My Swordhand is Singing - Tapa dura

'the direct simplicity of the writing make for high readability.' (Jennifer Taylor THE BOOKSELLER)

Sedwick has taken early vampire legends and masterfully crafted them into this dark tale. His story is like a journey into a beautiful gothic painting...It is possible to read My Swordhand is Singing bravely, only hiding under the duvet a little, knowing it is all make-believe. Yet part of you closes this book wondering, as you reach for the garlic, if Sedgwick's haunting world of vampires could be real. I can't wait for my 11-year-old to get her teeth into it. (Vivien Hamilton DAILY TELEGRAPH)

'The tension is good, so are the vivid descriptions and the sense that it is today, when in fact it happened in the 1600s.' (Laura Findlay, Aged 10 UNDERCOVER)

'A truly chilling gothic tale, set in 17th century eastern Europe which expertly reinterprets the vampire myth... Expertly reseached and beautifully written, this is a heart-stopping story, which had me mesmerised from beginning to end.' (Becky Stradwick THE BOOKSELLER)

'The pace of the story seeps us through the fear and superstition of the frozen village and out and away with the travelling people as Peter starts his new life.' (Pat Thomson CAROUSEL)

'Dark, well-researched and with emotional punch, this is one of the books of the year.' (FUNDAY TIMES)

'chilling' (Amanda Craig THE TIMES)

'a gem of a spooky tale that will chill event the warmest blood... the 7th novel by Marcus Sedgwick and it is his best yet. Vampire stories have been told for centuries and My Swordhand is Singing can confidently take its place amongst the finest. It is a simple, macabre tale that is as fresh and alarming as a drop of blood on a bank of white snow.' (John Millen SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST)

'The undead are at the centre of this atmospheric tale, but Sedgwick wisely avoids calling them vampires, a term which too readily conjures the capes and pointed teeth of cartoon graphics. The threat - not spoken of by the village people, but all too evident in the fears, the closed doors, the garlic and buckthron stakes - is all the more powerful for being understated.' (Linda Newbery TES)

'an interesting read which focuses on the original myth of vampires. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story with interesting characters.' (Scott Shanks, age 14 SUNDAY HERALD)