The Shadow King (novel)

The Shadow King

First edition cover
Author	Maaza Mengiste
Language	English
Genre	Historical novel
Set in	Ethiopia
Publisher	W. W. Norton & Company
Publication date	September 24, 2019
Publication place	United States
Pages	448
ISBN	978-0-393-08356-9
OCLC	1084322904
Dewey Decimal	813/.6
LC Class	PS3613.E488 S53 2019
Preceded by	Beneath the Lion's Gaze (2010)
Followed by	Addis Ababa Noir (2020)

The Shadow King is a 2019 novel by Ethiopian-American writer Maaza Mengiste, published by W. W. Norton & Company on September 24, 2019. ^[1] It was shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize. ^[2]

The novel focuses on the Second Italo-Ethiopian War which resulted in the Ethiopians putting an end to Italian occupation.

Reception

Namwali Serpell, writing for The New York Times , described the novel as 'lyrical' and 'remarkable'. ^[3]

Alex Clark, in The Guardian , described the novel as 'absorbing' and said that Mengiste's achievement was to "bring to life those women, and to depict them as dynamic entities". ^[4]

Film adaptation

In April 2020, it was announced that Kasi Lemmons would direct a film adaptation of The Shadow King for Atlas Entertainment. ^[5]

References

1. "The Shadow King". W. W. Norton & Company . Archived from the original on December 14, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
2. "The Shadow King". Booker Prize. June 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
3. Serpell, Namwali (September 27, 2019). "Maaza Mengiste Sings a Modern Song of War". New York Times . Retrieved May 10, 2021.
4. Clark, Alex (January 18, 2020). "The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste review – remembering Ethiopia's female soldiers". The Guardian . Retrieved May 10, 2021.
5. McNary, Dave (April 16, 2020). "'Harriet' Filmmaker Kasi Lemmons to Write, Direct World War II Drama 'The Shadow King'". Variety . Retrieved September 24, 2021.