December 20, 2004
The characters in Sedgwick's (The Dark Horse
) gothic chiller lurk in darkened theaters, alleyways and graveyards. The novel centers around a charlatan who years ago made a deal with a devil—and whose time is almost up. Valerian runs the magic show in the Great Theater, along with his assistant, an orphan he calls Boy, useful chiefly "because of his expertise at squeezing into ridiculously small spaces," to help with the magical illusions. As the unspecified year ("somewhere in the second half of the eighteenth century" writes the author in his introduction) draws to a close, violence begins to erupt—the owner of the theater is killed in gruesome fashion, and slowly Boy learns that Valerian is hiding a dark secret and evading a hellhound on his trail. The man's wisdom and magical prowess, it turns out, were bequeathed 15 years ago in a deal for his soul, a deal which is about to come due, during the "dead days" of the title (the stretch between Christmas and New Year's). The leisurely setup immerses readers in the delectably eerie surroundings (the book is two-thirds finished before Valerian begins to spill some of his secrets); those eager for action may grow impatient. But Sedgwick's atmosphere is so well rendered, the fog on the cobblestone streets so tangibly thick, that most will likely get caught up in this exotic era and its creepy characters. Ages 10-up.
January 1, 2005
In the last five days of a late-medieval year, magician Valerian strives to elude the consequences of a Faustian bargain. "Boy," his stage assistant, can't divine what drives his harsh master. Events move swiftly; the brooding atmosphere is palpable. Sedgwick's dark thriller reaches a satisfactory denouement, but his last words are "End of Book One," leaving much unresolved for a sequel.
(Copyright 2005 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
November 1, 2004
In a vast, ancient city, in the last five days of a late-medieval year, taciturn magician Valerian strives desperately to elude the consequences of a Faustian bargain. "Boy," fourteen, former street urchin and Valerian's stage assistant, can't divine what drives his harsh master. Events move swiftly; the brooding atmosphere is palpable. Mysterious murders occur; Boy and the equally innocent Willow become fugitive suspects. Valerian seeks a book with the key to his salvation among the city's multitudinous graves, and in labyrinthine underground canals-cum-catacombs. Who is the villain, who the savior? It would be unconscionable to tell what happens, and even the author doesn't: though his dark thriller reaches a satisfactory denouement, his last words are "End of Book One," leaving much (including Boy and Willow's safety) unresolved for a sequel.
(Copyright 2004 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
Starred review from September 1, 2004
Gr. 6-9. Set during the dead days between Christmas and New Year's in a crumbling, old, European-like city, this story is as dark as a winter's night, illuminated with flashes of shooting-star brilliance. Once an urchin, Boy now belongs to Valerian, a magician. Although the master treats the child poorly, Boy follows his orders dutifully; Valerian is all he has got. So when Valerian reveals that he has only a few days to live (a pact with the devil is coming due), Boy winds his way through the fetid stink of the city, following Valerian's mysterious and dangerous instructions in a race to save his master's life. Sedgwick's highly visual writing makes for a true movie of the mind. It is reminiscent of Philip Pullman's work, with each detail adding to the fullness of Sedgwick's alternative world. Also like Pullman, Sedgwick draws characters so magnetic that readers will find it hard to look away. The plot is convoluted in places, information is dispensed a bit too slowly, and a few key points want explanation (about one, a character says, "We may never know"). Perhaps the loose ends will be tied up in the sequel, which is planned for 2005 (hopefully a note about it will be on the final dust jacket). This is a haunting novel, and the possibility of more is definitely enticing.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)
November 1, 2004
Gr 6-9-Set in a European city in the late 18th century, this tale of magic and treachery, the first of a two-book set, takes place during the "Dead Days" that lie between Christmas and New Year's Eve. Boy, who lacks both a real name and any knowledge of his past, is the virtual slave of a disagreeable magician, Valerian, who treats him either with indifference or cruelty. Several harrowing events, including a mysterious murder, bring Willow, a clever orphan girl, into their lives. The theme is a classic one, for Valerian has sold his soul to some ill-defined otherworldly spirit in return for earthly pleasures. Now his time of reckoning is at hand, and he must find a way to save himself before December 31 or be lost forever. The two teens accompany him on a seemingly crazed quest for a book that might hold the answer. The novel is heavily overlaid with a sense of foreboding, and the language powerfully describes the bleak weather and the squalor of the decaying city. Part of the adventure takes place in a dismal graveyard, part in a terrifying maze of subterranean canals. Unexpected twists keep the action moving, and the suspense never flags. In the end, much is explained yet much remains uncertain. Readers who enjoy fast-paced melodrama with an overlay of the supernatural will devour this tale and wait eagerly for the next installment.-Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC
Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.