The Shadow KingThe Shadow King
Score Modern
What it's about
Ethiopia, 1935. As Mussolini's army threatens, recently orphaned Hirut works as a maid for Kidane, an officer in Emperor Haile Selassie's army, and she and the other women long to do more than tend the men.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the Booker Prize.
You'll love it if you liked
Half of a Yellow Sun
All the Light We Cannot See
The NightingaleGood to know
It's a war novel centered on women.
By the numbers
- Readers3 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics32 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller7 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz14 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #122 of the 124 historical novels we rank
- #1603 of the 1,647 modern books we rank
- #2993 of the 3,056 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
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Historical novelsTop 25 · 124 ranked
Modern booksTop 25 · 1,647 ranked
Books of the 2010sTop 25 · 751 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 504 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 623 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 325 ranked
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelsTop 25 · 63 ranked
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedQuick answers
Is The Shadow King worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the Booker Prize. It ranks #2,993 of the 3,056 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 53.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Shadow King about?
Ethiopia, 1935. As Mussolini's army threatens, recently orphaned Hirut works as a maid for Kidane, an officer in Emperor Haile Selassie's army, and she and the other women long to do more than tend the men.
How long does it take to read The Shadow King?
About 11 hours (440 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Shadow King?
If you liked it, try Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr or The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.