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

According to Book Marks , the book received a "rave" consensus, based on twelve critic reviews: nine "rave" and three "positive". ^[3] In Books in the Media , the book received (3.64 out of 5) stars, based on six critic reviews. ^[4] On the January/February 2020 issue of Bookmarks , the book received (4.0 out of 5) stars, with the critical summary saying, "Mengiste's remarkable novel has given long-overdue attention the significant role of Ethiopian women warriors during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War". ^[5]

Namwali Serpell, writing for The New York Times , described the novel as 'lyrical' and 'remarkable'. ^[6]

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". ^[7]

Film adaptation

In April 2020, it was announced that Kasi Lemmons would direct a film adaptation of The Shadow King. ^[8]

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. "The Shadow King". Book Marks . Retrieved January 16, 2024.
4. "The Shadow King Reviews". Books in the Media . Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
5. "The Shadow King". Bookmarks . Retrieved January 14, 2023.
6. Serpell, Namwali (September 27, 2019). "Maaza Mengiste Sings a Modern Song of War". New York Times . Retrieved May 10, 2021.
7. Clark, Alex (January 18, 2020). "The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste review – remembering Ethiopia's female soldiers". The Guardian . Retrieved May 10, 2021.
8. McNary, Dave (April 16, 2020). "'Harriet' Filmmaker Kasi Lemmons to Write, Direct World War II Drama 'The Shadow King'". Variety . Retrieved September 24, 2021.