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Nobody's Son
The magical tale of the unhappy things that happen to a hero after "happily ever after".
Suddenly Shielder's Mark is living a fairy tale come true. A commoner's son, he has broken the spell of Red Keep. Now he can collect the hero's reward promised by the king--whatever Mark names. Smitten, he names the king's daughter.
That's where his fairy tale ends.
The hero's sword he claimed at Red Keep is taken from him. He finds himself scorned and hated by the king's court. And though he is allowed to marry the beautiful princess, she may not be such a prize after all.
A hero's life and 'happily ever after' are a lot harder than they look.
A Canadian Library Association Best Young Adult Novel.
Suddenly Shielder's Mark is living a fairy tale come true. A commoner's son, he has broken the spell of Red Keep. Now he can collect the hero's reward promised by the king--whatever Mark names. Smitten, he names the king's daughter.
That's where his fairy tale ends.
The hero's sword he claimed at Red Keep is taken from him. He finds himself scorned and hated by the king's court. And though he is allowed to marry the beautiful princess, she may not be such a prize after all.
A hero's life and 'happily ever after' are a lot harder than they look.
A Canadian Library Association Best Young Adult Novel.
273 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 28, 1993
12 people are currently reading
772 people want to read
About the author
Sean Stewart
38 books149 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Sean Stewart (born June 2, 1965) is a U.S.-Canadian science fiction and fantasy author.
Born in Lubbock, Texas, Sean Stewart moved to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 1968. After stints in Houston, Texas, Vancouver, British Columbia, Irvine, California and Monterey, California, he now lives in Davis, California, with his wife and two daughters.
He received an Honors degree in English from University of Alberta in 1987, following which he spent many years writing novels. He gradually moved from writing novels to interactive fiction, first as lead writer on the Web based Alternate Reality Game The Beast.
He served as a consultant on several computer games, and was on the management team of the 4orty2wo Entertainment experiential marketing and entertainment company, where he was lead writer for Haunted Apiary aka ilovebees and Last Call Poker. His newest novel Cathy's Book seems to represent the melding of his two careers, as it crosses the alternate reality game format with a teen novel. In 2007, he and several 4orty2wo co-founders left that company to start Fourth Wall Studios.
Awards:
* Arthur Ellis Award Best First Novel winner (1993): Passion Play
* World Fantasy Award Best Novel winner (2001): Galveston
Sean Stewart (born June 2, 1965) is a U.S.-Canadian science fiction and fantasy author.
Born in Lubbock, Texas, Sean Stewart moved to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 1968. After stints in Houston, Texas, Vancouver, British Columbia, Irvine, California and Monterey, California, he now lives in Davis, California, with his wife and two daughters.
He received an Honors degree in English from University of Alberta in 1987, following which he spent many years writing novels. He gradually moved from writing novels to interactive fiction, first as lead writer on the Web based Alternate Reality Game The Beast.
He served as a consultant on several computer games, and was on the management team of the 4orty2wo Entertainment experiential marketing and entertainment company, where he was lead writer for Haunted Apiary aka ilovebees and Last Call Poker. His newest novel Cathy's Book seems to represent the melding of his two careers, as it crosses the alternate reality game format with a teen novel. In 2007, he and several 4orty2wo co-founders left that company to start Fourth Wall Studios.
Awards:
* Arthur Ellis Award Best First Novel winner (1993): Passion Play
* World Fantasy Award Best Novel winner (2001): Galveston
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
August 15, 2016
Ye faux olde-timey dialogue be a wee bit o' troublin' stuff to read for well nigh o'er a good two hunnerd pages n'more, if'n ye gets me meanin', like.
August 24, 2011
I got this book because it was listed as a recommendation for people who like retellings of, or new takes on classic fairy tales.
I agree with the recommendation, and I liked many things about the book. It deals with what happens after the hero gets the title, the lands and the princess... "Happily Ever After" isn't always that simple. I liked how the simple country lad has to deal with the cutthroat politics of court, and 'his' princess, Gail, is a woman with a mind of her own.
The plot is just enough classic fairy tale and just enough original story. It deals well with the complexity of emotional relationships between fathers and sons. About halfway through, I thought I might be giving it 5 stars.
But I'm not.
First, the book suffered from a heavy-handed and gratuitous injection of religion. (Basically, the message is: you might not need God when things are easy, but when the going gets tough, you'll need faith to get you through. Bleah to that.) However, although that was annoying, it wasn't too big a deal.
My biggest complaint is: Stewart sets up a realistic and meaningful dilemma: Our Hero and the Princess love each other dearly. However, Our Hero wants a son, and to be a father. Gail, on the other hand, has no interest in children, wants to travel the world, be independent, and does NOT want to be a mother.
So, how does Stewart deal with this problem? Um, Gail changes her mind. For no apparent reason. It's just like, at the end, "oh well, I guess having kids won't be so bad after all." Huge cop-out, and failure to meaningfully interact with an issue that is usually a dealbreaker in real relationships.
I agree with the recommendation, and I liked many things about the book. It deals with what happens after the hero gets the title, the lands and the princess... "Happily Ever After" isn't always that simple. I liked how the simple country lad has to deal with the cutthroat politics of court, and 'his' princess, Gail, is a woman with a mind of her own.
The plot is just enough classic fairy tale and just enough original story. It deals well with the complexity of emotional relationships between fathers and sons. About halfway through, I thought I might be giving it 5 stars.
But I'm not.
