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The Mark of the Horse Lord
Phaedrus is a Roman gladiator who has won his freedom. By chance, he is also the exact double of Midir, the Horse Lord, lost King of the Dalriad tribe. To rid the Dalriads of the usurping Queen Liadhan, Phaedrus agrees to a daring pretence -- he will impersonate Midir and become the Horse Lord.
289 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1965
44 people are currently reading
1437 people want to read
About the author
Rosemary Sutcliff
107 books677 followersRosemary Sutcliff, CBE (1920-1992) was a British novelist, best known as a writer of highly acclaimed historical fiction. Although primarily a children's author, the quality and depth of her writing also appeals to adults. She once commented that she wrote "for children of all ages, from nine to ninety."
Born in West Clandon, Surrey, Sutcliff spent her early youth in Malta and other naval bases where her father was stationed as a naval officer. She contracted Still's Disease when she was very young and was confined to a wheelchair for most of her life. Due to her chronic sickness, she spent the majority of her time with her mother, a tireless storyteller, from whom she learned many of the Celtic and Saxon legends that she would later expand into works of historical fiction. Her early schooling being continually interrupted by moving house and her disabling condition, Sutcliff didn't learn to read until she was nine, and left school at fourteen to enter the Bideford Art School, which she attended for three years, graduating from the General Art Course. She then worked as a painter of miniatures.
Rosemary Sutcliff began her career as a writer in 1950 with The Chronicles of Robin Hood. She found her voice when she wrote The Eagle of the Ninth in 1954. In 1959, she won the Carnegie Medal for The Lantern Bearers and was runner-up in 1972 with Tristan and Iseult. In 1974 she was highly commended for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Her The Mark of the Horse Lord won the first Phoenix Award in 1985.
Sutcliff lived for many years in Walberton near Arundel, Sussex. In 1975 she was appointed OBE for services to Children's Literature and promoted to CBE in 1992. She wrote incessantly throughout her life, and was still writing on the morning of her death. She never married.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/rosema...
Born in West Clandon, Surrey, Sutcliff spent her early youth in Malta and other naval bases where her father was stationed as a naval officer. She contracted Still's Disease when she was very young and was confined to a wheelchair for most of her life. Due to her chronic sickness, she spent the majority of her time with her mother, a tireless storyteller, from whom she learned many of the Celtic and Saxon legends that she would later expand into works of historical fiction. Her early schooling being continually interrupted by moving house and her disabling condition, Sutcliff didn't learn to read until she was nine, and left school at fourteen to enter the Bideford Art School, which she attended for three years, graduating from the General Art Course. She then worked as a painter of miniatures.
Rosemary Sutcliff began her career as a writer in 1950 with The Chronicles of Robin Hood. She found her voice when she wrote The Eagle of the Ninth in 1954. In 1959, she won the Carnegie Medal for The Lantern Bearers and was runner-up in 1972 with Tristan and Iseult. In 1974 she was highly commended for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Her The Mark of the Horse Lord won the first Phoenix Award in 1985.
Sutcliff lived for many years in Walberton near Arundel, Sussex. In 1975 she was appointed OBE for services to Children's Literature and promoted to CBE in 1992. She wrote incessantly throughout her life, and was still writing on the morning of her death. She never married.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/rosema...
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July 25, 2021I am cheating a little, I have read this one long ago and far away, and I have no idea when or if I shall reread it but the other day while I was casually browsing on the smartphone and even more casually whistling, I came across a conservative appreciative essay about Rosemary Sutcliff .
Anyway the author wrote:"...Sutcliff's work displays clear distinctions between good and evil, right and wrong, civilised conduct and barbarism. There is no post-modern ambiguity, equivocating or hedging of bets here. We also find a firm commitment to the value of law and order (inherited from the Pax Romana) and an overarching belief in the significance and intrinsic worth of Judeo-Christian civilisation. " as read here
It struck me that as readers we often find that books are uncannily accurate mirrors that reflect back our own preconceptions , but also that perhaps the author of that essay had not read The Mark of the Horse Lord. It's a romantic imperial adventure - think The prisoner of Zenda, or The Man Who Would Be King featuring a washed out ex-gladiator with nothing but death to look forward to, who has an uncanny resemblance to the man who ought to have been king of a people beyond the Roman empire. It's an ambiguous story of very dirty political machinations between a matrilineal and a patrilineal society which the Romans try cynically to take advantage of. It's a story with different conceptions of law and order, right and wrong, and our brief glimpses of life in the Roman empire don't show it in a very noble or positive light, on the other hand the tribal societies beyond its borders are no edenic paradises of noble savages either, there is a lot of equivocation, we root for our hero and while he is heroic he is at the same time a desperate adventurer in search of meaning and purpose for his own life to which end he is prepared to destroy the stability and peace of others.
Oh and by the way, this is a children's book, and a rather fun one at that. If you have read several of other books you will notice several of her favourite themes - her the golden bough inspired conception of a seven year king, ideas about matrilineal and patrilineal societies, a central character who is an outsider, the idea that profession is profounder than personality (a person is their job, and they have to reinvent themselves if they loose it), and probably many many others that don't come to mind so quickly across the distant years.
Anyway the author wrote:"...Sutcliff's work displays clear distinctions between good and evil, right and wrong, civilised conduct and barbarism. There is no post-modern ambiguity, equivocating or hedging of bets here. We also find a firm commitment to the value of law and order (inherited from the Pax Romana) and an overarching belief in the significance and intrinsic worth of Judeo-Christian civilisation. " as read here
It struck me that as readers we often find that books are uncannily accurate mirrors that reflect back our own preconceptions , but also that perhaps the author of that essay had not read The Mark of the Horse Lord. It's a romantic imperial adventure - think The prisoner of Zenda, or The Man Who Would Be King featuring a washed out ex-gladiator with nothing but death to look forward to, who has an uncanny resemblance to the man who ought to have been king of a people beyond the Roman empire. It's an ambiguous story of very dirty political machinations between a matrilineal and a patrilineal society which the Romans try cynically to take advantage of. It's a story with different conceptions of law and order, right and wrong, and our brief glimpses of life in the Roman empire don't show it in a very noble or positive light, on the other hand the tribal societies beyond its borders are no edenic paradises of noble savages either, there is a lot of equivocation, we root for our hero and while he is heroic he is at the same time a desperate adventurer in search of meaning and purpose for his own life to which end he is prepared to destroy the stability and peace of others.
Oh and by the way, this is a children's book, and a rather fun one at that. If you have read several of other books you will notice several of her favourite themes - her the golden bough inspired conception of a seven year king, ideas about matrilineal and patrilineal societies, a central character who is an outsider, the idea that profession is profounder than personality (a person is their job, and they have to reinvent themselves if they loose it), and probably many many others that don't come to mind so quickly across the distant years.
March 12, 2018
Haven't read a Sutcliff? Quit horsing around and get with the program. Her enthusiasts (almost cult-like) say she's one of the best YA historical fiction writers ever. All I can say is, "Sure looks like a book for adults to me!" No, no. Get your mind out of the gutter. This does not mean the book is rife with rape, pillaging, and gore. It's clean. But the writing! I'm sorry, but this lady did not write like any YA fare I'm familiar with "these days." A real "writer's writers," she goes for deeper descriptions, more complex sentences, and all manner of historically-accurate terminology (bothy? breeks?) that will leave you scratching your 21st-century head.
