the mark of the horse lord - Hardcover

Sutcliff, Rosemary

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0192712470 ISBN 13: 9780192712479

Publisher: Henry Z. Walck, 1965

Synopsis

Phaedrus, an enslaved gladiator in northern Britain in the first century, earns his freedom by killing his best friend, a fellow gladiator, in a final fight to the death. Within days of leaving the arena he is recruited by leaders of a tribe from the far north to impersonate Prince Midir, who has been robbed of his right to kingship in a brutal attack by followers of the current ruler, Queen Liadhan. As Midir, Phaedrus is charged with reestablishing his kingship and the tribe's rule in the land. In this world of superstition and ancient ritual, of fierce loyalties and intertribal rivalry, Phaedrus finds companionship and love, and something more - a purpose and a meaning for his life as he comes to fully understand the significance of the Mark of the Horse Lord.

About this title

About the Author:

Rosemary Sutcliff's books have been published throughout the world. She has received a Hans Christian Andersen Highly Commended Author Award for her body of work and was named a Commander of the British Empire in the year of her death.

Review:

“The total assurance of the writing indicates an author fully in command of her power.”  —Times Literary Supplement

“All that has been so much admired in Miss Sutcliff's writing—her concern with the nature of courage, the marvellous ease with which she moves within an historical situation, the power and beauty of her style—flower together to produce a single astonishing experience. . . . Here is a story that unfolds perfectly, scene by marvellous scene, in a sort of controlled mounting storm of narration, great tenderness and great savagery (there are wonderful battles) twining together under the story’s superbly colored and sensitive surface.”  —Guardian

“Miss Sutcliff has told one of her most powerful stories. Always her protagonists are strong, believable characters; but Phaedrus stands forth with exceptional brilliance, an unforgettable hero.”  —Horn Book

“Winner of the very first Phoenix Award, it’s a perfectly paced, thrilling, emotionally engaging foray into that time period that Sutcliff made her own: the Roman occupation of Britain.” And “Sutcliff’s prose style is a joy to read, and beautifully creates an atmosphere and a mood without distracting from the drive of the narrative. Every word begs to be read and savored.” —The Emerald City Book Review

About this edition

• Publisher: Henry Z. Walck
• Publication date: 1965
• ISBN 10: 0192712470
• ISBN 13: 9780192712479
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 245