First, the book suffered from a heavy-handed and gratuitous injection of religion. (Basically, the message is: you might not need God when things are easy, but when the going gets tough, you'll need faith to get you through. Bleah to that.) However, although that was annoying, it wasn't too big a deal.
My biggest complaint is: Stewart sets up a realistic and meaningful dilemma: Our Hero and the Princess love each other dearly. However, Our Hero wants a son, and to be a father. Gail, on the other hand, has no interest in children, wants to travel the world, be independent, and does NOT want to be a mother.
So, how does Stewart deal with this problem? Um, Gail changes her mind. For no apparent reason. It's just like, at the end, "oh well, I guess having kids won't be so bad after all." Huge cop-out, and failure to meaningfully interact with an issue that is usually a dealbreaker in real relationships.
February 6, 2009
3.5 stars. Beautifully written and very original fantasy story. I wish I could rate it higher because I really applaud the originality of the narrative. However, from a pure enjoyment standpoint, I can only go between 3 and 4 stars. Stillthis is one I recommend as it is different from your standard fantasy fare. Recommended!!!
December 2, 2008
There's so much I want to say about this book that I don't know where to start.
I'm fond of novels in which there are puzzles for the characters to solve, and especially fond when the solutions are not arrived at by pure logic, but instead by intuitive gestalts of a lot of pieces -- like reading a sonnet in which the ending is exactly the ending that had to be there. This book does that, for me, and it's almost all in the first chapter, in which Shielder's Mark sets off in fairy-tale fashion to break the curse on the Ghostwood and claim his reward from the king.
But what happens afterwards? That's the rest of the novel, a thoughtful exploration of why fairy-tale heroes choose to become heroes, and the prices they pay as a result, and the challenges awaiting them once all of the cheering is over. Stewart examines father-son relationships from a variety of perspectives, including that of the old men who are packed away out of sight once their approach to death becomes too frightening to the younger generation. Women are not absent -- two of the strongest characters in the book are female -- but they are women deliberately seen from the perspective of young men, and so they appear strange and wonderful, real and frightening, neither plaster saints nor sex objects but human beings whose stories the men long to share.
It's not a perfect book; the writing is sometimes painfully clunky, and I think Stewart overloaded some of the dialogue in his desire to both tell a story and get across his themes. The aristocratic characters speak pseudo-Shakespearean for their formal court language, which didn't work at all for me; Stewart doesn't have the ear for Elizabethan prose, and so the switches in register jarred rather than giving me insight into the people speaking. I could come up with other nitpicks, I'm sure -- I noticed more while reading -- but it doesn't matter. I love the book anyway.
I'm fond of novels in which there are puzzles for the characters to solve, and especially fond when the solutions are not arrived at by pure logic, but instead by intuitive gestalts of a lot of pieces -- like reading a sonnet in which the ending is exactly the ending that had to be there. This book does that, for me, and it's almost all in the first chapter, in which Shielder's Mark sets off in fairy-tale fashion to break the curse on the Ghostwood and claim his reward from the king.
But what happens afterwards? That's the rest of the novel, a thoughtful exploration of why fairy-tale heroes choose to become heroes, and the prices they pay as a result, and the challenges awaiting them once all of the cheering is over. Stewart examines father-son relationships from a variety of perspectives, including that of the old men who are packed away out of sight once their approach to death becomes too frightening to the younger generation. Women are not absent -- two of the strongest characters in the book are female -- but they are women deliberately seen from the perspective of young men, and so they appear strange and wonderful, real and frightening, neither plaster saints nor sex objects but human beings whose stories the men long to share.
It's not a perfect book; the writing is sometimes painfully clunky, and I think Stewart overloaded some of the dialogue in his desire to both tell a story and get across his themes. The aristocratic characters speak pseudo-Shakespearean for their formal court language, which didn't work at all for me; Stewart doesn't have the ear for Elizabethan prose, and so the switches in register jarred rather than giving me insight into the people speaking. I could come up with other nitpicks, I'm sure -- I noticed more while reading -- but it doesn't matter. I love the book anyway.
December 24, 2011
If I could only pick coming of age novel to keep, to reread, to introduce to others, it would be this one. It does a beautiful job portraying the interior work and realizations that come with growing up, the need to accept and move beyond the scars of childhood (and the way you can't, and the way you have to try anyway). The descriptions are lush and real; it's a Generic Renaissance Fantasy Land, but one whose rivers and hills I can see.
I love all of the characters in their prickly glory, and their friendship, for all that it flowers quickly, is believable to me.
I don't love .
I love all of the characters in their prickly glory, and their friendship, for all that it flowers quickly, is believable to me.
I don't love .
October 5, 2010
In Nobody's Son, Sean Stewart picks up where fairy tales leave off. The commoner Shielder's Mark has just broken a thousand-year-old curse on the castle of Red Keep, but when he travels to the king's court to claim his reward, everything is more complicated than he expected: he gains the king's youngest daughter, but loses the sword he won in Red Keep -- and even winning the princess is more trouble than Mark could have guessed.
Stewart's characters are vividly alive, and he traces their relationships and travails with keen insight. Although there's a continuing plot involving the broken curse, it's Mark's quest for self-knowledge that's the real story of the book.
Stewart's characters are vividly alive, and he traces their relationships and travails with keen insight. Although there's a continuing plot involving the broken curse, it's Mark's quest for self-knowledge that's the real story of the book.
