Book Review: Killing the Dead by Marcus Sedgwick

I brought this on 5th of March, but online so it only came the day I wrote this.

Follow the dark, dark path
Into the dark, dark woods
To the dark, dark bridge
By the dark, dark water.

Linger.
Let the ghosts of heaven
tell their story.

This book is 2015 World Book Day and I thought I would review it while you can still buy it. Also somewhat in a reading stump and busy so having a short thing to review is a good thing for me. It's annoying but expected as there is stuff I'm meant to be doing. Ar...If I could ignore everything in my life and make YouTube videos.

This is set in a girl's Bordering school in Stockbridge, Massachusetts; name Foxglove which sounds like the name of a fantasy character that looks like a fox and slaps people with gloves. 

 The story revolves around the school a year after a girl has killed herself and there's not much else I can say without spoiling anything.

This book is told in third-person with changing euphansis on character about every chapter. It works well for the story. 

My only problem with this story is that motive for a small thing a teacher does, isn't explained. It minor, but still it's problem and we should judge it harshly for having one single issue. Of course, that last sentences is not true.

Overall, I gave this little book 4/5 stars for chewing gum. It's interesting story and definitely worth a read for £1.

Book Review: The Dark Flight Down by Marcus Sedgwick

 I haven't this disappointment in a name since finding out what the J stood for in Homer J. Simpson.

In the morning you should think
You might not last unto the night
In the evening you should think
You might not last unto the morn

Boy has survived the terrors of life with the magician Valerian, dark magic, and deadly chases, but he is still on the run. Now, as the City lies frozen, he is captured and incarcerated in the Emperor Frederick’s palace. Boy is transported to a world of splendor, and wealth beyond his wildest imagining. But beneath its golden veneer, this world is full of madness and cruelty, closely guarded secrets, and terrifying revelations.

 So this is the sequel to The Book of Dead Days which was a book I really liked. I didn't like this one as much as I found the characters continued to be weak and I didn't enjoy the plot as much this time. 

The plot this times involves Boy trying to escape repeatedly from people and we get answers to the questions from the last book. However, they were kinda underwhelming. Finding out who the serial killer made me go what, more than it made sense. It became clear early on what the solution would end up being as well.

I gave this book four out of five stars for winding stairs. I can't remember why though, which proves that you shouldn't wait months before writing a review. While I liked this book, it is sort of bland in my memory. I'm glad I read it to have finished the series but it definitely not as good as the first.

Book Review: A Love Like Blood by Marcus Sedgwick

*coughs, begins to sing* "Blood. Blood. I gave you gallons of the stuff and it has never been enough." *bows*



'I've chased him for over twenty years, and across countless miles, and though often I was running, there have been many times when I could do nothing but sit and wait. Now I am only desperate for it to be finished.'

In 1944, just days after the liberation of Paris, Charles Jackson sees something horrific: a man, apparently drinking the blood of a murdered woman. Terrified, he does nothing, telling himself afterwards that worse things happen in wars.

Seven years later he returns to the city - and sees the same man dining in the company of a fascinating young woman. When they leave the restaurant, Charles decides to follow...

I have read a few of Sedgwick books, of course they are YA books but frankly that shouldn’t make a difference. Also Midwinterblood seems more like adult book than YA to me (it’s actually my favourite of his books I’ve read).  In terms of writing style, it’s the same. Sedgwick’s style has always been good and is that likability writer that doesn’t dumb down for kids/teens (there is some writer's where the writing just turns flat). That being said this novel; I did have to look up certain words to be sure of their meanings. He also leaves French unexplained sometimes, so either just guess or look up what it says if you’re like me who doesn’t understand French.

This book is kinda like a stroll. The pace is quite slow and steady even when more action like things are going on. The story is alright; unsurprisingly blood is featured a lot: actual blood, the idea of blood and most of the main characters are obsessed with blood one way or another. I like it. There is a bit of Europe trotting, end up in different and interesting parts of Europe such as Paris which people love for some reason.

