and it becomes obvious the reason behind this is the terrible secret he is keeping, and as the year draws to a close he becomes more and more desperate.

Carl V, in his review drew comparisons with films The Illusionist and The Prestige and that is a perfect description on the mood, Sedgwick evokes in this book. I’ve mentioned in previous reviews just how impressed I am with Sedgwick’s ability to weave a compelling and believable atmosphere in each of his books, and this one is no different, as he slowly builds the tension towards the climax.

When the man, Valerian has sent him to see, is murdered right in front of him, Boy, escapes with only a musical box and seemingly without the information Valerian needed, during his escape he comes across Willow, also from the theatre and who is escaping from her own nightmare evening, both coated in blood not their own, they are soon arrested and accused of murder.

Broken out of gaol by Valerian, the three of them embark on adventure, that take them through the city’s death fields (cemeteries) out of the city, and back into it through the maze of buried canals, beneath the cities streets.

As the end nears and the last day of the year draws to a close, Valerian’s secret is revealed, and Boy’s life is in danger, as either Valerian or Boy, must die before the night is out.

While, The Book of Dead Days, does come to a satisfying conclusion, there are unanswered questions and these are addressed in the sequel, The Dark Flight Down, and I’ll be reading that one just as soon as I have finished, Nation.

Sedgwick, is fast becoming one of my favourite authors, while I’ve not yet read one that would individually top my charts, they are always consistently excellent, and reading them is always a magical experience, and this one is no different.

A thoroughly enjoyable, original and creative story, highly recommended.

Rating:

Buy the book from Amazon:

The Foreshadowing by Marcus Sedgwick

Gothic novel meets WWI.

Another read for the R.I.P III Challenge from my recent book pile discovery and yes, it’s another Marcus Sedgwick.

Yet again I am impressed with Sedgwick’s writing, impeccable research that always informs the plot and yet never controls it, the result really does portray the atmosphere, horror and futility of wartime.

There’s a review on the cover from Publishing News that calls the book:

Devastatingly Good.

And I have to agree, this book will not leave you unaffected when you reach its satisfying conclusion.

Seventeen-year-old Alexandra “Sasha” Fox, lives a more than comfortable life, but it’s 1915 war isn’t the only horror she faces.

A terrible event from her past returns to haunt her, when she starts to get glimpses of the future, it’s bad enough, when she stops her mother from getting on a tram, that moments later crashes, but then she sees what will happen to her brothers Edgar and Tom…

Volunteering as a nurse, this eventually leads her to France and then the front line, as she attempts to understand her ‘gift’, tries to save her brother, and carry out her duties as a Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse.

Told in short, sharp almost diary like, chapters this is a dark, intense and fast paced book, where even happy endings come with a price, both to the characters and the reader.

Rating:

Buy, The Foreshadowing, from Amazon.

Other Reviews to consider.

• Scholar’s Blog
• of Making (too) Many Books

Witch Hill - Marcus Sedgwick

When I was planning my R.I.P. III reading pool, I’d completely forgotten that I had a stack of Marcus Sedgwick’s to read. That was very nearly a mistake as he writes some fantastically atmospheric books that are just perfect for the challenge. So when I came across them whist turning the TBR pile over a little, I eagerly pulled them to one side to start reading.

First up, was Witch Hill.

Twelve year old, James Fraser (Jamie) is haunted by the fire. A family tragedy that will stay with him forever.

He goes to live for a short time with his aunt, in the small West Country village of Crownhill, both to give him space to get over the traumatic events of the fire, and allow his parents to repair the family home.

But life is about to get even more terrifying for Jamie. When an evil old hag, somehow manages to get into his dreams, and then there’s the girl.  A sacred victim of a seventeenth-century witch hunt, whose presence Jamie can sense all around.

As the story races to it’s scary conclusion, and the dark secrets of Crownhill and its witches are revealed, Jamie must face his very worst fears, if he wants to survive and free himself from the horrors of the past.

