The Book of Dead Days

Book of Dead Days #1

by Marcus Sedgwick, Roger Rees (Reading)

THE DAYS BETWEEN Christmas and New Year’s Eve are dead days, when spirits roam and magic shifts restlessly just beneath the surface of our lives. A magician called Valerian must save his own life within those few days or pay the price for the pact he made with evil so many years ago. But alchemy and sorcery are no match against the demonic power pursuing him. Helping him is his servant, Boy, a child with no name and no past. The quick-witted orphan girl, Willow, is with them as they dig in death fields at midnight, and as they are swept into the sprawling blackness of a subterranean city on a journey from which there is no escape.

Praise for The Book of Dead Days:

“Beautifully paced and sometimes blood-soaked. . . . A very tangible sense of evil.”—The Guardian

“Subtle menace and power.”—The Independent

“Packed with drama, mystery, and intrigue.”—The Bookseller

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Magic, Teen

Audio

First published July 17, 2003

About the author

Marcus 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.

Reviews

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is probably going to be a bit lacking because I thought I was being clever by reading this book about the days in between Christmas and New Year in the days between Christmas and New Year.
But well… I wasn’t.
Thanks to eating, drinking, generally being merry and trying to decide how it was possible for Robert Sheehan to still look fit as a Borrower, I read about a chapter a day.
So unfortunatley I didn’t get into this book as well as I thought I would and I don’t really have many notes on it.
But let’s see what I can come up with, shall we?

“This interlude was a strange and quiet time, a time somehow outside the rest of the year, outside time itself. It was as if the rest of the year were alive, but these days were dead.”

Initial Final Page Thoughts.
Eh… the ending was a bit of an anti-climax.

High Points.
The setting. In my mind The City was Edinburgh and I love Edinburgh. It’s my second favourite UK city. I just love everything about it; the castle, the history, the cobbles, the cafes, the culture.
Also it has a Camera Obscura like in this book. Coincidence? I think not.
And the bit where Boy and Co were in the underground city really reminded me of Mary King’s Close.
And I pictured the part in the graveyard as the Covenanters' Prison in Greyfriars!
Sigh. I need to go back to Edinburgh soon.
Anyway….Boy. Willow. Vaudeville. Theatre. Magicians. Fairyland. Baby dragons. Electricity. Camera Osbcura. Fate. Midnight. Tombstones. Grave robbers. Underground canals.


Low Points.
That ending really fell flat. After about 200 pages of fantastic build-up, the finale ended up being one page. It was far too sudden for my liking and, to be honest, it didn’t really make sense to me.
Also I wanted to know more about these baby dragons….and the Phantom that is mentioned once who EATS PEOPLE.

Characters.
Hey Boy, guess what? We have the same birthday. Well.... kind of, because you don’t really have a birthday but I was born on the same day that you fell in the church.
That makes us special and friends who go on adventures.
Willow can come too because she’s a little sweetheart.

I’m being quiet about t’other characters because of spoilers.

But about these dragons…

Theme Tune.

Happy New Year by Camera Obscura
OK so this song has nothing to do with this book.

BUT… it’s called Happy New Year. Y’know?
Also, Camera Obscura are from Glasgow which is in Scotland and so is….. Edinburgh!
BOOM.
OK, I admit I drew a blank with a song for this book but I love this song so whatever.

Recommended For.
People who have ever thought there was something a bit off about the days in between Christmas and New Year. People who always wish their school had taught them Latin. People who believe in magic. People who have ever wondered what it would be like to explore under the cobbled streets of a city. People who have ever picked up an unsuspecting person off the Royal Mile at Camera Obscura and felt oddly powerful (Extra points if it's the guy who is dressed as William Wallace!). People who have posed awkwardly with the Greyfriars Bobby statue. People who got the rat thrown at them in the dark when they visited Mary King’s Close. That's happened to me twice now. I'm sure they see me coming...


You can read this review and lots of other fun things on my blog here.

[Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

"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 until this point, I've liked or even loved every single book of his that I've read. However, The Book of Dead Days was kind of a let down for me.

As far as premises go, this book has a very interesting one. It is said that the days between Christmas and New Years are Dead Days, where magic seeps into the mortal realm and spirits roam restlessly. This story is set during the Dead Days, and we follow Boy, who works for the elusive magician Valerian. The price of the pact Valerian made years before with a demonic power is coming for him, and the only thing that can reverse his debt is the Book of Dead Days.

