Shroud of Shadow
Encyclopedia
Shroud of Shadow is a novel written by Gael Baudino
in 1994. It is the third in the Strands of Starlight
tetralogy
. The other novels are Strands of Starlight
, Maze of Moonlight
, and Strands of Sunlight
.
, about a century after Maze of Moonlight, though it is intercut with scenes of 1990's Denver, Colorado
, USA, where two people are experiencing the awakening of Elven blood.
Near the fishing town of Maris, she encounters Omelda, a nun
recently escaped from Shrinerock Abbey, who is tormented by voices in her head. Every day, Omelda hears the rituals marking the Canonical hours
in her head, without fail. Though she fights them, they take over her mind and make her little more than a zombie for people to take advantage of as they wish. On her way to commit suicide by casting herself off the cliffs overlooking Maris, Omelda falls afoul of some village guardsmen, who barter her safe passage for sex. Continuing on, she sees Natil's campfire, hears her harp music, and she finds that the harp music quiets the voices in her head.
Traveling with Omelda, Natil takes employment with Jacob Aldernacht, a prosperous merchant: she as a harper, and Omelda as a housekeeper. Omelda quickly falls into the clutches of Jacob's grandsons, Edvard and Norman, who make her their sex toy. Dazed by the constant voices in her head, Omelda can only endure. Natil becomes friends with Jacob and starts trying to comfort him; though he is rich, he is lonely and bitter. One night Natil realizes what the grandsons are doing to Omelda, finds them in their secret lair in the Aldernacht house, and kills them both.
Fleeing the Aldernacht house, Natil determines to return Omelda to Shrinerock Abbey. Omelda has developed an infection and is deathly sick due to her misuse by Edvard and Norman, so Natil and she stop in the Free Town of Furze for medical assistance. Due to Omelda's delirious ravings, they fall into the clutches of the Inquisition and are taken to the Inquisition's prison. Hanging in chains, Natil gets a glimpse of the Lady after not having seen her for years. This restores her fully to an Elven state, and while being sentenced, she denounces the Inquisitor for all of the wrongs done to Elves by humans through the ages.
When her infection becomes too severe, Omelda gives herself entirely to the song in her head and dies in her cell. Later, forces loyal to the Aldernachts break into the prison and free Natil and everyone else being held there. After healing those torture survivors she can, she leaves Jacob Aldernacht's employ, at a loss about what to do. Imagining she will fade as many of the other Elves have, she stops by the ruins of Saint Brigid for final goodbyes. While lingering there and debating what to do, she spies a strange glow in the distance. Fighting her way to it through a torrential rainstorm, she finds a mystical gateway, resembling one she has seen in her dreams, in the fork of a tree. Stepping through, she finds herself in modern-day Denver with a new mission: guide the newly-awakened Elves.
Gael Baudino
Gael Baudino is a contemporary American fantasy author who also writes under the pseudonyms of Gael Kathryns, Gael A. Kathryns, and G.A. Kathryns. She attended college at the University of Southern California...
in 1994. It is the third in the Strands of Starlight
The Strands Series
The Strands Series is a series of books and short stories written by Gael Baudino between 1981 and 1994 and published between 1989 and 1997. The majority of the plot occurs in a fictional land named Adria, which is based on Medieval Western Europe, with parts of later books occurring in 1990s...
tetralogy
Tetralogy
A tetralogy is a compound work that is made up of four distinct works, just as a trilogy is made up of three works....
. The other novels are Strands of Starlight
Strands of Starlight
Strands of Starlight is a novel written by Gael Baudino in 1989. It is the first in the Strands of Starlight tetralogy. The other novels are Maze of Moonlight, Shroud of Shadow, and Strands of Sunlight.-Plot introduction:...
, Maze of Moonlight
Maze of Moonlight
Maze of Moonlight is a novel written by Gael Baudino in 1993. It is the second in the Strands of Starlight tetralogy. The other novels are Strands of Starlight, Shroud of Shadow, and Strands of Sunlight.-Plot introduction:...
, and Strands of Sunlight
Strands of Sunlight
Strands of Sunlight is a novel written by Gael Baudino in 1994. It is the fourth in the Strands of Starlight tetralogy. The other novels are Strands of Starlight, Maze of Moonlight, and Shroud of Shadow...
.
