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guardianghost's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
bluesilverwind's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. It was creepy and kept you wondering what was going to Happen.
poachedeggs's review against another edition
3.0
Marcus Sedgwick really likes writing about cold, dreary environs, doesn't he?
cher_n_books's review against another edition
1.0
1.5 stars - I didn't like it.
This was bad. So very bad. I read it for the plot. The ending made me sad, because it was bad. You grow less smart from the book. Don’t stop here. Run. Run to the next book you see. There are no quotes on this site for this book. Can you guess why? Look, friend, look. Here you can see:
“We’ve found one,” Sofia said. “Are you-?” “I’m all right,” Sofia said. “Hurry. We have to try.” She got to her feet. “Come on!” It was so hard. What they were doing was so hard, and the ferocity of the snowstorm only made it harder.
“Come. Come away.” She pulled Peter’s hands, dragging him deeper into the wood, and he knew she was right. He shook himself. “This way,” he said. “I’ve got Sultan with me.” They ran.
Now he knew who it was. The Gypsy girl, the singer. “You ride very badly!” she said, pointing a finger right at him. “Me?”
But it was nostalgic as it evoked memories of books I read in Kindergarten, so there's that.
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First Sentence: There is a land beyond the forests.
This was bad. So very bad. I read it for the plot. The ending made me sad, because it was bad. You grow less smart from the book. Don’t stop here. Run. Run to the next book you see. There are no quotes on this site for this book. Can you guess why? Look, friend, look. Here you can see:
“We’ve found one,” Sofia said. “Are you-?” “I’m all right,” Sofia said. “Hurry. We have to try.” She got to her feet. “Come on!” It was so hard. What they were doing was so hard, and the ferocity of the snowstorm only made it harder.
“Come. Come away.” She pulled Peter’s hands, dragging him deeper into the wood, and he knew she was right. He shook himself. “This way,” he said. “I’ve got Sultan with me.” They ran.
Now he knew who it was. The Gypsy girl, the singer. “You ride very badly!” she said, pointing a finger right at him. “Me?”
But it was nostalgic as it evoked memories of books I read in Kindergarten, so there's that.
-------------------------------------------
First Sentence: There is a land beyond the forests.
mat_tobin's review
4.0
This is the fourth Sedgwick that I have read and must admit to taking a shine, not only to his style of writing, but also the eye with which he sees the world. Sedgwick's `Swordhand' is a real triumph in portraying a time when people were still greatly affected by folklore and dark whisperings in the world that surrounded them. Much like `The Dark Horse', Sedgwick has encompassed a land where, in terms of knowledge and understanding, people are still in their infancy and the Europe is still vastly untamed.
The book's dark and brooding pace suits the story's mood. Written in third person, the tale oversees the life of Peter whose secretive father hides a tragic past and whose distant and offhanded demeanour makes growing up in the cold wild of 17th century Romania difficult. After moving from place to place we find father and son beginning to settle on the fringes of the village of Chust. Here, Peter tries to forge relationships with the guarded locals, but all is not as it seems as the nights are plagued by vampires. Peter finds himself not only entangled a web of deceit within the village but also in the grip of his father's past which will not leave them alone.
Although aimed at the younger teens, I have found `My Swordhand is Singing' fits 10+ in age as long as the reader is prepared to be scared and is competent. The landscape and characters are so well crafted and the storyline so deeply sown into the world painted by Sedgwick that this is a book you shouldn't miss. I was particularly taken by Tomas (Peter's father), who is handled with great mysteriousness and who plays well opposite Sofia, a gypsy girl whom Peter befriends. With no end of scary moments and gripping episodes, the book ends in a climax that leaves the reader wanting more. This is a vampire story that deals more with their origins rather than the typical soft-brush that they tend to be painted with these days.
The book's dark and brooding pace suits the story's mood. Written in third person, the tale oversees the life of Peter whose secretive father hides a tragic past and whose distant and offhanded demeanour makes growing up in the cold wild of 17th century Romania difficult. After moving from place to place we find father and son beginning to settle on the fringes of the village of Chust. Here, Peter tries to forge relationships with the guarded locals, but all is not as it seems as the nights are plagued by vampires. Peter finds himself not only entangled a web of deceit within the village but also in the grip of his father's past which will not leave them alone.
Although aimed at the younger teens, I have found `My Swordhand is Singing' fits 10+ in age as long as the reader is prepared to be scared and is competent. The landscape and characters are so well crafted and the storyline so deeply sown into the world painted by Sedgwick that this is a book you shouldn't miss. I was particularly taken by Tomas (Peter's father), who is handled with great mysteriousness and who plays well opposite Sofia, a gypsy girl whom Peter befriends. With no end of scary moments and gripping episodes, the book ends in a climax that leaves the reader wanting more. This is a vampire story that deals more with their origins rather than the typical soft-brush that they tend to be painted with these days.
litwrite's review against another edition
4.0
A delightful little novella that calls to mind earlier, darker Grimm's fairy tales before they were sanitized for children's consumption. Sedgwick plays with old European superstitions remarkably well and I was reading this I thought how wonderfully this would do as a dark fairy tale movie that's become so popular these days a la Snow White and the Huntsman, only done much better.
I think a good comparison to this novella would be as the young adult version of Angela Carter's excellent feminist fairy tale reworkings in [b:The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories|49011|The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories|Angela Carter|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388633104s/49011.jpg|47950], a book that captivated me when I first read it in my later teens, and then captivated me again in Neil Jordan's excellent film adaptation The Company of Wolves, which to me hands down is still the best movie version of a dark fairy tale made to date. I'd very happily suggest this book to any fans of vampires that want to get away from the sparkly pretty boy or the goth punk that seems so popular these days.
I think a good comparison to this novella would be as the young adult version of Angela Carter's excellent feminist fairy tale reworkings in [b:The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories|49011|The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories|Angela Carter|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388633104s/49011.jpg|47950], a book that captivated me when I first read it in my later teens, and then captivated me again in Neil Jordan's excellent film adaptation The Company of Wolves, which to me hands down is still the best movie version of a dark fairy tale made to date. I'd very happily suggest this book to any fans of vampires that want to get away from the sparkly pretty boy or the goth punk that seems so popular these days.
cameron_cassidy's review
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
glrreid's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5