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225th out of 233 books
—
260 voters
My Swordhand is Singing (My Swordhand is Singing #1)
★ ""Brings fresh blood to the vampire mythos."--"Publishers Weekly," Starred"
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...more
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...more
228 pages
Published
(first published July 26th 2006)
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Review from Badelynge
Marcus Sedgewick takes us to a cold lonely place in the 17th Century in this YA style short horror novel. The dead haunt the snow covered forests of Transylvania. An isolated village hides from the dark and what lurks at the shadow's edge, painting their windows with tar and and trusting that evil will not cross their defences. Sedgewick draws on the vampire folklore of the region to deliver a horror story that predates the more romanticised trappings of the last century. A...more
Marcus Sedgewick takes us to a cold lonely place in the 17th Century in this YA style short horror novel. The dead haunt the snow covered forests of Transylvania. An isolated village hides from the dark and what lurks at the shadow's edge, painting their windows with tar and and trusting that evil will not cross their defences. Sedgewick draws on the vampire folklore of the region to deliver a horror story that predates the more romanticised trappings of the last century. A...more
Here we go again. To all of you who love this book, I'm sorry. For me one description sums this books up.....:
Way too much wind up for way too little payoff.
I read all the positive reviews and kept waiting for the "terror" to kick in. About page 114 (of 204) while Sophia was explaining to Peter about the Winter King and the Shadow Queen and all the other stuff that most readers had probably already put together it dawned on me "it wasn't going to happen". Except for this being vampires instead o...more
Way too much wind up for way too little payoff.
I read all the positive reviews and kept waiting for the "terror" to kick in. About page 114 (of 204) while Sophia was explaining to Peter about the Winter King and the Shadow Queen and all the other stuff that most readers had probably already put together it dawned on me "it wasn't going to happen". Except for this being vampires instead o...more
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While this book explores the folkloric origins of the vampire and contains some interesting superstitions, ceremonies, and tales, the plot is generic and predictable, i.e. in a gloomy creepy village in the country, the dead are rising, and a young man must find a way to stop them, and a handy magical plot device just might turn the tide. Everything plays out toward the expected end.
Nor are the characters particularly interesting. Peter is said young man, his dad is the woodcutter drunkard, there...more
Nor are the characters particularly interesting. Peter is said young man, his dad is the woodcutter drunkard, there...more
I read this book, after picking it up thinking it was something I wouldn't normally read: I'm usually not one for books set in previous centuries, probably because I had a poor experience one time, I don't know.
But this book challenged my assumptions to come out top. It follows the story of a young boy, Peter and his father Tomas. Together, they live a nomadic life as woodcutters.
The story unfurls into a sequence of events, starting with the song. it is a recurring theme that puzzles you the w...more
But this book challenged my assumptions to come out top. It follows the story of a young boy, Peter and his father Tomas. Together, they live a nomadic life as woodcutters.
The story unfurls into a sequence of events, starting with the song. it is a recurring theme that puzzles you the w...more
Two things save this book from purest mediocrity: folkloric vampires (so much yay) and a neglectful/borderline abusive parent-child relationship that isn't the usual oblivious "parent has no characterisation except as Ogre, child hates them and will run away when given opportunity".
Tomas is a drunkard, his son Peter cuts the wood to sell to the nearest village to keep them alive. Weirdness starts happening around the village, and a band of gypsies turn up at the door, insisting Tomas of all peop...more
Tomas is a drunkard, his son Peter cuts the wood to sell to the nearest village to keep them alive. Weirdness starts happening around the village, and a band of gypsies turn up at the door, insisting Tomas of all peop...more
May I invite you to take a quick look at the nicely-designed creepy cover art and the cool title. Then turn the book over and read the blurb about father and son who live in the woods… everyday the father digs a channel around their hut without telling his son why and he also keeps a mysterious old box whose contents the son is forbidden to know. Sounds dark and scary? well, turns out it's a YA book. I was expecting good old horror goriness but instead I got coming-of-age and cute illustrations....more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I loved this 17th century, Eastern European vampire tale.