Anyway, all you need know is that it is a "gladiator-to-riches" story in which Phaedrus is plucked from the Corstopitum and cast in the look-alike role of Horse Lord -- or King of the Dalraidians. The real king was blinded by an evil (Disneyeque) Queen who cackles for us now and again and is marvelously slippery in her escapes. A dangerous mission? Uh, yeah, and Phaedrus learns the hard way.
Reluctant reading teens will be drawn by the fine cover (now that's marketing) but lost in the writing (at least after the fight-to-the-death gladiator scene in Ch. 1). Better to share this with more advanced readers and fans of first-century British history (their numbers are legion, I'm sure!).
Anyway, all you need know is that it is a "gladiator-to-riches" story in which Phaedrus is plucked from the Corstopitum and cast in the look-alike role of Horse Lord -- or King of the Dalraidians. The real king was blinded by an evil (Disneyeque) Queen who cackles for us now and again and is marvelously slippery in her escapes. A dangerous mission? Uh, yeah, and Phaedrus learns the hard way.
Reluctant reading teens will be drawn by the fine cover (now that's marketing) but lost in the writing (at least after the fight-to-the-death gladiator scene in Ch. 1). Better to share this with more advanced readers and fans of first-century British history (their numbers are legion, I'm sure!).
January 6, 2019
Roman Britain, circa 180 or 190 A.D. Red Phaedrus has been a slave his whole live. After his first master died, Phaedrus was sold to a new master and then changed hands a few more times. His last master sold him to a gladiator's school to repay a debt.
The story opens four years later when Phaedrus has become a popular gladiator. To his dismay, he and his best friend are paired together. He manages to kill his friend in a fight that stirs the crowd into a frenzy. In fact the fight was such a sensation that Phaedrus is granted his freedom. Free at last! But he's never experienced freedom before.
That's when things start happening. At loose ends, Phaedrus falls in one evening with a rowdy bunch of drunken Romans who take him "bar hopping." They attack the owner of a wine bar because he refuses to sell them more wine. The Romans flee but Phaedrus is arrested. Then the next evening a mysterious stranger has him released in a most unofficial way.
It turns out that the stranger, a merchant named Sinnoch, is helping a tribe called Dalriads (aka Scots) in what is now western Scotland. Some years ago their queen usurped the throne and her husband -- King Midir, the horse lord -- went missing. Phaedrus is a spitting image of Midir and the Dalriads want Phaedrus to impersonate Midir, help assassinate the queen, and rule their tribe as Midir, the rightful king and horse lord. The challenge gives Phaedrus a purpose in life, and he agrees. He has to be careful, though, because – except for the people who are in on the conspiracy – the Dalriadains can never learn that he is an impostor. Phaedrus must play the role for the rest of his life.
Things go wrong for Phaedrus from the beginning of the assassination attempt, and he soon finds himself and the Dalraids opposing the queen and her powerful allies in a war the Dalriads can't hope to win. But Phaedrus takes his position as horse lord seriously and devotes his life to defeating the queen. Toward the end, unexpectedly on the crest of victory, the situation takes an unexpected and terrible turn when the Romans intervene, and Phaedrus has to find a way to obtain freedom for his tribe.
For me, the book was a page turner until the very last page. During his time as horse lord, Phaedrus has to make choices that require personal sacrifices. He also finds love in an unexpected place. At the end, Phaedrus is faced with a horrible choice that results in a conclusion that is totally unexpected. But, looking back on the story, his choice was the only one he could make as the legitimate horse lord.
The Mark of the Horse Lord is one of Sutcliff's darker YA novels. After I read a book, I usually don't think much about it afterwards. But the way this one ended, I thought about the novel for quite some time. But the theme -- a person finding an identity and a place to belong -- is powerful in this book.
By the way, even though The Mark of the Horse Lord was published in 1965, in 1985 the it won the inaugural Phoenix Award from the Children's Literature Association.
The story opens four years later when Phaedrus has become a popular gladiator. To his dismay, he and his best friend are paired together. He manages to kill his friend in a fight that stirs the crowd into a frenzy. In fact the fight was such a sensation that Phaedrus is granted his freedom. Free at last! But he's never experienced freedom before.
That's when things start happening. At loose ends, Phaedrus falls in one evening with a rowdy bunch of drunken Romans who take him "bar hopping." They attack the owner of a wine bar because he refuses to sell them more wine. The Romans flee but Phaedrus is arrested. Then the next evening a mysterious stranger has him released in a most unofficial way.
It turns out that the stranger, a merchant named Sinnoch, is helping a tribe called Dalriads (aka Scots) in what is now western Scotland. Some years ago their queen usurped the throne and her husband -- King Midir, the horse lord -- went missing. Phaedrus is a spitting image of Midir and the Dalriads want Phaedrus to impersonate Midir, help assassinate the queen, and rule their tribe as Midir, the rightful king and horse lord. The challenge gives Phaedrus a purpose in life, and he agrees. He has to be careful, though, because – except for the people who are in on the conspiracy – the Dalriadains can never learn that he is an impostor. Phaedrus must play the role for the rest of his life.
Things go wrong for Phaedrus from the beginning of the assassination attempt, and he soon finds himself and the Dalraids opposing the queen and her powerful allies in a war the Dalriads can't hope to win. But Phaedrus takes his position as horse lord seriously and devotes his life to defeating the queen. Toward the end, unexpectedly on the crest of victory, the situation takes an unexpected and terrible turn when the Romans intervene, and Phaedrus has to find a way to obtain freedom for his tribe.
For me, the book was a page turner until the very last page. During his time as horse lord, Phaedrus has to make choices that require personal sacrifices. He also finds love in an unexpected place. At the end, Phaedrus is faced with a horrible choice that results in a conclusion that is totally unexpected. But, looking back on the story, his choice was the only one he could make as the legitimate horse lord.
The Mark of the Horse Lord is one of Sutcliff's darker YA novels. After I read a book, I usually don't think much about it afterwards. But the way this one ended, I thought about the novel for quite some time. But the theme -- a person finding an identity and a place to belong -- is powerful in this book.
By the way, even though The Mark of the Horse Lord was published in 1965, in 1985 the it won the inaugural Phoenix Award from the Children's Literature Association.
Read
August 1, 2024A powerful book.
I took down my old review because I no longer agree with what I said there. If you want to know more about the book (e.g. content), leave me a comment.
I did not leave a star rating because my thoughts on this book have varied wildly in the years since I read it.
I took down my old review because I no longer agree with what I said there. If you want to know more about the book (e.g. content), leave me a comment.
I did not leave a star rating because my thoughts on this book have varied wildly in the years since I read it.
March 14, 2013
This is shocking for me with a Rosemary Sutcliff book, especially one a lot of other people loved, but I didn't really like this. I somehow didn't really care. I didn't much like Phaedrus, which helped, but I'm sure I would've got to like him in the normal way of things with one of Sutcliff's books, but nope. Maybe it's the fact that I've been working on Sword at Sunset for my dissertation for months and either I'm burnt out on Sutcliff or this just doesn't compare, or even a bit of both.
Plus, the central theme being Bad Woman Needs Putting Down and Matriarchal Rule Is Inferior To Patriarchal Rule Because The Menz Say So is a bit... off putting. Sutcliff's never that wonderful with female characters, really, but that aspect really took the cake.
Plus, the central theme being Bad Woman Needs Putting Down and Matriarchal Rule Is Inferior To Patriarchal Rule Because The Menz Say So is a bit... off putting. Sutcliff's never that wonderful with female characters, really, but that aspect really took the cake.
