Powell’s Indiespensable Subscriptions are Open + Vol. 82 Spoilers!

Powell’s Indiespensable book subscriptions are open and we have spoilers for Volume 82! This subscription is $44.95 and ships every 6 weeks.

Check out our Powell’s reviews to learn more about this book subscription!

If you sign up now, your first shipment (Volume 82) will include:

• An exclusive signed edition of The Shadow King in a custom slipcase created for Indiespensable
• A collectible booklet featuring the Powells.com interview and Indiespensable Q&A with Maaza Mengiste
• Other surprises!

From the opening pages of Maaza Mengiste’s monumental new novel, we sensed we had come across a remarkable book — one that would dramatically illuminate a place, people, and series of events grievously ignored in history books. The Shadow King takes a sweeping view of the invasion of Ethiopia by Fascist Italy — an atrocity generally known (if at all) as merely a footnote in the lead-up to World War II. The story unfolds through the perspective of a kaleidoscopic array of characters, including Ettore, an Italian Jew tasked with photographing the occupation; Kidane, a powerful Ethiopian fighter; Fucelli, a vengeful colonel in Mussolini’s army; and fierce Hirut and Aster, who step forward to mobilize Ethiopian women in supporting the resistance and, ultimately, take up arms themselves. Through these many viewpoints, The Shadow King weaves together the story of an epic struggle for power, one that, in foreshadowing the events to come in Europe, devolves into shocking brutality. But as difficult as it is to read at times, the operatic beauty of The Shadow King and its valiant warriors will leave you awestruck. We're so grateful to have read this unforgettable work, and we're thrilled to share it with you as our pick for Indiespensable Volume 82.

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