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The King's Shadow
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.
259 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
February 12, 2021
This was almost worthy of Rosemary Sutcliff, in both story and writing. The Author's style does a wonderful job in capturing the love of the Briton countryside and heritage, as well as weaving historical fact and fiction together superbly. Her battle scene was well written, unlike so many modern stories. She did not focus on the fighting as individual scenes, like a movie does, but as a whole, and yet she does not neglect relating certain events through Evyn's eyes. Her storm-at-sea, too, was related masterfully, being blessedly short, but exciting and never dragging at the same time.
Normally, I do not like it when a main character is mute, but Elizabeth Alder managed it extremely well. The King's Shadow has very little dialogue the way it is, reading instead more like a narrative (almost like one of G.A. Henty's stories) so Evyn's muteness fit in perfectly, endearing his character further and developing his personality in a way that talking could not. By the end of the book, I was thoroughly attached to him and silently begged those printed words that he wouldn't die. The Author makes her other characters just as easy to attach oneself to, from the graceful and kind Lady Ealdgyth, to the curious and lively Brother Lewys, and even King Harold himself.
I absolutely loved this book as much as I love Sutcliff's books, and I hope to add it to my collection very soon.
Normally, I do not like it when a main character is mute, but Elizabeth Alder managed it extremely well. The King's Shadow has very little dialogue the way it is, reading instead more like a narrative (almost like one of G.A. Henty's stories) so Evyn's muteness fit in perfectly, endearing his character further and developing his personality in a way that talking could not. By the end of the book, I was thoroughly attached to him and silently begged those printed words that he wouldn't die. The Author makes her other characters just as easy to attach oneself to, from the graceful and kind Lady Ealdgyth, to the curious and lively Brother Lewys, and even King Harold himself.
I absolutely loved this book as much as I love Sutcliff's books, and I hope to add it to my collection very soon.
July 24, 2011
This is one of those books where the more you know about history--specifically, the era around William the Conqueror--the more is spoiled. Having a passing knowledge of the era, I read with an idea of what was to come.
Er...it's quite good. All the basics are in place. Developed characters, good pacing and plotting, and a researched world. Which leads into The King's Shadow's greatest merit, in my eyes: it understands how people actually THOUGHT in this time.
A lot of historical fiction will stop with lifestyle research--what people wore, ate and worshiped--and give their characters modern eyes. Not so. All of these characters' beliefs are presented as they are, with no judgement passed, no authorial nudging of "look at that, how silly we once were." I wish more people would do this.
The main reason I don't read much historical fiction is the lack of research into the mindsets of those times. The King's Shadow does not commit this misdemeanor, so I enjoyed it.
Er...it's quite good. All the basics are in place. Developed characters, good pacing and plotting, and a researched world. Which leads into The King's Shadow's greatest merit, in my eyes: it understands how people actually THOUGHT in this time.
A lot of historical fiction will stop with lifestyle research--what people wore, ate and worshiped--and give their characters modern eyes. Not so. All of these characters' beliefs are presented as they are, with no judgement passed, no authorial nudging of "look at that, how silly we once were." I wish more people would do this.
The main reason I don't read much historical fiction is the lack of research into the mindsets of those times. The King's Shadow does not commit this misdemeanor, so I enjoyed it.
July 13, 2022
I wanted to enjoy this book, and I really thought I'd love it. I liked it very much when I read it twice as a preteen, even though I disliked Anglo-Saxon history. I thought I would love it upon rereading it ten years later, since now I'm someone who loves books that feature the Anglo-Saxon period along with Wales in the Dark Ages. I often enjoy books even more as an adult when I liked them, but didn't fully appreciate them, when I was younger. So my hopes for this book were high, since it seemed like exactly the sort of book I'd enjoy. It seems like such a compelling and fascinating story.
Alas, I was sorely disappointed! This book had so much potential to be amazing and compelling, but it failed in the execution.
I did love the history and Anglo-Saxon setting it portrayed, including the mention of one of my favorite things in history: the progression of England from Celtic to Roman to Anglo-Saxon to Norman, while each culture melded with the next as the land was successively conquered, with the Welsh remaining free. The book set up the history of England so well, and I was looking forward to watching the rest unfold in the last conquest.
But the book was just not well-written at all, so those good things weren't executed well enough to matter. I never made it to the Norman conquest, instead quitting only a third of the way through.
The book wasn't terrible, but it was definitely not an example of good writing, either - at least for me personally. There were many, many specific reasons why, all of which I noticed and considered and critiqued in my mind while reading. It wasn't just arbitrary dislike on my part, with no basis. Even a few of those reasons would be enough for a long review. I'm afraid that as hard as I try, any review I write will be colored by my disappointment - and will fail to be objective or pleasant. So I'll try to keep it briefer than my usual lengthy review, especially since I didn't like the book enough to pour my heart into a review.
*
What I Didn't Like:
- The descriptive writing style seemed amateur, as if the author was trying too hard. It was overly flowery and overly dramatic - and unnatural. I love vivid, quality descriptive writing, and wonderful metaphors, when the author writes them well, but I personally didn't feel that this book qualified. The author attempted this style I love so much, but I didn't feel she succeeded, much to my disappointment.
-When the descriptions weren't overdone, they were dry, lifeless, and shallow, with lengthy physical descriptions of character appearances, clothing, and buildings. This meant the narrative was often shallow and lacking in life and vividness.
- The protagonist's character arc was disjointed, inconsistent, unfocused, and all over the place. I didn't know what the main character wanted, what he feared, etc., since it wasn't clearly displayed, and since it kept changing arbitrarily. Also, the protagonist's anger at a relative was understandable, but it seemed unfounded because it began suddenly, without articulating a reason for it. And several pages later, the protagonist realized he had forgiven the other character - and I was so confused, because I didn't see that happen, and didn't know how it could have happened. Forgiveness doesn't happen that easily, especially for something so horrible that destroys one's life.
- The characterization and development of the other characters was one-dimensional and lacking, and it often made no sense. I also couldn't stand the protagonist's uncle, and I don't think that was the author's intent.
- Some events were far-fetched or made no sense. For instance, I wasn't aware of a plausible reason why the Lady Ealdgyth would show favoritism to a mute slave (the catalyst for most of the book), when the book kept saying how low the his status was. At least Harold had a reason to employ the protagonist - but even that depended on the Lady showing favor to him originally, which had no basis or believable cause, and which therefore undermined the whole plot. I didn't understand why both Harold and the Lady treated the protagonist as a page or squire despite his low status - there was not a believable reason for it.
- There were other inconsistencies as well, such as the book saying that hardly anyone had spoken to the main character in months - directly after a scene in which a fellow servant leans over to whisper information in his ear about the events happening in front of him. The latter seemed very contrived even while reading that scene, and I didn't understand why the other servant would bother to inform the main character, who had a much lower status. And then a couple of pages later, the book said that no one ever spoke to the main character, and it just seemed sloppy to me.
