Book review - The Shadow Within

The Shadow Within, by Karen Hancock. Bethany House, 2004.

The second volume in Hancock’s Legends of the Guardian-King series, The Shadow Within continues the adventures of Abramm, prince of Kiriath. He returns to his homeland after six years, having been a galley slave and gladiator, as well as a guerrilla warrior and triumphant hero among the foreign Dorsaddi. Drawn back by a desire to protect his people in the service of his god, Eidon, Abramm sets out to rid the land of the evils plaguing it and to claim the crown which is rightfully his. The marauding armies of the Black Moon are coming, and his nation must be prepared. Of course, none of this is simple, and his path is fraught with peril. The obstacles range from foppish noblemen and difficult courtly graces to evil sorcerors, a sea monster, civil war, and a demon dog which is Hell’s own version of the Hound of the Baskervilles.

Though this book is slightly more predictable than the first one (the identity of the romantic interest is more obvious, for example) Hancock remains adept at subverting a reader’s expectations. Abramm’s destiny seems genuinely uncertain. At times he reminded me strongly of Rand al’Thor from Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time books (not to mention Harry Potter): heroic young leaders who struggle to establish themselves and to prepare their people to face great evils, while being plagued by politics, magical assaults, and the puzzling affairs of the heart.

The book begins with a quest to slay a monster, and the first third of the story continues on in this exciting vein as Abramm’s rollercoaster political career begins. However, I found the middle section of the story less compelling, as the plot gets tangled up in various complex intrigues. While some events are explored in detail, others with seeming significance are covered in a page, a paragraph, or only mentioned as a recollection, as if Hancock was forced to pare them down at some point. Happily, the pacing picks up again in the final third, and the writing becomes quite crisp, some of the best in the book.

The characters remain interesting, with the most detail lavished on Abramm and his family, though some members of the court are memorable. One major villain, a stereotypical religious monomaniac who mutters to himself, becomes humorously endearing as we see him interacting with his dog, the aforementioned hellhound. Of course, this doesn’t last too long as he soon gets on with his wicked plot.

I became more aware of the fact that this is a series written primarily for Christians. The language, assumptions and emphases are evangelical, and at times I thought it was all a bit too obvious. But most of those times Hancock didn’t go where I assumed she would. For example, in places I thought the story was turning triumphalist, towards a theology of glory as opposed to a theology of the cross (to borrow a line from the Lutherans.) Abramm is handsome, dashing, muscular, a skilled fighter, and he can dance too! All the women of the court want him, and his natural charisma attracts many followers. However, just as in the first book, he undergoes a great deal of self-doubt and suffering, and the story ends with a great act of self-sacrifice. Eidon makes a way for him (a phrase popular in the book) but it is a hard and narrow way that chisels away at his pride and makes him more sensitive to the sufferings of others.

I appreciated the realism in Hancock’s depiction of the faithful. While they undoubtedly belong to the correct religion, the Terstans are divided, confused and mistaken just as often as most people. There is a welcome conversion in this volume, but at the same time one of the most likable and sympathetic new characters is an atheist. It was also interesting to see religious persecution and its backlash given a realistic treatment.

Hancock continues to live up to her reputation as a leading evangelical fantasist.

3.5 out of 5.