The King's Shadow (original 1995; edition 1997)

Evyn dreams of being a storyteller, back in a time before libraries and common knowledge of the written word the best way to hear a tale was for someone to orally present it and Evyn is very talented at this oral tradition. However, his dreams are shattered when his father is murdered and his own tongue is cut from his mouth to prevent him from telling who did the murderers were. His own uncle sells him into slavery and when the lover of an influential man takes pity on him, Evyn begins a journey with Earl Harold of Wessex the future King of England. The boy chronicles their journeys together learning to read, write, and communicate without his voice.

Evyn gains a family and a man he can look up to as a mentor but not all things are meant to last and not all stories end happily. This book has copious amounts of history that could have been. Historical fiction has always been a draw for me and anyone who is a fan of the genre should pick up this book. ( )

"The King's Shadow" is the medieval story of Evyn, a mute boy who serves Earl Harold of Wessex as his scribe and personal companion. As his father-son like closeness with the Earl grows, Evyn finds himself caught up in the events leading up to a horrific Battle of Hastings, where he and everything he knows will be forever changed.
This is a powerful, well written story, and was always one of my favorites of childhod. The writing style is as poetically eloquent as the bard's songs that Evyn loves so much, and the lovable (or hateful) characters have stayed fresh in my mind, even though it must be ten years or so since I last read it. Alder's writing holds a sort of intelligent beauty that seems to suit this book perfectly. I think that that was one of the things that I so loved about this book as a child: the mature writing. Being raised in a very conservative family, I was endlessly frustrated by my limited supply of reading, being forbidden from reading "adult" books. The children's books available to me too often felt as if I was being talked-down to. Not so with "The King's Shadow."
This book is sad and happy all at once. I especially loved the character of Evyn's beloved mentor, Harold. He seemed the perfect father figure. The contrasting character of Harold's brother, the nemesis of this book, was very well done. Highly recommended! ( )

The book started out quickly which I admire most in a story. King Harold took Evyn (Shadow) in as his foster son which developed a strong relationship between the king and Evyn. I liked the way the author made a purpose in Evyn's life after he was muted because he felt that all his hopes and dreams had been vanished. But because of his mutism, his future was better than he would have hoped that it would be. It's a good read, especially if you're not too familiar with the Battle of Hastings. ( )

The King's Shadow is the story of a young Welsh boy whose tongue is cut out in a tragic twist of fate. Evyn is sold as a slave to the Lady Ealdgyth, who provides a way for him to learn to read and write. This ability comes in handy to Harold Godwinson, the powerful earl who is later chosen as England's king to unite the country against the advances of William of Normandy. Evyn is a firsthand witness of the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings in 1066, and Alder makes him the unknown hand that penned the Chronicle at the Aethelney monastery.

Unfortunately this book failed on several levels. The characters were not very memorable, and the writing was sometimes very awkward. Huge chunks of time were passed over in a few paragraphs, and then things slowed down again. This is usually fine in historical novels, but the transitions were not very well executed here.

I really only continued with the book because of the history, which I found fascinating. Alder did her research and the period feels authentic. She's definitely a bit biased in favor of Harold though! I suppose that's what we would expect with a main character who is Harold's devoted squire.

All in all, I can't really recommend this very highly because of the lackluster writing. Fans of historical fiction and especially this particular period may enjoy the book for its setting, but unfortunately the characters just didn't come to life. ( )

The King's Shadow tells of the hard life of a Welsh lad during tumultuous times. Evyn, is a young serf who has a beautiful voice; he plans to be a singing storyteller for his Lord. Unchecked violence by a neighbouring Lord's sons costs Evyn his voice and his family. When he thinks things can't get worse, his uncle sells him as a slave. The loss of Evyn's freedom is a huge blow and for years he is almost unable to function.

A monk teaches him to read and write and this become not only his ticket to communication but his window into the goodness that can be in people. Evyn, later called "The King's Shadow", lives in a time of war and shaky alliances and this story chronicles some of the subtleties of the time.