Title: Master of Shadows
Author: Neil Oliver
Publisher: Orion Books
Date of Publication: 10 September 2015
Number of Pages: 442
Rating: 
Summary: In fifteenth-century Constantinople, Prince Constantine saves the life of a broken-hearted girl. But the price of his valour is high.
John Grant is a young man on the edge of the world. His unique abilities carry him from his home in Scotland to the heart of the Byzantine Empire in search of a girl and the chance to fulfil a death-bed promise.
Lena has remained hidden from the men who have been searching for her for many years. When she’s hunted down, at last she knows what she must do.
With an army amassing beyond the city’s ancient walls, the fates of these three will intertwine. As the Siege of Constantinople reaches its climax, each must make a choice between head and heart, duty and destiny.
Review: I wanted to hate this book because of a run in I had with Oliver on Twitter. It can’t have been a big spat though because I don’t remember what it was about now but at the time, I wanted nothing more to do with anything that had his name on it. All things pass though and now, I’ve read his first foray into fiction and I must say, more please. Master of Shadows is a fantastic romp that takes the reader all over fifteenth century Europe and the summary provided does not tell you in anyway, just how good this book is going to be.
Every word in every sentence is clearly thought out and included for a reason. The writing is also decisive and clinical, a throwback to Oliver’s factual writing and presenting. For some, I imagine, this style of writing is cold and impersonal but for me, it was this surgical precision that advanced the story, never left you feeling lost and always kept you engaged with the plot. I was watching a movie in my imagination with this book and there were a couple of times I was glad my tube stop was the final destination as I didn’t notice the stations passing.
If you’re into historical fiction, this is for you. If you want your historical fiction to include a little bodice ripping then this is not the book for you. Either way, I doubt you’ll be disappointed and if you are, well, that’s what makes life interesting.
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