A review by justabooklovingmum
The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste

5.0

‘Boom, she says alongside the crack of the bullet spinning free. Boom. Then she steps back to avoid his jerking legs, the splatter of blood pooling in the leaves, the new stink of urine, the soiled uniform and boots. Boom. And she picks up his rifle and shoulders it across her back, and runs. ‘

‘Sing, daughters, of one woman and one thousand, of those multitudes who rushed like wind to free a country from poisonous beasts. Sing, children, of those who came before you, of those who laid the path on which you tread toward warmer suns.’

This book almost broke me, but it also amazed me with its breathtakingly beautiful and lyrical prose. It is a novel, best read slowly, to really appreciate fully.
I felt I was transported to Ethiopia, It was like reading Homer Iliad or his Odyssey, only the events were much more brutal, the monsters ordinary man.
Some people complain that the book is too slow, but I think that was deliberate. To fully comprehend Hirut personal journey, the struggles of the Ethiopian fighters, the brutality of war, one has to be told every detail, a full picture needs to be painted, from as many viewpoints as possible, even if some of the viewpoints and details are going to make you uncomfortable, angry, afraid.

From a personal perspective, I wanted to read this book because it is a part of my country’s history which most of the time is not talked about. Who wants to be remembered as the oppressor, as the bad guy? But Mengiste doesn’t just paint a black and white picture, she shows us the many different shades of humanity and the complexities of war.

I’m in owe of this epic novel and Mengiste’s storytelling. Although, I admit, it won’t be for everyone, for me it is the best book I’ve read this year and it will stay with me for a long time.