My Swordhand is Singing

Product Information

The next morning Agnes comes running to him with news that there has been another death in the village and that because he was unmarried there is to be a Wedding of the Dead and she is to be the bride. This is a truly good book. It’s addictive, a quality that all good books need. It’s gripping. Full of suspense. And twists and turns. It follows Peter. The son of a woodcutter who just also happens to be a drunk. They now live in a village called Chust, after living a nomadic lifestyle, never being welcome wherever they choose to stay. And then things in Chust take a dark and sinister turn. Things begin to happen that can’t be explained. Deaths. The slaughter of animals. Bodies drained of blood. But Tomas seems to know something about it, and hides a deep secret. The Raven Mysteries are full of humour and mad-cap action, which is quite different from your novels for older readers. Was this a conscious decision of yours when setting out to write this series? Hello Yellow - 80 Books to Help Children Nurture Good Mental Health and Support With Anxiety and Wellbeing - I read this years ago when I borrowed it from a library. I can remember thinking what a brilliant book it was, and I can also remember going the next day to get the sequel from the library. I decided to read it again to see if I thought it was still as good.

Alex trained at the VGIK institute of cinematography (Moscow), with Elen Bowman, Irina Brown, Lab Ky Mo and at The Video College. Alex is currently the Children’s assistant on Sam Mendes Charlie and the Chocolate factory in the West End, where he is also creating and leading the CHARLIE school. Recent productions include The Crocodile (riverside studios), OUTED (Park Theatre) and Merri England (Finborough Thetare). He has assisted Melly Still, Tom Morris, Braham Murray, Mike Longurst and most recently Simon McBurney and Complicite for a new work at the National Thetare. Effective gothic horror with a mystical touch. In 17th-century Europe, young Peter and his alcoholic father, Tomas, have settled down for longer than their transient life usually allows. They live in a vast forest, cutting wood for nearby villagers, but are always estranged. An eerie sense of menace haunts the area. Two bizarre and gruesome murders in a short time couldn’t be due to wolves, but Tomas insists that whispers of supernatural danger are mere superstition. Then, because one victim was unmarried, Peter’s friend Agnes is forced into a Wedding of the Dead and stowed away for 40 horrifying days of symbolic mourning. Visiting her cabin secretly, Peter confronts the chilling truth: Undead corpses are rising from graves, killing and recruiting more and more humans. Led by new friend Sofia and her Gypsy caravan, Peter and his historically unreliable father find that their only hope lies in a singular old sword and an ancient song with lyrics confronting the emotional essence of the zombie-vampires. Underlying tenderness, overt chills. (author’s note) (Fantasy. YA) Remember the days when vampires were evil, non-sparkly creatures? Do you miss those days? If your answer to the last question is yes, then this book is for you. Marcus began to write seriously in 1994. His first book, Floodland, was published by Orion in 2000, and won the Branford-Boase award for best debut children's novel. Witch Hill followed in 2001, and was nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe Award. Marcus also wrote with his brother Julian, and contributed to a short story collection with fellow YA authors.

Success!

So this was super interesting in comparison to his other books that I've read (MIDWINTERBLOOD and THE GHOSTS OF HEAVEN). Both of those were interconnected stories, making up one whole novel. This was one novel, which was quite short, and in fact almost too short and simple. I love music, both listening to it and playing it (I'm a drummer). A day without music is not a proper day... I also love travel and try to travel as much as I can manage. During a fierce winter, young Peter and his father Tomas, itinerant woodcutters, settle in the forest outside the tiny village of Chust. Strange doings have disturbed the sleepy town: mutilated cattle, bloodied sheep, and unexplained deaths. The villagers react in superstitious ways Peter doesn’t fully understand: They paint their doors with tar, smear their windowsills with garlic, sing a nonsensical folksong at funerals, and perform weddings between young maidens and the recently dead. As the murders multiply, Peter begins to realize that his own father—tormented by a past he will not share with his son—is one of the few who fully understand what is happening. Furthermore, Tomas may hold the key to stopping the horrors, if only he can find the courage to fight. With both your publisher and author hat on, what advice can you give would-be children's authors in getting published? I am reading this book right now for the carnegie award and i have a feeling it is the best book out of all of the different ones ot read.

What age did you first start writing and when did you think that one day you'd write a novel that would actually be published? 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. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.

Follow us

In the bitterly cold Transylvanian forest Tomas and his son, Peter, arrive in Chust and despite the hostility of the villagers, settle there as woodcutters. Tomas digs a channel of fast-flowing waters around their hut so they have their own little island kingdom.