The Shadow Prince (The Chronicles of Tupiluliuma)

by Philip Armstrong

How can it be that a person of flesh and blood should lack a shadow? And why does the enigmatic blind old man known as the Talantine seem to be following him? These are the questions confronting Tupilu, a minor prince of the royal family of Hatti, who, at the age of nine, confronts a shocking discovery about himself. The answers to those questions lie in the astonishing truth about Tupilu's mysterious mother, who died shortly after his birth. But he must wait a further ten years before the Talantine will reveal the whole truth; of the unique and terrifying destiny that he was born to; of the peril facing the world; and of the existence of talkative daemon, Pellilu, whose task is to keep Tupilu safe. Firmly rooted in the richly-detailed history of the Late Bronze Age, The Shadow Prince is an epic fantasy, charting the journey of Tupilu and his most trusted friends, as they attempt to avert catastrophe. It is a path that will entangle him in the cosmological struggle of warring gods and duplicitous daemons, and with conniving politicians and murderous agents of foreign powers. Leaving his home in the Hittite Empire, his journey takes him to the damaged Oracle of Haleb, the court of the powerful King Solomon, and on to an explosive confrontation with Pharaoh Horemheb and his ruthless Visier, Paramessu, and an apocalyptic reckoning amid the exotic grandeur of Kemet (Egypt), in a bid to prevent Sutekh, God of Chaos and Destruction, escaping his Netherworld prison and destroying the fabric of reality itself. 'The Shadow Prince' is he first volume of an epic historical fantasy series, 'The Chronicles of Tupiluliuma'. "Armstrong combines fantasy elements with the stunningly realized real world history of Bronze Age Anatolia and Egypt in the opening chapter of a sweeping narrative that is thrilling, moving and at times funny."

Genres: Fantasy

824 pages, Paperback

Published July 17, 2016

Reviews

[Jeane Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you liked Game of Thrones you will love this. Very well written. The author is extremely descriptive in his writing you feel like you are there amongst the characters. He has done his research into the history and period and also adds humour. I don't want to give anything away on the story but it is addictive and fast moving even if some of the character names are unusual you get used to it. Apparently they are original Hittite names. The story is of a Hittite community which mysteriously died out long ago with a little fantasy thown in for good measure.

[Jeane Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent could not put it down.
it follows Tupilu a young prince through his life. Wrtitten in a very graphic style, you feel like your there in the story. The characters are so real. Exciting and funny with the appearance of Pelilu the daemon.i loved the ambush scene in chapter 11. can't wait now to read the next book Ra'an's People out this September.

[Deborah Fruchey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this supernatural adventure set in the ancient Hittite Empire and adjacent countries. The characters are engaging, especially the (hideously named ) Tupiluliuma. One grows used to the jaw-cracking names surprisingly quickly, given that they are authentic, and is drawn into the world of this young lonely boy who doesn't know why he's different, just that he is. This author clearly knows how to keep a plot moving, often cutting from one arena of action to another to keep the suspense going. There is not a great deal of depth to the portraits, but they are deft and interesting. The ultimate fight with the god Sutekh is rather disappointing, however. He seems load and aggressive, large, but not too smart - lots of firepower but no strategy - never really very scary. The interest here is more in the setting, and the clever actions of the villains. This series is on the whole a well made blend of myth and pre-Roman history.

I was entertained enough to read the following book, 'The Isles of Winter', which is actually two long books, each as long as the first. It moves the theatre of action to Britain and Ireland. I was VERY disappointed to see that part two was made available only on Kindle Unlimited, or in paperback, which seems like a mean advertising trick to play on eager readers. Apparently a third two-part book entitled 'The Towers of Wilusa' is forthcoming. I will undoubtedly read it (if it's available to me!), as I have come to be very interested in the arc of this story and the destiny of its multiple heroes & heroines - and villains.