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paperbackd 's review for:
Midwinterblood
by Marcus Sedgwick
A haunting, clever and richly complex story of love and loss which takes its readers on a journey back through time, from the near future to the tenth century. Inspired by a Swedish painting of the same name, Midwinterblood follows the many reincarnations of Eric and Merle, a pair destined to meet and love each other seven times. Such is the strangeness of Midwinterblood that it was impossible for me to decide how I felt about the novel until I reached the final page. I can now safely say that it’s a new favourite.
Sedgwick has received a lot of critical acclaim for Midwinterblood recently, and rightly so. It’s brilliantly original and impossible to categorise in terms of genre - it’s the perfect combination of historical fiction, science-fiction, horror and fantasy. Midwinterblood is divided into seven parts, each of which could be read as a separate short story, but are all intricately linked together. As Sedgwick delves back into the murkier, more distant past, his story grows stranger and harder to define. Midwinterblood moves from seemingly typical snapshots of the past to gothic tales of witchcraft, vampires and ritual sacrifice.
While Midwinterblood is a love story, it’s not a romance. Sedgwick’s characters appear throughout the ages as lovers or strangers, adults or children. Their relationship is never the same, but they are always drawn to each other. Eric and Merle are the heart of Midwinterblood and through their many incarnations, Sedgwick is able to twist a seemingly tragic tale of betrayal and sacrifice into something meaningful and uplifting.
Having now read and loved two of Marcus Sedgwick’s young adult novels, I’m definitely interested in reading more from this author. I’ve already borrowed a copy of She is Not Invisible and I’m looking forward to reading it!
Publisher: Orion Books
Rating: 5 stars | ★★★★★
Review cross-posted to Paperback'd
Sedgwick has received a lot of critical acclaim for Midwinterblood recently, and rightly so. It’s brilliantly original and impossible to categorise in terms of genre - it’s the perfect combination of historical fiction, science-fiction, horror and fantasy. Midwinterblood is divided into seven parts, each of which could be read as a separate short story, but are all intricately linked together. As Sedgwick delves back into the murkier, more distant past, his story grows stranger and harder to define. Midwinterblood moves from seemingly typical snapshots of the past to gothic tales of witchcraft, vampires and ritual sacrifice.
While Midwinterblood is a love story, it’s not a romance. Sedgwick’s characters appear throughout the ages as lovers or strangers, adults or children. Their relationship is never the same, but they are always drawn to each other. Eric and Merle are the heart of Midwinterblood and through their many incarnations, Sedgwick is able to twist a seemingly tragic tale of betrayal and sacrifice into something meaningful and uplifting.
Having now read and loved two of Marcus Sedgwick’s young adult novels, I’m definitely interested in reading more from this author. I’ve already borrowed a copy of She is Not Invisible and I’m looking forward to reading it!
Publisher: Orion Books
Rating: 5 stars | ★★★★★
Review cross-posted to Paperback'd