Shadow (Scavenger Trilogy, Book 1) [Paperback]

K J Parker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 7, 2001

A man wakes in the wilderness, amid scattered corpses and inquisitive crows. He has no memory of who he is or how he came to be there. The only clues to his former existence lie in his apparent skill with a sword and the fragmented dreams that permeate his sleep.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Utterly compelling' THE ALIEN ONLINE on Shadow 'This is exactly what the fantasy genre needs. Mature, confident prose from a talented writer...compelling, assured, intelligent - five stars ' SFX --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Having worked in the journalism and the law, K. J. Parker now writes and makes things out of wood and metal.

Product Details

• Paperback: 572 pages
• Publisher: Orbit (June 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841490199
• ISBN-13: 978-1841490199
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.1 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,361,450 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasantly surprised!, January 15, 2006

By 

SerpentSatellite (MN, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadow (Scavenger Trilogy, Book 1) (Paperback)

Picked this book up after hearing very little about it, as I have been reading a lot of fantasy fiction involving mythology and unique religion.
Very pleasantly surprised!
Centers around a character who has lost his memory, which I admit is very cliched, but deals with it in a very fresh manner.
As everyone he encounters meets an unfortunate fate, and towns fall around him, he is led to believe he is everything from a warrior to a god - and no one lets him in on the truth, as everyone he meets knows him, yet believes he is on a covert mission.
Written in a very serious, yet humorous style (British author, I believe? Very similar, dry yet hilarious writing style.) You will find yourself laughing at situations and language used, and staying up late to find out what is REALLY going on.
The first in a series of three, I HIGHLY recommend this book. A great fantasy story with an wonderful world, developed characters, and a ton of suspense.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intellectual, February 23, 2004

By 

"kridawi" (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadow (Scavenger Trilogy, Book 1) (Paperback)

This is the type of book that requires you to delve a little deeper beyond what is given at face value.

The book starts with a man waking up laying half in and half out of a stream, with bodies scattered all around him. He has absolutely no memory of who they are, who he is, or how he got there.

On face value, the rest of the book is his story and deals with his attempts to first regain his lost memory and then his desire to keep the memories lost.

Underlying the entire series is the myth of the god in the cart which gives the book a deeper meaning.

It is a fairly intellectual book. Not everything is laid out for the reader to understand. There are a lot of inferences that need to be made. So if you are looking for something mindless - this is not the book for you.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend it highly, as well as the other two books in the series; Pattern and Memory. If you start Shadow, you have to be prepared to read the entire trilogy, because one takes you only part of the way into the depths of the myth come to life.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gripping, Engaging ,Challenging, August 31, 2004

By 

vincenzo_di_formaggio (canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadow (Scavenger Trilogy, Book 1) (Paperback)

I highly recommend this one to people who wish to read something original. It can get confusing because your never really sure where the author is going and he purposely keeps you wondering. Sometimes funny and always entertaining the book started off a little bit simplistic and I thought I would put the book down but it sank it's teeth into me,ripped my head off,chewed on my entrails,crushed my spine,punctured my spleen and left me asking for more.