King of Shadows

Nat is a talented orphan who is chosen to be part of an international Shakespeare festival. The first part of the book is about the people he's working with and the plays he's in. But when Nat gets sick and slips into a coma, he's really traveled back in time to Elizabethan England, where he is performing in the same plays with Will Shakespeare, who befriends him and gives him a very special gift. The rest of the book is about Nat's relationship with Shakespeare and the other actors, as well as the differing interpretations of the plays that he's in.I liked that we're told right away that Nat's in a coma rather than having it revealed at the end of the book that it's a dream or hallucination. Also, the discussions of how different time periods and directors see the plays in various ways was a sophisticated concept for a kid's book; it's nice when the author assumes some intelligence on the part of the reader! The story is interesting on many levels -- we learn a lot about England of the time, but within the context of interesting events and happenings -- drama without violence.Highly recommended.

I really liked this book! I am an actor myself and it in intrigued me the love of the art that was shared with me! I learned to love the characters including William Shakespeare and Thomas. I loved how I felt to really be there! I also like the connections that Nat had when he woke up to how he was 400 years ago, like how gross is hair was because he did not wash it back than and how it could have seemed liked part of the dream because nurses did not clean it! I have recently gone to England and went on the London tower and everything! I felt I was there again when reading. I did not give it five stars because it had some slow parts. Although I think it is a great read and I recommend it to others!

The trope of waking and finding oneself acting in one of Shakespeare's own productions is a clever one, and any book that introduces Shakespeare's theatre to middle school students has much to be said for it. The writing is somewhat pedestrian, but not leaden, and it is certainly readable. But the sophomoric use of obscenities, joking references to child molesters, etc., make this book thoroughly unsuitable for the younger end of the age spectrum suggested -- quite irresponsibly -- by Library Journal and others. A great pity, because otherwise this would be a wonderful book for bright ten-year-olds. I am hardly a prude, but it is wearying to see the extent to which the culture is manically trying to ensure that children not be allowed to be children any longer than can possibly be helped. Again, this could have been much more than the current fashion allowed it to be. A pity the author could not resist marching along.

Nat Field, an actor in the American Company of Boys, goes to London with the troupe to play the role of Puck in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the new Globe Theatre. Suddenly, he is transported back in time to 1599 London and finds himself portraying Puck at the original Globe. Not only that, he's performing with Will Shakespeare himself, who is playing Oberon! The author brings the sights, sounds and smells of Elizabethan London to life and takes us behind the scenes of the Bard's own production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." After reading this, you'll probably want to read the play and see a performance yourself. Susan Cooper, who was a student of J.R.R. Tolkien, is an outstanding writer and storyteller. Don't miss her magnum opus, the five-book "The Dark Is Rising" series.

Loved reading this book, and it is a great book to teach. I paired it with Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream in 8th-grade lit class, and it was entertaining and informative. The descriptions of Elizabethan England are accurate and give a picture of life during that time. Young adult historical fiction--great book.

I have a soft spot for time-travel books and have read a fair few. This one will go right to my "very special" shelf of YA books, alongside "The Dark is Rising" (which is actually better than this, but it's better than just about anything!). I read a borrowed copy in one gulp, and now I'm ordering my own.Looking through the reader reviews, I didn't notice anyone linking this to the "Dark is Rising" series, but did anyone else notice that we have a character in here who has been living for a very long time, making things happen for Good?

This was a good book in many ways. There was action and mystery. But there was not enough action for me at most points. Also, there many things i found that should not be in the story or that don't matter and sort of make the book boring. There were many parts during the end that i thought the story was over but it continued and ruined it for me. But overall it was ok.

The book is good for stimulating the background knowledge of Shakespeare for young or reluctant readers.