- There were problems with the point of view. Instead of being deep point of view, like I felt it should have been - narrating solely from the protagonist's perspective, allowing the reader to see only what he sees - the narration often told details that the protagonist couldn't know. For instance, the book described the protagonist's physical appearance, when he couldn't see himself, and alluded to things the other characters were thinking, that the main character couldn't know - both of which are tell-tale signs of problems with deep point of view. Also, the book included infodumps (a problem in itself) of historical events that the protagonist had no way of knowing. The book never got to the level of actual head-hopping, but it came pretty close in the way it described other characters' thoughts. And though it wasn't deep point of view, it wasn't omniscient point of view either - it was something in between that didn't succeed at any style of point of view that I'm aware of.
- The descriptions of the protagonist's feelings - understandably strong feelings - were melodramatic and over-the-top. I feel that it's better to err on the side of understatement when describing feelings, since subtlety is often incredibly powerful. As it was, I didn't care about the main character as much as I wished to, and I didn't connect with him, which hardly ever happens to me - I normally care so much, especially when a character goes through something this awful. I eventually stopped caring when he went through yet another hardship, even though I'm an empathetic soul almost all the time - just because it wasn't well-written enough to convey the emotion and hardship of the dramatic event, and to make me feel it too. I tried so hard to care, but the book had to meet me halfway, and it didn't.
*
Because of these things, I didn't enjoy the book nearly at all. I struggled to keep reading it, and I had to force myself to keep going - until I eventually gave up and DNF-ed, even though I held out for a very long time. It's not healthy for me when battling a reading slump to fight through a book I'm not enjoying. I only managed to read a page or two every few days, when I could normally finish a book this length in four days (or one day, when I was younger). I really hate to DNF books, and I always hesitate to do so - but sometimes that's what's needed, so I'm trying to put books down when necessary. I managed to get through the first hundred pages - only a third of the book - but it felt like an eternity, and I couldn't believe I wasn't even halfway through. I really wanted to know what happened in the rest of the book, but I couldn't bring myself to finish. I stuck with it a very long time to see if it improved, but it didn't improve much, and the problems remained, so I'll have to just assume the rest didn't improve much, either - I gave it a good chance.
I really wish I could find more good Anglo-Saxon historical fiction books. I've read a dozen or so, but while some are pretty good, most are not the greatest, and the only amazing ones I've read are only partly Anglo-Saxon. I've been craving more Anglo-Saxon recommendations for a long time, and I thought this book would help, but it didn't. The lack of more good Anglo-Saxon fiction makes me really sad, cause I love it so much.
All in all, I'm really sad and disappointed that this book didn't live up to my moderate hopes - nobody's fault but my own. Usually when I have good memories of liking a book, I like it even more as an adult, and I trusted that to be true here - but it wasn't. I almost wish now that I had left it without rereading it, so I would still remember it as a good book - but I couldn't help but recall the book and want to reread it, which would have happened eventually, regardless.
I thought that this book would remain at four stars or possibly even reach five stars upon a reread, but instead, it dropped at least a star or two to two or three stars. However, I'll leave it unrated, since I didn't finish it.
I hope others enjoy it much more than I did, and I can definitely see it being an enjoyable book for others. It just wasn't for me.
Alas, I was sorely disappointed! This book had so much potential to be amazing and compelling, but it failed in the execution.
I did love the history and Anglo-Saxon setting it portrayed, including the mention of one of my favorite things in history: the progression of England from Celtic to Roman to Anglo-Saxon to Norman, while each culture melded with the next as the land was successively conquered, with the Welsh remaining free. The book set up the history of England so well, and I was looking forward to watching the rest unfold in the last conquest.
But the book was just not well-written at all, so those good things weren't executed well enough to matter. I never made it to the Norman conquest, instead quitting only a third of the way through.
The book wasn't terrible, but it was definitely not an example of good writing, either - at least for me personally. There were many, many specific reasons why, all of which I noticed and considered and critiqued in my mind while reading. It wasn't just arbitrary dislike on my part, with no basis. Even a few of those reasons would be enough for a long review. I'm afraid that as hard as I try, any review I write will be colored by my disappointment - and will fail to be objective or pleasant. So I'll try to keep it briefer than my usual lengthy review, especially since I didn't like the book enough to pour my heart into a review.
*
What I Didn't Like:
- The descriptive writing style seemed amateur, as if the author was trying too hard. It was overly flowery and overly dramatic - and unnatural. I love vivid, quality descriptive writing, and wonderful metaphors, when the author writes them well, but I personally didn't feel that this book qualified. The author attempted this style I love so much, but I didn't feel she succeeded, much to my disappointment.
-When the descriptions weren't overdone, they were dry, lifeless, and shallow, with lengthy physical descriptions of character appearances, clothing, and buildings. This meant the narrative was often shallow and lacking in life and vividness.
- The protagonist's character arc was disjointed, inconsistent, unfocused, and all over the place. I didn't know what the main character wanted, what he feared, etc., since it wasn't clearly displayed, and since it kept changing arbitrarily. Also, the protagonist's anger at a relative was understandable, but it seemed unfounded because it began suddenly, without articulating a reason for it. And several pages later, the protagonist realized he had forgiven the other character - and I was so confused, because I didn't see that happen, and didn't know how it could have happened. Forgiveness doesn't happen that easily, especially for something so horrible that destroys one's life.
- The characterization and development of the other characters was one-dimensional and lacking, and it often made no sense. I also couldn't stand the protagonist's uncle, and I don't think that was the author's intent.
- Some events were far-fetched or made no sense. For instance, I wasn't aware of a plausible reason why the Lady Ealdgyth would show favoritism to a mute slave (the catalyst for most of the book), when the book kept saying how low the his status was. At least Harold had a reason to employ the protagonist - but even that depended on the Lady showing favor to him originally, which had no basis or believable cause, and which therefore undermined the whole plot. I didn't understand why both Harold and the Lady treated the protagonist as a page or squire despite his low status - there was not a believable reason for it.
- There were other inconsistencies as well, such as the book saying that hardly anyone had spoken to the main character in months - directly after a scene in which a fellow servant leans over to whisper information in his ear about the events happening in front of him. The latter seemed very contrived even while reading that scene, and I didn't understand why the other servant would bother to inform the main character, who had a much lower status. And then a couple of pages later, the book said that no one ever spoke to the main character, and it just seemed sloppy to me.
- There were problems with the point of view. Instead of being deep point of view, like I felt it should have been - narrating solely from the protagonist's perspective, allowing the reader to see only what he sees - the narration often told details that the protagonist couldn't know. For instance, the book described the protagonist's physical appearance, when he couldn't see himself, and alluded to things the other characters were thinking, that the main character couldn't know - both of which are tell-tale signs of problems with deep point of view. Also, the book included infodumps (a problem in itself) of historical events that the protagonist had no way of knowing. The book never got to the level of actual head-hopping, but it came pretty close in the way it described other characters' thoughts. And though it wasn't deep point of view, it wasn't omniscient point of view either - it was something in between that didn't succeed at any style of point of view that I'm aware of.
