Midwinterblood

Marcus Sedgwick

Jun 2024 · Macmillan + ORM

About this ebook

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

Winner, Michael L. Printz Award

A Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book of 2013

A Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of 2013

"Part love story, part mystery, part horror, this is as much about the twisting hand of fate as it is about the mutability of folk tales. Its strange spell will capture you." ― Booklist (starred review)

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.

"A tale for the ages, expertly spun and completely satisfying." —Eoin Colfer, The New York Times Book Review

"Reminiscent of David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas. . . . Stark, suspenseful writing." — School Library Journal

"A story that's simultaneously romantic, tragic, horrifying, and transcendental is more than enough to hold readers' attention, no matter their age." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

" The Time Traveler's Wife meets Lost in this chilling exploration of love and memory. . . . Haunting, sophisticated and ultimately exquisite." ― Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Sedgwick's prose is unadorned yet melancholic." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

"Sedgwick's prose is taut, careful, and chilling." — The Horn Book (starred review)

Ratings and reviews

I love this book so much, I never regretted picking it up from the bookstore. It's so perfect and beautifully written in a way that it keeps you hooked up. Arghh so good... very astonishing

I can't describe in words the way I loved this book. It's well-written, and clever. I just.. ughh.. so astonishing! When everything just falls into place... it's just perfect!

I have read this book over and over after I got it as a gift, and every time I discover something new about it and it will always be on my top five!

About the author

Marcus Sedgwick is the author of White Crow and Revolver, which was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal in the UK and was named a Printz Honor book in the US. The author of eleven widely admired previous novels, he lives near Cambridge, England.