August 26, 2009
The Mark of the Horse Lord is about a freed gladiator, Phaedrus, in second-century Britain, whose accidental resemblance to the king of the northern tribe of Dalriada involves him in a plot to replace that king and enter into a war with a rival tribe, the Caledones.
As with many of Rosemary Sutcliff’s novels, The Mark of the Horse Lord is beautifully written, her characterization subtle, her sympathies even. Her respect is as great for the Roman fort commander, Titus Hilarius, as it is for Phaedrus.
The main conflict of the tale involves a clash of cultures, as it often does in Sutcliff’s fiction. This time, the clash arises between the patriarchal Dalriads and the matriarchal Caledones. The Dalriads have a monarchy in which kingship is inherited by the dead king’s eldest son; the Caledones have a queen, whose king is sacrificed every seven years. Into this cultural mix come the businesslike Romans, who just want peace on the frontier.
I don’t actually know if this story is historically accurate. Very little is known about this area at this time period, and it’s possible that Sutcliff has invented much of the cultural background to her tale. Most likely, she reconstructed it by comparing the Dalriads and Caledones (known historically as the Scotti and the Picts) to other tribes at a similar stage of cultural and technological development.
Ultimately, though, historical accuracy, even if this is possible in a book on this subject, is of very little importance. What is important is that Phaedrus is, like many of Sutcliff’s protagonists, on a journey. It is an inner journey, a journey that is as important to us today as it would have been in second-century Britain. When we first meet Phaedrus, he is dead inside, a slave to his animal passions to kill, preserve himself, and make love. The substitution thrusts him into a situation in which he has to act like a king, and it is not until the end—by a beautifully-handled piece of symbolism—that we see he has finally found the secret of what it means to be a king, and has internalized it to such an extent that he becomes capable of self-sacrifice.
Sutcliff proved, many years ago, that literature about the distant past can be not merely relevant, but important to the present.
As with many of Rosemary Sutcliff’s novels, The Mark of the Horse Lord is beautifully written, her characterization subtle, her sympathies even. Her respect is as great for the Roman fort commander, Titus Hilarius, as it is for Phaedrus.
The main conflict of the tale involves a clash of cultures, as it often does in Sutcliff’s fiction. This time, the clash arises between the patriarchal Dalriads and the matriarchal Caledones. The Dalriads have a monarchy in which kingship is inherited by the dead king’s eldest son; the Caledones have a queen, whose king is sacrificed every seven years. Into this cultural mix come the businesslike Romans, who just want peace on the frontier.
I don’t actually know if this story is historically accurate. Very little is known about this area at this time period, and it’s possible that Sutcliff has invented much of the cultural background to her tale. Most likely, she reconstructed it by comparing the Dalriads and Caledones (known historically as the Scotti and the Picts) to other tribes at a similar stage of cultural and technological development.
Ultimately, though, historical accuracy, even if this is possible in a book on this subject, is of very little importance. What is important is that Phaedrus is, like many of Sutcliff’s protagonists, on a journey. It is an inner journey, a journey that is as important to us today as it would have been in second-century Britain. When we first meet Phaedrus, he is dead inside, a slave to his animal passions to kill, preserve himself, and make love. The substitution thrusts him into a situation in which he has to act like a king, and it is not until the end—by a beautifully-handled piece of symbolism—that we see he has finally found the secret of what it means to be a king, and has internalized it to such an extent that he becomes capable of self-sacrifice.
Sutcliff proved, many years ago, that literature about the distant past can be not merely relevant, but important to the present.
January 15, 2025
A diversified plot, beautiful writing style, tangible and dynamic characters, realistic romance, and a forceful ending — The Mark of the Horse Lord is a wonderful work of YA historical fiction.
✏️ Review ✏️
Well, the best place to start is at the beginning.... The first twenty or so pages? *thumbs up* Now that's the way to start a story — intro the MMC and quickly bring in an intense situation of life and death: grab the reader's attention immediately! At this point I was quite drawn into the workings of the plot, especially as Phaedrus (the MMC) came to be more likeable. Due to a somewhat lengthy discussion about different tribal customs and religious practices, I did struggle with some general confusion and slight disinterest about forty-five pages in. (But rest assured that the discussion turns out to be very important.) There are just a very few other times that I found the plot to be a bit unappealing. But the rest of the plot is very diversified — yes, there's quite a lot to it: a young man wrestling with the importance of loyalty and truth; waring tribes set to destroy each other; another young man choosing to surrender his own identity for the sake of his people; a young man and woman in love with each other but struggling with loyalty to their own separate enemy clans; a leader coming to grips with the true meaning of sacrifice.... I mean, there's something for everybody.
Sutcliff's writing style is uniquely beautiful. The fresh syntax, smooth flow, and expressive energy endow an extra level of enjoyment to The Mark of the Horse Lord. The vivid descriptions enable the reader to be seamlessly whisked away to a historical world that seems almost fantastical.
Now to my favorite part of the whole story: the characters. Like, the characters are so good! They're tangible, they're realistic, they're dynamic. I felt their emotions. I tasted their struggles. I was with them every step of the way! Phaedrus especially resonated with me as it is him that the third-person POV follows. The characters are excellent, period.
As a guy, I usually don't care for much romance in books. But the romance (romance? 😁... what?! Who put that in here??!! 🤔😄) between Paedrus and [name redacted] is so well done! It elevates the story's force even higher and although it isn't overly pervasive, their relationship lends another facet of depth and produces even more emotional connection to this story.
The Mark of the Horse Lord is an excellent YA historical fiction that tackles many mature themes; however, it never crosses the line into the adult section. Something which sets it above many of the YA books these days. Oh, and I can't finish without saying how shocking the ending is (I won't give anything away 😉). Well, I guess the best place to conclude is the ending....
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📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• The diversity of the plot — so many levels of enjoyment.
• The realistic characters (especially the MMC) — wonderfully developed. I felt so connected with them the whole way through.
• The unique beauty of the writing.
• The romance — I usually don't enjoy a lot of romance but, man! It just made the story that much more forceful.
• The way this book addresses mature themes without crossing the boundaries for YAs.
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• A few portions of the plot — a bit boring or confusing at times.
• The magic and paganistic religious content (see Random Comments).
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📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 4/5)
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 3.5/5
— 📝 Writing: 4/5
— 👥 Characters: 4.5/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 0/5
• (Several uses of "Gods" [referencing false gods] as a swear word; the one true God's name is never used in the book [swearing or otherwise]).
— ⚔️ Violence: 3/5
• A few scenes of ancient war violence — includes some graphic descriptions of gore, death, and injuries (mentions blood).
• One mildly intense scene of gladiator games — mildly vivid descriptions of injuries and death are included.
— ⚠️ Sexual: 1/5
• One or two times a married couple is described as kissing; also mentions them "lying together."
• A situation is modestly described how, in order to appease the gods, a maiden slept with a stranger and bore a child from that relationship.
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📣 Random Comments 📣
• Magic content: In the middle of Chapter 12, there is a scene where a village chieftain transforms a piece of barley loaf into a golden plover feather through the use of "Earth Magic." There is some slight importance as to why this was done, but I still didn't really understand what Earth Magic is and all that. This scene only covers a few paragraphs but it's still something to be aware of.
• Since The Mark of the Horse Lord is set in second-century Britain, the clans/tribes and characters in this story are paganistic and polytheistic. So there are some elements that you should know are in this book: (1) references to human beings as deities (i.e., Goddess-on-Earth — she is also called the Great Mother and the Lady of Life and Death), although they are never treated as deities per se; (2) a brief paragraph telling how the warrior's offered a sacrifice to one of their gods; (3) one sentence explaining how two tribes become one through paganistic comparisons — "the Sun Lord masters and mates with the Mother who is both Earth and Moon" — in this case royal leaders being compared to deities; and (4) some other brief remarks about other minor topics.
