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My Swordhand is Singing #1-2
The Swordhand Omnibus
In the bitter cold of an unrelenting winter Tomas and his son, Peter, arrive in the inhospitable village of Chust and settle there as woodcutters. When a band of gypsies comes to the village Peter's drab existence is turned upside down. He is infatuated by the beautiful gypsy princess, Sofia, intoxicated by their love of life and drawn into their deadly quest. For these travellers are Vampire Slayers and Chust is a dying community - where the dead come back to wreak revenge on the living.
Years on from My Swordhand is Singing and Peter is still on the trail of the Shadow Queen. His search leads him to Venice, a city whose beauty disguises many ugly secrets. The Shadow Queen is there, gathering strength, recruiting a new army of the Undead for a final confrontation. Hers is the Kiss of Death.
Years on from My Swordhand is Singing and Peter is still on the trail of the Shadow Queen. His search leads him to Venice, a city whose beauty disguises many ugly secrets. The Shadow Queen is there, gathering strength, recruiting a new army of the Undead for a final confrontation. Hers is the Kiss of Death.
- GenresFantasy
464 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2011
8 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
Marcus Sedgwick
110 books1,587 followersMarcus Sedgwickwas a British writer and illustrator. He authored several young adult and children's books and picture books, a work of nonfiction and several novels for adults, and illustrated a collection of myths and a book of folk tales for adults.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 25, 2019
This novel follows the story of Peter, the son of a drunkard woodcutter Tomas, and his life in what appears to be a normal village called Chust. Distant from each other, Peter finds his father's behavior unusual. Tomas has a box that Peter is not allowed to open. Tomas digs a trench around their home and allowed water to fill inside of the trench. Tomas always refuses to talk about his past no matter where he and Peter go. This book is a story about loss and redemption that ends with the battle between humans and the dead.
My reaction to this novel includes mixed emotions. I enjoy mysteries, so I enjoyed that aspect of this novel. I did not ever want to stop reading the book because I so badly wanted to figure out who the killer in the village of Hurst was. However, the book also felt eerie and gross. When I finished reading the novel I had to do something more positive and joyful because I felt dark. I enjoyed the parts of romance within this novel, but I was frustrated with the author because nothing ever seems to spark between Peter and Agnes. In general, I did not have a strong connection with any of the characters because the author gives only vague details about their lives. I would recommend this book to individuals who enjoy suspenseful stories filled with horror.
Content Warnings: Death, suicide, abuse physically and emotionally, and distance father.
My reaction to this novel includes mixed emotions. I enjoy mysteries, so I enjoyed that aspect of this novel. I did not ever want to stop reading the book because I so badly wanted to figure out who the killer in the village of Hurst was. However, the book also felt eerie and gross. When I finished reading the novel I had to do something more positive and joyful because I felt dark. I enjoyed the parts of romance within this novel, but I was frustrated with the author because nothing ever seems to spark between Peter and Agnes. In general, I did not have a strong connection with any of the characters because the author gives only vague details about their lives. I would recommend this book to individuals who enjoy suspenseful stories filled with horror.
Content Warnings: Death, suicide, abuse physically and emotionally, and distance father.
August 17, 2025
Out of the two, I prefer My Swordhand is Singing over The Kiss of Death.
RTC
December 23, 2023
My second reading of both of these Vampire novels by the peerless Sedgwick. The sense of horror remains which Sedgwick carefully layers into many of his YA novels. To be honest My Swordhand is Signing is the real 5 star book here, with an unbelievably disturbing atmosphere and a story steeped in Eastern European vampire lore, with a standout scene in a hut, in the wilderness with some devious Vampires waiting to be let in….
January 26, 2018
My Swordhand Is Singing by Marcus Sedgwick is a good old-fashioned tale of vampires set in Eastern Europe in the early 17th Century.
Read the review of book 1 here: http://www.bookerworm.com/reviews/191...
and book 2 here: http://www.bookerworm.com/reviews/193...
Read the review of book 1 here: http://www.bookerworm.com/reviews/191...
and book 2 here: http://www.bookerworm.com/reviews/193...
December 20, 2020
A wonderfully atmospheric, creepy book full of intrigue, magic and best of all, vampires! I think I preferred 'My Swordhand is Singing' to 'The Kiss of Death' but I loved them both.
