There is everything to love about this novel! The King’s Nightingale has it all – a feisty young heroine attempting to overcome terrible danger and injustice, sultans and sumptuous palaces, and a story about standing up against oppression, learning loyalty and finding love.
The story opens with Elowen and her younger brother being brutally seized by pirates from their peaceful village and suffering a terrible voyage that many others don’t survive. Weak and scared, they finally arrive in a distant land and are sold separately in the slave market.
Sold to a desert ruler who admires her beautiful singing voice, Elowen is given the title of the King’s Nightingale. Honoured by the king and loved by his scribe, Elowen lives a life of luxury, but she is determined to escape and rescue her brother and return home. But just when she thinks she is on the way to achieving her goal, she offends the king and is sold into ruthless enemy hands…
This is a work of fiction, but Sherryl Jordan has clearly done extensive research into the many white Christians enslaved to Muslim masters when writing this splendid book. She has taken historical facts and created a page-turning and enlightening read that is gripping, as well as being informative. The King’s Nightingale is an excellent read, one that many families will enjoy – not just younger people but also adults. I give it a strong ten out of ten; it really is faultless. The King’s Nightingale is another stunning read from an award-winning author who is world-class and a superb craftsperson of the written word.
Reviewer: Karen McMillan
Scholastic New Zealand