Nobody's Son

Nobody's Son is a 1993 fantasy novel by Sean Stewart. It was first published by Macmillan of Canada. Synopsis When peasant Shielder's Mark breaks the curse of the Red Keep and frees the kingdom of Swangard from the Ghostwood, he claims as his reward the princess royal's hand in marriage. The ramifications of this choice are far more complex than he expected, however, especially since the aristocracy does not particularly like him. Reception Canadian Literature praised Stewart for transcending the usual stereotypes of fairy tales, calling Nobody's Son an "existential drama" with "breathing, clearly individualized characters", and comparing Shielder's Mark to the creations of J. D. Salinger.