A few elements are discussed more than others, but most of them are sporadic and don't go too deep into the subjects at hand. Mature YAs should have no problem discerning about these topics while reading this book.
• Every time the word god(s) is used it is preceded by a capital g. Somewhat disappointing as only the one true God's name should be capitalized, not false gods.
• While lovers of historical fiction will obviously like The Mark of the Horse Lord, fantasy lovers will definitely find this book to be very enjoyable as well. This book has a very fantastical feel; and many times I found myself thinking of this book as a fantasy novel, due to the uncommon time period the story takes place.
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💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• (None)
✏️ Review ✏️
Well, the best place to start is at the beginning.... The first twenty or so pages? *thumbs up* Now that's the way to start a story — intro the MMC and quickly bring in an intense situation of life and death: grab the reader's attention immediately! At this point I was quite drawn into the workings of the plot, especially as Phaedrus (the MMC) came to be more likeable. Due to a somewhat lengthy discussion about different tribal customs and religious practices, I did struggle with some general confusion and slight disinterest about forty-five pages in. (But rest assured that the discussion turns out to be very important.) There are just a very few other times that I found the plot to be a bit unappealing. But the rest of the plot is very diversified — yes, there's quite a lot to it: a young man wrestling with the importance of loyalty and truth; waring tribes set to destroy each other; another young man choosing to surrender his own identity for the sake of his people; a young man and woman in love with each other but struggling with loyalty to their own separate enemy clans; a leader coming to grips with the true meaning of sacrifice.... I mean, there's something for everybody.
Sutcliff's writing style is uniquely beautiful. The fresh syntax, smooth flow, and expressive energy endow an extra level of enjoyment to The Mark of the Horse Lord. The vivid descriptions enable the reader to be seamlessly whisked away to a historical world that seems almost fantastical.
Now to my favorite part of the whole story: the characters. Like, the characters are so good! They're tangible, they're realistic, they're dynamic. I felt their emotions. I tasted their struggles. I was with them every step of the way! Phaedrus especially resonated with me as it is him that the third-person POV follows. The characters are excellent, period.
As a guy, I usually don't care for much romance in books. But the romance (
The Mark of the Horse Lord is an excellent YA historical fiction that tackles many mature themes; however, it never crosses the line into the adult section. Something which sets it above many of the YA books these days. Oh, and I can't finish without saying how shocking the ending is (I won't give anything away 😉). Well, I guess the best place to conclude is the ending....
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• The diversity of the plot — so many levels of enjoyment.
• The realistic characters (especially the MMC) — wonderfully developed. I felt so connected with them the whole way through.
• The unique beauty of the writing.
• The romance — I usually don't enjoy a lot of romance but, man! It just made the story that much more forceful.
• The way this book addresses mature themes without crossing the boundaries for YAs.
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• A few portions of the plot — a bit boring or confusing at times.
• The magic and paganistic religious content (see Random Comments).
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 4/5)
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 3.5/5
— 📝 Writing: 4/5
— 👥 Characters: 4.5/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 0/5
• (Several uses of "Gods" [referencing false gods] as a swear word; the one true God's name is never used in the book [swearing or otherwise]).
— ⚔️ Violence: 3/5
• A few scenes of ancient war violence — includes some graphic descriptions of gore, death, and injuries (mentions blood).
• One mildly intense scene of gladiator games — mildly vivid descriptions of injuries and death are included.
— ⚠️ Sexual: 1/5
• One or two times a married couple is described as kissing; also mentions them "lying together."
• A situation is modestly described how, in order to appease the gods, a maiden slept with a stranger and bore a child from that relationship.
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📣 Random Comments 📣
• Magic content: In the middle of Chapter 12, there is a scene where a village chieftain transforms a piece of barley loaf into a golden plover feather through the use of "Earth Magic." There is some slight importance as to why this was done, but I still didn't really understand what Earth Magic is and all that. This scene only covers a few paragraphs but it's still something to be aware of.
• Since The Mark of the Horse Lord is set in second-century Britain, the clans/tribes and characters in this story are paganistic and polytheistic. So there are some elements that you should know are in this book: (1) references to human beings as deities (i.e., Goddess-on-Earth — she is also called the Great Mother and the Lady of Life and Death), although they are never treated as deities per se; (2) a brief paragraph telling how the warrior's offered a sacrifice to one of their gods; (3) one sentence explaining how two tribes become one through paganistic comparisons — "the Sun Lord masters and mates with the Mother who is both Earth and Moon" — in this case royal leaders being compared to deities; and (4) some other brief remarks about other minor topics.
A few elements are discussed more than others, but most of them are sporadic and don't go too deep into the subjects at hand. Mature YAs should have no problem discerning about these topics while reading this book.
• Every time the word god(s) is used it is preceded by a capital g. Somewhat disappointing as only the one true God's name should be capitalized, not false gods.
• While lovers of historical fiction will obviously like The Mark of the Horse Lord, fantasy lovers will definitely find this book to be very enjoyable as well. This book has a very fantastical feel; and many times I found myself thinking of this book as a fantasy novel, due to the uncommon time period the story takes place.
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💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• (None)
December 28, 2016
I am fully aware that I just read this book in September and that reading it again is adding nothing to my reading challenge and that the whole of life is just a shout in the void but I had a very good reason:
Conory and his cat
Conory and his cat
May 8, 2012
As I said in my review of Frontier Wolf, I read these two books back-to-back, and the combined effect was devastating. In some sense, they are both about decisions that make a man who he is; and these decisions are often forced by circumstances, with a bad choice and a worse choice.
At the very beginning of this book, Red Phaedrus, an Arena gladiator, must kill his closest friend in order to survive. That should give you an idea of what sort of things are at stake in this book!
As always with Sutcliff, Roman-era Britain comes completely to life, with a level of detail that is both evocative and yet not at all dense. This book has more of the numinous than many of her others, more of a feeling of the supernatural world that underlies the world of men, but it is a very real-feeling animistic supernatural, believable in context. This is also one of her rare books in which women have more of a role, and I loved reading of the warrior women of the Dalriadain.
At the very beginning of this book, Red Phaedrus, an Arena gladiator, must kill his closest friend in order to survive. That should give you an idea of what sort of things are at stake in this book!
As always with Sutcliff, Roman-era Britain comes completely to life, with a level of detail that is both evocative and yet not at all dense. This book has more of the numinous than many of her others, more of a feeling of the supernatural world that underlies the world of men, but it is a very real-feeling animistic supernatural, believable in context. This is also one of her rare books in which women have more of a role, and I loved reading of the warrior women of the Dalriadain.
April 11, 2008
If I were sent to a deserted island with as many books as there are fingers on my right hand, this would be one of them. I found this book in its original edition in a small town library over twenty years ago and have sought it out in every library in every town I've been in since. Its that kind of story.
If the heart of a good story is the soul-journey taken by the main character, then this book deserves a place in the canon of great literature because Phaedros' journey is truly epic, starting tightly coiled within his own needs, spiraling outward with each challenge he faces, finally culminating in the most magnificently expansive act a man can perform.
Images from this story will rematerialize in the reader's mind long after the back cover is closed upon the bittersweet ending. Highly recommended.