- The descriptions of the protagonist's feelings - understandably strong feelings - were melodramatic and over-the-top. I feel that it's better to err on the side of understatement when describing feelings, since subtlety is often incredibly powerful. As it was, I didn't care about the main character as much as I wished to, and I didn't connect with him, which hardly ever happens to me - I normally care so much, especially when a character goes through something this awful. I eventually stopped caring when he went through yet another hardship, even though I'm an empathetic soul almost all the time - just because it wasn't well-written enough to convey the emotion and hardship of the dramatic event, and to make me feel it too. I tried so hard to care, but the book had to meet me halfway, and it didn't.
*
Because of these things, I didn't enjoy the book nearly at all. I struggled to keep reading it, and I had to force myself to keep going - until I eventually gave up and DNF-ed, even though I held out for a very long time. It's not healthy for me when battling a reading slump to fight through a book I'm not enjoying. I only managed to read a page or two every few days, when I could normally finish a book this length in four days (or one day, when I was younger). I really hate to DNF books, and I always hesitate to do so - but sometimes that's what's needed, so I'm trying to put books down when necessary. I managed to get through the first hundred pages - only a third of the book - but it felt like an eternity, and I couldn't believe I wasn't even halfway through. I really wanted to know what happened in the rest of the book, but I couldn't bring myself to finish. I stuck with it a very long time to see if it improved, but it didn't improve much, and the problems remained, so I'll have to just assume the rest didn't improve much, either - I gave it a good chance.
I really wish I could find more good Anglo-Saxon historical fiction books. I've read a dozen or so, but while some are pretty good, most are not the greatest, and the only amazing ones I've read are only partly Anglo-Saxon. I've been craving more Anglo-Saxon recommendations for a long time, and I thought this book would help, but it didn't. The lack of more good Anglo-Saxon fiction makes me really sad, cause I love it so much.
All in all, I'm really sad and disappointed that this book didn't live up to my moderate hopes - nobody's fault but my own. Usually when I have good memories of liking a book, I like it even more as an adult, and I trusted that to be true here - but it wasn't. I almost wish now that I had left it without rereading it, so I would still remember it as a good book - but I couldn't help but recall the book and want to reread it, which would have happened eventually, regardless.
I thought that this book would remain at four stars or possibly even reach five stars upon a reread, but instead, it dropped at least a star or two to two or three stars. However, I'll leave it unrated, since I didn't finish it.
I hope others enjoy it much more than I did, and I can definitely see it being an enjoyable book for others. It just wasn't for me.
August 24, 2017
I read this book back in 2010. So my review is dated. But 7 years later I can't stop thinking about the book. I thought it was really enjoyable. A historical fiction, that covers the reign of Harold Godwinson via a mute page.
I thought it followed the history book pretty well. While taking the time to shapshot surfdom life.
Any book that keeps me thinking back to it 7 years later deserves high praise. I'm putting this on the re-read shelf.
I thought it followed the history book pretty well. While taking the time to shapshot surfdom life.
Any book that keeps me thinking back to it 7 years later deserves high praise. I'm putting this on the re-read shelf.
December 26, 2024
At first my daughter didn't enjoy this book but by the end it really impacted her. Sometimes she tries to see if she can go without talking like Evyn had to and think of creative ways to communicate. She made a lot of connections to Our Island Story which we've been reading together.
April 4, 2020
My son is in a home school co-op this year. I am the fifth and sixth grade writing teacher. I was given my curriculum, which came complete with a list of reading for the year. So I read the novels along with the kids, and there were some mixed results. As you should be able to tell from the title of this blog entry, the theme of their writing course of the year was Medieval times, which was cool because they were also studying the Middle Ages in their history class. So there was a lot of overlap and it worked out nicely. I’ll just start plowing through the book reviews. (Note: We did not get to the last two books, due to Covid-19 and the stay at home restrictions. We missed a book about Marco Polo and one about the Crusades.)
The first book we read was The Story of King Arthur and His Knights, by Tania Zamorsky. If you know me at all (even just as a blog follower), you know that I enjoy King Arthur stuff. I have reviewed several King Arthur books and series here on the blog, as well as some TV series and maybe a movie. My second novel (a novella, actually) is based in the Middle Ages and has the flavor of Camelot. So I was excited to begin the year this way. I hadn’t read any children’s chapter books about King Arthur, and, well, this would not be the one I would recommend. There must be better out there. (Or not. I am only guessing.) It has decent ratings, but it just wasn’t very engaging. Sure, it told some of the stories so that kids could follow along, but it lacked cohesion (perhaps on purpose, remaining true to the bits-and-pieces legends) and it just wasn’t a page-turner. I didn’t enjoy it and either did the kids. It fell flat. It may be that I enjoy King Arthur approached with a more modern sense of storytelling, but I kept wondering where all the drama and the energy was. The romance. The adventure. It felt almost textbook-y. I wonder if the Howard Pyle original might have been better.
And then we went into Robin Hood by J. Walker McSpadden. Again, I rejoiced, because I like Robin Hood stories, although not nearly as much as King Arthur. I also hear Bryan Adams singing in my head whenever Robin Hood is mentioned. And again I was disappointed. And again I was left hoping there was a better version of the Robin Hood stories for children. This book was actually better than the other, though. Written better a little bit. Actually had some life in it, and a sense of humor. It was broken up into stories without a real arc (or at least one you noticed while it was arcing), however, and this made it hard to keep reading. I asked the same questions as last time, except less about adventure and more: where’s the romance and maybe where’s the drama? If you have a kid on your hands who likes short stories and British history, then perhaps this is the book for him or her. I mean, English children have been loving these stories for like a million years, so maybe yours will as well. Sadly, this book (though a Dover classic,) made the stories feel outdated.
I had no idea what to expect from The King’s Shadow by Elizabeth Alder. Turns out it is a book about a Welsh boy who is orphaned and maimed and then betrayed into slavery among the Anglo-Saxons. In the Middle Ages, of course. His tongue is cut out near the beginning of the book, so I had to warn parents about this. Not that it was especially graphic, but the idea is a little intense. Evyn, the boy, is resilient and has just enough luck and intelligence to be able to make himself useful and be promoted over and over until he is, as the title says, the King’s shadow. Since the children had already learned about King Harold and the Battle of Hastings, it was nice to make connections to history. On the other hand, I used this book to teach the kids a couple of things that they should NOT do when they write. (Among other things, they should not use physical attributes as sure indicators of characteristics. Just because someone is tall and muscular does not make him a great king, etc. or just because someone is wearing black and has a scar does not make him a villain. The author does this regularly. There’s also a whole lot of telling and not showing going on, so we learned about that.) While the book was useful as a tool for teaching writing pitfalls, again we found ourselves not enjoying a book. Though I had one or two who did like this book and reviews online are pretty good. I really didn’t like it.
And then we read One Thousand and One Arabian Nights by Geraldine McCaughrean and I felt very happy. My mind had been trained by now not to expect much from this reading list, though it kept to topics that I normally would really enjoy. One Thousand and One Arabian Nights was a book that I had been meaning to read for many years. This is, obviously, a version of the Islamic classic adapted for children. Which makes it a bit awkward, because the premise is this: King Sharyar is jilted and spends years in bitterness, marrying a new woman every day to have her executed the next morning. The clever Shaharazad “sacrifices” herself by marrying the king and uses storytelling to keep him from executing her day after day after day. We, as the reader, get to listen in to all the tales. Again, I had to warn the parents about the sadistic king. Containing within it some real classics, like Aladdin and Ali Baba and the forty thieves, I was blown away by the humor and the voice of this rendition. In the end, I would probably recommend it for an older audience, but I really had a great time reading this and marveling at the cleverness of the story itself. Maybe one day I’ll get around to reading the original, but I also wouldn’t mind giving this one another read on my own.
