My Swordhand Is Singing [Hardcover]

Marcus Sedgewick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 26, 2006

In the bitter cold of an unrelenting winter Tomas and his son, Peter, arrive in Chust and despite the inhospitability of the villagers settle there as woodcutters. Tomas 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 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 to the warrior hero he once was. Marcus draws on his extensive research of the vampire legend which permeates traditions throughout the world and sets his story in the forbidding and remote landscapes of the 17th century. Written in his usual distinctive voice, this is also the story of a father and his son, of loss, redemption and resolution.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'the direct simplicity of the writing make for high readability.' -- Jennifer Taylor THE BOOKSELLER 'Sedwick has taken early vampire legends and masterfully crafted them into this dark tale. His story is like a journey into a beautiful gothic painting...It is possible to read My Swordhand is Singing bravely, only hiding under the duvet a little, knowing it is all make-believe. Yet part of you closes this book wondering, as you reach for the garlic, if Sedgwick's haunting world of vampires could be real. I can't wait for my 11-year-old to get her teeth into it.' -- Vivien Hamilton DAILY TELEGRAPH 'The tension is good, so are the vivid descriptions and the sense that it is today, when in fact it happened in the 1600s.' -- Laura Findlay, Aged 10 UNDERCOVER 'A truly chilling gothic tale, set in 17th century eastern Europe which expertly reinterprets the vampire myth... Expertly reseached and beautifully written, this is a heart-stopping story, which had me mesmerised from beginning to end.' -- Becky Stradwick THE BOOKSELLER 'The pace of the story seeps us through the fear and superstition of the frozen village and out and away with the travelling people as Peter starts his new life.' -- Pat Thomson CAROUSEL 'Dark, well-researched and with emotional punch, this is one of the books of the year.' FUNDAY TIMES 'chilling' -- Amanda Craig THE TIMES 'a gem of a spooky tale that will chill event the warmest blood... the 7th novel by Marcus Sedgwick and it is his best yet. Vampire stories have been told for centuries and My Swordhand is Singing can confidently take its place amongst the finest. It is a simple, macabre tale that is as fresh and alarming as a drop of blood on a bank of white snow.' -- John Millen SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST 'The undead are at the centre of this atmospheric tale, but Sedgwick wisely avoids calling them vampires, a term which too readily conjures the capes and pointed teeth of cartoon graphics. The threat - not spoken of by the village people, but all too evident in the fears, the closed doors, the garlic and buckthron stakes - is all the more powerful for being understated.' -- Linda Newbery TES 'an interesting read which focuses on the original myth of vampires. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story with interesting characters.' -- Scott Shanks, age 14 SUNDAY HERALD 'In a bitter winter in the 17th century, Peter and his father settle in an unfriendly community. It is when the captivating gypsies arrive, and reveal themselves as vampire slayers that the truth is finally and shockingly revealed.' BOOKTIME 'Remarkable for its sense of atmosphere, fear, menace and foreboding Sedgwick's new novel gives insight into the lefend and lore surrounding modern interpretations of the Vampire.' -- Jake Hope BOOKS FOR KEEPS 'a beautifully written, atmospheric, gothic fantasy. By cleverly delving into vampire myth and Eastern European superstitions, Sedgwick maintains tension, pace and mystery throughout the book.' -- Sine Quinn INIS (Ireland) "A boy and girl fight a terrifying plague of the undead in this well-paced, chilling tale." -- Becca Pennicott FOCUS (Kent) 'Marcus Sedgwick's classy vampire story will transport reader to the frozen landscapes of Transylvania.' -- Nikki Gamble THE BOOKSELLER 'Sedgwick's elegant, concise prose crates just the right slightly menacing atmosphere for this moving story... Perfectly pace, with every element spot on. Highly recommended.' -- Marla Arbach YABOOKSCENTRAL.COM 'Marcus Sedgwick writes with concise precision. He doesn't waste a word. And with broad and elegant strokes he paints a chilling and irresistibly Gothic picture of the fight of good against evil...This isn't a genre book. It is a novel of quality.' -- Jill Murphy THEBOOKBAG.CO.UK 'A great story with all the brooding atmosphere you'd need and expect from the subject matter. Sedgwick manages to bring something quite fresh to the vampire theme - should appeal to a broad range of readers, including many adults.' READINGZONE.COM 'a traditional vampire story... exciting from start to finish.' -- Felix Taylor (Age 14) INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY 'highly readable and will entertain teenage readers with a taste for gothic horrors.' -- Peter Hollindale THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN 'I thoroughly enjoyed this book from the well-researched vampire folklore to the effective and dramatic setting. This novel is sure to be loved by all.' -- Rebecca Dickson, Castlebrae Community High TEEN TITLES 'very scary and mysterious... a thought-provoking book with a gripping climax.' -- Laura Gordon, Craigmount High TEEN TITLES