If the heart of a good story is the soul-journey taken by the main character, then this book deserves a place in the canon of great literature because Phaedros' journey is truly epic, starting tightly coiled within his own needs, spiraling outward with each challenge he faces, finally culminating in the most magnificently expansive act a man can perform.
Images from this story will rematerialize in the reader's mind long after the back cover is closed upon the bittersweet ending. Highly recommended.
May 5, 2017
At first he had been wild with loathing of his new life, but in four years it had become part of him, so that whether he hated or loved it no longer mattered. It ran in his veins like the fiery barley spirit that the tribesmen brewed: the roar of the crowd that set one’s pulses jumping, the warmth of sunlight and the sweetness of cheap wine and the fierce pleasure in one’s own strength and skill, heightened by the knowledge that tomorrow, next week, in an hour’s time, it might all end on the squared point of a comrade’s sword.
I re-read this to fulfill the 2017 Popsugar reading challenge category, "book you loved as a child." I first read this when I was around 10-12 yo, and I remember two scenes clearly: the part where Phaedrus pursues and captures his wife on horseback, and the ending. I am amazed that I remember it so clearly now, almost forty years later. I remember the ending clearly, but not the events leading up to it, so it was just as suspenseful for me on this second reading, and just as moving. It is such a delight to revisit childhood classics and discover that they are truly awesome books. I had good taste!
It is interesting for me to see how I misinterpreted this story. I read a lot of fantasy back then, and so I read this as a fantasy, not realizing that it's straight-up historical fiction. I read passages like this, and just assumed these were made up fantasy names and words, not realizing they were real and I just hadn't seen them before:
The eyes of Forgall the Envoy were dark and opaque, as those of the Old People, whose blood ran strong in the Caledones; but little red sparks glowed far back in them, and his face was beginning to have the same pinched whiteness round the nostrils that had been there last night in the Fire Hall. “The claim of Liadhan the Queen holds good according to the Ancient Law. It is yourself, Midir Mac Levin, no more than the son of a son of a son, who sit where you have no right to be! You have forsaken the Mother and the True Way to follow strange Gods, and the curse of the Cailleach lies on such as you—on all the Dalriadain who would seek to drive her from her rightful place in the heart of men!”
I have an especially vivid memory of the section describing when Phaedrus chases Murna on horseback to ritually kidnap her and make her his wife. It's not an actual kidnapping, but still, Murna is not happy about it. It's kind of disturbing now, but at the time I read it as magical and romantic. Hey, I was, like, 12. A rather long excerpt:
The red horse snorted and stretched out his neck, and the foam flew back from his muzzle to spatter against Phaedrus’s breast and thighs; the mealy silver of the mane flowed back across his bridle wrist as the land fled by beneath the pounding hooves. Excitement rose in them all; laughter and hunting cries began to break from the men behind him. He guessed that in the ordinary way of things, the girl’s flight would have been only a pretense, like the wailing of the Women’s Side. But this was different; if he wished to catch the Princess Murna, then he would have to hunt her in good earnest; and pity twinged in him, not for her, the She-Wolf’s daughter, but for the weary mare she rode.
...The girl had turned with a cry of fury and lashed him across the face with her horse-rod; but he had her reins and they were racing along the flank of the bog, perilously locked together, floundering in and out of solid ground and sinking pocket, but drawing steadily away from the livid greenness of the hungry mire. Then with a sound between a laugh and a sob, Phaedrus had an arm round the Princess Murna and dragged her across the red horse’s withers. The wild-eyed mare, lightened of her load, sprang away and went streaking back toward the hills, with a couple of the Companions in pursuit. And Phaedrus, still riding full gallop, was clamping the Royal Woman against him with his free arm, while she struggled to break free and fling herself off.
Then quite suddenly the fight seemed to go out of her as they slackened pace from that wild gallop to a canter. Phaedrus freed one hand—he was controlling the panting stallion with his knees now—and caught at the red mareskin mask.
Just for an instant, as his hand touched the hairiness of the hide, he wondered if it were the Moon Diadem trick over again, and the face beneath it would not be Murna’s. Wondered with a little shiver of cold between his shoulder blades whether it would be a human face at all, or something else, something that was not good to see…. Then he pulled away the mask and flung it behind him among the following horsemen. It was Murna’s face looking up at him, gray-white and somehow ragged, as though in pulling off the bridal mask he had torn holes in something else, some inner defense that she was naked and terrified without. And for that one instant, despite the dusk, he could look into her face instead of only at the surface of it. Still feeling rather sick from the nearness of the bog, he laughed in sudden triumph, and bent his head and kissed her.
Surprisingly, she yielded against him and kissed him back. But as she did so, he felt her hand steal out, light as a leaf but not quite light enough, toward the dagger in his belt.
His own hand flashed down and caught her wrist, twisting the weapon from her grasp before she well had hold of it, and sent it spinning into a furze bush. “Softly, sweetheart! Maybe we shall do better if we are both unarmed,” he said, gently dangerous. She could have no other weapon about her, or she would not have gone for his dagger.
She gave a sharp cry of baffled fury, and became a thing as rigid and remote as one of the stocks of wood, charmed into human shape, that the People of the Hills left behind in its place when they stole a child of the Sun Folk. And yet the odd thing—Phaedrus knew it beyond all doubt—was that the kiss she had given him had been as real as her hand feeling for his dagger.
Words I had to look up:
Net and trident men - a type of gladiator, who fought with weapons inspired by fishermen, including a weighted net, a trident, and a dagger
Strigil - an instrument with a curved blade used, especially by ancient Greeks and Romans, to scrape sweat and dirt from the skin in a hot-air bath or after exercise; a scraper.
Gralloch - to disembowel
Bothy - a small hut or cottage
Gleeds - glowing coals
Heron-hackles - long slender, often glossy feathers from the back of the neck of a male heron.
Corrie - circular hollow in the side of a mountain (Scottish); cirque.
Goad - (horse) whip
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LOVED this book, one my favorite books of all time. Maybe I need to create a new bookshelf for "ya" because this isn't exactly a children's book ...
I know I read every Sutcliff book that my library had in the young adult section, but this is the only book I remember clearly.
December 25, 2025
Gosh, any other ending except this one would have been wrong...and yet....wow.... Not what I was expecting. This book was hard to put down and the action kept going. I am going to be thinking of this one for a long time and will have to re-read it at some point. I appreciate the historic elements and the story had many things I did not expect. It's not a "tame" book, but it feels very "real" because of it.
April 13, 2024
A lot of mixed feelings on this one but, overall, wow.
September 23, 2012
I'm not quite sure what I think of this one.
I really, really liked the opening scene, describing the end of Phaedrus's career as a gladiator. That could have been a good short story in itself. But I liked it so much that it took me some time to adjust to the different setting of the rest of the story.
I really liked how becoming the Horse Lord is a good career transition for an ex-gladiator, and how Phaedrus's gladiatorial skills are useful to him as the Horse Lord.
I liked how Phaedrus feels bad about pretending to be someone else and becoming king when he has no right to it, and the means by which he's persuaded to do it anyway.
The ease with which Phaedrus, raised in a Roman town, adapts to Daldriadain culture is rather unbelievable. The explanation is that his mother was from the North and that her culture is "in his blood." What would have really helped convince me would have been even a bit more text spent actually describing Phaedrus's mother and their relationship, and some specific things that she taught him.
The big culture clash in this book (does Sutcliff always have one?) is Matriarchy vs. Patriarchy, which was rather uncomfortable for me, especially since the big villain is the queen whom Phaedrus is called upon to depose. There are a few examples of bad things she's done, but for the most part her wickedness and unworthiness to lead is established through Phaedrus sensing that she's evil and describing her basically as Shelob. Naturally, this does not make me feel unsympathetic to her.
