"The Book of Dead Days" by Marcus Sedgwick, tracks the magician Valerian as he frantically races to save his life.
The Dead Days are those magical days between Christmas and New Years when spirits roam and anything can happen, and the end of them marks Valerian''s deadline: he must pay for the bargain he struck with evil fifteen years ago.
Aiding him in his search is Boy, a misterious orphan who is unable to remember his name or his past, and Willow, a quick, spry girl orphaned and eager to solve the mystery. How can Valerian stop the inevitable? The answer lies in a mysterious book they must chase down. The road is difficult, for they must delve into the death fields in the black of night, evade
grave robbers, and are swept through the watery underground crypts and catacombs.
Will they find the Book in time? Will Valerian find the answers within? The resolution can only end in evil, for with evil the pact was made. This is an easy and quick read . . . a great youth novel about the nature of evil and the cost of gaining the unattainable. Young adults will be entertained, but adults might become annoyed with the ending.