Rating: 
Summary: A compelling picture of the end of Anglo-Saxon England.
Review: This is the kind of book that a teacher is always delighted to discover! This is an excellent first novel by an author who has created a vivid picture of the world in which Harold becomes king of England and then loses his throne and his life to William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings. The story is told from the viewpoint of Evyn, a Welsh boy who loses his ability to speak in a brutal attack in his village and who is then sold as a slave to the court of Harold's common-law wife. The story is enormous in its scope but uncomplicated in the telling, with action-filled battle scenes and authentic descriptions of the politics and treachery of the time. Suitable for middle school readers, it brings the end of Anglo-Saxon England to life. Highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: Quite Unique, not like any other book I've read
Review: This isn't one of the best books I've read, believe me, there are many of them, but this book is what I would call different, unusual, and pretty much worth reading. For middle ages buffs, this is the book for you. Elizabeth Alder is known for her great historical (though not always accurate) accounts. So you won't be dissapointed with this book
Rating:
Summary: BINGO!!!!
Review: This story is breathtaking. It takes place in the Middle Ages. THE KING'S SHADOW is a very good book; it's about a young boy named Evyn. He dreams of being a storyteller, but his dream is shattered by his Uncle's poor manners and straight up bad luck! His Uncle is a man who speaks before he actually thinks about what he is saying. His Uncle got drunk and interrupted one of the sons of Griffon. They were not invited. They barged into the banquet at a Welsh castle. And Evyn's Uncle accidently killed a son of Griffon. The sons of Griffon are very evil people and enjoy murdering . They chase Evyn's Uncle out of the castle trying to kill him. Evyn's father and Evyn's uncle are twins so the sons of Griffon see Evyn's father and kill him. The sons of griffon recognize Evyn from the banquet and cut off his tongue. A quote from this book is " Yes you are right, Evyn. A storm comes this way. I can feel it in my knees." The King said that because whenever a storm is coming his knees fell excrutiating pain. I picked this quote because it stood out from the other quotes. It made you wonder what life was like without cures to stuff. I would probably compare this book to THE WAR OF THE WORLDS by H.G. Wells because they are both about wars that were very dangerous. I suggest you read this book if you like adventure stories. I recommend readers should be 10 and over because it has a lot of bloody parts. This book is sad due to people dying. Another book by Elizabeth Alder is THE SECRET OF THE VILLA MIMOSA. Here is some vivid language from the book: "But slowly the burning began to diminish like a fire left to die." This is vivid because it sets a strong image in your head of what she is saying. This book won the 1996 friends of American Writers Award. Here are the opening and closing lines:" Thunder rumbled in the distance like a pack of angry wolves."=opening. " Evyn drew a deep breath, read over the words he had written and continued, dipping his pen in the ink once more."=closing. These are good because if you just read those lines you want to read the whole book. I think the moral is that even if you are a peasant, life can change. The book was published in 1995. Elizabeth Alder writes mostly about the Middle Ages. THE END
Rating:
Summary: The King's Shadow
Review: This was a really good book but it was sad in the beginning when Evyn's faher died and in the end when King Harold died. (The gore was going overboard.)It is odd how evil conquered in this book but that is what makes it unique. Otherwise it was a great book.
Rating:
Summary: Bright Shadow
Review: This was a wonderful account of Harold II, told through the eyes of a fictional character. Harold, Evyn, and Edith Swanneck appear to be real people.
Rating:
Summary: CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S HER FIRST NOVEL!
Review: This was my first middle-school-age book. I think it's such a great book that I might want to read it again sometime. The only reason I didn't give it five stars was because I wished it were longer. I want to know what happens next. It's very suspenseful -- but not too suspenseful. My favorite part was when Evyn slew Tostig with only his small knife.
Rating:
Summary: Good story of a boy who fought beside tragic King Harold
Review: Well-written historical fiction like this makes the period come alive. Late Saxon England is sometimes overlooked, notched between the Dark Ages and feudal Britain. Stone castles and chivalry came later; this was the age of wooden feast-halls and "housecurls" (a little like knights). The King's Shadow focuses ostensibly on Evyn, a Welsh boy whose dreams of becoming a bard are stolen from him by violence, but it is also the story of Harold, the last Saxon king of England. Evyn is drawn to Harold after being sold into slavery. He becomes Harold's guide, his squire, and, ultimately, his chronicler. Alder handles the violence of the time just right for younger readers, toning it down without sugar-coating it, and manages to pull a satisfactory measure of believable and unforced happiness from the story's mostly sad conclusion. The details of her clearly extensive research never force themselves on the reader but emerge naturally as part of the story. One criticism is that Alder's sympathies are perhaps a little too clearly with the Saxons. (One could easily imagine William the Bastard's lackeys addressing him as "Lord Vader", by contrast.) I felt she explained away some of Harold's faults/mistakes a little too neatly. Still, Evyn's respect and devotion to Harold are always believable. The King's Shadow sufficiently piqued my historical interest to make me browse a translation of the Anglo-Saxon chronicles. I felt a chill while doing so, knowing that real people like Evyn must have written them. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Good story of a boy who fought beside tragic King Harold
Review: Well-written historical fiction like this makes the period come alive. Late Saxon England is sometimes overlooked, notched between the Dark Ages and feudal Britain. Stone castles and chivalry came later; this was the age of wooden feast-halls and "housecurls" (a little like knights). The King's Shadow focuses ostensibly on Evyn, a Welsh boy whose dreams of becoming a bard are stolen from him by violence, but it is also the story of Harold, the last Saxon king of England. Evyn is drawn to Harold after being sold into slavery. He becomes Harold's guide, his squire, and, ultimately, his chronicler. Alder handles the violence of the time just right for younger readers, toning it down without sugar-coating it, and manages to pull a satisfactory measure of believable and unforced happiness from the story's mostly sad conclusion. The details of her clearly extensive research never force themselves on the reader but emerge naturally as part of the story. One criticism is that Alder's sympathies are perhaps a little too clearly with the Saxons. (One could easily imagine William the Bastard's lackeys addressing him as "Lord Vader", by contrast.) I felt she explained away some of Harold's faults/mistakes a little too neatly. Still, Evyn's respect and devotion to Harold are always believable. The King's Shadow sufficiently piqued my historical interest to make me browse a translation of the Anglo-Saxon chronicles. I felt a chill while doing so, knowing that real people like Evyn must have written them. Recommended.
| 
