Structure

The Shadow King is divided into five parts, plus a prologue, epilogue, and two appendices. The book also includes supplementary material including an author's note, family trees, maps, and images. The prologue and epilogue give the author an opportunity to characterize Henry VI's reign and to comment upon it, while the five parts of the main narrative follow the chronology of her subject's life, reign, and legacy. The author's decision to divide Henry's story into five parts delineates five distinct eras in the king's life. Part One focuses on his minority and his early years as a child king while Part Two is about the early years of his independent adult rule. Part Three covers the period of civil war that is now known as the Wars of the Roses. Part Four begins with the coronation of King Edward IV and focuses on Henry's life after he...