Helping him is Boy, and a clever, orphaned girl named Willow. Sorcery, alchemy, midnight grave-digging, and adventures through hidden, subterranean cities ensue.

Sounds really awesome right?

I think the most disappointing thing about The Book of Dead Days for me was the lack of soul. With all of the cool concepts, fantastic writing, and effective atmosphere, there was a lot to admire about this book. However, I just didn't feel anything for any of the characters. Marcus Sedgwick is a masterful storyteller, in that he's able to grip your heart with just one sentence. Books like Midwinterblood, The Ghosts of Heaven, and Saint Death excelled at this, while Revolver and Blood Red Snow White had stories seeping with atmosphere and emotional payoff.

I didn't get any of that with this book.

Boy was a dull, annoying character to me. Willow was fine, and her friendship with Boy was sweet, but it didn't move me in any way. Valerian has a veneer of complexity at the beginning of this book, and even though I enjoyed the fact that he was completely selfish and unlikeable, I didn't care for him that much. All of the characters fell flat for me.

Also, the ending felt incomplete. I'm beginning to think that this duology could have easily been made into a single book. It probably would have been a lot better. In addition to that, the story was unevenly paced, and I wasn't very invested in the supposed high-stakes of the plot. Truly, the only thing that kept me reading was the audiobook.

While the setting, atmosphere, and writing were all spot-on, I was not impressed by the execution of the characters or the story. I thought The Book of Dead Days would be a highly enjoyable hidden gem, but it ended up being...disappointing. Which is sad, but I won't let this bland slog stop me from visiting more of Marcus Sedgwick's books! He's one of my go-to authors for a reason, guys.

[Evangelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Από τις πρώτες ακόμη σελίδες μαθαίνουμε τους χαρακτήρες. Το μάγο Βαλεριαν, τον αντιπαθείς, το Αγόρι από την αλλη το συμπαθείς. Απλά πράγματα, ίσως πολύ απλά. Αυτό με προβλημάτισε. Δε με τράβηξε ιδιαίτερα να το συνεχίσω αλλά ήθελα κάτι ανάλαφρο και είπα να του δώσω μια ευκαιρία. Και καλά έκανα! Όσο προχωράει η υπόθεση, σε ιντριγκαρει. Μπορεί να ειναι λίγο πιο νεανικό σαν ανάγνωσμα άρα και πιο  απλοϊκό, ωστόσο, περιγράφει τις σκηνές με τέτοιον τρόπο, μαγικό και συνάμα ρεαλιστικό που εξαφανίζει τον κόσμο γύρω σου, όπως τα μαγικά του Βαλεριαν. Προχωρώντας, συναντάμε και την Ιτια και θέλοντας και μη ανατρέπει χμμ... τους χαρακτήρες, τη συμπεριφορά τους και το αισθήματα που έχεις γι' αυτούς. Βασικά, αυτό κάνει ο Σετζγουικ στο μεγαλύτερο μέρος του βιβλίου. Ανατρέπει διαρκώς την υπόθεση και τρέχεις μαζί με το Αγόρι, την Ιτια και το Βαλεριαν, σε τόπους απομακρυσμένους, παράξενους και σκοτεινούς -κυριολεκτικά και μεταφορικά. Η ιστορία όμως δεν τελειώνει εδώ, υπάρχει και συνεχεια του βιβλίου. Όχι ότι δε λήγει όμορφα την υπόθεση του, απλώς το θες για να δεις την εξέλιξη των χαρακτήρων. Εν κατακλείδι, αρκετά καλό βιβλίο, θα προτιμήσω σίγουρα και το δευτερο κάποια στιγμή στο κοντινό μέλλον. 3,5 αστερια

[Sarv · Rating 5 out of 5]

بقیشو میخوامممممم
کاش همینم انگلیسی خونده بودم :))

من نثر مارکوس سدویک رو خیلی دوست دارم. آدماشو. دنیاهاشو. بچه تر که بودم آرزوم بود اون مجموعه ی دیگه ش که در مورد یه پسر مو مشکی و دختر مو سفید/بلوند (یادم نمیاد) رو بخونم. وقتی شروع کردم به انگلیسی خوندن نمی دونم چرا یادم رفت انقدر دلم میخواست اون مجموعه رو بخونم؟
به هرحال، حالا دارم اینو میخونم. دوسش داشتم خیلی.
چهار و نیم رند به پنج.

