From Publishers Weekly
Set in Britain in 600 A.D., this extraordinary novel tells of the mustering of an army and its ill-fated campaign against the invading Saxons. Prosper, younger son of a feudal chieftain and the story's hero, is called to the company as a shield bearer, trained in the arts of war and sent into battle. Seen through his eyes, this is both a gripping action-adventure yarn and a moving, carefully wrought coming-of-age story. Sutcliff's richly evocative writing captures the feeling of life 1400 years ago; her realistic details provide a gritty background against which the tragic action unfolds. The Shining Company deserves a place with Adam of the Road , The White Stag and other classic adventure stories. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up --Fans of Sutcliff's historical fiction will welcome her return to the post-Roman British setting of some of her finest novels as she tells a stirring tale based on "The Gododdin," the earliest surviving poem set in Northern Britain. Set in a.d. 600, the story is told by Prosper who, with his bodyservant Conn, joins Prince Gorthyn as a shieldbearer when the prince enlists in a company formed by King Mynyddog of the Gododdin in an effort to unite the British kingdoms against the ever-present Saxon threat. The bulk of the story concerns the forging of men from disparate parts of Britain into a fighting unit, combined in a common cause. The rousing climax comes with their first mission when, sent deep into Saxon territory, they are abandoned by Mynyddog. Prosper, Conn, and Cynan, the lord they serve after Gorthyn's death, are among the survivors, and they return to discover that their betrayal had been planned from the beginning. As the story closes, Cynan and Prosper have turned their backs on Britain to find new lives as soldiers in Byzantium. Sutcliff has called all of her considerable talents into play here, creating strong memorable characters, sweeping action, and a vivid sense of place and time. Her depiction of the final, hopeless charge of the Companions is unforgettable: Prosper's references to the Celtic Wild Hunt ring with haunting truth. Sutcliff remains a mistress of the delineation of the strong bonds that combat and a collective purpose can create among men. Her descriptions of the inevitable violence of war are honest and matter of fact. This is a challenging book, with many names and places that will be unfamiliar to readers not acquainted with early British history, although the map and pronunciation guide should help. Readers willing to surrender to Sutcliff's demanding yet hypnotic language will be drawn into a truly splendid adventure, containing powerful themes of heroism, friendship, loss, betrayal, and sacrifice. --Christine Behrmann, New York Public Library
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
