BLURB: It is the year 454AD. The Roman Empire has withdrawn from Britain, throwing it into the chaos of the Dark Ages. Mai has been kept safe by her father and her sister, Haf. But when Saxon warriors arrive at their farm, the family is forced to flee to the hills where British warlords lie in wait. Can Mai survive in a dangerous world where speaking her mother tongue might be deadly, and where even the people she loves the most can’t be trusted?
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BOOK REVIEW
To Note:
~Depiction of violence and trauma
~I was gifted a digital copy for an honest review
Plot: 3.5/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing Style: 3.5/5
Personal Enjoyment: 3.5 /5
Overall Rating: 14.5/20
This was a very interesting read, the story takes part in a period of British history that is not often talked of. We have the rule of the Roman Empire and then the Dark ages. We don’t often hear about the turmoil and chaos that comes when there is a power vacuum.
For a girl of 13 this can be an especially frightening time as we find out.
The story is told in split timelines so this adds to the feeling of danger and chaos that is around. It also accentuates the feeling of doom that is lurking in the background. I thought this was particularly well done. There is a definite tension in the air as Mai is forced to grow up fast from all that she has seen and experienced.
The dialogue between the characters took me a little time to get used to as the speech patterns are different to what we are used to in modern times. The use of old English / Saxon/ Welsh words did very firmly root the story in its time. There are quite a few characters that we meet along Mai’s journey and it was interesting to see all the warring factions.
Though ultimately this is not a story of politics, but the resilience of one small “mouse’’ trying to find her place in a world that is fast changing. Her developing maturity and determination to plot her path was the most engaging aspect of the book. Though it took me a few chapters to get into this book, I found it overall to be an interesting account of a dark and grim time in British history.
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Information about the Book
Title: The Short Knife
Author: Elen Caldecott
Genre: Lower YA (11-15 year olds)
Publication Date: 2 nd July 2020
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Andersen Press
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53007562-the-short-knife
Author Information
Elen Caldecott graduated with an MA in Writing for Young People
from Bath Spa University and was highly commended in the PFD Prize
for Most Promising Writer for Young People. Before becoming a
writer, she was an archaeologist, a nurse, a theatre usher and a
museum security guard. Elen's debut novel, How Kirsty Jenkins Stole
the Elephant, was shortlisted for the Waterstones Childrens Prize
and longlisted for the 2010 Carnegie Medal.
Twitter: http://twitter.com/elencaldecott