Book guide
The Shadow King
An overlooked army of women rises against Mussolini’s invasion of Ethiopia.
GenresHistoricalLiterary
Genre and trope pairingsHistoricalFeminine rageHistoricalWar storyHistoricalResistanceLiteraryFeminine rageLiterarySocial commentary
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About The Shadow King
Set during Italy’s 1935 invasion of Ethiopia, the novel centres on Hirut and the women who fight alongside men in resistance to Fascist occupation. It is a lyrical historical epic about female power, war, memory and the people erased from official history.
Reading signals
- Spice
- None
- Darkness
- Extreme
- Pacing
- Slow
Content warnings
- war
- violence
- sexual assault
- sexual violence
- gun violence
- child death
- child marriage
- child sexual abuse