About the Author

Marcus Sedgwick works in children's publishing and before that he was a bookseller. Marcus lives in Sussex and has a young daughter, Alice.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Orion Childrens H/B & Trade Pb (July 26, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1842551833
• ISBN-13: 978-1842551837
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,219,614 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, October 10, 2007

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Swordhand Is Singing (Hardcover)

Marcus Sedgwick's MY SWORDHAND IS SINGING is a dark novel with a heavy emphasis on thick, snowy forests of Eastern Europe, gypsies, and superstitious town folk. It is the perfect setting for a scary story, but it is also much, much more.

Tomas and his teenage son, Peter, are a pair of traveling woodcutters with a mysterious past that settle down in the village of Chust one winter. Before long a string a deaths strike the village. Peter is perturbed by the villagers' strange reactions to the occurrences. When he asks Tomas about them, his father brushes away his questions as silly folk lore. However, Tomas is also doing his own share of strange things, like digging a trench around their home and filling it with moving water. When Agnes, a girl Peter likes, is symbolically married to a dead man and shut up in a remote hut, Peter tries to rescue her and runs into a monster.

Sedgwick takes pains to distance his tale from the gentleman bloodsucker that Anne Rice and authors like her have embedded into pop culture. The word "vampire" is never mentioned and the vampires, themselves, have varying appearances throughout the novel. He does a great job at weaving various and sometimes seemingly paradoxical pieces of folk lore. This gives the story a great sense of immediacy and realism. Sedgwick also shifts the focus from vampires to people who have to deal with terrifying occurrences at home. The buildup of the growing atmosphere of fear and denial will have readers biting their fingernails.

Marcus Sedgwick seems to take a lot of risks in writing this atypical, historically rich vampire novel. Central to the story line is not the relationship between a human and vampire or a girl and a boy (a la Buffy and Angel), but a wounded relationship between father and son. While this may seem terribly uncool, the realism of this relationship is what grounds the novel and makes the more fantastical elements more believable and scary.

Reviewed by: Natalie Tsang

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Four star horror book!, May 26, 2009

By 

MommaMia - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: My Swordhand Is Singing (Hardcover)

First off, the title is intriguing, isn't it? It grabbed my attention right away. Of all the books on the library shelf, my eye fell to this one because of its original title. I usually don't read horror often anymore, but it seemed worth the chance and I was not disappointed. I finished it in one long afternoon on the front porch, and can recommend it to anyone who likes a bit of a scare. The story flows well, the characters are easy to get to know and to like (or dislike!) and you get to care about what happens, thus, you cannot put the book down until it's done. The author was able to paint a picture of this remote village and of the people living there, and I could really visualize this place and it's inhabitants quite easily. Take a chance and get scared!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Careful, Clean and Chilling, January 1, 2009

By 

N. Pierson (NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Swordhand Is Singing (Hardcover)

My Swordhand is Singing is a well crafted and quick read that will chill you to the bone. Sedgwick tells the story providing history and background for the characters in his own time resulting in a style that is not condescending to the reader. The plot moves quickly without dwelling on any one event or emotion for too long leading to an experience that pulls the reader in and pushes them along to the frightening and exciting climax of the story.

Well worth the read.