December 31, 2018
Wo viele Märchen enden, da beginnt Sean Stewarts Fantasy-Roman. Mark, einem jungen Mann aus dem Volk, gelingt, was über viele Hundert Jahre keinem noch so tapferen und mutigen Ritter erreichen konnte. Er kann den Zauberbann über dem Gespensterwald brechen. Sein Wunsch, die Königstochter Gail zu heiraten, wird ihm erfüllt. Er wird auch zum Ritter geschlagen und mit einem Herzogtum belehnt. Doch hier endet das Märchenhafte. Mit der Heirat hat Mark die Pläne des zweitmächtigsten Mannes im Königreich, des Herzogs von Hochwald, durchkreuzt. Zudem ist er, was das Verhalten und die Machtverhältnisse am Hofe betrifft, gänzlich unerfahren. Seine junge, sehr eigensinnige Braut ist eher an Abenteuern interessiert denn an der Erfüllung ehelicher Pflichten. Und sein Lehen ist wegen der Nachbarschaft zum Gespensterwald entvölkert und der Stammsitz eine Ruine. Doch das ficht Mark nicht an, er und seine Frau sind sich herzlich zugetan, er hat den kundigen, wenn auch etwas entrückten Adligen Valerian als Berater. Der begleitet ihn, weil er in die Kammerjungfer Lissa, die ihrer Freundin Gail zur Seite steht, verliebt ist.
Es könnte sich mit viel Arbeit auf ihrem Land zum Guten wenden, wenn nicht die gebannt geglaubten Gespenster zurückkehren und das Land in Schrecken versetzen würden. So wird Mark noch einmal in den Zauber verstrickt und muss eine Lösung finden.
Der Roman ist lebendig und spannend erzählt. Er verzichtet auf das fantaysübliche Schwertergeklirr, man vermisst es auch gar nicht. Stewart geht geschickt mit den Klischees der Fantasy um. Schwerter haben bei ihm eher ironische Namen wie Sanftmut oder Dieb.
Die Figuren sind sehr plastisch. Als Leser entdeckt man immer neue Seiten an ihnen. Man interessiert sich für sie, ist neugierig, wie es mit ihnen weitergeht.
Der Originaltitel "Nobodys Son" deutet das zentrale Thema an, den Vater-Sohn Konflikt. Der durchzieht das ganze Buch wie ein roter Faden und hat auch mit dem Fluch zutun.
Die Reihe Nachtbrenner hatte als Zielpublikum jugendliche Leser, aber diesen Roman kann man jedem Fantasy-Freund empfehlen. Weshalb der Titel auch später bei Piper in der Fantasty-Reihe neu veröffntlicht wurde.
Es könnte sich mit viel Arbeit auf ihrem Land zum Guten wenden, wenn nicht die gebannt geglaubten Gespenster zurückkehren und das Land in Schrecken versetzen würden. So wird Mark noch einmal in den Zauber verstrickt und muss eine Lösung finden.
Der Roman ist lebendig und spannend erzählt. Er verzichtet auf das fantaysübliche Schwertergeklirr, man vermisst es auch gar nicht. Stewart geht geschickt mit den Klischees der Fantasy um. Schwerter haben bei ihm eher ironische Namen wie Sanftmut oder Dieb.
Die Figuren sind sehr plastisch. Als Leser entdeckt man immer neue Seiten an ihnen. Man interessiert sich für sie, ist neugierig, wie es mit ihnen weitergeht.
Der Originaltitel "Nobodys Son" deutet das zentrale Thema an, den Vater-Sohn Konflikt. Der durchzieht das ganze Buch wie ein roter Faden und hat auch mit dem Fluch zutun.
Die Reihe Nachtbrenner hatte als Zielpublikum jugendliche Leser, aber diesen Roman kann man jedem Fantasy-Freund empfehlen. Weshalb der Titel auch später bei Piper in der Fantasty-Reihe neu veröffntlicht wurde.
March 12, 2010
The premise sounds a bit juvenile and silly, and the book is anything but. It is moving and lyrical and raises questions about family and identity that are rarely addressed. It is a coming-of-age tale in the absolute best sense, and has wonderful things to say about how our past shapes us.
March 18, 2012
Loved the nuanced, interesting characters. Character development=excellent! Loved the magic system. Loved the dialog, which hearkened back to a yeoman-era, but never felt artificial.
Will review more fully when/if I have time.
Will review more fully when/if I have time.
April 28, 2025
I got this novel as a gift from my aunt years ago and it sort of got lost in my forever growing TBR pile. However, I am glad I was an adult when I read it, just because some of the Old English speak was a little confusing and would have definitely put me off as a kid or a teenager.
But man, what a gem! I really miss this quality of writing and storytelling. My only qualm is I wanted more! I'd love to have the story told from Gail's perspective too ("Somebody's Daughter" maybe haha). If only for that throwaway line from Valerian that hinted at the possible complexity of Gail and Lissa's relationship. Plus Princess Gail was just freaking awesome and I wanted more of her!
All in all, it was a wonderful book. I highly recommend!
But man, what a gem! I really miss this quality of writing and storytelling. My only qualm is I wanted more! I'd love to have the story told from Gail's perspective too ("Somebody's Daughter" maybe haha). If only for that throwaway line from Valerian that hinted at the possible complexity of Gail and Lissa's relationship. Plus Princess Gail was just freaking awesome and I wanted more of her!
All in all, it was a wonderful book. I highly recommend!