There are several instances in which Sutcliff allows her characters to have a less black-and-white view of matriarchy and patriarchy, but the main way she makes up for the Evil Life-Sucking Queen is to have her daughter, Murna, be extremely awesome. I mostly love this. Murna is great. She fights! She's political! She talks back to Phaedrus and she probably knows his secret! But I also get the sense that she's allowed to be such a strong character because ultimately she does oppose her mother and agree to patriarchal rule. Her submission isn't without complications, but her power certainly has careful limits.
The same-sex best friend in The Horse Lord is an interesting twist on the theme, compared to the other Sutcliff juvenile novels I've read. I am well convinced that Sutcliff wrote Conory, the best friend of the king whom Phaedrus is replacing, as the replaced-king's lover, and that all of the other characters know that, perhaps so well that it would be redundant to actually say anything about it (never mind 1960s publishing conventions). I don't think that Phaedrus actually takes the other king's place so far as to replace him as Conory's lover, although perhaps a closer reading would change my mind. A more plausible speculation to me is that one of the differences between the replaced-king and Phaedrus was that the replaced-king was gay and Phaedrus is bi or straight.
I really, really liked the opening scene, describing the end of Phaedrus's career as a gladiator. That could have been a good short story in itself. But I liked it so much that it took me some time to adjust to the different setting of the rest of the story.
I really liked how becoming the Horse Lord is a good career transition for an ex-gladiator, and how Phaedrus's gladiatorial skills are useful to him as the Horse Lord.
I liked how Phaedrus feels bad about pretending to be someone else and becoming king when he has no right to it, and the means by which he's persuaded to do it anyway.
The ease with which Phaedrus, raised in a Roman town, adapts to Daldriadain culture is rather unbelievable. The explanation is that his mother was from the North and that her culture is "in his blood." What would have really helped convince me would have been even a bit more text spent actually describing Phaedrus's mother and their relationship, and some specific things that she taught him.
The big culture clash in this book (does Sutcliff always have one?) is Matriarchy vs. Patriarchy, which was rather uncomfortable for me, especially since the big villain is the queen whom Phaedrus is called upon to depose. There are a few examples of bad things she's done, but for the most part her wickedness and unworthiness to lead is established through Phaedrus sensing that she's evil and describing her basically as Shelob. Naturally, this does not make me feel unsympathetic to her.
There are several instances in which Sutcliff allows her characters to have a less black-and-white view of matriarchy and patriarchy, but the main way she makes up for the Evil Life-Sucking Queen is to have her daughter, Murna, be extremely awesome. I mostly love this. Murna is great. She fights! She's political! She talks back to Phaedrus and she probably knows his secret! But I also get the sense that she's allowed to be such a strong character because ultimately she does oppose her mother and agree to patriarchal rule. Her submission isn't without complications, but her power certainly has careful limits.
The same-sex best friend in The Horse Lord is an interesting twist on the theme, compared to the other Sutcliff juvenile novels I've read. I am well convinced that Sutcliff wrote Conory, the best friend of the king whom Phaedrus is replacing, as the replaced-king's lover, and that all of the other characters know that, perhaps so well that it would be redundant to actually say anything about it (never mind 1960s publishing conventions). I don't think that Phaedrus actually takes the other king's place so far as to replace him as Conory's lover, although perhaps a closer reading would change my mind. A more plausible speculation to me is that one of the differences between the replaced-king and Phaedrus was that the replaced-king was gay and Phaedrus is bi or straight.
June 19, 2009
Anyone looking for a truly excellent YA historical read should look no further than Rosemary Sutcliff's The Mark of the Horse Lord, set in the second-century A.D. in Roman Britain, or more accurately in the non-Roman north, beyond the North Wall (the second wall that was north of Hadrian's Wall). MHL is the story of Red Phaedrus, a former slave of mixed Celtic-Greek ancestry who begins the story as a gladiator in a fight against his best friend,Vortimax. He kills Vortimax and thereafter finds himself free in a world that he's never been free in. Time for an adventure. Very quickly Phaedrus lands in jail after a drunken fight with Roman legionaries. When his freedom is bought by Gault and Sinnoch, two tribesmen of the Dalriadain, he's ready and willing to adopt a new persona as Midir, dispossessed heir to the Sun Lord's tribe. Phaedrus' time as The Horse Lord over the next year show his growth from a friendless young man with not much reason to live and no place to belong into a worthy king of a loyal, passionate tribe of Celts.
Sutcliff is a tremendous writer, effortlessly transporting the reader to the era so that both Romans, who are tangential characters, and the native peoples that they subdue and keep at bay come to life. Her language is rich and her voice unique, capturing the rhythm and syntax of modern Irish speakers (e.g., "I'll not be wanting you to") without turning the characters into anachronistic caricatures. She also manages to walk that hard-to-find line between YA and adult fiction that I daresay many writers and editors either don't know about or are only too happy to push. Although Phaedrus is typical YA age (20),and his struggles for identity and place in the adult world worthy of YA fiction, the situations that he faces and the decisions he must make are, of a necessity, very grave and weighty. Phaedrus is very grown up and is at home among adults older than he. His growth as a character is less an internal one to maturity, but more that of a young man who is prepared, tested, and found worthy. Sutcliff also writes at a higher reading level than many adult books while simultaneously eschewing excessive graphic or mordant details that seem too often to stand in for adult-level complexity.
Sutcliff is a tremendous writer, effortlessly transporting the reader to the era so that both Romans, who are tangential characters, and the native peoples that they subdue and keep at bay come to life. Her language is rich and her voice unique, capturing the rhythm and syntax of modern Irish speakers (e.g., "I'll not be wanting you to") without turning the characters into anachronistic caricatures. She also manages to walk that hard-to-find line between YA and adult fiction that I daresay many writers and editors either don't know about or are only too happy to push. Although Phaedrus is typical YA age (20),and his struggles for identity and place in the adult world worthy of YA fiction, the situations that he faces and the decisions he must make are, of a necessity, very grave and weighty. Phaedrus is very grown up and is at home among adults older than he. His growth as a character is less an internal one to maturity, but more that of a young man who is prepared, tested, and found worthy. Sutcliff also writes at a higher reading level than many adult books while simultaneously eschewing excessive graphic or mordant details that seem too often to stand in for adult-level complexity.
March 17, 2012
Rosemary Sutcliff had a rare gift. Not only was she a fine writer, but she made "children's" books, YA, a marvelously adult experience without overwhelming the young reader. She writes exclusively historical fiction, from Iron Age Britain to the Middle Ages, often founding her tales on real events. They are often bittersweet, always realistic, and never sugarcoat life as it was and can be. The Mark of the Horse Lord is set in Roman Britain, where a young ex-gladiator, having newly won his white foil of freedom, receives a peculiar proposition. He happens to be a dead ringer for a prince blinded by his enemies to keep him off the throne. Phaedrus is asked to stand in for him. How he wins acceptance in his own right, and the choices he makes as King, make this novel an outstanding read you will never forget. I got to the end and couldn't believe it. At 14, no one had ever hit me between the eyes with real life in that fashion. I cried, and then hunted for years for my own copy of this book, which is now widely available, but wasn't then. Finally, in a used bookstore in Tacoma, WA, I found it, and it made my whole day.
If I could only take 5 books onto a desert island with me, this would be one of them.
If I could only take 5 books onto a desert island with me, this would be one of them.
