Monday, March 3, 2014

Review: Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick

I was VERY excited to read this, and MAN it was incredible!

Seven stories of passion and love separated by centuries but mysteriously intertwined—this is a tale of horror and beauty, tenderness and sacrifice.

An archaeologist who unearths a mysterious artifact, an airman who finds himself far from home, a painter, a ghost, a vampire, and a Viking: the seven stories in this compelling novel all take place on the remote Scandinavian island of Blessed where a curiously powerful plant that resembles a dragon grows. What binds these stories together? What secrets lurk beneath the surface of this idyllic countryside? And what might be powerful enough to break the cycle of midwinterblood? From award-winning author Marcus Sedgwick comes a book about passion and preservation and ultimately an exploration of the bounds of love.


I LOVED THIS BOOK.  It was so unique, so well written and it just grabbed you. I have never read anything of Sedgwick before but he is now on my radar:


Originality: 9.  I am a hater of short stories, but love  a good companion novel- this book combines there two elements into 7 stories which move backwards in time revealing more and more as we travel backwards.  Intrigue abounds.


Absurdity: 2.  Read that first sentence again in the book description: An archaeologist who unearths a mysterious artifact, an airman who finds himself far from home, a painter, a ghost, a vampire, and a Viking", a little absurd, yes, but the way the author writes the stories they flow together in a way I never could have imagined!


Level of Paranormal Romance: 8.  This is a story about love across time and form.  


Level of Harry Potter-ness.  10.  This was a fabulous short book. compelling, different, and just plain great.  As NP so nicely put it:

Seven intense story lines stretch from the near future to the distant past, together forming a labyrinthine story of love, sacrifice and blood. Over and over again, a cast of vampires, Vikings and high priests encounter one another in various forms — with dire consequences for both their past and future incarnations. via
This book highly deserves the Printz honor and I hope that you all go out there and enjoy a copy yourself!

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