May 26, 2012
Peter and his father, a drunk named Tomas, are living in what appears to be Eastern Europe during the seventeenth century. They’re living in a small house they built outside of a remote town named Chuste and making their living as woodcutters. They usually don’t stay in once place for long but have been living outside of Chuste for almost a year; Peter finally thinks they might be staying for some time, which he approves of since he has his eye on a girl named Agnes, the daughter of a draper in town.
However, strange things start to occur, beginning with the suicide of a man from a nearby town who was found hanging from a tree. The only problem is, he also had a huge hole in his chest, which Peter feels rules out suicide. More people die and there are rumors that people who have died have been seen by people in town. Adding to the mystery is the arrival of some gypsies, people who appear to know Tomas. Peter is even more confused because he becomes interested in Sophie, one of the gypsy girls. Despite Tomas wanting to pack up and leave again, Peter gets more deeply involved in trying to solve the mystery of the undead coming to life, who’s behind it and how to put an end to it.
I liked this book, but it reminds me a lot of the books I’ve read that take place in the 1600s or 1700s; the reader never seems to know exactly where the story takes place, we don’t know a lot, or I guess, the little things, about the characters and not a ton goes on, outside of the storyline. That last one could be because there’s no TV, no newspapers, nothing really of the modern world that we used to occupying our time with.
I hadn’t really looked at anything regarding the second book, so I kept wondering what the heck was going on. I finally looked at a review or two and realized that it’s really a cross between a sequel and a companion book, in my opinion at least. This is because the action takes place about a hundred years in the future in Venice, Italy. After the arrival of an odd letter, Marko goes there to find out what has happened to his father, who went months before to help an old friend who couldn’t sleep, at all, and was going mad. Both men ended up disappearing and, while Marko’s father’s friend, Simono, turned up, Marko’s father is still missing. This results in Marko teaming up with Simono’s daughter, Sorrel, and running into a few people who seem to want them both six feet under and who appear to be puppets of the legendary Queen of Shadows, who was mentioned in the first book.
Though I still found it a bit of an odd read, I liked the second book more than the first. Marko seemed to have a little more spunk in him and was willing to do anything to save his father who, unlike Peter’s father, Tomas, seemed to be a good guy who really stepped in it while trying to help out a friend. The same can actually be said for Sorrel, who was watching her father go crazy from lack of sleep, an affliction that affected other members of her family. As I said, I found both books a little different, in part because of what I said before about books written during the 17th and 18th centuries or earlier, and also in part because of Sedwick’s writing style. Given the time periods the action took place in, I think the books could’ve been better if they were a little creepier and if the bad guy, or girl in this case, had been more sinister and whose evil plan had been a bit more evil. Still, it was an interesting read with a bit of a different take on vampirism.
However, strange things start to occur, beginning with the suicide of a man from a nearby town who was found hanging from a tree. The only problem is, he also had a huge hole in his chest, which Peter feels rules out suicide. More people die and there are rumors that people who have died have been seen by people in town. Adding to the mystery is the arrival of some gypsies, people who appear to know Tomas. Peter is even more confused because he becomes interested in Sophie, one of the gypsy girls. Despite Tomas wanting to pack up and leave again, Peter gets more deeply involved in trying to solve the mystery of the undead coming to life, who’s behind it and how to put an end to it.
I liked this book, but it reminds me a lot of the books I’ve read that take place in the 1600s or 1700s; the reader never seems to know exactly where the story takes place, we don’t know a lot, or I guess, the little things, about the characters and not a ton goes on, outside of the storyline. That last one could be because there’s no TV, no newspapers, nothing really of the modern world that we used to occupying our time with.
I hadn’t really looked at anything regarding the second book, so I kept wondering what the heck was going on. I finally looked at a review or two and realized that it’s really a cross between a sequel and a companion book, in my opinion at least. This is because the action takes place about a hundred years in the future in Venice, Italy. After the arrival of an odd letter, Marko goes there to find out what has happened to his father, who went months before to help an old friend who couldn’t sleep, at all, and was going mad. Both men ended up disappearing and, while Marko’s father’s friend, Simono, turned up, Marko’s father is still missing. This results in Marko teaming up with Simono’s daughter, Sorrel, and running into a few people who seem to want them both six feet under and who appear to be puppets of the legendary Queen of Shadows, who was mentioned in the first book.