The more I read Marcus Sedgwick’s books the more impressed I am. He creates some brilliantly dark worlds that always feel ‘real’, and you can really sense the amount of research and work he puts in to get this just right, and without this ever overpowering or leaving the prose ‘dry’.

We learn the girls story, from the snippets and reports, that Jamie discovers and which is also cleverly interwoven with Jamie’s own story.

Bit by bit we begin to realise the connections between the events surrounding this girl and Jamie’s own horrifying dreams, Sedgwick takes both stories and  masterfully builds the suspense right up to the frightening conclusion in this wonderfully spooky book.

Perfect for young teens and older.

Rating:

Buy, Witch Hill from Amazon.

Floodland - Marcus Sedgwick [A Weekly Geek Style Review]

Another bunch of questions from Weekly Geeks #12!

Care asked:
Is Floodland one of those books they use the term dystopic to describe?

I would think dystopic is a perfect word to describe the books setting and general atmosphere. We follow, Zoe, living on her own after being separated from her parents, when they tried to escape their ever decreasing island.

Global warming has caused the waters to rise and England is now a series of islands, with people desperate and competing to find land that can sustain life and feed them.

Zoe, sets out to try and find her parents, and lands on the Isle of Eels, ruled by a mob of kids (think Lord of the Flies, for how successful they are) Zoe, makes freinds and enemys and escape once more.

So, yeah I think the description fits.

dys·to·pi·a /dɪsˈtoʊpiə/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[dis-toh-pee-uh]
–noun a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding.

Joy Renee asked:
I’m interested in the technique and art of storytelling itself so anything along that line would interest me. My questions are for any or all of the titles in your list:

How was Point-of-View handled? Was there a single POV character or did it alternate among two or more. Was it always clear whose eyes and mind were filtering?

The book follows Zoe, throughout her adventure, and I’d say it is always clear whose “journey” it is, and though who’s eyes we witness it.

How was language used to set tone and mood? Was the prose dense or spare? Were sentences generally simple or complex?

The writing was fairly sparse, but perfectly suited to the world and used to good effect

What was the central or organizing theme?

A lone girl’s search for her family in a dystopic world.

How does the title relate to the story? Was it fitting?

It’s “Floodland”, it’s about a world that’s flooded, so yep, it most definitly fits!

Rating:

Buy Floodland from Amazon.

My Swordhand is Singing by Marcus Sedgwick

In the bitter cold of an unrelenting winter Tomas and his son, Peter, arrive in Chust and despite the inhospitableness of the villagers settle there as woodcutters. Tomas is churlish - taciturn at the best of times. He digs a channel of fast-flowing waters around their hut so they have their own little island kingdom. Peter doesn’t understand why his father has done this, nor why, all his life they’ve moved from place to place, or why his father carries a long battered box everywhere they go, and why he is forbidden to know its mysterious contents.

But when a band of gypsies comes to the village Peter’s drab existence is turned upside down. He is infatuated by the beautiful gypsy princess, Sofia, intoxicated by their love of life and drawn into their deadly quest.

For these travellers are Vampire Slayers and Chust is a dying community - where the dead come back to wreak revenge on the living. Amidst the terrifying events that follow, Peter is stunned to see his father change from a disillusioned man, old before his time, to the warrior hero he once was.

Marcus Sedgwick’s concise elegant writing creates a truly atmospheric world, with just the right amount of menacing undertones to leave you unnerved throughout this wonderfully tense tale.

These aren’t the romantic vampire’s you may have read before - sorry no Edward Cullen’s in this tale - these vampires are rough and ready, drawn from 17th century folklore, so you can expect blood and gore aplenty (perfect for the young adult target audience).

Yet the shear fact that it is obvious Sedgwick has taken the time to work on the story and craft it to the best of his ability, working in themes of love, loss, courage and more, means adults and more mature teens, will find much to enjoy.

A fantastic spine-chilling page turner, and I look forward to reading more of Sedgwick’s work.

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