January 15, 2020
Many consider The Mark of the Horse Lord to be Rosemary Sutcliff's finest work. While it is not my favorite of hers, it is most arguably her best masterpiece. Weaving in historical narrative from ancient Celtic and Roman pasts, she presents an intriguing tale full of mystery, suspense, and unexpected surprises at every turn.
This book was anything but predictable. Sometimes, I guessed something would happen while reading, only to be proven wrong in the best of ways. While the ending was expected, I hoped that it would not end that way; all of Sutcliff's novels have some degree of sorrow in them, and the bitterness in knowing (can't go into detail because SPOILERS) the choice taken is very much like Sutcliff's descriptions: fierce, shining, utterly noble, and at the same time, terribly sad.
I am very glad to have finally read this book and would recommend to any fan of Sutcliff's or of this time period in history.
This book was anything but predictable. Sometimes, I guessed something would happen while reading, only to be proven wrong in the best of ways. While the ending was expected, I hoped that it would not end that way; all of Sutcliff's novels have some degree of sorrow in them, and the bitterness in knowing (can't go into detail because SPOILERS) the choice taken is very much like Sutcliff's descriptions: fierce, shining, utterly noble, and at the same time, terribly sad.
I am very glad to have finally read this book and would recommend to any fan of Sutcliff's or of this time period in history.
April 26, 2014
45 years after I read this book, I can still quote a bit and remember it well. I found it so moving. Love it still.
April 27, 2019
Descriptions are vivid, images alive. You can tell she was a painter. Tribes battle in Scotland during Roman Britain times.
August 16, 2025
Outstanding. Her books are an education in themselves
She is, simply unmatched in her ability to make you feel as if you are there in the time she is writing about. Her books are for middle readers...I would say age 12 and up. They are perfectly written for adults as well. She captures the time, the place, the era, the rules and laws that were in place at the time in history she is sharing with us.
She makes her characters fee! As Real as you or me! She writes with knowledge and passion and facts of the times. She writes about the superstitions of the time in a way that you believe the characters are speaking and experiencing life in your presence...
It is a remarkable tale of the Roman Era in the British Isles and the impact these Commanders, Centurions and Auxiliary Soldiers had on the Frontier above the wall and the Southern area of Britain Below th ewall and how those areas were handled differently. The Characters feel real...she mastered interior and exter monologues and dialogues that keep you informed about what thoughts led to discussion with others and what ideas turned into actions that involved more than just a single person.
Her ability to describe the weather, the environment, the experiences and the relationships between the characters is really incredible. You really are there...a character experiencing what the book's characters are experiencing.
I really love her books and I am 70! I so hope I can introduce these to my Grandson...he is 12 now and these would be perfect for a Gamer's sensibilities! He used to Love to read and I hope he does to this day...
I also recommend these to Young People, Teens and to Adults...she is just one of our Best Authors.
I LOVE Ms. Sutcliff's Books...all of them I have read and hope to read,,,
She is, simply unmatched in her ability to make you feel as if you are there in the time she is writing about. Her books are for middle readers...I would say age 12 and up. They are perfectly written for adults as well. She captures the time, the place, the era, the rules and laws that were in place at the time in history she is sharing with us.
She makes her characters fee! As Real as you or me! She writes with knowledge and passion and facts of the times. She writes about the superstitions of the time in a way that you believe the characters are speaking and experiencing life in your presence...
It is a remarkable tale of the Roman Era in the British Isles and the impact these Commanders, Centurions and Auxiliary Soldiers had on the Frontier above the wall and the Southern area of Britain Below th ewall and how those areas were handled differently. The Characters feel real...she mastered interior and exter monologues and dialogues that keep you informed about what thoughts led to discussion with others and what ideas turned into actions that involved more than just a single person.
Her ability to describe the weather, the environment, the experiences and the relationships between the characters is really incredible. You really are there...a character experiencing what the book's characters are experiencing.
I really love her books and I am 70! I so hope I can introduce these to my Grandson...he is 12 now and these would be perfect for a Gamer's sensibilities! He used to Love to read and I hope he does to this day...
I also recommend these to Young People, Teens and to Adults...she is just one of our Best Authors.
I LOVE Ms. Sutcliff's Books...all of them I have read and hope to read,,,
February 14, 2023
It wasn’t the first chapter that hooked me in, rather the first sentence that ensnared my curiosity.
This little blurb from the book wasn’t chapter one by the way, it was chapter 3 where things really got going and I began to creep over the edge of my imaginary seat.
The mark of the horse lord follows a Roman gladiator who gets caught up in bigger messes than the arena.
After winning his freedom, Phaedrus, being somewhere at the wrong place at the wrong time, ended up somewhere playing a prince that soon turned king.
It isn’t Christian based but boy was the writing good. I LOVE Rosemary’s style. It’s eloquently poetic, and I don’t even like poetry.
Each scene sucked me into the time and place and culture of everything.
The characters were all unique and not the usual cardboard cutouts; boring, unrealistic, and untouchable.
The ending cut quick to my heart like a dirk. And I say no more because-literally-I can’t say more without spoiling things, which is sooo hard right now. I will say this however. You don’t get endings like THAT very often.
There was no swearing or explicit sexual scenes, save for some gruesome fighting scenes but tis to be expected in a Roman and Scottish cultured era.
My thoughts overall: if you love the Roman Empire time, stand-alones, historical fiction, exquisite writing, then this is for you. I’ll definitely be recommending this to even my Christian friends, and making future purchases for more of Rosemary’s books!
This little blurb from the book wasn’t chapter one by the way, it was chapter 3 where things really got going and I began to creep over the edge of my imaginary seat.
The mark of the horse lord follows a Roman gladiator who gets caught up in bigger messes than the arena.
After winning his freedom, Phaedrus, being somewhere at the wrong place at the wrong time, ended up somewhere playing a prince that soon turned king.
It isn’t Christian based but boy was the writing good. I LOVE Rosemary’s style. It’s eloquently poetic, and I don’t even like poetry.
Each scene sucked me into the time and place and culture of everything.
The characters were all unique and not the usual cardboard cutouts; boring, unrealistic, and untouchable.
The ending cut quick to my heart like a dirk. And I say no more because-literally-I can’t say more without spoiling things, which is sooo hard right now. I will say this however. You don’t get endings like THAT very often.
There was no swearing or explicit sexual scenes, save for some gruesome fighting scenes but tis to be expected in a Roman and Scottish cultured era.
My thoughts overall: if you love the Roman Empire time, stand-alones, historical fiction, exquisite writing, then this is for you. I’ll definitely be recommending this to even my Christian friends, and making future purchases for more of Rosemary’s books!
August 24, 2018
Interesting change from Sutcliff's other Roman Britain books in that it focuses on conflicts between British tribes outside of Roman-occupied territory. But it feels like it's all war and warriors - too many battle scenes, not enough world- and character-building. The battle lines are also too clear-cut, and most of the enemies too faceless, or caricatures.
February 2, 2022
I really enjoyed this. PERFECT ending.
Read
December 26, 2023Sutcliff seems to know this is a tragedy, but I don’t think she knows why. (It’s the sexism.)