July 28, 2020
This is an amazing book. I am in process of re-reading it. One test of good book is that it CAN be re-read. This one I have read multiple time. It remains fresh and original on every re-read. The old hero wins princess theme is taken but given such an original and realistic shape that it comes alive. The characters are exquisitely chiselled, each one sharp and distinct. The events that happen just cannot be anticipated. The words used in the writing are lyrical, coming from the heart, worth reading slowly. The moods they capture cannot be conveyed in movies, though a movie of the book would be great. The story is complex and multi-layered and reading quickly for plot on my first read, I missed many important subthemes. On the surface you have a peasant hero who completes a quest and wins a princess. But the conflicting motives of different characters lead to clashes where appearances are different from underlying realities, as we learn. But there are deeper themes. In particular how the hero is driven by the loss of his father to prove himself worthy. The nature of father-son relationship is explored in several different variations. There is a meditation on the transition from youth to maturity and on death. It is all tied together by an exceptionally well-done and unusual love story. This book would be my candidate for the best fiction book EVER. Just to indicate my tastes, The Count of Monte Cristo, an Archangel by Sharon Shinn would by in top 3, outranking Pride and Prejudice.
March 22, 2013
Probably the hardest book to understand in terms of language and plot that I`ve ever read.
The writing wasn`t as smooth as I had for Stewart`s Firecracker(although the book was as hard to crack as this one)..I`m blaming this on my own shortcoming when it comes to English language..The English was archaic as it can be on Shakespeare`s period..Very old, but less poetry(compared to the big man).
In term of plot, I would say the story passed because I get a happy ending! Thats a relief when reaching almost to the penultimate of the book leaved me the fear of everything going downhill.. Really glad that it wasn`t that bad. Stewart is really good at tying up loose things.
About the characters. Mark, a very plain name but still a hero nonetheless. I would applaud his patience for dealing with things although his high ambition of greatness somehow made me pictured him as the crook here..Its the moments of regrets that came from him and his bad jinx afterward that kept me liking him..Failure finds you a better friend, when Success sucks envy from others..
Other than this will be the last time I read the book considering how fried my brain was after only one read, I would say..Give me more Sean Stewart!
A good read to those who love archaic words...Nuff said~
The writing wasn`t as smooth as I had for Stewart`s Firecracker(although the book was as hard to crack as this one)..I`m blaming this on my own shortcoming when it comes to English language..The English was archaic as it can be on Shakespeare`s period..Very old, but less poetry(compared to the big man).
In term of plot, I would say the story passed because I get a happy ending! Thats a relief when reaching almost to the penultimate of the book leaved me the fear of everything going downhill.. Really glad that it wasn`t that bad. Stewart is really good at tying up loose things.
About the characters. Mark, a very plain name but still a hero nonetheless. I would applaud his patience for dealing with things although his high ambition of greatness somehow made me pictured him as the crook here..Its the moments of regrets that came from him and his bad jinx afterward that kept me liking him..Failure finds you a better friend, when Success sucks envy from others..
Other than this will be the last time I read the book considering how fried my brain was after only one read, I would say..Give me more Sean Stewart!
A good read to those who love archaic words...Nuff said~
July 1, 2013
I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would. It's... not a coming of age exactly, since the main character is twenty-one, but a growing up story. Common-born Shielder's Mark breaks the curse of the Ghostwood seeking fame and wealth, but the unforeseen consequences of his actions teach him about the meanings of faith, friends, and most of all, family. It sounds trite, but the depth of the characters and the skill of the writing save it from being overbearing in its message. This book is in what I call the "Patricia McKillip" style, where the magic is nebulous and mysterious, not something with rules and measurements easily understood by humans.
All the main characters have a great deal of depth, and the growing up applies to more than just Mark as they learn to live life on their own terms. Mark himself is very well thought out and wonderfully written as he struggles to resolve the conflict of his past with his present.
To be honest, anyone looking for a straight-forward adventure or fairy-tale parody is likely to be disappointed with this book, but those who don't mind a bit of thinking or fans of Patricia McKillip will find a new author to keep track of.
All the main characters have a great deal of depth, and the growing up applies to more than just Mark as they learn to live life on their own terms. Mark himself is very well thought out and wonderfully written as he struggles to resolve the conflict of his past with his present.
To be honest, anyone looking for a straight-forward adventure or fairy-tale parody is likely to be disappointed with this book, but those who don't mind a bit of thinking or fans of Patricia McKillip will find a new author to keep track of.
March 11, 2012
i first read this about a decade ago and picked it up tonight again, remembering i liked it quite a bit. the story is basically about what happens to the hero after he gets his happily ever after, though we do get a bit of the part that makes him a hero to begin with. it's not a great book - the pace wasn't very steady at times, the mean duke was pretty easily vanquished, there were some scenes (ahem, 'ashes') that went on too long - but it's a book with a lot of heart. mark has to grow up, find his place in the world, trust in love, all the normal things a person has to do but is nonetheless not so easy.
December 14, 2014
In a way, from all I've heard about this book, I expected the pace to pick up so I get to the meat of the story. Sadly, I didn't see that happening right up to the end. Nobody's Son is a chill read, dreamlike and at times poetic so for those who expect to get a high from a fast-paced plot, please don't bother. This book isn't for you.
But I liked it.
The writing style is unique and the author is writing for himself instead of appealing to the average reader which is a good thing. Makes for great reading. It's like trying out an exotic dish. Greatly appreciated
But I liked it.
The writing style is unique and the author is writing for himself instead of appealing to the average reader which is a good thing. Makes for great reading. It's like trying out an exotic dish. Greatly appreciated
November 27, 2021
I saw this mentioned somewhere as a "story of what happens after the happily ever after".