Though I still found it a bit of an odd read, I liked the second book more than the first. Marko seemed to have a little more spunk in him and was willing to do anything to save his father who, unlike Peter’s father, Tomas, seemed to be a good guy who really stepped in it while trying to help out a friend. The same can actually be said for Sorrel, who was watching her father go crazy from lack of sleep, an affliction that affected other members of her family. As I said, I found both books a little different, in part because of what I said before about books written during the 17th and 18th centuries or earlier, and also in part because of Sedwick’s writing style. Given the time periods the action took place in, I think the books could’ve been better if they were a little creepier and if the bad guy, or girl in this case, had been more sinister and whose evil plan had been a bit more evil. Still, it was an interesting read with a bit of a different take on vampirism.
August 21, 2012
My Swordhand is Swinging
I wasn't sure what to expect when I began this book. It sounded interesting but I didn't know if it would hook me. I started it and after settling in and learning the setting and back story of the characters it became an enjoyable read. Sedgwick does his own unique twist on Vampires which is very interesting. I loved how lots of different ideas from folklore and history were pulled together in the book to create these new terrifying vampires. Another great thing about this book is how the characters grow and how their relationships develops. It was very heartfelt and real to read. That was the strongest aspect of this book.
The book joins Peter and Tomas, father and son after they move to the small village of Chust. Building a house outside the village makes the pair seem suspicious, but Tomas has his own motives for doing so. His past is following him and it's finally caught up. All the lies he has told his son are about to blow up in his face. Rumours spread around the village that the dead are rising and visiting their loved ones. Nobody knows what this is about better than Tomas but still he keeps everyone in the dark. Peter is thrown into the middle of the chaos and only his father can make things right, before its too late.
Peter was an interesting character, he was young and innocent. He didn't know of the horrors of the world. His father had kept them hidden all his life. Peter is woken up one day to the terrifying creatures and it's then he has to become more responsible and do something about it as his father refuses to help. Peter learns of his fathers past and realises that there is much he doesn't know about him. Things begin to fall into place, the constant moving, the box his father brings everywhere, he realises that his father was doing all this to keep him safe.
Tomas was a troubled man. His youth was full of glory but that all turned sour. He was jailed, after escaping he found a wife but she died giving birth to Peter. Tomas trying to forget his past turns to drink and doesn't look back. He wants to keep Peter safe but also to keep him in the dark. There are things out there that nobody should see.
We see the father-son relationship develop throughout the book. From the start we see that Tomas hits Peter when he is drunk. Peter has learnt to cope with it. When Peter learns the truth about his father he's annoyed but realises his father was doing it to keep him safe. The sacrifice at the end that Tomas makes shows how much he loved his son despite everything. He never meant to hurt him or keep him innocent, he just wanted him safe from harm. He'd lost so many other people, and Peter was his last hope. Ahh, it was rather heartbreaking the end. This relationship was so raw and real and it developed so well.
My Swordhand is Singing is a interesting take on the Vampire legend that will leave the reader sleeping with the lights on. It's got some action that keeps the reader on their feet but it also has an emotional punch that makes the reader feel so involved. I really enjoyed this book and I've already started the sequel!
I wasn't sure what to expect when I began this book. It sounded interesting but I didn't know if it would hook me. I started it and after settling in and learning the setting and back story of the characters it became an enjoyable read. Sedgwick does his own unique twist on Vampires which is very interesting. I loved how lots of different ideas from folklore and history were pulled together in the book to create these new terrifying vampires. Another great thing about this book is how the characters grow and how their relationships develops. It was very heartfelt and real to read. That was the strongest aspect of this book.
The book joins Peter and Tomas, father and son after they move to the small village of Chust. Building a house outside the village makes the pair seem suspicious, but Tomas has his own motives for doing so. His past is following him and it's finally caught up. All the lies he has told his son are about to blow up in his face. Rumours spread around the village that the dead are rising and visiting their loved ones. Nobody knows what this is about better than Tomas but still he keeps everyone in the dark. Peter is thrown into the middle of the chaos and only his father can make things right, before its too late.
Peter was an interesting character, he was young and innocent. He didn't know of the horrors of the world. His father had kept them hidden all his life. Peter is woken up one day to the terrifying creatures and it's then he has to become more responsible and do something about it as his father refuses to help. Peter learns of his fathers past and realises that there is much he doesn't know about him. Things begin to fall into place, the constant moving, the box his father brings everywhere, he realises that his father was doing all this to keep him safe.