For me the story evoked the feeling of Peter and the Wolf, a classic that I first came to adore as a wee lad. The ending - rather the fact that I had reached the end of the book - was bittersweet. I enjoyed the experience of reading Segwick's tale so much that when there were no more words to consume, I felt a bit empty, as if I'd experienced a loss. That's the hallmark of a good book, at least for me. The push-pull of loving the story bu...more
For me the story evoked the feeling of Peter and the Wolf, a classic that I first came to adore as a wee lad. The ending - rather the fact that I had reached the end of the book - was bittersweet. I enjoyed the experience of reading Segwick's tale so much that when there were no more words to consume, I felt a bit empty, as if I'd experienced a loss. That's the hallmark of a good book, at least for me. The push-pull of loving the story bu...more
What a fantastic title!
That alone would have sold me on this book. But when I read a recommendation for it on an online list about great vampire stories that also included Sunshine by Robin McKinley, which I loved, I couldn’t get a hold of it fast enough.
And it didn’t disappoint.
This story completely kicks 17th century Transylvanian undead butt!
It is a teen novel but there’s not a sparkly, sulky or sultry vampire in sight. Hooray! These vampires are hardcore traditional – if you want a movie vis...more
That alone would have sold me on this book. But when I read a recommendation for it on an online list about great vampire stories that also included Sunshine by Robin McKinley, which I loved, I couldn’t get a hold of it fast enough.
And it didn’t disappoint.
This story completely kicks 17th century Transylvanian undead butt!
It is a teen novel but there’s not a sparkly, sulky or sultry vampire in sight. Hooray! These vampires are hardcore traditional – if you want a movie vis...more
'My Swordhand is Singing' is something of an antidote to the glut of contemporary vampire YA literature, which is basically high school with long canines, sexual repression and extra hair gel, as far as I'm concerned.
Set in the early 17th century in eastern Europe, it goes back to the old tales of vampires - people who were trapped between life and death, malevolent zombie-like beings.
Peter (in his late teens) and Tomas (his drunken father) have not long settled on the outskirts of Chust when ba...more
Set in the early 17th century in eastern Europe, it goes back to the old tales of vampires - people who were trapped between life and death, malevolent zombie-like beings.
Peter (in his late teens) and Tomas (his drunken father) have not long settled on the outskirts of Chust when ba...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This book has very good description and got my attention from the first page.It takes place in a cold,dark forest known as Chust.Young Peter doesn't know any of his family's history or why his father Tomas(a woodcutter) is so careless about his life...but when one day he sees the dead rise from the ground and hunt him, a gypsy girl named Sofia saves him and helps him to understand why all this is happening.This is all nonsense to peter until he discovers what he has been waiting his whole life f...more
Review published on http://ringothecat.wordpress.com/
Marcus Sedgwick is a cat favorite. One of the only writers to successfully publish work for children and young adults, his foray into the ‘darker’ genres is remarkable. In My Swordhand is Singing Sedgwick takes on the myths of the vampire. In his version of the age-old myth, there are no melodramatic romances. There are also no shining and sparkling über-creatures and irresistible doe-eyed maidens. Instead, Sedgwick focuses on the folktales th...more
Marcus Sedgwick is a cat favorite. One of the only writers to successfully publish work for children and young adults, his foray into the ‘darker’ genres is remarkable. In My Swordhand is Singing Sedgwick takes on the myths of the vampire. In his version of the age-old myth, there are no melodramatic romances. There are also no shining and sparkling über-creatures and irresistible doe-eyed maidens. Instead, Sedgwick focuses on the folktales th...more
First: THIS IS A VAMPIRE BOOK. I'm going to have to start a new shelf called "books I didn't know were about vampires, werewolves, etc." This is not a gushy romance vampire book, though, this is a dark, vampires-are-monsters, book. The whole setting is spooky to the max. Think "The Village." The characters are vivid and mesh perfectly into the setting. There are plenty of unsettling occurences and enough blood and gore to satisfy all the blood-thirsty.