It is very fairy-tale-ish: there's a dark forest, a curse on the land, a haunted castle, a king's reward, and the everyday peasant who breaks the curse and gets to ask anything he wants from the king.
Naturally, he asks to marry the princess and they live happily ever after, right?
All that is really just set up: the real story comes after that. It is a clever idea but...the intro just drags on too long. It takes up nearly 20% of this already quite brief book. And I felt like, okay, I get it, he breaks the curse. He's not even especially clever or brave or anything. (To some extent that's the point of the book, he's Nobody's Son, nothing special really.) I mean, he's clever enough but mostly he succeeds because he's able to learn from the dozens who failed before him.
But instead of taking off once he asks for the princess's hand, the book just continues to plod along. The main thing holding it back is that everything is just the tropeyist trope ever.
Princess who longs for freedom, to see the world? Yep, seen that a few hundred times previously.
The commoner who doesn't care about appearances ("He'd never given a tinker's damn about his clothes— until now.") and just wants to the help as friends and not servants? Surely you remember that plotline from Downton Abbey as well as 1,000 other books and movies.
It's all just so very....see it a million times before.
I made it 65% of the way through the book before deciding I just really didn't care and put it down.
Finally, there's a weird stylistic choice of trying to (sometimes) make the characters speak in some weird quasi-archaic dialect.
It just didn't really work, especially because sometimes they sound like pretty modern people in their conversations.
It is very fairy-tale-ish: there's a dark forest, a curse on the land, a haunted castle, a king's reward, and the everyday peasant who breaks the curse and gets to ask anything he wants from the king.
Naturally, he asks to marry the princess and they live happily ever after, right?
All that is really just set up: the real story comes after that. It is a clever idea but...the intro just drags on too long. It takes up nearly 20% of this already quite brief book. And I felt like, okay, I get it, he breaks the curse. He's not even especially clever or brave or anything. (To some extent that's the point of the book, he's Nobody's Son, nothing special really.) I mean, he's clever enough but mostly he succeeds because he's able to learn from the dozens who failed before him.
But instead of taking off once he asks for the princess's hand, the book just continues to plod along. The main thing holding it back is that everything is just the tropeyist trope ever.
Princess who longs for freedom, to see the world? Yep, seen that a few hundred times previously.
"Well I'm sick of all these rules," Mark said. "I'd rather have a friend than a servant, and that goes down to my last man in livery too."
The commoner who doesn't care about appearances ("He'd never given a tinker's damn about his clothes— until now.") and just wants to the help as friends and not servants? Surely you remember that plotline from Downton Abbey as well as 1,000 other books and movies.
It's all just so very....see it a million times before.
I made it 65% of the way through the book before deciding I just really didn't care and put it down.
Finally, there's a weird stylistic choice of trying to (sometimes) make the characters speak in some weird quasi-archaic dialect.
You're in ower your head, lad.
It just didn't really work, especially because sometimes they sound like pretty modern people in their conversations.
February 22, 2021
There’s quite a bit to like about this book in exploring what happens in the time after a classic fairy tale would have ended with, “and they lived happily ever after”. I like the recognition that happily ever after actually requires some work on the part of the participants, especially the peasant side of the equation who has to figure out all of the twists and turns of aristocracy and court life. I like that the princess isn’t some fluttering damsel. I like that the primary and supporting characters are all distinct with their own personalities. I like Mark’s exploration of Mark so he can figure out what it means to be himself and a good person in the situation he finds himself even as he tries to figure out the new world around him.
Two aspects of the book didn’t work as well for me. The last section of the book, where we build up to the new resolution of things, the problem released by Mark solving the old problem (the one that made him a duke), dragged for me and it seemed to take a long time to get to the point of things. The other thing is that the sudden change of heart of the princess seemed to come without any real explanation. She was determined to not immediately become a brood mare, to see some of the world, and live her own life. And then she suddenly wasn’t and I’m not clear on why.
It was a fun book and a good read, and more than enjoyable enough that I’m still looking forward to Mr. Stewart’s other Aurora win when I can come up with a copy. In my own notes, I’ve flagged this with 3.5 stars and I’m rounding up on this one.
Two aspects of the book didn’t work as well for me. The last section of the book, where we build up to the new resolution of things, the problem released by Mark solving the old problem (the one that made him a duke), dragged for me and it seemed to take a long time to get to the point of things. The other thing is that the sudden change of heart of the princess seemed to come without any real explanation. She was determined to not immediately become a brood mare, to see some of the world, and live her own life. And then she suddenly wasn’t and I’m not clear on why.
It was a fun book and a good read, and more than enjoyable enough that I’m still looking forward to Mr. Stewart’s other Aurora win when I can come up with a copy. In my own notes, I’ve flagged this with 3.5 stars and I’m rounding up on this one.
March 21, 2018
He was "Luis" to his dad, whose surname was Murray, and who was a high ranking officer in the Mexican army before he became a truck driver/bowling alley maintenance guy. He was "Louis" to his mother, who was a coffee and donut girl during the second World War, and served the guys at the front lines and returned to the U.S. to face a lifetime of night terrors.
As did his father.
He was a Mexican man. She an American woman. Luis grew up in their shadows, both steaming at the unfairness of the world and the incorrectness of their boy. They fought constantly.
Outside the house, he was a blonde kid who went to Catholic school and spoke and moved like a "greaser". He was beaten up regularly. He was neither this nor that, American nor Mexican.
