MAKING A SONG FOR A THOUSAND YEARS!It is 600 AD in Britain, the dawn of the Dark Ages, when the Roman presence was but a memory generations back--an almost wistful time preserved in odd names and stone ruins. Saxon invaders from across the ocean have been steadily encroaching on Celtic Lands--spreading their rough culture like a virus from the Southeastern Coast in all directions, ruthlessly destroying what little remained of the native cultures. Alas, there is no Artos, the Bear, with his gallant cavalry to crush them as he did at Badon Hill, so the Sea Wolves arrogantly push the Celtic Belt to its westward extremity.King Mynydogg the Golden summons 300 of his finest warriors to his palace in Dyn Eiden (Edinburgh) for a year of serious training for the inevitable challenge to the beer-drinking Saxon churls: the ultimate battle to determine the cultural fate of Britain for a thousand years. The defenders depend upon the The Arrowhead formation, which involves one warrior with his two shield bearers. But the local kingdoms are stiff with suspicion, and struggle to join forces against a common invader.When the book opens we meet Prosper, the young protagonist, a slighted second son. For his 12th birthday he receives from his stern father the gift of his own bondservant, a dark lad stolen by slavers who raid Eiru (Ireland). In the course of the next 5 years the boys forge a close bond, although they both love the same young lady. While Prosper plays at warriorhood, Conn is drawn to the forge, where he hopes to learn a blacksmith's trade and create shining weapons for the freeborn warriors. A chance encounter with a magnificent white hart in a distant forest cements the kinship of the 3 young people.But the day comes when Prince Gorthyn arrives, inspiring Prosper to promise loyal service to him when he matures. Eventually Prosper is old enough to be summoned; from then on his life is changed forever. Willing to endure great trials and pain, he anticipates the day of the great battle against the Sea Wolves. If only this special Company of 300 can count on the aid of other distant chieftains, to help drive the invaders back into the sea. What is his fascination with the shimmering Archangel dagger, which is owned or entrusted to a foreign merchant? It shines despite the black days which sweep across ancient Britannia. Young Prosper comes of age, learning both the value of friendship, trust, warrior fidelity and the glory of belonging to a truly Shining Company. The wise bard, Aneirin, is charged with fashioning a song to preserve the details of the bloody saga for a thousand years. Let no native of the British Isles ever forget! (June 8, 2010. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)
This is yet another Sutcliff masterpiece. The book almost reads itself and in many ways it is written in a simpler style than she uses in her other works - most certainly in a far simpler style than Sword at Sunset, also written in the first person, but then again Prosper is not Artos. The story itself was very good, albeit slightly heartbreaking, but then again this is part of Sutcliff's talent, to speak in an alomst matter of fact way about tragic things. The idea that these events are written from the point of view of a humble shieldbearer is again another of the appeals of this book. Extra points go also to the relationship between Prosper and Conn which is slightly reminiscent of the one between Marcus and Esca from the Eagle of the Ninth. It does seem at times that Sutcliff is writing the same story over and over again, but always finding fresh ways to do so. I also like the fact that she referenced Frontier Wolf as well at some point.It was a strange feeling, almost like finding familiar elements in an unfamiliar story. And now to find the Gododdin in a translated version that I can actually understand.
Do You like book The Shining Company (1992)?
A decent Sutcliff novel, although not one that I enjoyed as much as I thought I would, given that everyone else loves this one to pieces.It's a retelling of Y Gododdin, a medieval Welsh epic about a battle against the Saxons, from the point of view of Prosper, one of the warriors' shieldbearers. It contains a lot of things I generally enjoy in Sutcliff's work: nature description, the sense that all this is built on the people who have come before, loyalty, friendship, epic battles, a sense of the numinous... there's even a reference to my very favorite Sutcliff novel Frontier Wolf. Basically, I ought to have loved it.But I felt like I couldn't really connect with or understand Prosper, and I wished he had more of a role to play in the story instead of tagging along on its edges, and so it didn't really grab me.I can see why everyone else likes it, though.
—Sineala
This book is all boy. No romance at all. Sutcliff does a great job of bringing the poem to life, but I found myself skipping over passages describing their travelling from one point to another. The description of the last stand was moving--war is horrifying in what it does to people's lives. But Prosper's character was not well fleshed out. I didn't long to follow him in his journeys--he didn't compell me in any way. He seemed more to be following others. I did like Conn and wished for more on him. I didn't feel much for any of the warriors, either. The beginning was excellent, but I lost interest after the hunting of the white hart. The ending was to be expected, but not presented in a compelling manner. Still very well-written; a better read with its faults than much of what is put out today.
—Kristen Smith
The author of this book is a highly respected children's author, and I've read other books of hers that I've enjoyed, so I had high expectations. Nevertheless, it never managed to grab my attention; there's too much description and not enough action or dialogue. Plus the narrative moves too slowly. I assume, however, that it's an apt rendition of the original epic poem on which it's based. So if you're interested in the poem itself and want to get a deeper historical perspective on the times and events surrounding it, I would suggest reading it; from that point of view, it does a great job of evoking the bleak hopelessness of the times.
—Lisa
