The Book of Dead Days
Marcus Sedgwick
Five days of glorious gothic alchemy and evil . . . An atmospheric, page-turning and powerful novel of sorcery and desperate magic by award-winning author Marcus Sedgwick. Shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction prize and the Edgar Allan Poe Award.
The days between 27 December and New Year's Eve are dead days - days when spirits roam and magic shifts restlessly just beneath the surface of our everyday lives.
There is a man, Valerian, whose time is running out. He must pay the price for the pact he made with evil so many years ago. His servant is Boy, a child with no name and no past - a child he treats with contempt, but who serves his master well and finds solace in the company of his only friend, Willow. Unknown to any of them, it is Boy who holds the key to their destiny.
Set in dark, threatening cities and the frozen countryside in a distant time, THE BOOK OF DEAD DAYS conjures a spell-binding story as Valerian, Boy and Willow battle to stop time and cling to life.
Product Details
About Marcus Sedgwick
Reviews for The Book of Dead Days
Wendy Cooling The Bookseller, 18 April 2003 "Against the stinking, freezing background of an underworld set in a timeless past, this is a dark melodrama kept sharp by surprise."
Julia Eccleshare Guardian, 5 July 2003 "An exquisitely dark Faustian drama set among the shadows of an old European city. The finely drawn characters and enthralling story-telling make this Sedgwick's greatest work to date."
Joanne Owen, Borders Bookshop Bookseller Buyer's Guide Highlights, 11 June 2003 "...has a very real sense of place. ...The hero of this beautifully paced and sometimes blood-soaked adventure is Boy...and there's a very tangible sense of evil in Sedgwick's tale too, along with the careful blending of "real" magic with the seemingly magical effects of encroaching technology...After just a few pages, you know you're in safe hands with Sedgwick.Here is a macabre melodrama inventively told".
Philip Ardargh Guardian, 19 July 2003 "Sedgwick has created a world as dark and compelling as the story he tells." Mail on Sunday, 20 July 2003 "The Book of Dead Days marks a shift to fuller, more descriptive writing than that in Sedgwick's earlier books, but there is no loss of subtle menace and power." Independent, 28 July 2003 "You'll just have to read it for the twist." Times Educational Supplement, 1 August 2003 "Sedgwick has created a wonderfully tight novel which understands its own boundaries and is able to utilise them to its advantage. ...Sedgwick's plotting is tight and ingenious... Sedgwick too has a wonderful way of revitalizing the myth and making it more accessible, bringing the essentials to the fore but having it remain almost Dickensian in the telling. Rather than merely retelling, the essentials are represented and told in an engaging fashion. The Book of Dead Days is a gripping read..." SFRevu "The Book of Dead Days is to be commended for the beauty of Sedgwick's turn of phrase." Dreamwatch "The Book of Dead Days is to be commended for the beauty of Sedgwick's turn of phrase." Dreamwatch