The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli felt like déjà vu. It’s about a boy who loses everything, including his future plans and his legs (instead of tongue) to the Plague. Robin finds himself at the mercy of the monks and with his personality and his ability to learn, he works his way up and finds a new future for himself. So, very similar to The King’s Shadow. While this one tends to get lower reviews than the other, I can’t agree with that. I thought that this book had a charm that the other was lacking, even if it still wasn’t my favorite. A Newbery Award winner, it is a bit heavy on the morals and perhaps suffers from a lack of action, but I still liked it alright and would recommend it for the right child.
Before Covid-19 forced us into quarantine, we read Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray. Another Newbery Award-winner, this was my second-favorite book of the bunch because it contained a levity and tenderness that I enjoyed. It’s about yet another boy who suffers a loss and has to be strong, keep going, and use his wits to overcome. In this version, he loses his dog and his father, both of which he pursues for the duration of the book. Part of why this book is so interesting is because of the sheer otherness of Adam’s experiences in contrast to a child today. As a minstrel’s child, Adam had almost complete free-range and he lived on the road, which could mean sleeping on the side of it. While we can see a little around it, Adam adores his father and his life as the son of a minstrel, and I was intrigued by what this life might have looked like in the Middle Ages. The book gives you a glimpse into life at the time and also gives you a handful of characters to love.
Here are a few titles in middle grades Middle Ages, which I have not read, that might be worth a try. (They are also more diverse.):
The Inquisitor’s Tale, Hatem Ally
Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction, David Macaulay
The Sign of the Chrysanthemum, Katherine Patterson
Possibly The Shakespeare Stealer Trilogy
The Crystal Ribbon, Celeste Lim
The Mad Wolf’s Daughter, Diane Magras
The Ugly One, Leanna Statland Ellis
I might recommend trying Crispin: The Cross of Lead (Avi) or Leonardo’s Shadow (Christopher Peter Grey), but I’m tired to stories of boys in the Middle Ages who lose everything and have to be resilient and have their wits about them to succeed.
***REVIEW WRITTEN FOR THE STARVING ARTIST BLOG***
The first book we read was The Story of King Arthur and His Knights, by Tania Zamorsky. If you know me at all (even just as a blog follower), you know that I enjoy King Arthur stuff. I have reviewed several King Arthur books and series here on the blog, as well as some TV series and maybe a movie. My second novel (a novella, actually) is based in the Middle Ages and has the flavor of Camelot. So I was excited to begin the year this way. I hadn’t read any children’s chapter books about King Arthur, and, well, this would not be the one I would recommend. There must be better out there. (Or not. I am only guessing.) It has decent ratings, but it just wasn’t very engaging. Sure, it told some of the stories so that kids could follow along, but it lacked cohesion (perhaps on purpose, remaining true to the bits-and-pieces legends) and it just wasn’t a page-turner. I didn’t enjoy it and either did the kids. It fell flat. It may be that I enjoy King Arthur approached with a more modern sense of storytelling, but I kept wondering where all the drama and the energy was. The romance. The adventure. It felt almost textbook-y. I wonder if the Howard Pyle original might have been better.
And then we went into Robin Hood by J. Walker McSpadden. Again, I rejoiced, because I like Robin Hood stories, although not nearly as much as King Arthur. I also hear Bryan Adams singing in my head whenever Robin Hood is mentioned. And again I was disappointed. And again I was left hoping there was a better version of the Robin Hood stories for children. This book was actually better than the other, though. Written better a little bit. Actually had some life in it, and a sense of humor. It was broken up into stories without a real arc (or at least one you noticed while it was arcing), however, and this made it hard to keep reading. I asked the same questions as last time, except less about adventure and more: where’s the romance and maybe where’s the drama? If you have a kid on your hands who likes short stories and British history, then perhaps this is the book for him or her. I mean, English children have been loving these stories for like a million years, so maybe yours will as well. Sadly, this book (though a Dover classic,) made the stories feel outdated.
I had no idea what to expect from The King’s Shadow by Elizabeth Alder. Turns out it is a book about a Welsh boy who is orphaned and maimed and then betrayed into slavery among the Anglo-Saxons. In the Middle Ages, of course. His tongue is cut out near the beginning of the book, so I had to warn parents about this. Not that it was especially graphic, but the idea is a little intense. Evyn, the boy, is resilient and has just enough luck and intelligence to be able to make himself useful and be promoted over and over until he is, as the title says, the King’s shadow. Since the children had already learned about King Harold and the Battle of Hastings, it was nice to make connections to history. On the other hand, I used this book to teach the kids a couple of things that they should NOT do when they write. (Among other things, they should not use physical attributes as sure indicators of characteristics. Just because someone is tall and muscular does not make him a great king, etc. or just because someone is wearing black and has a scar does not make him a villain. The author does this regularly. There’s also a whole lot of telling and not showing going on, so we learned about that.) While the book was useful as a tool for teaching writing pitfalls, again we found ourselves not enjoying a book. Though I had one or two who did like this book and reviews online are pretty good. I really didn’t like it.
And then we read One Thousand and One Arabian Nights by Geraldine McCaughrean and I felt very happy. My mind had been trained by now not to expect much from this reading list, though it kept to topics that I normally would really enjoy. One Thousand and One Arabian Nights was a book that I had been meaning to read for many years. This is, obviously, a version of the Islamic classic adapted for children. Which makes it a bit awkward, because the premise is this: King Sharyar is jilted and spends years in bitterness, marrying a new woman every day to have her executed the next morning. The clever Shaharazad “sacrifices” herself by marrying the king and uses storytelling to keep him from executing her day after day after day. We, as the reader, get to listen in to all the tales. Again, I had to warn the parents about the sadistic king. Containing within it some real classics, like Aladdin and Ali Baba and the forty thieves, I was blown away by the humor and the voice of this rendition. In the end, I would probably recommend it for an older audience, but I really had a great time reading this and marveling at the cleverness of the story itself. Maybe one day I’ll get around to reading the original, but I also wouldn’t mind giving this one another read on my own.
The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli felt like déjà vu. It’s about a boy who loses everything, including his future plans and his legs (instead of tongue) to the Plague. Robin finds himself at the mercy of the monks and with his personality and his ability to learn, he works his way up and finds a new future for himself. So, very similar to The King’s Shadow. While this one tends to get lower reviews than the other, I can’t agree with that. I thought that this book had a charm that the other was lacking, even if it still wasn’t my favorite. A Newbery Award winner, it is a bit heavy on the morals and perhaps suffers from a lack of action, but I still liked it alright and would recommend it for the right child.
