Customer Reviews

The Mark of the Horse Lord

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

An outstanding, deeply moving book,The Mark of the Horse Lord is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It is the story of Phaedrus the Gladiator, who poses as Midir, Lord of the Dalriadain (a tribe of Northern Britain). Set during the Roman period, it describes the customs and beliefs of ancient civilizations clearly and believably. Its realistic inclusion of cruelty and death, however, makes it inappropriate for very young readers. I highly recommend it for ages 12 and up--it may be classified as a "children's book," but it far surpasses many adult books I have read. Its central theme--the true meaning of kingship--is powerfully and beautifully developed as Phaedrus gradually grows in love for and understanding of his adopted people. Phaedrus himself is a very real person, as are the others--Midir, the true king of the Dalriadain; Liadhan, the woman who blinded Midir in order to take his throne; Conory, Midir's closest friend, who alone recongnizes that Phadrus is an imposter; and Liadhan's daughter Murna, who Phaedrus loves. In the end, Phaedrus recognizes the deepest meaning of kingship, and becomes the Horse Lord in truth, and not just in seeming. And, as in all the best books, the reader is left with the feeling that it all really happened--just that way--and that nothing could have happened differently.

To me, this is the best of Rosemary Sutcliff's many fine books, and my personal favourite. I suppose I should find the basic premise that one man can successfully impersonate another from an entirely different culture with only a brief period of indoctrination, but somehow it hardly seems to matter! You see Phaedrus the gladiator growing into the kingship he has assumed, and finally dying for his people as he has lived for them over his scant year as ruler. As with all Rosemary Sutcliff's books, it works on one level as a really good adventure story, with all the fine detail of battles and riding and chariot driving, but it is far more than that, and every time I re-read it I see something new.

I stumbled upon this book in a local highschool and have since purchased a copy of my own. It is shamful that such an excellent book is currently out of print.
The book follows the life of a gladiator slave, Red Phaedrus, who takes on the role of Prince of the Dalriads through a scheme to regain power from the Royal Woman of the Caledones.
This book hovers on the border of being epic with many rituals and battles being described in detail. The illustrations are not of the traditional form, yet their stark beauty helps provide a unique understanding of the story.
I would readily recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in fictional history - particularly of Northern England and Ireland.

Who can weave a story of history, suspense, excitement, danger, heroisim, and drama with more skill than Sutcliff? I have read 9 of her books, but so far this surpasses them all! Former gladiator Phaedrus is made king of the Horse People, a northern British clan, impersonating Midir, the true Horse Lord whom the wicked queen Liadham blinded and so disabled him from coming to power. Phaedrus and his followers try ridding themselves of Liadham, but she escapes. Many battles against her follow. The Mark of the Horse Lord will draw you into the days of ancient Britain with the adventures of the new king. A superb piece of work, a must-read!

One of Rosemary Sutcliff's best books is back in print. Several of her titles have been unavailable for years: Dawn Wind, Knight's Fee, The Shield Ring, Frontier Wolf, Sword at Sunset, The Mark of the Horse Lord.

Previous reviewers have provided a plot summary of this book; please see their comments on the story.

Like much of her work, TMOTHL is based on real events. Sutcliff is perhaps the finest children's historical novelist. Folks of all ages enjoy reading her work. She could research an episode in Britain's past and add memorable people and descriptive period language. The resulting tale would be true to history and her characters' humanity. As other reviewers have stated, "She makes you believe it happened just this way."

I hope Front Street Publishing succeeds with Horse Lord, and decides to bring back more Sutcliff books currently out of print.

If I were sent to a deserted island with as many books as there are fingers on my right hand, this would be one of them. I found this book in its original edition in a small town library over twenty years ago and have sought it out in every library in every town I've been in since. Its that kind of story.

If the heart of a good story is the soul-journey taken by the main character, then this book deserves a place in the canon of great literature because Phaedrus' journey is truly epic, starting tightly coiled within his own needs, spiraling outward with each challenge he faces, finally culminating in the most magnificently expansive act a man can perform.

Images from this story will rematerialize in the reader's mind long after the back cover is closed upon the bittersweet ending. Highly recommended.

As an aside, if you have read Megan Whalen Turner's Thief series you may have noticed that she also apparently is an admirer of Sutcliff. I'm pretty certain she has planted some pointed references to this book and Eagle of the Ninth in her own books. Anyone else spot those?

I really love this book. I picked it up in high school for a book report and got sucked into Rosemary Sutcliff's world. I'm glad to see a new printing is coming out, because you couldn't find this book anywhere, and the copy I have I stole from school, that's how much I love this book. I also highly recommend The Sword and the Circle, a telling of the Arthurian legend.

Of all Sutcliff's books, this is perhaps my favourite. She returns to the familiar territory of Roman Britain in this novel about the adventures of an ex gladiator and his involvement in tribal warfare north of Hadrian's Wall. The story is told with her usual economy of language and explores in greater depth consistent themes which reappear throughout her books - those of sacrifice and man's ability to accept and embrace a pre-ordained fate. But it's also a great story.

Rosemary Sutcliff's THE MARK OF THE HORSE LORD strikes me as historical fiction that can be enjoyed by both adults and teenagers. In fact, I see nothing about it that recommends it to the younger set only, so if you love this genre and have an interest especially in early British history and the tribes of the northlands that would later become Scotland, buy the book. In brief, what unfolds is a rags-to-"riches" tale centered on a gladiator who looks much like a Dalriadain prince, long ago blinded and deposed by a usurper Queen backed by the Caledones. Phaedrus, our protagonist, is recruited to play a difficult and dangerous role and rally the Horse People to arms and to war. Sutcliff's novel tells his unpredictable story.

Will teens take to the book? It helps that the first chapter includes a fight to the death in the gladiator ring and that the book deals in war scenes now and again. Still, it is best suited for young people at a higher reading level as the vocabulary and the writing style are challenging -- certainly more complex than your average YA fare. Sutcliff's writing is sophisticated and often beautiful. Clearly she cared about choosing the right word and was a "writer's writer" with a passion for Great Britain in the time of the Romans. This fine cover will attract teen readers easily, but reluctant readers may struggle with or abandon it. As for more experienced young readers and adults, the book should prove both worthy and entertaining. Recommended.

Ex-gladiator, Phaedrus, becomes king of the Scots, by impersonating prince Midir, who had been blinded and deposed by Liadhan, the Pictish queen, who wished to restore the old matriarchal regime and the tradition of sacrificial kingship. Phaedrus finds himself thrown into an arranged marriage with Liadhan's daughter, and in the midst of a war between the Picts and the Scots. Allusions to myth and folklore abound: the previous king was said to have "gone to meet the boar" when the land had been struck by famine. This expression is never explained, but a man in a boars-head mask appears at the coronation... There is also a mysterious stone-age tribe living in the hills. They are rarely seen as they are afraid of iron blades, but the Scots fear them too, and leave them offerings of milk and barley...is this how the legend of the fairies arose?