As he says, the border runs right through his chest.
And wow. Can he write. This series of anecdotes from his life are written so beautifully as to be painful. Don't miss this book. Lots to learn and lots to think about.
As did his father.
He was a Mexican man. She an American woman. Luis grew up in their shadows, both steaming at the unfairness of the world and the incorrectness of their boy. They fought constantly.
Outside the house, he was a blonde kid who went to Catholic school and spoke and moved like a "greaser". He was beaten up regularly. He was neither this nor that, American nor Mexican.
As he says, the border runs right through his chest.
And wow. Can he write. This series of anecdotes from his life are written so beautifully as to be painful. Don't miss this book. Lots to learn and lots to think about.
June 27, 2025
Nobody's Son was recommended to me as a book about what happens after the end of the fairy tale.
The first lengthy chapter is Shielder's Mark braving the Red Keep and breaking its spell; the rest of the book is what happens next. Mark has to learn how to be a grown-up, how to lay the memory of his father's abandonment to rest, how to be a leader, and how to live in a world vastly different from the one he grew up in.
Mark and other "older" characters speak in an antiquated kind of English which can be hard to parse; it reminded me of Laura Kinsale's commitment to quasi-middle English in For My Lady's Heart, but I can see how it would be off-putting to some readers.
I wish that Stewart had developed Gail a little more, because while her fears and desires were completely understandable they are at cross-purposes with Mark's arc...and after Mark returns to the Ghostwood, Gail changes her mind offscreen and I wish that hadn't happened.
The first lengthy chapter is Shielder's Mark braving the Red Keep and breaking its spell; the rest of the book is what happens next. Mark has to learn how to be a grown-up, how to lay the memory of his father's abandonment to rest, how to be a leader, and how to live in a world vastly different from the one he grew up in.
Mark and other "older" characters speak in an antiquated kind of English which can be hard to parse; it reminded me of Laura Kinsale's commitment to quasi-middle English in For My Lady's Heart, but I can see how it would be off-putting to some readers.
I wish that Stewart had developed Gail a little more, because while her fears and desires were completely understandable they are at cross-purposes with Mark's arc...and after Mark returns to the Ghostwood, Gail changes her mind offscreen and I wish that hadn't happened.
July 12, 2021
After the win, the work must begin
Here is magic and romance and … Reality. The poor boy wins the princess, but so what? He knows nothing about politics, and nothing about governing his land. And nothing about being a husband and partner to a strong woman. He was lucky to have survived the battle against Evil. But luckier by far to get a friend who understands statecraft. And a little bit about women, too.
Here is magic and romance and … Reality. The poor boy wins the princess, but so what? He knows nothing about politics, and nothing about governing his land. And nothing about being a husband and partner to a strong woman. He was lucky to have survived the battle against Evil. But luckier by far to get a friend who understands statecraft. And a little bit about women, too.
June 19, 2017
If you want a short, compelling work of fantasy, this is it. Great story that turns the traditional "happily ever after" ending on its head. My only complaint is that there aren't more stories in the same universe.
August 16, 2025
Original book. Very solid character work. Storytelling is a strong component.
Characters are nuanced. Great coming of age story. The conversation can get you lost from time to time.
Worth a read? If you're okay with yeoman like conversation, this is a gem. It unravels the aspects of temperance.
Characters are nuanced. Great coming of age story. The conversation can get you lost from time to time.
Worth a read? If you're okay with yeoman like conversation, this is a gem. It unravels the aspects of temperance.
August 13, 2017
Sean, I will bake you a million cupcakes if you'll come back to novel-writing.
June 8, 2020
This fantasy story really is orgininal in its writing!
August 20, 2021
3.5 stars
August 28, 2016
A very captivating "fairy tale"... that's right, don't let the description deceive you, because although this story does take place after the traditional hero's adventure, there is more to come.
Basic Plot: Shielder's Mark ("Shielder's" is sort of a last name, part of the society in this story and also part of the theme) is the young hero who braves the Ghostwood and ends the curse on the kingdom (a very cool part of the story, by the way, all told in the first chapter). As a reward, he is granted anything he wants by the king, and on the spur of the moment, he chooses the king's youngest daughter. But Mark's request catapults him into the intrigues of court and the plays for power, a challenge altogether different than what he faced in the Ghostwood, and something for which he is woefully unprepared. And as for the fiery Princess Gail, well, she likes him well enough and is grateful for an escape from her normal life, she has her expectations as well.
And then, of course, is what came undone when Mark broke the curse...
Review: This book was really entertaining. The back cover made it seem like it was going to be one of those fairy-tale rewrites, where they put modern spins and attitudes and try to poke fun at traditional fairy tales. The book turned out to be quite the opposite, I'm happy to say! The book feels like an in-depth fairy tale: a traditional tale but deeper. We have the hero facing the dangers and ghosts, but we get to be with him, in his head, as he faces these odds and challenges himself to the limit and has to think of clever answers to ancient riddles. Instead of just being told what he did, as in a typical fairy tale, the author guides us through his thoughts, making Mark feel much more like a real person while still keeping the fairy tale elements.
The other characters were good as well. Valerian, the friend Mark makes in court, was interesting- a good way to provide Mark (and us) with insight into what everything meant in the court, without being too obvious or feeling like an info-dump. Val was nice, but he had his own character, his own feelings, and his own desires. Like Mark, he felt real. Gail was probably the second-best character, next to Mark. She was fiery, but understandable, and not mixed with modern attitudes (IMO,) although some of what she wanted may seem that way (for example, asking Mark to wait to consummate their marriage because she wanted to have adventures and explore the world before having children.) I liked her, and I enjoyed watching her and Mark's relationship grow, and know that love at first sight can happen.
