The Book of Dead Days

Five days of glorious gothic alchemy and evil . . . An atmospheric, page-turning and powerful novel of sorcery and desperate magic by award-winning author Marcus Sedgwick. Shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction prize and the Edgar Allan Poe Award.

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. He 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, THE BOOK OF DEAD DAYS conjures a spell-binding story as Valerian, Boy and Willow battle to stop time and cling to life.

“"You'll just have to read it for the twist."”

In a wonderfully dark, atmospheric tale of power, corruption and betrayal, Marcus Sedgwick manages to keep the reader guessing until the very end. A real page-turner with a truly chilling twist.

Set long ago in dark times and brought to life through evocative, strongly visual writing, this novel is packed with drama, mystery and intrigue. - Wendy Cooling

"Against the stinking, freezing background of an underworld set in a timeless past, this is a dark melodrama kept sharp by surprise." - Julia Eccleshare

An exquisitely dark Faustian drama set among the shadows of an old European city. The finely drawn characters and enthralling story-telling make this Sedgwick's greatest work to date. - Joanne Owen, Borders Bookshop

"...has a very real sense of place. ...The hero of this beautifully paced and sometimes blood-soaked adventure is Boy...and there's a very tangible sense of evil in Sedgwick's tale too, along with the careful blending of "real" magic with the seemingly magical effects of encroaching technology...After just a few pages, you know you're in safe hands with Sedgwick.Here is a macabre melodrama inventively told". - Philip Ardargh

Sedgwick has created a world as dark and compelling as the story he tells.

The Book of Dead Days marks a shift to fuller, more descriptive writing than that in Sedgwick's earlier books, but there is no loss of subtle menace and power.

You'll just have to read it for the twist.

Marcus Sedgwick is a full time author. His first novel, Floodland, won the Branford Boase Award for the best debut children's novel of 2000. Since then his books have been shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, the Blue Peter Book Award, the Costa Book Award, the Carnegie Medal and the Edgar Allan Poe Award.

Find his website at and follow him on Twitter @marcussedgwick.

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 lot can happen in the dead days. There is a magician called Valerian who must save his own life, or pay the price for the pact he made with evil so many years ago. But will alchemy and sorcery be any match against the demonic power pursuing him? Helping him is his servant, Boy, a child with no name and no past, and the quick-witted Willow, and watching their fortune, mapping their destinies.... is Fate. Set in dark, dangerous cities and in the frozen countryside of a distant time and place The Book of Dead Days, beautifully evoked and dramatic, conjures a spell-binding story of power, corruption and desperate magic. 'A haunting ride into a world of compelling darkness.' Dreamwatch 'a dark melodrama kept sharp by surprise.' Julia Eccleshare, Guardian 'a wonderfully tight novel . . . Sedgwick's plotting is tight and ingenious ... a gripping read that is highly enjoyable on so many levels.' S F Revu

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