My Swordhand is Singing

In the bitter cold of winter, something evil is stirring. Livestock are attacked in the dark night, and the dead return to terrorise their loved ones. Woodcutter Peter is intrigued, but his father, Tomas, insists that they leave well alone. Then a band of gypsies arrive, insisting that Tomas is the only one who can save the village. What secrets has the old man been keeping? And what does he hide in the long, battered box, whose contents Peter is forbidden to know? Set in the seventeenth century, My Swordhand is Singing is a heart-rending story of loss and redemption, inspired by the original vampire folklore of Eastern Europe.

ISBN 0007253850   DEWEY 428.6 ISBN13 9780007253852 (What's this?)   Pages 224 Publisher HarperCollins Publishers   Published in London Imprint Collins Educational   Series title Collins Readers S. Format Hardback   Height (mm) 186 Publication date 20 Mar 2007   Width (mm) 123

"Sedgwick has taken early vampire legends and masterfully crafted them into this dark tale. I can't wait for my 11-year-old to get her teeth into it." Daily Telegraph "Expertly reseached and beautifully written, this is a heart-stopping story, which had me mesmerised from beginning to end." The Bookseller "One of the books of the year." Sunday Times "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." Carousel "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." 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 buckthorn stakes - is all the more powerful for being understated." Linda Newbury, TES "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." 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" INIS "'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 "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." Yabookscentral.com

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