Before Covid-19 forced us into quarantine, we read Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray. Another Newbery Award-winner, this was my second-favorite book of the bunch because it contained a levity and tenderness that I enjoyed. It’s about yet another boy who suffers a loss and has to be strong, keep going, and use his wits to overcome. In this version, he loses his dog and his father, both of which he pursues for the duration of the book. Part of why this book is so interesting is because of the sheer otherness of Adam’s experiences in contrast to a child today. As a minstrel’s child, Adam had almost complete free-range and he lived on the road, which could mean sleeping on the side of it. While we can see a little around it, Adam adores his father and his life as the son of a minstrel, and I was intrigued by what this life might have looked like in the Middle Ages. The book gives you a glimpse into life at the time and also gives you a handful of characters to love.
Here are a few titles in middle grades Middle Ages, which I have not read, that might be worth a try. (They are also more diverse.):
The Inquisitor’s Tale, Hatem Ally
Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction, David Macaulay
The Sign of the Chrysanthemum, Katherine Patterson
Possibly The Shakespeare Stealer Trilogy
The Crystal Ribbon, Celeste Lim
The Mad Wolf’s Daughter, Diane Magras
The Ugly One, Leanna Statland Ellis
I might recommend trying Crispin: The Cross of Lead (Avi) or Leonardo’s Shadow (Christopher Peter Grey), but I’m tired to stories of boys in the Middle Ages who lose everything and have to be resilient and have their wits about them to succeed.
***REVIEW WRITTEN FOR THE STARVING ARTIST BLOG***
May 21, 2013
I love this book. I've read it at least four times now. Even though Evyn, the main character, can't talk past the first chapter, I found him very easy to connect to. He finds other ways of expressing himself to you, mostly through his thoughts. Within a few paragraphs, I felt I knew him well, and I enjoyed growing with him. With him being in the situation he is, it could be very hard to avoid confining the reader to his head, making the story narrow and absorbed in the character, but Elizabeth Alder handled it beautifully. The writing concentrates on his actions and day-to-day life, and lets you breathe by reflecting on his thoughts and feelings from a narrative, outside view. Yet this doesn't take away from your connection to him; in fact he's becomes more endearing by his lack of self-pity. You feel like an invisible companion by his side, as opposed to a trashcan he dumps every thought into. To further this effect, a good deal of the book shows ordinary life in the 1000s, lending an openness and extra fascination for the reader, striking the perfect balance. You can tell the author worked hard to be historically accurate, yet she makes it seem effortless at the same time. You don't feel like you're reading a history book; you're reading a novel. The writing is so well done I feel as if I can see everything right in front of me. Her descriptions are not cliched, not vague but still short and to the point, and let you see it while still leaving enough room for your imagination. Most amazing of all is the ending. This is a fictional character placed into a situation that really did happen, so the ending is fixed, and has to be the way it is, no matter how much you wish it could change- but once again she doesn't make it feel that way. You get caught up in the action and hope with all your might things end well. It's a sad ending, and though your heart breaks in a bittersweet and perfectly delicious way, there's a certain wholeness to it that doesn't leave you bitter and betrayed like most other sad story endings usually do. Like I said, I've read it four times, and each time never fails to draw me in and convince me that No, it must end good this time, they must win! It's like reading it fresh all over again. It's a wonderful story, with a well-developed character you think of as a friend, a three-dimensional world you feel at home in, and a steady, enticing plot good enough to make you want to come back again.
Well done, Elizabeth Alder. This was amazing.
Well done, Elizabeth Alder. This was amazing.
June 10, 2023
Evyn, a young Welsh serf, dreams of becoming a travelling storyteller - until an encounter with murderous ruffians leaves him mute and orphaned. When his Uncle Morgan sells him into slavery to Lady Ealdgyth, Evyn is unable to communicate with the others in the household where he works. But Lady Ealdgyth takes mercy on Evyn after he breaks his arm and sends him to a monastery, where Lewys, an unusual monk, teaches Evyn to read and write and also teaches him about duty and honor. Eventually, he serves Harold Godwinson, a charismatic leader who becomes King of England. During Harold's tumultuous reign, Evyn comes to love him as a father and remains at Harold's side when Harold faces treachery and betrayal. Together they make their stand at the Battle of Hastings, where the future of the country is decided.
Good book. Considering Evyn is mutilated so early in the book and is therefore unable to speak, he is still a very strong character. The details included in the story help to bring this period in history to life. The omen of the black bird as messenger of death, the use of storytelling and the nuances of battle are all good examples of this.
Good book. Considering Evyn is mutilated so early in the book and is therefore unable to speak, he is still a very strong character. The details included in the story help to bring this period in history to life. The omen of the black bird as messenger of death, the use of storytelling and the nuances of battle are all good examples of this.
January 4, 2014
This is the book for the young adults and adventurers at heart!
The book talks about English history and the main character in this story is Evyn; who wish to become a bard or somewhat a storyteller. He was mutilated (his tongue was cut off!) one rainy night when he pissed off some noblemen in a tavern. But he was then saved by his uncle and sold him to slavery. Evyn, tried to find a way to commute with people. My heart felt like it was in pain about Evyn's condition but i felt relief after when he had finally serve under Harold Godwinson. He treated Evyn like he was like a "son" to him.
Bottomline, when i read this book I felt a mixture of emotions, the book is sad but happy at the same time. Full of exciting adventures and a fantastic book to read!
The book talks about English history and the main character in this story is Evyn; who wish to become a bard or somewhat a storyteller. He was mutilated (his tongue was cut off!) one rainy night when he pissed off some noblemen in a tavern. But he was then saved by his uncle and sold him to slavery. Evyn, tried to find a way to commute with people. My heart felt like it was in pain about Evyn's condition but i felt relief after when he had finally serve under Harold Godwinson. He treated Evyn like he was like a "son" to him.
Bottomline, when i read this book I felt a mixture of emotions, the book is sad but happy at the same time. Full of exciting adventures and a fantastic book to read!
May 29, 2009
I really loved this book. It is excellent historical fiction. It deals with the period of 1063 to 1066 in England when some extraordinary noble, ethical and kind leaders ruled as well as some extremely ruthless and barbaric rulers existed. It is a very interesting time in history. You can't help but be rooting for Earl Harold and Evyn throughout the book.
November 15, 2007
good read for those who like history action and bloody scorne and betrayle
July 27, 2010
I read this years ago and loved it. Not sure if I'd enjoy it as much as an adult, but I remember it fondly.
August 8, 2017
Was I hormonal?? It made me cry.
February 13, 2018
Excellent. Read this with my 7/8th grade students for Literature class.
March 19, 2018
hallelugha
June 3, 2025
A lot more heartbreaking than I thought it would be. Very good.
August 13, 2025
We read this in 4th grade and I remember loving it then. This reread did not disappoint.
June 16, 2021
This book is historical fiction, telling the story of Harold Godwinson, who briefly became the ill fated King Harold, last Saxon king of England. The story is told from the point of view (mostly) of a Welsh lad who is sold into slavery by his uncle after having his tongue cut out, comes into the service of King Harold and becomes the Saxon lord's faithful attendant and friend.
Historical retellings are something I enjoy, and the author made good use of source material to include nearly all the major events we know of Harold. It follows a traditional storyline as I learned it in school, and would seem to be good for mid grade education in the period. Except sadly this book has some glaring historical issues that completely spoiled it for me.