Tomas was a troubled man. His youth was full of glory but that all turned sour. He was jailed, after escaping he found a wife but she died giving birth to Peter. Tomas trying to forget his past turns to drink and doesn't look back. He wants to keep Peter safe but also to keep him in the dark. There are things out there that nobody should see.
We see the father-son relationship develop throughout the book. From the start we see that Tomas hits Peter when he is drunk. Peter has learnt to cope with it. When Peter learns the truth about his father he's annoyed but realises his father was doing it to keep him safe. The sacrifice at the end that Tomas makes shows how much he loved his son despite everything. He never meant to hurt him or keep him innocent, he just wanted him safe from harm. He'd lost so many other people, and Peter was his last hope. Ahh, it was rather heartbreaking the end. This relationship was so raw and real and it developed so well.
My Swordhand is Singing is a interesting take on the Vampire legend that will leave the reader sleeping with the lights on. It's got some action that keeps the reader on their feet but it also has an emotional punch that makes the reader feel so involved. I really enjoyed this book and I've already started the sequel!
October 28, 2015
My overall thoughts:
1. I read the first book in this Omnibus (My Swordhand is Singing) a very long time ago and hadn't realized there was a second until now. In the first book we follow the story of young Peter and his Father Tomas. They are woodcutters living on the edge of a community that has become plagued by monstrous beings that prowl through the night taking the lives of the innocent villagers. Although the word 'vampire' isn't specifically used in My Swordhand is Singing there are a lot of references to drained bodies etc so it is assumed that the monsters are indeed vampires. In the second book (The Kiss of Death) we follow a young man named Marco who is on a mission to Venice to find his lost Father. Peter, from the first novel, reappears in this sequel but has aged greatly and helps Marco on the hunt for his Father.
2. The relationships built between Tomas and Peter in My Swordhand is Singing is beautifully done, Sedgewick has a very poetic writing style and I felt really connected to Peter as he struggled with the tenuous relationship he holds with his Father. There are brief and innocent romantic relationships built throughout both novels but I found that they didn't distract from the main plot. The friendship built between Marco and a young Venetian girl named Sorrel grows at a realistic and pleasant pace throughout The Kiss of Death, which is something I really enjoyed.
3. Sedgwick's style of writing really pulls you into the story and I felt myself falling deeper into this mesmerizing world of beasts and nighttime atrocities. The pace of the book was fantastic and not once did I feel the story was drifting off track or that I was getting bored.
4. This would be the perfect book for anyone looking for a unique vampire read. These vampires aren't like the pretty, sparkly type from Twilight but more like the stuff from nightmares. An adventure laden and action packed novel that I enjoyed every bit of!
5. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a vampire read or even just an adventure! A wonderful book!
1. I read the first book in this Omnibus (My Swordhand is Singing) a very long time ago and hadn't realized there was a second until now. In the first book we follow the story of young Peter and his Father Tomas. They are woodcutters living on the edge of a community that has become plagued by monstrous beings that prowl through the night taking the lives of the innocent villagers. Although the word 'vampire' isn't specifically used in My Swordhand is Singing there are a lot of references to drained bodies etc so it is assumed that the monsters are indeed vampires. In the second book (The Kiss of Death) we follow a young man named Marco who is on a mission to Venice to find his lost Father. Peter, from the first novel, reappears in this sequel but has aged greatly and helps Marco on the hunt for his Father.
2. The relationships built between Tomas and Peter in My Swordhand is Singing is beautifully done, Sedgewick has a very poetic writing style and I felt really connected to Peter as he struggled with the tenuous relationship he holds with his Father. There are brief and innocent romantic relationships built throughout both novels but I found that they didn't distract from the main plot. The friendship built between Marco and a young Venetian girl named Sorrel grows at a realistic and pleasant pace throughout The Kiss of Death, which is something I really enjoyed.
3. Sedgwick's style of writing really pulls you into the story and I felt myself falling deeper into this mesmerizing world of beasts and nighttime atrocities. The pace of the book was fantastic and not once did I feel the story was drifting off track or that I was getting bored.
4. This would be the perfect book for anyone looking for a unique vampire read. These vampires aren't like the pretty, sparkly type from Twilight but more like the stuff from nightmares. An adventure laden and action packed novel that I enjoyed every bit of!
5. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a vampire read or even just an adventure! A wonderful book!
December 20, 2013
Amazing series! One of my new favourites and you can check out full reviews of both parts of this omnibus on my blog
October 19, 2014
Reviewed by Rebecca: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/fant...
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews