The Shield Ring, by Rosemary Sutcliff

[rachelmanija]

After reading this book, I finally figured out what author Sutcliff reminded me of: Ursula Le Guin, circa A Wizard of Earthsea. The formal, slightly archaic, elegant style; the immersively detailed setting and culture; the alternation of leisurely description of place and daily life with intense scenes of action and emotion. If you like A Wizard of

Comments

[asakiyume]

Sorry to be dense here--can you say again about the precise details? Are you saying that in (some) other historical novels things seem flat and plywoody, but not in this one, or are you saying that this is a problem in this one, too? (I'm thinking it's *not* a problem in this one, but I just want to be clear.)

[rachelmanija]

Sorry, I guess that was a poorly constructed sentence. I meant that in comparison to this novel (which is excellent and very believable) many other novels I have read by different people seem flat and unbelievable, and lacking in detail and authenticity.

[asakiyume]

My brain is like sludge today--I thought that's what you meant, but I wasn't sure. Thanks!

... I think I read Rosemary Sutcliffe too young, as a kid. I should try again...

[thecityofdis]

This sounds wonderfully compelling. I've just downloaded the ~free sample~ to my Kindle to see if it's up my alley. Thank you for the rec! :)

[17catherines]

You've just reminded me that I haven't read any Rosemary Sutcliff in years! She was my favourite author through most of primary school.

[incandescens]

By pure coincidence, I was in the bookshop today and noticed a copy on the shelf of a Rosemary Sutcliff compilation: Eagle of the Ninth, The Silver Branch, and The Lantern Bearers. Left the shop with it in my bag. :)

(I had read them all ages ago, but not for a long while.)

[smillaraaq]

More Sutcliff! <3

The formal, slightly archaic, elegant style; the immersively detailed setting and culture; the alternation of leisurely description of place and daily life with intense scenes of action and emotion.

Yesssss. This, and a sense of an immense depth of time and culture behind the present day characters and setting, are what I crave the most from high fantasy, and have so much trouble finding in more recent works. (Especially the prose style, which is I suppose terribly out of fashion?) Historical fiction by Sutcliff and Mary Renault have given me a better fix for that craving than anything else I've read in the last few years.