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Amazon Review
Novels by the controversial author for teenagers, Melvin Burgess, do not happen along every year, so when one does land it is always an important event. And Bloodsong has certainly been worth waiting for. Six years on from Bloodtide, this sequel--also inspired by the Icelandic Volsunga Saga that Burgess has been an admirer of since his youth--is every bit as violent, gripping and explosive as its predecessor. Set in a future Britain, amidst a terrifyingly savage post-apocalyptic landscape, Bloodsong tells of the life and many deaths of 15-year-old Sigurd, young hero of this particular age. Sigurd is sent on a suicide mission to a bomb-flattened London to try to kill a seemingly invincible dragon-creature, who in reality is a much-augmented human being with impenetrable scales for skin and a peerless command of technology in its defence. Armed only with a flawed but God-tinged sword as a weapon, the young Volson’s plan is to lie in wait for the beast in a shallow grave, and to gut the monstrosity as it trundles overhead. That Sigurd succeeds in this impossible mission is due to his courage, ingenuity and timely reincarnation after his unfortunate first death. Reborn to re-unite the kingdom, Sigurd passes first into a captivating underworld, where he finds love, then onwards towards glory and wealth. Tighter than the first book, the reader is gripped on the first page. Telling a shorter story this time, in glorious bloody technicolour, and using his effective multi-viewpoint approach, Burgess weaves a tale that is not for the feint-hearted. Love, passion, death, treachery--it’s all here in spades. Sigurd’s short life hurtles towards an inevitable climax that exhibits both powerful drama and has added edge-of-the-seat tension. It’s an unforgettable story that will stay with you for a very long time to come. (Age 14 and over) --John McLay
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