[النا رهبری · Rating 2 out of 5]

ساختار روایی‌ش سمباده می‌خواست و شلخته بودن پلان‌ها گاهی آدمو پرت می‌کرد از صحنه بیرون. اوایلْ چیدمان و گوشه‌های مبهمش داشت امیدوارم می‌کرد؛ که امیدم ناامید شد.

چرا تا تقی به توقی می‌خورد همه داد می‌زدند؟:))


البته که ایده‌ اش و فضاش مثل داستان ترسناک‌های قدیمی، نیش آدمو باز می‌کنه. سرود کریسمسی و اسکروچی بود


وَلریَن تو خیالم شبیه جک اسکلینگتون‌ه💀✨

میتونست درخشان باشه. با اون فضاها و معماری غریب و کاراکترهای برتونی

جدی آدم چطور میتونه کاراکتری مثل ولرین رو اینجوری حروم کنه *بلند شدن دود از کله*

دو و نیم ستاره، بخاطر رخشاره‌های گوتیک و شخص شخیص وَلریَن

*

« مرگ برای بیرون کشیدنت از زندگی هزار در دارد و
من یکی پیدا خواهم کرد.»
*
+ ویرایشْ لازمه

[Siobhan · Rating 2 out of 5]

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, it isn’t as well done as it could have been. For such a short read, so little happens. When books are this length things should happen at a rapid fire pace, yet such was not the case with this one. It’s a slow burner, and whilst I can accept this with some books it just didn’t work with this one. Furthermore, the speed at which things moved meant everything was far too obvious by the time things came around. You knew something was to come, yet by the time it happened you had already lost interest.

Part of me thinks it was because the book was too young for me. I know I shouldn’t label books in such a way, yet this was at the younger end of young adult and such a thing caught me off guard. I had expected something else, something darker, yet this seemed to be just outside of the children’s category. Had I been aware of such a thing before entering the book, I may have enjoyed it more. As it was, I found myself disappointed in the end.

Despite this, I’m going to go on and read the next book to see what happens next.

[Farnoush Mellark · Rating 3 out of 5]

وای اینکه تهش هیچ سوالی رو جواب نمیده و میگه برید کتاب بعدی بیاید واقعا رو مخ و ضد حال بود :)))

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Einakikhoshghalb · Rating 1 out of 5]

حیف آن یک ستاره ای که ناچار شدم برای این کتاب بدهم. حیف ایده داستان، حیف وقتی که برای خواندنش صرف شد. حتی وقت گذاشتن برای ریویو نوشتن روی این کتاب هم کمی تا قسمتی اتلاف وقت است، فلذا کتاب های نوجوان و کتاب های ماجراجویانه خیلی بهتری در جهان وجود دارد که خواندشان این قدر زمان می برد که نیازی به خواندن این یکی نیست...

[Zahra Dashti · Rating 3 out of 5]

بازگشت به خوانش کتاب‌های دوست‌داشتی گروه سنی نوجوان!
خوب حرف زیادی در مورد این مجموعه دو جلدی ندارم بزنم، جز این‌که رازآلود و کمی ترسناک هست(قطعا برای نوجوان کم سن و سال). زبان ساده و روان بود. کمی ایراد منطقی داشت، ولی قطعا برای گروه سنی خودش قابل چشم پوشی بود. ایده جالب بود، صحنه پردازی هم جذاب بود. در مجموع دوستش داشتم.

[Rachel (Into a Story) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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...more magical, more exciting...I don't know. It felt as if it was lacking something.

But I love Marcus Sedgwick's writing. I really enjoyed Midwinterblood, probably a little more than this one. I'd like to read more of his stuff.

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.

The relationship between Valerian and Boy in this book reminded me a lot of the one in The Monstrumologist - though, in fairness, this book was written first. Basically, Boy is a street urchin and orphan that Valerian takes in and generally treats like a slave, and Boy is so desperate for attention and affection that he just wants to please the miserable old git. There are moments where you might think Valerian does care for Boy, deep down, but, well, it doesn't amount to much in the end. And, honestly, I'm not sure Valerian would've even cared that much if Boy was his actual son to finally sacrifice himself instead.

Violet is a bit of a ray of light in the story. Accused of murder, along with Boy, by a typical woefully incompetent Watch, she ends up tagging along with Boy and Valerian, and at least has the gumption to ask questions.

The narration didn't really work for me. I didn't really get the creepy and atmospheric vibe that other reviewers found. I just found the writing kind of bland. He did this, and thought this, and went there, and felt this... blah, blah, blah.