Tomas and his son Peter are always on the m...more
Tomas and his son Peter are always on the m...more
"My Swordhand is Singing" by Marcus Sedgwick tells the tale of a young man and his drunk father living in an Eastern European country during the 1700's vampire scares.
I was really pleased with this book because of its historical accuracy.Everything from the lifestyle of the characters is 100% correct-their town,their mannerisms,customs-all perfect,all believable.
The second reason I really enjoyed this book was that the vampire was an actual vampire. Not a glittering,moody,conservative glitter...more
I was really pleased with this book because of its historical accuracy.Everything from the lifestyle of the characters is 100% correct-their town,their mannerisms,customs-all perfect,all believable.
The second reason I really enjoyed this book was that the vampire was an actual vampire. Not a glittering,moody,conservative glitter...more
First off, I can’t believe I haven’t read this, and after the epicness of it all, I feel even worse! My Swordhand Is Singing is a true vampire novel. None of your Twilight-ish vamp falls in love with a human theme here. Oh no. This is the stuff of true vampire legend! Taking you right back to 17th century Eastern Europe where the legends of the vampire were first born and bred.
This is a truly good book. It’s addictive, a quality that all good books need. It’s gripping. Full of suspense. And twis...more
This is a truly good book. It’s addictive, a quality that all good books need. It’s gripping. Full of suspense. And twis...more
cant help but finding the storyline a bit cliche and simple at time,maybe its just me,because i'am used to sherlock holmes's complex mysteries~ but descriptions are wonderful,gothic atmosphere maintained well throughout,the eyes blinking in the grave scared me to death.
the spoiler in the end shows the next book could be better than this one,,or maybe~
i finished the book within 4 hours,so i cant say it was a boring story or i wont get hooked up~
but the beginning let me down,it was confusing and t...more
the spoiler in the end shows the next book could be better than this one,,or maybe~
i finished the book within 4 hours,so i cant say it was a boring story or i wont get hooked up~
but the beginning let me down,it was confusing and t...more
This book is scary in a way that will make you question what you were doing with you teen years. The story takes you back to the original Vampire folklore of Eastern Europe(Dracula e.t.c.) that is well told with the morbid nature it commands. To me, it sounds like a story that should have been left around camp-fires because of the chills down the spine that it inspires and the sporadic moments of depression. With a little bit of imagination you can almost see the creepy things happening right be...more
My Swordhand is Singing by Marcus Sedgwick, in my opinion was a bit harder to read than most of the other books. The author used more advanced vocabulary and a more advanced plot as well. There were lots of twists and turns in this book because what I had thought would happen when I had read half the books was completely different to what actually happened.
When Tomas built a small island and placed his house upon it, it really puzzled me why he did it, but when I had read on a bit more it really...more
When Tomas built a small island and placed his house upon it, it really puzzled me why he did it, but when I had read on a bit more it really...more
This particular author is quite a prolific writer of YA stories in a variety of genres, but it was the mid-European horror story setting that drew me to this particular book.
Peter and his father, who drinks too much, have found themselves something of a home as woodcutters for a village, though they choose to live on its outskirts and associate with the villagers as little as possible. The village then sees two deaths, which are blamed on wolves even though it appears unlikely to say the least....more
Peter and his father, who drinks too much, have found themselves something of a home as woodcutters for a village, though they choose to live on its outskirts and associate with the villagers as little as possible. The village then sees two deaths, which are blamed on wolves even though it appears unlikely to say the least....more
I zipped right through this book and ultimately, I did quite enjoy it. The plot and story worked really well, however I had problems with Sedgwick's prose style at times. It wasn't tense enough, especially when Peter and Agnes are trapped in the cabin and the final battle with the sword. I felt Peter's character wasn't developed enough, I wanted to know more about his mother, for example, and more about life before Churst. Having said that, I did like the father son detail (again, I wanted to kn...more
Deliciously creepy, with a great set-up, but the payoff was not satisfying as I would have liked - would've been a 5 star read otherwise. Still, this is head and shoulders above almost every other YA vampire/zombie themed book I've encountered so far in terms of intelligence and tight writing. It has that lovely, effective combination of supernatural horror and interpersonal/circumstantial misery, and in a historical setting. I often find YA historical fiction off-putting, but in this case the s...more
Sep 20, 2008
Fin
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
prose-fiction,
aesthetica
This book and it's vampires were so amazingly scary, I still shudder at the thought of being outside alone.