But the best part of the story, I think, was the story of the Curse and how it intertwines with Mark and his life. Seeing the unfolding of the driving force behind Mark's quest was really cool... it's hard to describe without giving it away, but the heart of the story was really deep, and human, and sort of heartbreaking . The entire curse on the Ghostwood was really fascinating and coincided, beautifully, with the point of the story.
Overall, I'd recommend this to just about anyone. It is a bit PG-13 rated, though- especially in the beginning, there are a lot of sexual references, sometimes obliquely and/or crudely, that I skipped over but that are inappropriate for younger readers. Definitely a more adult read, but other than that stuff, very good.
Basic Plot: Shielder's Mark ("Shielder's" is sort of a last name, part of the society in this story and also part of the theme) is the young hero who braves the Ghostwood and ends the curse on the kingdom (a very cool part of the story, by the way, all told in the first chapter). As a reward, he is granted anything he wants by the king, and on the spur of the moment, he chooses the king's youngest daughter. But Mark's request catapults him into the intrigues of court and the plays for power, a challenge altogether different than what he faced in the Ghostwood, and something for which he is woefully unprepared. And as for the fiery Princess Gail, well, she likes him well enough and is grateful for an escape from her normal life, she has her expectations as well.
And then, of course, is what came undone when Mark broke the curse...
Review: This book was really entertaining. The back cover made it seem like it was going to be one of those fairy-tale rewrites, where they put modern spins and attitudes and try to poke fun at traditional fairy tales. The book turned out to be quite the opposite, I'm happy to say! The book feels like an in-depth fairy tale: a traditional tale but deeper. We have the hero facing the dangers and ghosts, but we get to be with him, in his head, as he faces these odds and challenges himself to the limit and has to think of clever answers to ancient riddles. Instead of just being told what he did, as in a typical fairy tale, the author guides us through his thoughts, making Mark feel much more like a real person while still keeping the fairy tale elements.
The other characters were good as well. Valerian, the friend Mark makes in court, was interesting- a good way to provide Mark (and us) with insight into what everything meant in the court, without being too obvious or feeling like an info-dump. Val was nice, but he had his own character, his own feelings, and his own desires. Like Mark, he felt real. Gail was probably the second-best character, next to Mark. She was fiery, but understandable, and not mixed with modern attitudes (IMO,) although some of what she wanted may seem that way (for example, asking Mark to wait to consummate their marriage because she wanted to have adventures and explore the world before having children.) I liked her, and I enjoyed watching her and Mark's relationship grow, and know that love at first sight can happen.
But the best part of the story, I think, was the story of the Curse and how it intertwines with Mark and his life. Seeing the unfolding of the driving force behind Mark's quest was really cool... it's hard to describe without giving it away, but the heart of the story was really deep, and human, and sort of heartbreaking . The entire curse on the Ghostwood was really fascinating and coincided, beautifully, with the point of the story.
Overall, I'd recommend this to just about anyone. It is a bit PG-13 rated, though- especially in the beginning, there are a lot of sexual references, sometimes obliquely and/or crudely, that I skipped over but that are inappropriate for younger readers. Definitely a more adult read, but other than that stuff, very good.
August 29, 2012
Blurb: Suddenly Shielder's Mark is living a fairy tale come true. A commoner's son, he has broken the spell of Red Keep. Now he can collect the hero's reward promised by the king--whatever Mark names. Smitten, he names the king's daughter.
That's where his fairy tale ends.
The hero's sword he claimed at Red Keep is taken from him. He finds himself scorned and hated by the king's court. And though he is allowed to marry the beautiful princess, she may not be such a prize after al.
A hero's life and 'happily ever after' are a lot harder than they look....
Comments: I don't know if the Magic Carpet cover and blurb are doing this book any service. The guy on the cover looks to be about 40, balding mullet-head (instead of a callow youth) and by the time Mark is in the scene portrayed he would NOT have been wearing anything like the sorta-Anglo-Saxon peasant getup. And my husband thought from the blurb that this was one of those broad-wink tired parodies of fairy tale conventions.
I'd call it more of a subversion of conventions, but done with a love for them as well. Mark is an appealing hero, sometimes full of himself, sometimes horribly self-conscious and uncertain, sometimes insightful, sometimes blind. The other characters are given enough space to reveal their own contradictions and dimensions (and the princess is NOT beautiful, by the way, but he is smitten by her).
The setting is yr basic fairytale / fantasy small kingdoms and duchies, with forbidding haunted woods and ruined castles, but Stewart puts a bit more thought into how courts and economies function than one sometimes sees, and I particularly appreciated Mark's awareness of the disparity of wealth - he's callow but not unobservant.
The haunted keep and the ghosts are pretty well handled - it's almost more timeslip than haunting, since the ghosts are quite substantial and able to do harm.
Overall recommended. It's not the best book ever, but well worth reading.
I even forgave the author for giving Mark the habit of fiddling with a bit of haywire. (No actual haybales appear, for those on the haybales-in-fantasy watch. Just the wire. Oh, and one mention of plywood. NO, fantasy writers, just say NO to plywood.)
That's where his fairy tale ends.
The hero's sword he claimed at Red Keep is taken from him. He finds himself scorned and hated by the king's court. And though he is allowed to marry the beautiful princess, she may not be such a prize after al.
