365 Days of Books

The King's Shadow tells of the hard life of a Welsh lad during tumultuous times. Evyn, is a young serf who has a beautiful voice; he plans to be a singing storyteller for his Lord. Unchecked violence by a neighbouring Lord's sons costs Evyn his voice and his family. When he thinks things can't get worse, his uncle sells him as a slave. The loss of Evyn's freedom is a huge blow and for years he is almost unable to function.

A monk teaches him to read and write and this become not only his ticket to communication but his window into the goodness that can be in people. Evyn, later called "The King's Shadow", lives in a time of war and shaky alliances and this story chronicles some of the subtleties of the time.