The plot starts off reasonably enough: Nathan Field is a modern-day Apple Pie American schoolboy who comes over to England with his all-male drama group to put on a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the new Globe Theatre. So far so good. Unfortunately, no sooner has Nat arrived in the city of red telephone boxes and black cabs than he picks up bubonic plague from nowhere and after a few odd moments, finds himself in the previous Globe Theatre 400 years ago. Yes, not the rebuild but Shakespeare's original wooden square-shaped sewer-pit theatre, complete with actors (and no actresses) from the period.Nat seems to take this sudden change of time and place remarkably well and soon puts his all into rehearsals for the big number they're planning to put on for Madge, known in those days as Queen Elizabeth (the White One). By the way, communicating with humans from 400 years ago doesn't faze our Nat. Despite the fact that there is no chance that modern-day Americans and 16th-century Londoners would have a clue what the other was saying, throw in a few instances of `thou' and `tha' now and again and it seems all language barriers are no longer a problem.Anyway, "why is this happening to me?" For a start, is it a dream? No, it's worse than that. Nat has changed places with another Nathan Field - this one from the 1590s - who is now busy sweating it out at Guy's Hospital (or St Thomas' or wherever) because something extremely odd has happened. Don't bank on the explanation making any sense at all.Meanwhile, Nat Number 1 (the American who has gone back in time) meets the Bard himself and quicker than you can say `Romeo and Juliet', Wills and Master Nat are bezzies.Young Nat, by the way, is the pint-sized equivalent of New Man. He's sensitive and wimpy, dissolving into floods of tears at the drop of a hat and parking his head on the nearest shoulder, namely Uncle Will's. This is because his Pa died a long time ago in an era far away and he has a phobia about discussing it with anyone unless they happen to be W Shakespeare Esq. You see, Old Shakey has this magic touch when dealing with 20th-century American boys.In fact, our all-American hero is dexterity on two legs, cartwheeling his way over the boards and wowing his peers in Tudor times, as well as making a few enemies here and there in the shape of some jealous 13-year-old boys (I'm guessing: their ages are never mentioned but as Nat points out, the moment their voices break, they'll be on the scrap heap).Nat has a unique way of dealing with his enemies. It just so happens that he is a dab hand when it comes to first aid and the moment his nemesis - the one they call Roper - starts all-a-choking, he tries out the Heimlich manoeuvre on him with astonishing success. Out pops the offending item and Master Field has saved the day. Forsooth. Now everyone is on his side.Nat travelling back 400 years is the most convincing aspect of the book. Less easy to swallow are the attitudes of everyone involved plus some misplaced faith in the NHS. While Nat (whichever of them) has been thrashing about in hospital, the nurses (and there's no shortage of them) are attending to his every whim and taking a keen interest in him. This is beginning to make even `Casualty' look realistic.Don't think for one moment that this is just some daft time-shifting story. We are actually treated to some patronising history/English lessons that we didn't ask for. London in the early 1600s was a city full of poverty and not a lot in the way of personal hygiene, boys played women's parts in plays, and life in general was hit and miss. We knew all that already and we don't need it rammed down our throats.However, one could argue that Ms Cooper "brings it alive" for us in this bizarre and ramshackle mish-mash of fact and fiction. Yes, it seems there really was a Nathan Field alive in Shakespeare's time who became a noted actor. Look it up and you can read all about him. Was he a St Paul's pupil of Richard Mulcaster? Indeed. Did he switch places with an American boy from 400 years hence? Probably not. However, at least we're talking about it and discovered something we didn't know.

I liked this book very much as it brought me back in time with it and helped me to understand what it was like years ago. The only thing was that it had a few to many characters so was confusing at times. I would recommend understanding a midsummer night's dream first as it helped a bunch.:D :)

Susan Cooper's books are beautiful, with her Dark is Rising series at the top for me. I can re-read this series over and over again. This book is about a time travelling boy, going back to the time of Shakespeare. It was too short for me, over too quickly. Loved it.

This was one of the first books i remember enjoying as a kid. After a re-read I've established that it's pretty badly written, but i can still understand why i enjoyed the plot so much. it's not a perfect book, but I do recommend it for those who are trying to engage with Elizabethan England/Shakespeare.

This is a great story to introduce key stage 3 students to the Shakespearean era. Gripping and poignant with a satisfying conclusion. Would go well with Midsummer Night's Dream and in advance of The Tempest.