A hero's life and 'happily ever after' are a lot harder than they look....
Comments: I don't know if the Magic Carpet cover and blurb are doing this book any service. The guy on the cover looks to be about 40, balding mullet-head (instead of a callow youth) and by the time Mark is in the scene portrayed he would NOT have been wearing anything like the sorta-Anglo-Saxon peasant getup. And my husband thought from the blurb that this was one of those broad-wink tired parodies of fairy tale conventions.
I'd call it more of a subversion of conventions, but done with a love for them as well. Mark is an appealing hero, sometimes full of himself, sometimes horribly self-conscious and uncertain, sometimes insightful, sometimes blind. The other characters are given enough space to reveal their own contradictions and dimensions (and the princess is NOT beautiful, by the way, but he is smitten by her).
The setting is yr basic fairytale / fantasy small kingdoms and duchies, with forbidding haunted woods and ruined castles, but Stewart puts a bit more thought into how courts and economies function than one sometimes sees, and I particularly appreciated Mark's awareness of the disparity of wealth - he's callow but not unobservant.
The haunted keep and the ghosts are pretty well handled - it's almost more timeslip than haunting, since the ghosts are quite substantial and able to do harm.
Overall recommended. It's not the best book ever, but well worth reading.
I even forgave the author for giving Mark the habit of fiddling with a bit of haywire. (No actual haybales appear, for those on the haybales-in-fantasy watch. Just the wire. Oh, and one mention of plywood. NO, fantasy writers, just say NO to plywood.)
July 25, 2011
This 1993 novel won the Aurora award for best Speculative fiction as well as the Canadian Library Association award for best young adult novel.
Upon the ruins of the Red Keep there lies a curse which haunts the surrounding forest. For generations the kingdom's greatest champions have gone into the Ghostwood to attempt to break the curse without success. Mark is a young commoner who was abandoned by his father at a young age. He has spent his youth honing himself to be warrior - one who can break the curse and earn the king's favor. He ventures into the Ghostwood, overcomes its obstacles and the challenges of the enchanted keep, and breaks the curse. He returns to the king's castle to claim his prize - a noble title, lands of his own, and the hand of a princess.
And that is all in chapter 1.
The real story in Nobody's Son is about what happens after "œhappily ever after", and how it isn't always that happy.
It was an enjoyable read. I liked the story, and found the 4 main characters to be amusing and engaging. Stewart's prose is very good, although the olde english-esque dialect that the characters speak in takes some getting used to.
Upon the ruins of the Red Keep there lies a curse which haunts the surrounding forest. For generations the kingdom's greatest champions have gone into the Ghostwood to attempt to break the curse without success. Mark is a young commoner who was abandoned by his father at a young age. He has spent his youth honing himself to be warrior - one who can break the curse and earn the king's favor. He ventures into the Ghostwood, overcomes its obstacles and the challenges of the enchanted keep, and breaks the curse. He returns to the king's castle to claim his prize - a noble title, lands of his own, and the hand of a princess.
And that is all in chapter 1.
The real story in Nobody's Son is about what happens after "œhappily ever after", and how it isn't always that happy.
It was an enjoyable read. I liked the story, and found the 4 main characters to be amusing and engaging. Stewart's prose is very good, although the olde english-esque dialect that the characters speak in takes some getting used to.
July 3, 2013
A strange book in many ways. It begins as an amusing fantasy with lots of funny lines. Then comes the erotic part with the strongest sexual tension I've read in ages - I'm amazed it was voted Best Young Adult Novel of the Year. Then we come to the hard part where I would expect any YA to throe the book down - I barely persevered myself through the god stuff - all the time, I felt someone was trying to stick a moral up my nose and I just wasn't getting it. Finally, after much torturous allegory, our hero learns to stop blaming his dad for everything and to stand on his own two feet. How his wife and friends manage to stick by him through his time of trial I don't know - I nearly gave up.
The language is very odd. At the beginning, all the nobility use a rather archaic form of speech, but it is not consistent and anyway soon disappears. Then there are a few character who speak what I can only call Yorkshire dialect from someone who's never been to Yorkshire. Neither of these linguistic devices appear to add anything, and as I said, the usage is inconsistent.
My summary: a flawed, but interesting book that will certainly be reread in the future.
The language is very odd. At the beginning, all the nobility use a rather archaic form of speech, but it is not consistent and anyway soon disappears. Then there are a few character who speak what I can only call Yorkshire dialect from someone who's never been to Yorkshire. Neither of these linguistic devices appear to add anything, and as I said, the usage is inconsistent.
My summary: a flawed, but interesting book that will certainly be reread in the future.
August 17, 2012
I really want to give this five stars. Nobody's Son follows the story of Shielder's Mark, a poor orphan who sets out on a quest to rid the kingdom of the plague of an enchanted forest and magical tower that have threatened the people for a millennium. Unsurprisingly, he succeeds. But that's just the first chapter. The real story of Nobody's Son is how Mark then learns to deal with life after he accomplishes this, politics, romance, and his loss of purpose. Mark is an incredibly deep and very real character. Stewart does a great job of contrasting Mark's thoughts and Mark's statements to show us his struggles. In so doing, Mark becomes eminently relatable, and the reader, or at least I, grow to really love him. I have only two qualms about the book. The first, I cannot share without spoilers, but it relates to what I found to be an... overly Freudian approach to Mark. The second is that I would hesitate to give this to someone under 15, despite its putative YA status. Still, I really want to add it to my shelves.
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