The Book of Dead Days, Marcus Sedgwick
The Book of Dead Days, Marcus Sedgwick
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The Book of Dead Days

Author: Marcus Sedgwick

Narrator: Derek Jacobi

Unabridged: 3 hr 49 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/06/2008

Synopsis

The days between 27 December and New Year's Eve are dead days - days when spirits roam and magic shifts restlessly just beneath the surface of our everyday lives.

There is a man, Valerian, whose time is running out, who must pay the price for the pact he made with evil so many years ago. His servant is Boy, a child with no name and no past; a child he treats with contempt, but who serves his master well and finds solace in the company of his only friend, Willow. Unknown to any of them it is Boy who holds the key to their destiny.

Set in dark threatening cities and the frozen countryside in a distant time and place of the author's making, 'The Book of Dead Days' conjures a spell-binding story of sorcery and desperate magic as Valerian, Boy and Willow battle to stop time and cling to life. Beautifully evoked, dramatic and emotionally powerful, this is a real page turner.

Read by Derek Jacobi

(P)2004 Orion Publishing Group.Ltd

About Marcus Sedgwick

Marcus Sedgwick (8 Apr 1968 - 15 Nov 2022) was the winner of many prizes, most notably the 2014 Michael L. Printz Award for his novel Midwinterblood. Marcus also received two Printz Honors, for Revolver in 2011 and The Ghosts of Heaven in 2016, giving him the most citations to date for America's most prestigious book prize for writing for young adults. Other notable award-winning books include Floodland, Marcus' first novel, which won the Branford-Boase Award in 2001; My Swordhand is Singing, which won the Booktrust Teenage Prize for 2007, and Lunatics and Luck, part of The Raven Mysteries series, which won a Blue Peter Book Award in 2011.Marcus' books have been shortlisted for over forty other awards, including the Carnegie Medal (seven times), the Edgar Allan Poe Award (twice) and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize (four times). He has been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award three times, in 2016, 2017 and 2018.Marcus was Writer in Residence at Bath Spa University for three years, reviewed for The Guardian newspaper and taught creative writing at Arvon and Ty Newydd. He judged numerous books awards, including the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and the Costa Book Awards.

About Derek Jacobi

Sir Derek Jacobi is one of the UK's most distinguished contemporary actors. He made his name with commanding performances on stage and screen, most memorably in the BBC TV series I, Claudius. He was nominated for a 'Best Actor' Tony Award for his portrayal of Alan Turing in the play Breaking the Code, and then for a BAFTA when that was adapted for television. Other notable TV work includes the series Cadfael. His film work ranges from The Day of the Jackal to Gladiator and Gosford Park. He has read numerous audiobooks including, for Orion, The Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick. He was knighted in 1994.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Taylor on March 04, 2020

"Once, things had been so different for him, but as the last few years had turned under his feet, the specter of his past had risen to meet him like the dawn of a terrible day." ... Marcus Sedgwick is one of my favorite authors, and I've been slowly but surely making my way through his back-list. Up u......more

Goodreads review by Siobhan on May 22, 2016

I wanted to enjoy this one so much more than I did. I really did try, honestly. In fact, there were points where I considered giving it three stars instead of two. Unfortunately, in the end, I couldn’t quite bring myself to do so. The story is an interesting one, and there is so much promise. However......more

Goodreads review by Jim on October 23, 2014

Wonderfully creepy. Has a real air of mystery. Not really sure where it is set or when, but I'll bet the follow up book(s) will be worth reading, too. My only complaint was this left me hanging a bit. While there was a climax, there's obviously a lot more to come.......more

Goodreads review by Rachel on December 31, 2017

3.5 Stars This was really fun because I read it during the "dead days" and finished it on New Year's Eve. Just like in the book! While I liked the story and the setting, I felt it could have been more magical, more exciting...I don't know. It felt as if it was lacking something. But I love Marc......more

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