Also, because we follow Boy's perspective, and Boy is mostly kept in the dark and ordered around, we only get the story in bits and pieces, and there's still a lot left sort of hanging at the end of the story. This could add to the mystery if done well, but mostly it just annoyed me - especially since, despite only getting bits and pieces, it was still fairly predictable and, also, there was a lot of needless repetition in what we were given.

Speaking of bits left hanging - there's a serial killer called the Phantom which sort of gets mentioned and may or may not have passed through this story, but which isn't really all that important at all, but seems to be a set-up for the next book.

And then there's the question of whether Kepler was lying at the end about Boy and Valerian.

But, honestly, I don't care enough about anyone in the story to really bother continuing.

[Janeen-san · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book had SO much potential, but it didn't live up to any of it. An incredibly disappointing read with incredibly flat characters. If Valerian treated Boy so badly, why was he bothering to help him? Why did Boy CARE about someone who abused him on a daily basis?! This book let me down completely. It could have been SO much better. It could have been a romping, exciting adventure filled with mystery and chases throughout dark streets, but instead ended up being a read with characters flatter than the paper the book was made of, with a whole sprouting of unexplained events. Sometimes, in books, the unexplained is good because it leaves you wondering and inventing, but in a good way. Not in this book, however. Valerian preformed stage magic, that was understandable, but all of the sudden he does real, Harry-Potter-type magic? This book was like a mitten, full of potential to keep oneself warm, but suddenly it unraveled and landed at your feet in the mud.

[GoldGato · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here is a winter tale for the young adult set, evoking magic and gothic melodrama in a fairly easy read. The timeframe of the story takes place during the Dead Days, that sargasso sea of time between Christmas and New Year's Day, when 'spirits roam'. This would be a perfect read for pre-teens and younger adults who yearn for more magic-infused tales, post-Harry Potter.

I enjoyed the plot and the main characters, particularly Valerian. Any story lead named after a long-dead (and stuffed) Roman emperor will always have my attention.

Book Season = Winter (but with an October feel)

[معصومه توکلی]

واقعاً نمی دانم باید چند ستاره بهش بدهم!
حالا جلد دویش را بخوانم و ببینم چه می شود...

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I 'accidentally' picked up The Book of Dead Days last night -- as I usually do, just intending to read a couple of pages. Even when I knew I'd have to get up early in the morning, I was sucked in. It's a very quick read, and a compelling one, although the cliffhangers at the end of chapters, coupled with very short chapters, felt a little cheap... At any rate, it hurtles along at a good pace. It doesn't solve everything, either, so I'll be looking for the sequel sometime soon.

The characters are reasonably compelling -- you're never quite sure whether to trust them or not, or why. Valerian, in particular. I didn't know how to feel about the ending. He deserved it, and yet... At the last moment, he does redeem himself.

Everything seems somehow a little bit too easy, at times, and while the story is compelling as you're reading, I'm not sure how long it'll stick with me. It seemed to be over too fast, and with -- as I said -- a lot of things not resolved, e.g. Boy's identity, the Phantom, whatever happened between Valerian and Kepler.

Still, fun.

[Ryan Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book many years ago, and since my first read of this darkly entertaining novel, I've read it many more times, finding something more exciting within its pages every time. From the first couple of words, the mysterious world Marcus Sedgwick created drew me in. I was compelled by the dark and sinister vibe this book gave off, and captured by the characters we follow throughout the story. I was incredibly happy when Sedgwick released a sequel, and although it concluded the story and gave answers to those left unanswered in this novel, I'm still hoping he may re-visit this world in the future. Thank you for writing such a magical piece of work, Marcus, I'm pleased to have discovered your books as they've kept me entertained for years.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly a good read, but with a lot of loose ends. Real sequel fodder. The best thing is probably the atmosphere. Gloomy and vividly imagined, it was the scenery that got me most invested in the books. Not the characters, sadly. Boy is little more than a shadow of a person (possibly intentionally). Willow has a lot of life and spirit to her, but we don't spend nearly enough time in her head to enjoy it. The ending is incredibly abrupt. It ends the storyline here, but leaves so many unanswered questions, which will hopefully be answered in the second book. So much so that I'm wondering why it wasn't published as one book to begin with.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

First book finished in 2025, and I picked this one up for a couple of reasons - firstly, because I remember reading it when I was younger but couldn’t remember anything about the story, and secondly because the Dead Days referred to in the title are the days between Christmas and New Year, which is when I actually started reading it.

