My Swordhand Is Singing

Marcus Sedgwick's "My Swordhand Is Singing" is a gothic historical horror novel for middle grade readers, set in a chilling 17th-century Eastern European village. Peter, a young boy, and his woodcutter father, Tomas, live a nomadic life until they settle in Chust, where inexplicable murders and reanimations begin. A mysterious gypsy girl reveals the Shadow Queen's involvement, forcing Peter to confront his father's hidden past, which holds the key to stopping the evil. This book explores themes of loss, redemption, and the complex bond between a father and son, wrapped in an atmospheric and suspenseful narrative. Parents should be aware of the prominent scary scenes, peril, and themes of death and the supernatural.

In the dangerous dark of winter in an Eastern European village during the early seventeenth century, Peter learns from a gypsy girl that the Shadow Queen is behind the recent murders and reanimations, and his father's secret past may hold the key to stopping her.