This begins on the first page with a map that seems to make the small town of Carmarthen a sprawling kingdom across South Wales. Oxford is too far west, Penlac is too far North, and other errors on the map are probably down to making it look old - but rivers are in the wrong place too.
I overlooked that at the start of the story, but it got worse. although the author was clearly familiar with source material about Harold, she seems quite unfamiliar with the Welsh context and throws in a character called Gryffin, who I understood was a Welsh lord acting like a robber baron. Only belatedly did I realise the author intended this to be Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, the (only) king of Wales.
The use of the word "Gryffin" for Gruffydd is wrong. Gruffydd is probably derived from the colour red, and not from birds or creatures from Greek myths. Why not just use his actual name? Or indeed, why not mention that he is the king of Wales, and not some bandit who is pillaging and burning Saxon lands in Wales! The whole point, of course, being that in this period there were *no* Saxon lands in Wales.
The ruthless assault on Gruffydd ap Llywelyn's character here reeked of pro-Saxon propaganda. And with that idea implanted in my head, I could not help read the rest of the story the same way - and yes, it was a general feeling.
The author also suggests no Welsh people could read or write, and worse, had some very very antiquated notions about Welsh people being pale skinned and black haired whilst Saxons were golden coloured! To the point that Evyn, the Welsh protagonist, is always recognised as Welsh on first sight! To be clear, no one thinks this is how it was anymore.
Evyn, we are told, was training to be a storiawr, which the author suggests is a Welsh word for a bard. Nope, the right word would be "bardd". That is the celtic word. Storiawr is not a Welsh word at all, but ystoriawr is. The y at the start is telling. Words borrowed into the language in ancient times, where the borrow word began with s, gain a "prosthetic y". We can tell from the word that this was a word borrowed from English, meaning a storyteller. I do not think I have heard it used to describe a bardic position ever!
So too with the word "dyn" which seems to be used where Welsh would actually refer to a cantref (like a shire or county). Welsh has a word "dyn" and it means "a man". It made no sense being used to refer to an area. Evyn also calls Easter Eostre for some reason, rather than Y Pasg.
So all the Welsh stuff is, essentially, a pile of pants.
Was that enough to put me off the book? Not quite. But it had other issues. The point of view was limited third person but occasionally this slipped to omniscient -and that was strange. The occasional use of French was not clearly wrong, but left me feeling the author did not speak much French either. The storytelling itself was dry in places, the prose sometimes tripping over itself.
There is a story the author chose to include, although I expect the details are partly or entirely apocryphal. In the story, Harold himself rides to give his brother one last chance to swear loyalty to him before the battle of Stamford Bridge, and offers him land and title should he agree. Tostig asks what will be given with his Norwegian ally, Harald Hardrada, and Harold says "six feet of English soil, or a little more since he is taller than most".
It is an amusing line. Yet in this book the author chooses to explain it, padding the quote out to make it clear the ground is to bury the dead Harald in. The result... Harold's best line in the book kind of falls flat.
That is just an example of the general prose issue. In trying to make thing unambiguous, it comes over as dry and flat.
For all that, this is not a terrible book. It was OK. That is the best I can say about it. It is clearly very flawed, and the mutilation of Evyn at the start of the story is going to put some of the intended audience off too.
The story of Harold is an important one to British history. It needs a good telling. Sadly, I don't think this one is good enough.
Historical retellings are something I enjoy, and the author made good use of source material to include nearly all the major events we know of Harold. It follows a traditional storyline as I learned it in school, and would seem to be good for mid grade education in the period. Except sadly this book has some glaring historical issues that completely spoiled it for me.
This begins on the first page with a map that seems to make the small town of Carmarthen a sprawling kingdom across South Wales. Oxford is too far west, Penlac is too far North, and other errors on the map are probably down to making it look old - but rivers are in the wrong place too.
I overlooked that at the start of the story, but it got worse. although the author was clearly familiar with source material about Harold, she seems quite unfamiliar with the Welsh context and throws in a character called Gryffin, who I understood was a Welsh lord acting like a robber baron. Only belatedly did I realise the author intended this to be Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, the (only) king of Wales.
The use of the word "Gryffin" for Gruffydd is wrong. Gruffydd is probably derived from the colour red, and not from birds or creatures from Greek myths. Why not just use his actual name? Or indeed, why not mention that he is the king of Wales, and not some bandit who is pillaging and burning Saxon lands in Wales! The whole point, of course, being that in this period there were *no* Saxon lands in Wales.
The ruthless assault on Gruffydd ap Llywelyn's character here reeked of pro-Saxon propaganda. And with that idea implanted in my head, I could not help read the rest of the story the same way - and yes, it was a general feeling.
The author also suggests no Welsh people could read or write, and worse, had some very very antiquated notions about Welsh people being pale skinned and black haired whilst Saxons were golden coloured! To the point that Evyn, the Welsh protagonist, is always recognised as Welsh on first sight! To be clear, no one thinks this is how it was anymore.
Evyn, we are told, was training to be a storiawr, which the author suggests is a Welsh word for a bard. Nope, the right word would be "bardd". That is the celtic word. Storiawr is not a Welsh word at all, but ystoriawr is. The y at the start is telling. Words borrowed into the language in ancient times, where the borrow word began with s, gain a "prosthetic y". We can tell from the word that this was a word borrowed from English, meaning a storyteller. I do not think I have heard it used to describe a bardic position ever!
So too with the word "dyn" which seems to be used where Welsh would actually refer to a cantref (like a shire or county). Welsh has a word "dyn" and it means "a man". It made no sense being used to refer to an area. Evyn also calls Easter Eostre for some reason, rather than Y Pasg.
So all the Welsh stuff is, essentially, a pile of pants.
Was that enough to put me off the book? Not quite. But it had other issues. The point of view was limited third person but occasionally this slipped to omniscient -and that was strange. The occasional use of French was not clearly wrong, but left me feeling the author did not speak much French either. The storytelling itself was dry in places, the prose sometimes tripping over itself.
There is a story the author chose to include, although I expect the details are partly or entirely apocryphal. In the story, Harold himself rides to give his brother one last chance to swear loyalty to him before the battle of Stamford Bridge, and offers him land and title should he agree. Tostig asks what will be given with his Norwegian ally, Harald Hardrada, and Harold says "six feet of English soil, or a little more since he is taller than most".
It is an amusing line. Yet in this book the author chooses to explain it, padding the quote out to make it clear the ground is to bury the dead Harald in. The result... Harold's best line in the book kind of falls flat.
That is just an example of the general prose issue. In trying to make thing unambiguous, it comes over as dry and flat.
For all that, this is not a terrible book. It was OK. That is the best I can say about it. It is clearly very flawed, and the mutilation of Evyn at the start of the story is going to put some of the intended audience off too.
The story of Harold is an important one to British history. It needs a good telling. Sadly, I don't think this one is good enough.
