The Book of Dead Days
About this audiobook
There is a man, Valerian, whose time is running out, who 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 and place of the author's making, 'The Book of Dead Days' conjures a spell-binding story of sorcery and desperate magic as Valerian, Boy and Willow battle to stop time and cling to life. Beautifully evoked, dramatic and emotionally powerful, this is a real page turner.
Read by Derek Jacobi
(P)2004 Orion Publishing Group.Ltd
About the author
Marcus Sedgwick was the winner of many prizes, most notably the 2014 Michael L. Printz Award for his novel Midwinterblood. Marcus also received two Printz Honors, for Revolver in 2011 and The Ghosts of Heaven in 2016, giving him the most citations to date for America's most prestigious book prize for writing for young adults. Other notable award winning books include Floodland, Marcus' first novel, which won the Branford-Boase Award in 2001; My Swordhand is Singing, which won the Booktrust Teenage Prize for 2007, and Lunatics and Luck, part of The Raven Mysteries series, which won a Blue Peter Book Award in 2011. His books have been shortlisted for over forty other awards, including the Carnegie Medal (seven times), the Edgar Allan Poe Award (twice) and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize (four times). He has been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award three times, in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Marcus was Writer in Residence at Bath Spa University for three years, reviewed for The Guardian newspaper and taught creative writing at Arvon and Ty Newydd. He judged numerous books awards, including the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and the Costa Book Awards. www.marcussedgwick.com
Sir Derek Jacobi is one of the UK's most distinguished contemporary actors. He made his name with commanding performances on stage and screen, most memorably in the BBC TV series I, Claudius. He was nominated for a 'Best Actor' Tony Award for his portrayal of Alan Turing in the play Breaking the Code, and then for a BAFTA when that was adapted for television. Other notable TV work includes the series Cadfael. His film work ranges from The Day of the Jackal to Gladiator and Gosford Park. He has read numerous audiobooks including, for Orion, The Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick. He was knighted in 1994.