Plot introduction
The protagonist of Shroud of Shadow is Natil the elf. Introduced in Strands of Starlight as a minor character and developed more in Maze of Moonlight, she has returned to Adria from wandering the earth looking for Elves. All of the other Elves introduced in the previous two books have died or faded in some manner, though only Varden, Terrill, and Mirya's fates are specifically described. This story takes place in the year 1500 CECommon Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
, about a century after Maze of Moonlight, though it is intercut with scenes of 1990's Denver, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, USA, where two people are experiencing the awakening of Elven blood.
Plot summary
Natil returns to Adria convinced that she is the last of the elves on Earth. This realization, as well as the gradual fading of her powers, has provoked a crisis of faith in her; she still wants to aid and comfort all whom she meets, but with every day, her powers wane and she becomes more and more human. She has begun to sleep, something she has never done before. While she sleeps, she dreams of humans in 1990 Denver, George and Sally, who are becoming Elves.Near the fishing town of Maris, she encounters Omelda, a nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
recently escaped from Shrinerock Abbey, who is tormented by voices in her head. Every day, Omelda hears the rituals marking the Canonical hours
Canonical hours
Canonical hours are divisions of time which serve as increments between the prescribed prayers of the daily round. A Book of Hours contains such a set of prayers....
in her head, without fail. Though she fights them, they take over her mind and make her little more than a zombie for people to take advantage of as they wish. On her way to commit suicide by casting herself off the cliffs overlooking Maris, Omelda falls afoul of some village guardsmen, who barter her safe passage for sex. Continuing on, she sees Natil's campfire, hears her harp music, and she finds that the harp music quiets the voices in her head.
Traveling with Omelda, Natil takes employment with Jacob Aldernacht, a prosperous merchant: she as a harper, and Omelda as a housekeeper. Omelda quickly falls into the clutches of Jacob's grandsons, Edvard and Norman, who make her their sex toy. Dazed by the constant voices in her head, Omelda can only endure. Natil becomes friends with Jacob and starts trying to comfort him; though he is rich, he is lonely and bitter. One night Natil realizes what the grandsons are doing to Omelda, finds them in their secret lair in the Aldernacht house, and kills them both.
Fleeing the Aldernacht house, Natil determines to return Omelda to Shrinerock Abbey. Omelda has developed an infection and is deathly sick due to her misuse by Edvard and Norman, so Natil and she stop in the Free Town of Furze for medical assistance. Due to Omelda's delirious ravings, they fall into the clutches of the Inquisition and are taken to the Inquisition's prison. Hanging in chains, Natil gets a glimpse of the Lady after not having seen her for years. This restores her fully to an Elven state, and while being sentenced, she denounces the Inquisitor for all of the wrongs done to Elves by humans through the ages.
When her infection becomes too severe, Omelda gives herself entirely to the song in her head and dies in her cell. Later, forces loyal to the Aldernachts break into the prison and free Natil and everyone else being held there. After healing those torture survivors she can, she leaves Jacob Aldernacht's employ, at a loss about what to do. Imagining she will fade as many of the other Elves have, she stops by the ruins of Saint Brigid for final goodbyes. While lingering there and debating what to do, she spies a strange glow in the distance. Fighting her way to it through a torrential rainstorm, she finds a mystical gateway, resembling one she has seen in her dreams, in the fork of a tree. Stepping through, she finds herself in modern-day Denver with a new mission: guide the newly-awakened Elves.
Elves
- Natil
- Hadden - born George Morrison, he is the first modern human to become an Elf.
- Wheat - born Sally Hennock, she is the second modern human to become an Elf.
- Ash - born Joan Buckland.
- Lauri
- Bright
- Raven
- Web
- Marsh
- Heather
Editions
- ISBN 0451452941 (US mass market paperback, 1993, ROC, cover art by Thomas CantyThomas CantyThomas Canty is an illustrator and book designer in the field of fantasy literature.-Career:Canty is credited with pioneering a "New Romantic" style of painting, influenced by such 19th century artists as Alphonse Mucha, Gustav Klimt, and the Pre-Raphaelites...
) - ISBN 1857232690 (UK mass market paperback ,1993, Orbit)
- OCLCOCLCOCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. is "a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing information costs"...
62083431 (Audio Book, 2005, Volunteer Services for the Visually Handicapped)