The Shadow King (novel)

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The Shadow King
First edition cover
AuthorMaaza Mengiste
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreHistorical novel
Set inEthiopia
PublisherW. W. Norton & Company
Publication date
September 24, 2019
Pages448
ISBN978-0-393-08356-9
OCLC1084322904
813/.6
LC ClassPS3613.E488 S53 2019
Preceded byBeneath the Lion's Gaze (2010) 
Followed byAddis 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[edit]

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[edit]

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

References[edit]

  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 10 January 2021.
  3. ^ Serpell, Namwali (27 September 2019). "Maaza Mengiste Sings a Modern Song of War". New York Times. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  4. ^ Clark, Alex (18 January 2020). "The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste review – remembering Ethiopia's female soldiers". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 May 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.