a romantic adventure with a very dark side * South China Morning Post * Breathtaking * Mizz * An exciting, original read * The Observer * Another fast-moving, action-packed page-turner * The Bookseller * Highly recommended * Books for Keeps * Gardner just keeps getting stranger and better * The Daily Telegraph * Never loses pace from the start until its dramatic end.

dramatic and gripping * The Lady * It is hard to imagine a contemporary work of children's historical fiction more superbly conceived or more engagingly written. an accessible historical title and a gripping read * School Librarian * Sweeps the reader along with hardly time to draw breath * Primary Times * Shiveringly romantic. a must-read for a new generation * The Times * Rich, suspenseful and moving * The Times * A high octane thriller. * LOVEREADING.COM * Constant suspense, beautiful style, strong period feeling and great characters make this one not to miss * The Times * An enthralling and wholly original novel. * LOVELY TREEZ BLOG * As well as providing a terrific insight into a brutal and sometimes horrific period of European history the reader will find many threads - secrets, magic, heroism and murder as well as a touching love story - to keep them turning the pages to the very end. I would urge any fans of well written historical fiction aged 9 to 99 to read The Silver Blade and to succumb to the seduction of this master storyteller. The writing is beautiful, never forced and everything is cleverly woven together like an intricate tapestry. Summer (teen reviewer) * CHICKLISH BLOG * There is magic, romance, a hint of gothic coupled with vivid vignettes of Parisian life in all its post revolutionary squalor. The descriptive writing in the novel was extremely good and really helped me to believe the story, and above all the plotline was fantastic with a twist I would never have been able to imagine. I loved the mixture between love, tragedy and the heat of the French Revolution. I really enjoyed reading this novel, even more so than the first.

The silver blade by sally gardner