Scan barcode
A review by icfasntw
The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Torture
This book is set during Italy's invasion of Ethiopia during World War II, and is primarily told from the perspectives of an Ethiopian woman, a Jewish Italian photographer/soldier, and an Italian colonel who is the head of a prison camp for Ethiopian citizens. It prominently features scenes of battle and the deaths of Ethiopian prisoners (elderly, men, women, and children) held by the Italian military.