The Mark of the Horse Lord

Rosemary Sutcliff · Scott O'Dell

Jul 2015 · Chicago Review Press

About this eBook

"There was a smell of blood mingling with the smell of burning that still clung about scorched timber and blackened thatch, and a great wailing rose from the watching crowd. The old High Priest dipped a finger in the blood and made a sign with it on Phaedrus's forehead, above the Mark of the Horse Lord."

So began the ceremony that was to make young Phaedrus, ex-slave and gladiator, Horse Lord of the Dalriadain. Phaedrus had come a long way since the fight in the arena that gained him his freedom. He had left behind his old Roman life and identity and had entered another, more primitive, world—that of the British tribes in the far north. In this world of superstition and ancient ritual, of fierce loyalties and intertribal rivalry, Phaedrus found companionship and love, and something more—a purpose and a meaning to his life as he came fully to understand the significance of the Mark of the Horse Lord.

First published in 1965, The Mark of the Horse Lord, set in second-century Britain, has been acclaimed by many readers as the finest of Rosemary Sutcliff's many novels, imparting true insight into the nature of leadership, identity, heroism, loyalty, violence, and sacrifice.

Ratings and reviews

Full of blood and melodrama yet strangely uplifting, this story explores the heart of a man as he transforms from gladiator to king. Sutcliff is a master of depiction rather than description. Her carefully chosen phrases cause the reader to see and feel rather than only hear the events in her stories. Fiction and history enthusiasts can unite in praise for her work as she accurately builds a snapshot of a long forgotten time. I have read and re-read this book several times and I always find myself amazed at the quality and depth that I find in it. You should read it to. You will not be disappointed.

Loved the story the build up yhe characters and an ending youl never forget.

About the author

Rosemary Sutcliff wrote more than 40 novels for young adults, including Black Ships Before Troy, The Wanderings of Odysseus, and The Eagle of the Ninth; five adult novels, including Sword at Sunset; and several books of nonfiction. !--?xml:namespace prefix = "o" ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /--

Scott O'Dell wrote over thirty books, mostly historical fiction, including the perennial bestseller Island of the Blue Dolphins.