The characters are okay. To be honest I don’t read Sedgwick for his characters (which I think I said in my last review of one his books), I think it is his weak point. There is interesting character development though. I just didn’t feel connected to any of them; they are all there for a purpose that they fulfil. 

Got to say that I really the cover. It's eye catching and has something to do with the actual book. 

Overall, I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars for hemoglobin. It's a sound book. If you like Marcus Sedgwick other books then you probably like this. There is sex and swearing though (that's the adult part) so my 12 year old self would have found this tame.

I got this off Netgalley for a review. It’s being published by Mulholland Books on 27^th March 2014.

Book Review: My Swordhand is Singing by Marcus Sedgwick

It has way old school vampires and passed the graveyard test so that all you really need to know.

In a bitter winter, Tomas and his son, Peter, settle in a small village as woodcutters. Tomas digs a channel of fast-flowing waters around their hut so that they have their own little island kingdom. Peter doesn't understand why his father has done this, or why his father carries a long, battered box, whose mysterious contents he is forbidden to know. 

But Tomas is a man with a past--a past that is tracking him with deadly intent. As surely as the snow falls softly in the forest of a hundred thousand silver birch trees, father and son must face a soulless enemy and a terrifying destiny.

 This book features old folktale vampires. You know 'your loved one coming from the grave to drink your blood' type of vampire, the ones that actually resemble zombies more than a modern interpretation. There is other mythology as well, like the Shadow Queen. It creepy and tensed. There is this big complex plot building up, it seems more for the benefit of the next book. There is actions scenes and madden runs whilst as having a good plot for all the action to take place in.

Characters are alright, Peter is lonely youth with his only friend
being a horse that's older than him. Him and his dad moved around a lot and the local villagers don't like strangers because you always blame the people you barely know for the blood sucking monsters attacking people. There some sort of romance. I've got to say that I don't really read Marcus Sedgwick for his characters, they do tend to be a bit bland. It the actual story I come for. I think my favourite character was the horse.

Overall, I give 4 out of 5 stars for singing hands. I definitely read next (and I think final) book in the series. Though, I don't feel the rushing need to go out and find it (especially since my library doesn't have the next one). It worth if you like vampires, that are scary, and have interested to read something based on the old mythology.

Book Review: The Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick

 I was slightly disappointed by this book as it  was totally not what I was expecting from the summary on the back of the book. But then I was distatched by the cover (it had a bookmark ribbon in it) and the whole Dead Days thing.

The days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve are dead days, when spirits roam and magic shifts restlessly just beneath the surface of our lives. A lot can happen in the dead days.

Accompanied by his servant, Boy, (who has no name and no past) Valerian, the magician, must save his own life, or pay the price for the pact he made with evil so many years ago. But will his sorcery be any match against the demonic power pursuing him?

Set in dark, dangerous cities and in the frozen countryside of a distant time and place, 'The Book of Dead Days' conjures a spell-binding story of power, corruption and desperate magic.

I was really intrigued by thinking of the days between Christmas and New Year's Eve as being dead. As these days you do kinda muddle through those days. The thing is that these days actually pays no real part in the plot of novel. It claims it does by separating the days over the week that past during the work. It could really be any week during winter. I was expecting something to do with ghosts invading someone during these Dead Days. There is some magic like aspects in the book, still just I think that first part of the summary was very misleading, as there is no "Spirits".

The actual plot of the book was quiet good. I liked Boy and his relation with Valerian was interesting. Couldn't care less for the love interest though.There was some character stupidity, but that's to be expected with lives in the balance.

The setting was interesting. It this historical, timeless sort of city, that seen better days. The tunnels under the city were cool. Also who doesn't love a book that includes a visit to Graveyard in the middle of the night. Two visits actually.

Its also has an acceptable cliff-hanger. It has a proper ending but does tense you enough to want you to read the next book to find out all the answer. I'm not in hurry to get my hands on the sequel, however I will get it eventually.

Overall, I gave this book 4/5. While structurally good, there was just something lacking when it came to connecting to the characters, the value of the mystery mainly over comes that.

P.S. I'm not sure if that's a good review or not. I should probably start annoying some trust worthy people.