February 1, 2024
GAAAHHH WHY DID IT HAVE TO END LIKE THIS 😭😭😭
After only the best enemies to lovers subplot chapters!!! ROSEMARY why you do me like this
After only the best enemies to lovers subplot chapters!!! ROSEMARY why you do me like this
February 5, 2025
It was interesting, and once it got going it really got going! The ending was... something else, and I can't say I liked it very much. But the book as a whole was good! Nice character arcs and writing
September 12, 2017
Reading Gwyneth Jones put me in mind of Rosemary Sutcliff, and as I'm off to Argyll on holiday soon I thought I would re-read The Mark of the Horse Lord, which is set in Argyll. Unlike most of Sutcliff's novels set in Roman Britain, Phaedrus, the protagonist of The Mark of the Horse Lord, isn't a Roman soldier; instead, he's a half-British ex-gladiator, son of a Greek wine merchant and a slave woman, who lived his whole life as a slave until being freed after winning a fight in the arena. By coincidence, he discovers that he is the exact double of Midir, the exiled prince of the Dalriad tribe, and is persuaded to impersonate Midir and travel beyond the northern boundary of the Empire to lead a rebellion and win back the kingdom of the Dalriads from Queen Liadhan, who has seized the throne and imposed the old matrilineal rule of the Earth-Mother in place of the patrilineal worship of the Sun-God. The plot is not dissimilar to The Prisoner of Zenda, really, as Phaedrus tries to take over another man's life and relationships and learn how to be a king.
This isn't my favorite Sutcliff; Phaedrus is a less sympathetic protagonist than the various members of the family in the Dolphin Ring saga, hardened by the years in the arena as he is, although he does become more sympathetic as the story goes on. I also don't find the society of the Dalriads, beyond the frontiers of the Empire, as interesting as the Roman society depicted in the books set inside the Empire, and, revisiting it now, I also feel that the conflict between the matrilineal and patrilineal societies is probably more nuanced than the book really suggests, and I wish we had got to see Liadhan's point of view as well as Phaedrus's.
This isn't my favorite Sutcliff; Phaedrus is a less sympathetic protagonist than the various members of the family in the Dolphin Ring saga, hardened by the years in the arena as he is, although he does become more sympathetic as the story goes on. I also don't find the society of the Dalriads, beyond the frontiers of the Empire, as interesting as the Roman society depicted in the books set inside the Empire, and, revisiting it now, I also feel that the conflict between the matrilineal and patrilineal societies is probably more nuanced than the book really suggests, and I wish we had got to see Liadhan's point of view as well as Phaedrus's.
July 30, 2015
See my full review on The Emerald City Book Review.I haven't read much Rosemary Sutcliff, but I really need to change that. This new edition of The Mark of the Horse Lord from Chicago Review Press brings one of Sutcliff's classic works of historical fiction back into print 50 years after its original publication, and it's a stunner. Winner of the very first Phoenix Award, it's a perfectly paced, thrilling, emotionally engaging foray into that time period that Sutcliff made her own: the Roman occupation of Britain. In this story of a gladiator from a frontier town who ends up as chief of the Dalriadain (better known to us as the Scots), both Roman and British culture are brought vividly, savagely to life.
I don't want to say too much more about the plot, because I want you to have the pleasure of having it unfold according to Sutcliff's intentions; it is masterfully done. I will say that I wouldn't have thought that I could pick up a book about a gladiator, a finely honed fighting machine, and be so instantly drawn into his drama and sympathize so fully with his quest. Phaedrus is a magnificent character, and in The Mark of the Horse Lord you will meet many others: Conory, his companion and rival; Murna, the woman who is a true match for him; Sinnoch, a wily horse trader. You will feel you have really inhabited the past with them, and touched the spirit of the northern tribes, which is at once foreign and familiar.
This is one of those books where age-related labels don't really fit well at all. Published as a children's book, it could indeed be read by a child and be an extraordinary and transformative reading experience. Its mature themes and violence make it more what we would call "YA" today (a label that didn't exist 50 years ago). But it can, and should, be read by anyone who loves history, or thinking about what motivates human beings, or the British landscape and people, or great writing. It's going on my shelf along with other favorites by Mary Renault, Naomi Mitchison, and Robert Graves, and I hope you will add it to yours as well.
I don't want to say too much more about the plot, because I want you to have the pleasure of having it unfold according to Sutcliff's intentions; it is masterfully done. I will say that I wouldn't have thought that I could pick up a book about a gladiator, a finely honed fighting machine, and be so instantly drawn into his drama and sympathize so fully with his quest. Phaedrus is a magnificent character, and in The Mark of the Horse Lord you will meet many others: Conory, his companion and rival; Murna, the woman who is a true match for him; Sinnoch, a wily horse trader. You will feel you have really inhabited the past with them, and touched the spirit of the northern tribes, which is at once foreign and familiar.
This is one of those books where age-related labels don't really fit well at all. Published as a children's book, it could indeed be read by a child and be an extraordinary and transformative reading experience. Its mature themes and violence make it more what we would call "YA" today (a label that didn't exist 50 years ago). But it can, and should, be read by anyone who loves history, or thinking about what motivates human beings, or the British landscape and people, or great writing. It's going on my shelf along with other favorites by Mary Renault, Naomi Mitchison, and Robert Graves, and I hope you will add it to yours as well.
February 21, 2017
The Prisoner of Zenda in 3rd century Dal Riata with some Robert Graves nonsense thrown in
April 9, 2011
Just to make things clear at this point: there are no limits to how much I adore Rosemary Sutcliff. I have yet to read a book by her I've disliked, and this one's no exception. That said, I can see why some people hate it (I know my mum would; our tase in books is *very* different) - the weird, inexplicable bonds Phaedrus feels with Midir, Conory and Murna would usually annoy me too, because I'm cynical like that, but in Sutcliff's work, they do tend to fit into the half-supernatural world she creates and seem utterly plausible.
But the *detail*, oh my god. I swear with careful reading you could pass an exam on Roman Britain (using the term historically - obviously the Dalriads and Caledones are pretty far from being Romanised) just from Sutcliff's books. It's so, so immersive and beautiful, and she has this trick of describing things in ways that really oughtn't work but somehow do. *gushes some more*
Again, I like that there's no magical fix-it. Things are bitter and bloody and real. And then the end. Not to spoil it for anyone, but oh. My. God. It *works*, it works so well. (I may expand upon this point when I get round to talking about Shadows of Avalon, which I've also just finished. In the meantime, I shall be cryptic and annoying.)
Aaand finally I like how in most of Sutcliff's books you don't get a faceless Evil Empire full of goons for the hero to slaughter guilt-free. Most of them are acting from perfectly decent intentions. Actually, only Liadhan comes off as truly unsympathetic, and even then, it's nearly possible to make a case for her clinging on to power. (A bit harder to defend her methods, but then, life in general seems pretty brutal for the Dalriads.)
But the *detail*, oh my god. I swear with careful reading you could pass an exam on Roman Britain (using the term historically - obviously the Dalriads and Caledones are pretty far from being Romanised) just from Sutcliff's books. It's so, so immersive and beautiful, and she has this trick of describing things in ways that really oughtn't work but somehow do. *gushes some more*
Again, I like that there's no magical fix-it. Things are bitter and bloody and real. And then the end. Not to spoil it for anyone, but oh. My. God. It *works*, it works so well. (I may expand upon this point when I get round to talking about Shadows of Avalon, which I've also just finished. In the meantime, I shall be cryptic and annoying.)
Aaand finally I like how in most of Sutcliff's books you don't get a faceless Evil Empire full of goons for the hero to slaughter guilt-free. Most of them are acting from perfectly decent intentions. Actually, only Liadhan comes off as truly unsympathetic, and even then, it's nearly possible to make a case for her clinging on to power. (A bit harder to defend her methods, but then, life in general seems pretty brutal for the Dalriads.)
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