This book took a little while for me to get into, but eventually got moving and I raced through it. It is divided into days, from the 27th December to the 31st December, and although the 27th and 28th were slow to start with, it did pick up for the rest of them.
The book follows Boy, and his friend Willow, as they attempt to help Boy's master Valerian to escape a pact with a dark creature before it comes on New years eve to claim Valerians soul.

Boy is a very frightened soul - we know almost nothing about him throughout the book, since he was an orphan urchin living on the streets, and his only home has been with Valerian, who was not a kind master. His main emotions throughout the book are worry about Valerian, fear, panic, and confusion. Understandable given his circumstances and what he was doing, but it got old very quickly. He was also very oblivious, and while I was not a fan of how Valerian spoke to him and called him stupid, at some points it did feel like he was being obtuse on purpose.

Valerian was an interesting character. We learn very little about him throughout the book, besides what he tells Boy and Willow, but when we do get access to his thoughts and feelings, he comes across as having a lot of depth - which is interesting considering how shallow and selfish the character actually is. His only goal is to save his own life, and you can really feel the desperation and despondency as he considers his circumstances, and when he retreats to the tower at the end with Boy and we see his true nature, he genuinely feels like a villain in contrast to the hero-worship we've seen through Boy for most of the book.

Willow was a delightful secondary character- what glimpses we get from her past and her inner thoughts give the impression of a bright young girl who was forced into poverty after her parents died. She genuinely cared about Boy and about others, as evidenced when she stood up against Valerian, and I would love to see more of her past and where her future will take her.

The City was kept vague and interesting, and I would have loved to have explored more of the lore, but the parts we did see - the cemeteries, the theatre, and the underground canals - were fascinating and I hope they are explored more in the sequel.

Overall, the book was okay - the plot kept me engaged, and the twists that happened were subtly foreshadowed, but the writing itself felt a little lazy at times and often the author gave insights into people that were not needed or were out of place. This was effective on some occasions, but not others, and at times it was hard to tell who's perspective we were supposed to be relating to in the moment.
I enjoyed it enough to finish it, and I will definitely pick up the sequel at some point to find out what happens next, but I won't be racing for it. A strong 3.5 rounded down to 3.

[Ex_Libris_J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boy ahnt es schon lange: Sein Herr, der Magier und Illusionist Valerian, hat einen gefährlichen Pakt mit dunklen Mächten geschlossen. Die magischen Kräfte, die ihm verliehen wurden, haben einen hohen Preis – sein Leben. In der Silvesternacht läuft seine Zeit ab, und die einzige Rettung scheint das geheimnisvolle Buch der toten Tage zu sein. Dort könnte er erfahren, wie sich der Pakt lösen lässt.

Gemeinsam mit Boy begibt sich Valerian auf die Suche nach dem mystischen Buch. Doch sie sind nicht die Einzigen, die es in ihren Besitz bringen wollen. Während Boy seinem Meister loyal zur Seite steht, bleibt seine Freundin Willow skeptisch. Sie durchschaut Valerians dunkle Absichten – und erkennt die wahre Gefahr, bevor es zu spät ist.

Die Geschichte hat mir insgesamt gut gefallen und lässt sich wunderbar zwischendurch lesen. Die düstere Atmosphäre wurde überzeugend vermittelt, und die Ereignisse sind anschaulich und lebendig beschrieben. Besonders die Grundidee des Buches fand ich sehr spannend und originell – sie hat mich definitiv neugierig gemacht und gut unterhalten.

Allerdings muss ich sagen, dass mich das Buch nicht durchgehend fesseln konnte. Zwar gab es einige spannende Momente, doch an manchen Stellen fehlte mir ein wenig die Tiefe oder das gewisse Etwas, um mich vollständig in die Geschichte hineinzuziehen. Ich hätte mir an einigen Punkten mehr überraschende Wendungen oder intensivere Emotionen gewünscht.

Alles in allem ist es jedoch ein gelungenes Buch, das mit seiner Atmosphäre perfekt zu einer winterlichen Auszeit bei Tee und Kerzenschein passt 🕯️✨

[Karyl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book on one of our jaunts around to the Ocean State libraries. I remember thinking to myself, "Do I REALLY need another book??" and deciding to get it anyhow because it seemed so interesting. As it turns out, I really could have left it on the shelf.