Creepyyyyyy...A good suspense/horror novel. Easy but pacy. Just what we look these days. As the author had pointed out, it dabbles into the folklore behind the rise of VAMPIRES! The story runs in and around our main protagonist- Peter, a teenager, who with is drunkard father has settled down on an island in the outskirts of the village after living most of their life as nomad. The story deals with Peter trying to make an understanding of his life, his drunkard father, the secrets kept from him a...more
There are lots of different names for vampires out there. And some of the tales are a little scary...
I had no clue what to expect upon starting this book, yet for some reason I'd gotten the idea that I wouldn't be impressed by it. I think it must have been a mixture of the cover, the lack of a blurb on the back of the book, and just the general 'feel' of the book in my hand. I'm not saying it makes sense, I'm just saying that that's how I went into the book. After the first couple of chapters I was ready to give up on it as a lost cause, but as I'd been asked to read it with an eye on translati...more
Jan 31, 2010
Ryan Mishap
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
young-adult-fantasy
Eastern Europe in the 1700s. A small village at the edge of an endless forest. A suicide is buried with hawthorn branches. A widow claims her husband still visits her in the night.
Tomas the drunken woodcutter brings his son Peter to the village of Chust, escaping a past he won't talk about. Whispers of the Shadow Queen and murdered villagers disturb Peter, but his father calls it superstitious nonsense. When the girl Peter fancies is locked away for forty days in a hut outside the village, he f...more
Tomas the drunken woodcutter brings his son Peter to the village of Chust, escaping a past he won't talk about. Whispers of the Shadow Queen and murdered villagers disturb Peter, but his father calls it superstitious nonsense. When the girl Peter fancies is locked away for forty days in a hut outside the village, he f...more
It was very refreshing to read a vampire novel based on the old folk legends, which seem to have largely been ignored in fiction. My issue with this book is more that it is written in a very simplistic way, both in terms of the complexity of the language and of the plot. Yes, it is a Young Adult novel, but I have read YA novels with a great deal more sophistication and complexity to them than this one - which is a shame as the plot is quite good and the characters seem interesting, but nothing r...more
The creepiest thing about this book was that even though it's about certain blood-drinking, sunlight-allergic, extremely scary non-living people, they are almost never mentioned directly. The small community living in a huge, dark forest in the middle of nowhere prefers to pretend that these creepy and dangerous nighttime visitors don't exist. However, soon it becomes impossible to ignore what is happening, and then things get really gross and freaky. If you like scary books and are interested i...more
The thing about Marcus Sedwick is his writing. It enthralls us with a great sense of atmosphere, that is mysteriously alluring yet dark and brooding. His story is like a beautiful painting, carefully brushed by each stroke of colours.
Yes, it may seem lacking of action and a-bit slow paced but this is where the strength of the book lies. I was engrossed by its atmospheric beauty and dark melancholy.
If you wish to find the typical YA Vampire or Living Dead books; thrash this book away. You can't...more
Yes, it may seem lacking of action and a-bit slow paced but this is where the strength of the book lies. I was engrossed by its atmospheric beauty and dark melancholy.
If you wish to find the typical YA Vampire or Living Dead books; thrash this book away. You can't...more
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Marcus Sedgwick (b 1968) was born in Kent, England. Marcus is a British author and illustrator as well as a musician. He used to play for two bands namely playing the drums for Garrett and as the guitarist in an ABBA tribute group. He has published novels such as Floodland (winner of the Branford Boase Award in 2001) and The Dark Horse (shortlisted for The Guardian Children's Book Award 2002).
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