"I am called Shadow."

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

So I’ve been returning lately to the books I enjoyed most as a child/ young teen and appreciating them anew, and having just reread The King’s Shadow by Elizabeth Alder, I can’t help thinking it deserves more love and recognition from fans of Megan Whalen Turner and Rosemary Sutcliff.

Blurb under the cut (or you can skip down to my thoughts if you prefer fewer spoilers):

Evyn, a young Welsh serf, has dreamed all his life of becoming a storyteller. But in a cruel twist of fate, Evyn and his father suffer a brutal attack by a group of murderous ruffians. Evyn's tongue is cut off and his father is killed. Orphaned and unable to speak, Evyn assumes he is destined to a life of slavery. But Evyn is resilient and teaches himself to read and write. He is then appointed the personal companion to Earl Harold of Wessex, who later becomes the King of England. The two travel the countryside together, forming a close father-son bond. Evyn chronicles all of their exciting journeys, which culminate at the Battle of Hastings, where the future of the country is decided.

Though not as lyrically written as Sutcliff’s historical fiction, The King’s Shadow left a similarly lasting impression on me, and led me to authors like Sutcliff as my appreciation for the genre grew. The prose suffers a little from telling versus showing, but my advice would be to stick with it—the characters and their relationships develop and become more meaningful as their place in history is established. The attention to historical detail is wonderful. (And as our own an_english_girl can attest, the Welsh landscape is described in recognizable detail! :)

As for it appealing to Turner fans... Well, as I was reading Return of the Thief, Pheris more than once reminded me of Evyn in The King’s Shadow. Like Pheris, Evyn is an outsider who lives with disability and the stigmas surrounding it, but finds his voice by learning to read and write, and his purpose in fighting beside and in recording the life of a great king and father figure. It’s a moving story that will enhance your understanding of the time period in England between the end of the Roman era and the Norman invasion. I won’t spoil it further, but I will add this warning: the story ends in 1066! And as fans of Sutcliff will know, not all historical tales end happily! But the ending is still touching and worthwhile, in my opinion.

Keep in mind that this book was probably considered MG when it was written (in 1995) but it does contain some descriptions of violence, so be aware of that if you’re sharing it with younger readers.

Anyway, I’m very curious to know if MWT has read this book, and I hope at least a few other readers will enjoy the recommendation!

What are some of your favorite historical fiction novels?

Comments

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

No idea what's going on with the font and formatting of this post... Sorry about that! Mods, feel free to fix it if it's a problem. I tried, and only made it worse. 0:)

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Well, LJ won't let me actually edit anyone's posts; just add tags or delete comments or entire posts. Anyway, the font is small but it's fine.

I haven't heard of this book but it wouldn't surprise me if Megan has read it. It sure sounds like something she'd like.

It's funny, I always tell people I don't like historical fiction at all. Then I'll read a well-written historical fiction book and think, "wow, that was really good, for historical fiction!" Most of the historical fiction I've read are middle grade books, and not much adult stuff.

I'll ask aged_crone if she's read it; it certainly sounds right up her alley.

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

Sorry about the small font!

I tend to like MG historical fiction as well, so long as it's well-researched. Most of what constitutes "adult" historical fiction is, I've found, just romance in costumes. :p

The King's Shadow is written simplistically, in some ways, and I wonder if young readers today would find it exciting enough—while at the same time, some of the events and warfare described might be too mature for them. My copy is actually an ex-library book with a "young adult education" stamp, so I think it probably belongs to that pre-Twilight era of YA.

I'm a history nerd (names and dates are fun!) so I'm always on the lookout for more literature in the vein of Sutcliff. :)

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Ok, Leslie (aged_crone) says she hasn't read it.

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

As I was saying to eachase: Looks like I must first create some readers and fans of this book before I can discuss it with them! :) I'm up for the challenge... I brought most of my friends into the QT fandom, after all. ;)

[eachase.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll try to find time to look for it.

This is OT, but I wanted to let you know about the Wade Center Podcasts. I think they might be right up your alley:

https://wadecenterpodcast.libsyn.com/

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

Looks like I must first create readers and fans of this book in order to have someone to discuss it with... as I once did with my friend group and the QT books. :)

Thank you! You are right. I used to frequently visit the Wade Center. :) I've been enjoying their podcasts this past year!

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

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