February 28, 2020
I must acknowledge that the summary found on the back of the book is a bit of a spoiler. That being said, I think that with most historical works of fiction, that tends to happen. The reasoning behind it always seems to be “well, it’s not really a spoiler since it’s history” or “this book has been out for 30 plus years, so the information has been out there for a while”. Although the summary pretty much tells the reader exactly what the book is about, I do not think it takes away from the story. In fact, I think it might encourage people to read it because they know exactly what is going to happen. I usually do not prefer to read my books that way, but with most history (this is not a history book, but historical fiction) everyone already tends to know the gist., ie. Group A defeated Group B.
I can’t remember the first time I read this book. It was either the end of elementary school or the beginning of middle school. Regardless, the story stayed with me as I continued in my academic career. We did not spend a lot of time studying the medieval time period other than the basic “It was called the Dark Ages.” This book would be a great start for early historians: elementary school aged and up. I would also recommend this book for adults because it provides an introduction to medieval literature.
Alder gives the audience a taste of the literature and the history without having them translate the texts themselves. These texts include: The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, The Song of Roland, and Beowulf the Warrior. “Translation” is open to interpretation which Alder acknowledges in the Author’s Note at the beginning of the book: “…I have tried to remain as close as possible to historical fact. However, history is an art, not a science, and when historians differed about specific events I sometimes chose the interpretation best suited to the story (Alder vii).” Offering an explanation of the translations allow Alder to give credit to the scholars while also allowing her to take a creative approach to her use of them.
I can’t remember the first time I read this book. It was either the end of elementary school or the beginning of middle school. Regardless, the story stayed with me as I continued in my academic career. We did not spend a lot of time studying the medieval time period other than the basic “It was called the Dark Ages.” This book would be a great start for early historians: elementary school aged and up. I would also recommend this book for adults because it provides an introduction to medieval literature.
Alder gives the audience a taste of the literature and the history without having them translate the texts themselves. These texts include: The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, The Song of Roland, and Beowulf the Warrior. “Translation” is open to interpretation which Alder acknowledges in the Author’s Note at the beginning of the book: “…I have tried to remain as close as possible to historical fact. However, history is an art, not a science, and when historians differed about specific events I sometimes chose the interpretation best suited to the story (Alder vii).” Offering an explanation of the translations allow Alder to give credit to the scholars while also allowing her to take a creative approach to her use of them.
May 21, 2022
When I first read this book, as a teenager, I loved the character of Evyn. So, I decided to reread the book this year. I still very much like Evyn, and his character is the one thing that almost redeems the book for me.
But I guess that, as a kid, I didn't realize that Evyn was the author's pawn, her vessel to tell the story of an ancient king, from her biased perspective, making him a hero. And, I suppose, Harold II did a few heroic things. But I looked him up, and found that he was far from perfect, certainly not the hero that she painted him to be, and she had to alter certain historical facts in order to make him appear so, such as telling of his vow to William of Normandy in a way that made it seem as though he wasn't the intentional oath-breaker that he apparently very much was.
Even in her book, she admits that he had taken advantage of a peasant girl, making her the mother of his children without the benefits of marriage. She served him faithfully, according to this book, yet he wouldn't even give her the honor of being his true wife. Instead, he married a woman who was of a more noble birth, to ensure that he would be supported by her family. In this book, his bride is described as a young, small thing, who was basically a naive child and worshipped him. I found this very disturbing, thinking of her as completely innocent, marrying a man who was common-law married to another woman, and not knowing that he didn't love her at all. According to what I found online, she was actually widowed, so at least there's a possibility that she wasn't completely naive, or as young as I initially thought.
Still, whatever the truth of the story of Harold II may be, I found that, if the book had been less of a history of some king I do not care for, and more of a fictional story of a boy who had his life destroyed, but rose from the ashes. . . I would have liked it a great deal better, as Evyn is the more worthy character.
But, of course, that's only my opinion.
But I guess that, as a kid, I didn't realize that Evyn was the author's pawn, her vessel to tell the story of an ancient king, from her biased perspective, making him a hero. And, I suppose, Harold II did a few heroic things. But I looked him up, and found that he was far from perfect, certainly not the hero that she painted him to be, and she had to alter certain historical facts in order to make him appear so, such as telling of his vow to William of Normandy in a way that made it seem as though he wasn't the intentional oath-breaker that he apparently very much was.
Even in her book, she admits that he had taken advantage of a peasant girl, making her the mother of his children without the benefits of marriage. She served him faithfully, according to this book, yet he wouldn't even give her the honor of being his true wife. Instead, he married a woman who was of a more noble birth, to ensure that he would be supported by her family. In this book, his bride is described as a young, small thing, who was basically a naive child and worshipped him. I found this very disturbing, thinking of her as completely innocent, marrying a man who was common-law married to another woman, and not knowing that he didn't love her at all. According to what I found online, she was actually widowed, so at least there's a possibility that she wasn't completely naive, or as young as I initially thought.
Still, whatever the truth of the story of Harold II may be, I found that, if the book had been less of a history of some king I do not care for, and more of a fictional story of a boy who had his life destroyed, but rose from the ashes. . . I would have liked it a great deal better, as Evyn is the more worthy character.
But, of course, that's only my opinion.
May 27, 2022
When young Evyn’s tongue is cut out and he is sold as serf, his life no longer seems to him to hold meaning. Yet he has begun down a path that will lead to becoming squire and eventually foster-son to King Harold.
The structure of Evyn’s story follows the events recorded in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle. Fictional Evyn witnesses the pivotal events of Harold’s reign and is present at his tragic defeat. It’s the kind of plot concept that requires readers to suspend disbelief–in reality, young Evyn would hardly have gone through all of these experiences and been on the spot for everything–but it is a fairly classic convention in YA.
I appreciate the way the author takes the characters’ religious beliefs seriously. Throughout the story, Evyn grapples not just with what it means to be courageous but also with the idea that humans should submit to God’s will. It’s not a concept that appears in many YA novels. It is, however, very fitting for a story set in Anglo-Saxon England. The joint themes of courage in danger and resignation in adversity are handled well and are closely tied to the events of the story. Framing the novel with a personal tragedy at one end and public tragedy at the other works well.
Unfortunately, the novel also has significant pacing issues. The first quarter of the story is compelling and the ending is dramatic; but sandwiched between is a plodding series of events in which our protagonist is mostly just along for the ride. I realize the author was handicapped by the need to include specific historical material, but I wish she had found a way to make the middle of the book feel more cohesive as well as more personal to the main character.
A good book, overall, but one some readers may struggle to “get through.”
The structure of Evyn’s story follows the events recorded in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle. Fictional Evyn witnesses the pivotal events of Harold’s reign and is present at his tragic defeat. It’s the kind of plot concept that requires readers to suspend disbelief–in reality, young Evyn would hardly have gone through all of these experiences and been on the spot for everything–but it is a fairly classic convention in YA.
I appreciate the way the author takes the characters’ religious beliefs seriously. Throughout the story, Evyn grapples not just with what it means to be courageous but also with the idea that humans should submit to God’s will. It’s not a concept that appears in many YA novels. It is, however, very fitting for a story set in Anglo-Saxon England. The joint themes of courage in danger and resignation in adversity are handled well and are closely tied to the events of the story. Framing the novel with a personal tragedy at one end and public tragedy at the other works well.
