by Amber McGee 
Weekly Reader Columnist
Some time ago, around the tenth century, a king was sacrificed to prevent a famine. Until then the king had lived for many years, his life sustained by a special flower that grew only on his small island in the north. Before he was slain the king saw his queen wracked with despair and promised her that he would always be by her side. Even when her life came to an end and she was reborn thousands of miles away, he would find her some how.
So begins the story of Midwinterblood. Inspired by the painting of the same name by Carl Larsson, this novel, inspite of its bleak setting, will leave readers feeling hopeful. Maybe, just maybe, what others say is true. Maybe love can survive the centuries.
In just over two hundred and fifty pages Marcus Sedgwick is able to create a mesmerizing story that enchants the readers just as much as it enchants the main characters. Midwinterblood is a cup of fresh tea when compared to other reincarnation stories for it explores not only romantic love, but familial and platonic love as well.
This story is broken up into seven sections, each taking place on the same island throughout different points in history. Through the eyes of a: journalist, an archeologist, a soldier, and a child the audience will come to understand the mysterious and bloody history of Blessed Island. Picturesque as the name makes it sound, Sedgwick’s mature and pensive tone instead paints a picture of an isolated land where, when it comes down to it, no one can hear you scream.
A few mark this book as horror, but it can just as easily be marked as a romance. Of course the two can be combined and work well, but most reviews put this book on one side of the spectrum or the other. Rather than do that, it’s easier to tell it like it is: though it’s ending lines can be read as hopeful, this is not a rainbows and sunshine story. There’s a tone of melancholy that can be found throughout the novel. That, combined with the strange cults, war references, and ritualistic sacrifices, makes Midwinterblood a book that is better read when the skies are cloudy and the wind is blowing. There’s no true “horror” in this book, only horror that readers may instead feel while reading it. Gothic would be a better used word to describe the book instead.
Don’t let this all scare you away. For as mature as Sedgwick’s writing feels there are no overly complex sentences, and no words that make you have to put the book down and break the flow to go get a dictionary. This is not a young adult novel in the “usual” sense, but it doesn’t feel adult either. Just as Blessed Island seems to sit on the border of reality and dream Midwinterblood sits on the edge of genres and audiences.
To enhance the experience of reading this book, look up the painting that inspired it. Whether before or after you’ve read it, seeing the original material will create an interesting turn in the story, and in some weird way, make it all feel more authentic.
Summer is coming, and rainy and cloudy days any time soon are unlikely. Still, give this book a try. Even if you have to sit in your room with the lights dimmed to get the right feel–read this book. A short, sentimental story that can still be appreciated years later.
