The Widow and the King

by John Dickinson

Overview

This stunning book opens 12 years after the end of The Cup of the World and tells the story of Ambrose, son of Phaedra and last in the king’s line, who is living exiled with his mother in the dilapidated manor of Tarceny.

Ambrose’s life is threatened by the hooded priest of the Undercraft, an ancestral spirit of pure evil who must end Ambrose’s life in order to survive himself. And even when Ambrose is hidden within the house of the Widow of Develin, a hallowed place of learning and haven of education, the priest and his minions slowly and subtly infiltrate within, subverting the minds of those most educated and powerful and leaving Ambrose in mortal danger.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780307549327
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	02/25/2009
Series:	Cup of the World Series , #2
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	624
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

John Dickinson is the author of The Cup of the World. He lives in Exeter, England.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 9 Up-This intricate and lushly written sequel to The Cup of the World (Random, 2004) continues the story 10 years later. Phaedra, widow of the hated, self-proclaimed king, has fled her homeland for her husband's desolate stronghold in the mountains. She and their son, Ambrose, 12, live in constant fear of Paigan, the boy's uncle across nine generations who has remained alive for 300 years with the help of under-craft, a powerful black magic. For the past 10 years he has been trapped in a magical circle of stones, but he's determined to escape and kill Ambrose in order to prolong his own life. When the vengeful, power-hungry son of an old friend of Phaedra's discovers under-craft, he helps Paigan escape and Ambrose has to flee for his life. He finds refuge in the household of the Widow of Develin and trains as a scholar under an assumed name. The Widow's headstrong daughter, Sophie, takes an interest in him while falling in love with an older scholar with ties to Ambrose's past. In doing so, they become unwitting pawns in the warring factions within the Kingdom. This coming-of-age tale explores the themes of power and the price that's paid for it, revenge and forgiveness, all set in a fully realized medieval world where philosophy and religion dominate. The characters aren't always likable, but sophisticated readers will empathize with their struggles and find themselves drawn into this richly imagined fantasy world. To fully appreciate this complex series, it's recommended that the books be read in order.-Sharon Rawlins, Piscataway Public Library, NJ Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

In an intelligent, literate sequel to The Cup of the World (2004), Ambrose, the adolescent scion of Tarceny, must pay the price of his deceased father's foray into politics and sorcery: raised in exile, keeping constant watch over his demonic ancestor, the secret instigator of the civil strife despoiling the feudal kingdom. When this monster escapes, Ambrose flees the numerous forces, human and magical, seeking his death; he fetches up at the court of the Widow of Develin, the last bastion of learning in a benighted land, just as evil magic and human despair join to bring it to ruin. Now on the run with Sophia, the Widow's willful, passionate daughter, the pair must rally old allies and antagonists against the greater enemy-and their own, too-human failings. As the dark, twisty narrative alternates between brooding menace and brutal violence, leading to a painfully bittersweet climax, this weighty tome does not flinch from the hard questions-about faith, reason, authority, justice, forgiveness and (above all) choice-nor from ambiguous, even contradictory answers. Elegant, elliptical prose weaves these larger issues within the threads of a lushly detailed world of psychologically rich characters. Only the protagonists' ages mark this as a YA novel; its subtle depths demand careful attention that will reward any thoughtful devotee of speculative fiction. (Fantasy. YA)

Kirkus Reviews