The premise intrigues me, as I've always felt the "dead days" aspect of the week between Christmas and New Year's. Unfortunately, the execution of this book falls so very flat. It's a fast read, but nothing really seems to happen. And the characters are so two-dimensional that it's hard to care about any of them. How does the main character end up to be Boy, a person that exists only to be bossed around by Valerian, to be yelled at and abused and under-appreciated? I don't understand how Willow falls for him so very quickly, because how do you love a person that doesn't even have an identity of his own? And then the end just happens so quickly, after so many pages of build-up. It just doesn't seem plausible.

I wanted to love this, I really did. But it's just not got enough substance to earn a high rating for me. It's a shame, too, because I feel like Sedgwick's writing isn't terrible. It just needs more oomph.

[ReadingNoodle · Rating 3 out of 5]

...You're telling me this Boy technically got a New Years Kiss. Aight.

My childhood book, the book that I read during my Emo Edgy Pre-teen phase where I thought mystery was my calling. Now I reread this fine piece of work and I understand why mystery was never my calling.

P l o t H o l e s! Who doesn't love reading a book to be left with a handful of unanswered questions and confusion? Who the hell is the Phantom dude, who killed Korp and Green? It keeps going on about knowing Boy's past, but it's never answered. I guess that could be answered in book 2, but I refuse to continue this.

The things I appreciated in this book was the way science was intertwined with magic, creating an amazing atmosphere that science was starting to become a popular subject, but people still believed it was witchcraft/dark arts. I gotta give kudos for that.

However, I just realized how frustrating this book is. Valerian is abusive and narcissistic with no redeeming qualities. This entire story happened based on the premise that he sold his soul to Death because he wanted to be with a rich and beautiful woman. Also the ending... What a joke. Kelper threw the most stupid excuse that "Boy's your son!!!1111!" and Valerian FELL FOR IT??? HOW??? Did he sleep with the lady and made her pregnant to believe this? Did he even sleep with anyone to give birth to this boy? How would Valerian believe that Boy is his son when there was NOTHING to describe them as similar?

Man, I'm over it.

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I thought this book was very entertaining and managed to keep the reader interested. One thing I admired was the character development of one of the main characters, Valerian. At the beginning of the book, he seems cruel for absolutely no reason. As the reader understands his backstory, it becomes more clear why he would act the way he did. He even seems to care for the kids at some points. One might even pity him. But at the end of the book, his true intentions are revealed. It is shown how he would do anything to keep himself alive even sacrificing a young boy who was one of the closest things to a family that he had. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I still felt that in the end there were almost too many plot twists. It may have kept the reader's attention, but it got a little bit confusing and some of them seemed pointless or silly.

[Corey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a weird book.

It had gotten better towards the middle and end, but started slow and not great.

Definitely has an amateurish young adult feeling, not the most polished book ever.

At times I hated it, and stopped reading for ages, but I'm relatively glad I kept going.

Rating amended, tired of rounding up.

[Diba · Rating 2 out of 5]

كسي ميدونه كتاب بعديش ترجمه و چاپ شده يا نه؟ اگر شده، كدوم انتشارات و اسمش چيه؟!

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast, entertaining read with spooky insights that reflect childhood fears

[Kyrenia Boucher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it within 24 hours, I did not want to put it down. I loved every minute of this book!

[فرفری موی غزل ساز · Rating 2 out of 5]

حقیقتا جذبم نکرد و به زور تا انتهاشو خوندم. حتی از رمان قربانی نیمه زمستان نویسنده هم لذت نبردم. فک کنم کلا از سبک این نویسنده خوشم نمیاد🤷🏻‍♀️

[Adam Humphreys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast-paced, treasure hunt-style story that with every chapter leaves you wanting more. I will definitely be indulging in the sequel.

[Effie Saxioni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ένα χαριτωμένο,μετα-χριστουγεννιάτικο αλλά προ-πρωτοχρονιάτικο παραμύθι,μια ωραία και ευκολοδιάβαστη ιστορία φαντασίας για πολύ νεαρούς εφήβους.
Το Αγόρι,που ζει όλη του τη ζωή από όσο θυμάται,για να υπηρετεί τον ιδιόρρυθμο μάγο Βαλεριάν,και η Ιτιά,η κοπελίτσα που μπήκε στη ζωή και την ιστορία του κάτω από πολύ περίεργες συνθήκες.Διαβάζεται ευχάριστα και ξεκούραστα.3⭐