Unfortunately, the novel also has significant pacing issues. The first quarter of the story is compelling and the ending is dramatic; but sandwiched between is a plodding series of events in which our protagonist is mostly just along for the ride. I realize the author was handicapped by the need to include specific historical material, but I wish she had found a way to make the middle of the book feel more cohesive as well as more personal to the main character.
A good book, overall, but one some readers may struggle to “get through.”
July 4, 2022
New favorite! An unknown gem!
I really enjoyed this book. Probably because the plot actually feels original for once.
A mute main character who acts as the king's scribe? Sign me up!
I will admit that my focus drifted at times, but that's just because I'm more of a character reader than a plot reader.
But that ending (although sad) was extremely solid, and actually very satisfying.
And the best part is that I actually own this book! My library doesn't even have it in the catalogue. I found it in one of favorite places on earth-the secondhand bookstore. The premise just called to me, and after a bit of browsing, I just had this really great feeling that this was a worthy buy.
And I am SO GLAD that I followed my intuition!
Also, a plus is that it's actually historical fiction, although I got similair vibes to other fantasy books I've read, such as the Ranger's Apprentice Series (and to those who are fans of the series, I think I can safely say that this book is for you). So it's even based on true people and events!
Happy reading!
I really enjoyed this book. Probably because the plot actually feels original for once.
A mute main character who acts as the king's scribe? Sign me up!
I will admit that my focus drifted at times, but that's just because I'm more of a character reader than a plot reader.
But that ending (although sad) was extremely solid, and actually very satisfying.
And the best part is that I actually own this book! My library doesn't even have it in the catalogue. I found it in one of favorite places on earth-the secondhand bookstore. The premise just called to me, and after a bit of browsing, I just had this really great feeling that this was a worthy buy.
And I am SO GLAD that I followed my intuition!
Also, a plus is that it's actually historical fiction, although I got similair vibes to other fantasy books I've read, such as the Ranger's Apprentice Series (and to those who are fans of the series, I think I can safely say that this book is for you). So it's even based on true people and events!
Happy reading!
December 16, 2022
Growing up away from England, I didn’t learn too much about it in history. Because of my English (Reading) class, suddenly we’re shoved a whole bunch of English history down our throats. It was a lot to take in so I did the one thing I could do to learn: Read stories. This is one of the books I chose.
This book really dives into old medieval life. You not only learn about one way of living (like when you only read about a present, or a king). As the book goes on you’re learning from the same character.
The only problem I’d have with it is that I feel as though you don’t get to hear much of the main character’s thoughts through most of the book. Yes, the beginning and end of the book had this, but once he learns to read, most of the book is about the history until he gets adopted.
Apart from this, great writing, great characters, great book.
This book really dives into old medieval life. You not only learn about one way of living (like when you only read about a present, or a king). As the book goes on you’re learning from the same character.
The only problem I’d have with it is that I feel as though you don’t get to hear much of the main character’s thoughts through most of the book. Yes, the beginning and end of the book had this, but once he learns to read, most of the book is about the history until he gets adopted.
Apart from this, great writing, great characters, great book.
May 5, 2019
Don't you love it when a book surprises you? I read this one as a part of my goal to read every book in my library's Jr fiction section and I was wholly prepared for it to be mediocre. It was not. I finished it days ago and yet my mind is still with the characters in the story, wondering about their future. It is made all the more magical to learn that nearly every character in the book was a real person who lived this story in real life in 11th century England, as Britain went from Saxon to Norman rule. Any student currently learning about this part of history should definitely read this book before studying! It truly makes the past come alive. In short, I loved it. This one makes the short list for books I may read again.
June 13, 2019
Don't you love it when a book surprises you? I read this one as a part of my goal to read every book in the libraries Jr Fiction section and I was wholly prepared for it to be mediocre. It was not.
I finished it days ago and yet my mind is still with the characters in the story, wondering about their future. It is made all the more magical to learn that nearly every character in the book was a real person who lived this story in real life in 11th century England, as Britain went from Saxon to Norman rule. Any student currently learning about this part of history should definitely read this book before studying! It truly makes the past come alive. In short, i love it! This one makes the short list of books I may read again. Find it at the Giddings Public Library under JF ALD. -Miss Taylor
I finished it days ago and yet my mind is still with the characters in the story, wondering about their future. It is made all the more magical to learn that nearly every character in the book was a real person who lived this story in real life in 11th century England, as Britain went from Saxon to Norman rule. Any student currently learning about this part of history should definitely read this book before studying! It truly makes the past come alive. In short, i love it! This one makes the short list of books I may read again. Find it at the Giddings Public Library under JF ALD. -Miss Taylor
January 10, 2021
My 10 year old and 13 year old were reading this, and we had to stop reading after the first chapter. The treatment of the poor boy was too upsetting. My kids are not easily upset, but cutting out a child’s tongue as punishment for something he didn’t even do was too much. It may have historical accuracy and relevance, but it is not suitable for early middle a school children. I’m horrified I let them read the book without even reading the book description (this was part of Bookshark curriculum which has never led us astray). I’ll be more careful now.
July 25, 2024
Easily my favorite read of the month.
To tell the truth, this is a sad story, but what I love about it is that time and again, life crashes about the main character. Dreams, paths, and then new paths are shattered, family and then new family destroyed and scattered. Yet, time and again, he picks himself up and moves forward.
This is very much as much a tale about resilience and hope as it is about actual facts in history.
Thank you, Elizabeth Alder, for giving us such a story as Evyn Shadow's.
To tell the truth, this is a sad story, but what I love about it is that time and again, life crashes about the main character. Dreams, paths, and then new paths are shattered, family and then new family destroyed and scattered. Yet, time and again, he picks himself up and moves forward.
This is very much as much a tale about resilience and hope as it is about actual facts in history.
Thank you, Elizabeth Alder, for giving us such a story as Evyn Shadow's.
January 13, 2025
I remember reading this book in middle school. It was one of those books that stuck with me. Randomly I would read or think of something and think "Oh! Like that one book I read!" But I could never remember its name. I found this at DI and I knew this was the one and got so excited.
Rereading it was so fun. I was surprised how much I remembered from the story even though I read it so long ago. The writing was great and it was fun to experience the short reign of King Harold now that I am older and know a little bit more about the history.
Rereading it was so fun. I was surprised how much I remembered from the story even though I read it so long ago. The writing was great and it was fun to experience the short reign of King Harold now that I am older and know a little bit more about the history.
March 7, 2020
This is an excellent example of historical fiction for children. The author really makes the time period come to life. Although the book was originally intended for children, it is just as appealing for adults making it the perfect read aloud for the entire family. For those with younger children, the events of the first chapter may be mildly upsetting. Evyn, the main character, is rendered a mute. However, the way he deals with his disability and rises above his circumstances is admirable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2020
As far as being a story, this was fairly good. However, Harold was a bad dude, and while he had more right to the throne than William ('cause hello, bastards can't inherit! Filius nullus!) Harold was still a bad person. Personally I think that it was just a very bad year for kings, what with William and Harold and then Malcolm being a regicide in Scotland, but the world isn't perfect and it was a hard time to decide which side was justified.
So that being said, the story is OK.
So that being said, the story is OK.
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