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The Sterkarm Handshake Paperback – July 26, 2016

by Susan Price (Author)

4.1 69 ratings

Book 1 of 3: Sterkarm

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A twenty-first-century corporation invades the domain of a warlike sixteenth-century Scottish clan in this “brilliantly imagined” time-travel adventure (Philip Pullman).

The miraculous invention of a Time Tube has given Great Britain’s mighty FUP corporation unprecedented power, granting it unlimited access to the rich natural resources of the past. Opening a portal into sixteenth-century Scotland, the company has sent representatives back five hundred years to deal with the Sterkarms, a lawless barbarian clan that has plundered both sides of the English-Scottish border for generations.

Among the first of the company’s representatives to arrive from the future, young anthropologist Andrea Mitchell finds herself strangely drawn to this primitive tribe of raiders and pillagers who, not surprisingly, view her as magical. As translator and liaison, she becomes enmeshed in the personal lives of these proud, savage folk, developing an especially strong emotional bond with Per, the handsome son of the ruthless Sterkarm chieftain, Toorkild.

But the Sterkarms’ welcome does not extend to the FUP corporate despoilers from the future—and soon a fragile agreement between the untamable Scots and the interloping “Elves” begins to crumble. Suddenly war looms on the horizon, and when treachery on both sides ignites a firestorm of violence, Andrea will have to choose where her loyalties truly lie: with her coldhearted employers or with the barbarous kinfolk of the man she has come to love.

A winner of the Guardian Fiction Prize and a finalist for the Carnegie Medal, called “enthralling” by Philip Pullman, the author of the His Dark Materials novels, Susan Price’s Sterkarm Handshake is a masterful blend of historical and science fiction critics have called “dazzling,” “exciting,” “memorable,” “thought provoking,” and “a thumping good page-turner.”

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Susan Price is the author of the Sterkarm series. Born in Dudley, West Midlands, in England, she went on to write the Guardian Fiction Prize–winning The Sterkarm Handshake (1998) after visiting reiver country on the borders of Scotland. To help her imagine the Sterkarm’s world, she drew on lifelong interests in history, folklore, and old ballads, as well as her hobbies of shooting with a longbow and traveling to the Scottish hills with her partner. Price continued the series with A Sterkarm Kiss (2004) and A Sterkarm Tryst (2017). Her other works include the novel The Ghost Drum, which won the prestigious Carnegie Medal. Price lives in the Black Country, in West Midlands, England.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Open Road Media Sci-Fi & Fantasy; Reprint edition (July 26, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 575 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1504021010
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1504021012
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 - 18 years
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 2 - 7
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.42 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 1.43 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #5,367,868 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #8,519 in Historical British & Irish Literature
- #10,832 in Time Travel Fiction
- #17,477 in Romantic Action & Adventure

Customer Reviews:
4.1 69 ratings

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Susan Price

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On the day I was born - in Oldbury, in Britain's Midlands - my father was given a cast-iron typewriter, as payment in kind for a job he'd done.

It was, he insisted, an omen.

At the age of four I announced to my aunt and grandmother, “I'm going to be a writer when I grow up!“

I kept my word. I've published over 60 books, and am now a 'hybrid' writer, publishing both independently and conventionally.

My book, 'The Ghost Drum' won the prestigious Carnegie Medal but my best-seller is probably The Sterkarm Handshake, which won the Guardian prize, and its sequels.

My website is at: https://www.susanpriceauthor.com/

You can find me blogging at Authors Electric - https://authorselectric.blogspot.com/

and at my own blog - http://susanpricesblog.blogspot.com/

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A. M.

Pleased as punch!!

Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2019

Verified Purchase

I've read this book a million times before and decided it was finally time to get my own copy, and I have to say I could not be more pleased!!
It came the second day it said it was possible, AND it had the book cover attached.
I can honestly say this seller has my patronage now!!

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susan4stars

enjoyable time travel medieval romance

Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2019

Verified Purchase

As another reviewer wrote, this author is not Connie Willis. But then again, most time travel authors don't have Willis' talent; with that in mind, this novel is well worth reading.

The book started off slowly, but became more engrossing as the plot and characters developed.

The author does a great job describing medieval life and her language is spot on.

The ending was very exciting and left me anxious to read the sequel.

(Readers should know the violence and fighting can be graphic.)

One person found this helpful

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Nih

I've read it before in ebook format, and...

Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2010

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I fell in love with it. I've never been really into technological fiction and futuristic books, but this one... is one of a kind. I can't believe this book was so hard to find, it took me THREE YEARS to find it and import it. It's such a good book it should be a bestseller, should be known, and really POPULAR! It deserves to be made into a movie!!!
It's so worth it... read it!

Helpful

R. M. Fisher

"Elves Bless with One Hand, Blight with the Other..."

Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2004

In the 21st century an invention has finally been perfected: The Time Tube, which allows contemporary scientists, researches and corporate money-makers to travel back into the 16th century and mingle with the locals there. Think of the possibilities! Plentiful supplies of oil, gold and coal, an extraordinary opportunity to study ancient life, and a pollution-free resort for those wealthy enough to make the trip. The corporation FUP has already purchased the troublesome borderlands between 16th century Scotland and England in order to begin development.
But there's just one problem: the Sterkarms. This warrior tribe are those that lay claim to the land, and have a reputation that has gained themselves the saying: "Never shake hands with a Sterkarm." Since all the Sterkarms are left-handed, it is easy for them to conceal a dagger in their right hands whilst shaking with their left, and as such are utterly untrustworthy. They consider the 21st century people to be the "Elves" from their folklore, yet despite negotiations and bribes of the Elves "wee white pills" (that is, aspirin), the Sterkarms have no real interest in giving up their lands and way of life in order for the Elves to move in - in fact their raids upon survey teams have begun to be a nuisance to the 21st-siders.
Andrea Mitchell is a young field-researcher, caught directly between the two sides. On the one hand is the needs/wants of her own world, and the demands of her superior Windsor who holds her career in the palm of her hand. On the other is the Sterkarms who have welcomed her into their lives like a guest and whom she has come to greatly respect and admire. On top of this she has developed feelings for the chieftain's son Per, and he for her, which makes her mediating role a *lot* more complicated.
Susan Price presents a wonderfully thought-provoking novel that deals with the inevitable discord between two opposing cultures when one wants something from the other. She is (thankfully) very gifted in presenting a case for both sides of the argument and paints rather a lot of grey within the situation. The Sterkarms are not presented as tree-hugging, circle-dancing New-Agers like many books that deal with such people do, but instead as warm, affectionate *loving* people that nevertheless engage in warfare, torture, bloodlust and selective memory whenever it suits them. On the other end of the scale is Windsor, who looks upon Sterkarms as "overgrown, rather dim and naughty children". This is to his own detriment considering the Sterkarms are more than capable of beheading him and displaying his head should it ever suit them. Both sides are so vividly portrayed that I felt myself switching alliances whenever the narrative moved: when the 21st century thugs were called in to exterminate the Sterkarms I hoped the Sterkarms would give them what was coming to them, but when the self-same men attempted an escape in the night, I was terrified for them that the Sterkarms would discover them.
As the story begins, the Sterkarms ride out to retrieve stolen sheep from an enemy tribe rather than allow the 21st-siders to take care of it, and end up returning with a severely injured Per. A distraught Andrea and a conniving Windsor take him through the Tube and into the future, with Windsor plotting to use the beloved son as a hostage for the chieftain Toorkild's good behaviour. From there the crisis escalates as the two sides declare war on each other, with both sides severely underestimating the other, and Andrea caught once more in the middle: should she help the men that the Sterkarms hold captive, knowing that they had come into the past to slaughter them all? Or should she side with the Sterkarms knowing that their way of life might be obliterated with the greed of Windsor and his corporation? And finally comes the ultimate decision: to stay with her love Per in a world of drudgery and peril, or to give him up and stay in the drab and somewhat meaningless world of the 21st century.
"The Sterkarm Handshake" is a dense, immensely complicated book in its themes of intolerance, misunderstanding and inability to communicate: perhaps the main causes of all bloodshed in invasions and colonisation in our history books. Ultimately of course, the conclusion is somewhat melancholy; given that no real solution exists either in the book or in the real world to reconcile such different groups that live in such radically different ways. Price brings these differences to light wonderfully, what with Per's experiences in "Elfland" and Windsor's growing realisation that the Sterkarms cannot be controlled so easily.
Furthermore, the use of the 21st century people as "Elves" is great to read if you are familiar with the folklore surrounding such beings, and the Sterkarm's interpretation of Andrea and the other's behaviour in terms of their limited knowledge. In fact, all of the Sterkarm's way of life is meticulously presented and realistic. "The Sterkarm Handshake" is a heavy read, but a rewarding one, and suitable for either gender above the age of ten, with enough ambiguity to keep one thinking for a very long time. Time travelling stories usually leave me cross-eyed, but since the Time Tube actually takes our contemporaries to another dimension, as well as another time, then there are no difficulties in trying to puzzle out the ramifications of such a visitation - ie, Andrea doesn't end up being her own great-great-something-grandmother, or other such confusing elements.

6 people found this helpful

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Nick Green

This is what a good book looks like

Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2013

The very best stories are delicious ‘What if?’s. In this case, ‘What if a modern-day corporation built a road tunnel into the 16th century to exploit its resources, without bargaining on a local clan who are effectively the Mafia without the squeamishness?’ And what if you could read all the way to the end without ever once reflecting on how preposterous that sounds? That’s The Sterkarm Handshake.

Brain-bending time-travel fiction this isn’t; the fact of the Time Tube is taken as a given, and if you as reader can do that too, then you are in for a hell of a ride. Look, time travel just works, okay? This story is about how breaking the laws of time is a piece of cake compared with handling human beings. Modern corporate greed + feudal 16th century culture is an irresistible formula, a bit like sulphur + saltpetre + charcoal + fire. Best to stand well back. And it doesn’t help that the corporation’s only competent translator – the wonderful protagonist, Andrea – is in love with the chief’s son.

Can this possibly end well? The great thing is that at no point can you ever predict what is going to happen, and yet when it does happen it’s as inevitable and unstoppable as a landslide. The sheer realism alone is a breath of fresh air. There are no archers here with implausible aiming skills – these bowmen miss as often as they hit – and guns jam, and safety catches cut your finger, and wounds go septic. Best of all are the astonishing passages in which we see our modern world through the eyes of 16th century characters, so that you end up seeing even a humble aspirin in a new and even magical light. I literally couldn’t stop reading, my hand was getting cramp from holding the book. Four hundred pages never felt so short, and at the end I turned straight to page one of the sequel, A Sterkarm Kiss.

I wish these books would be reissued and given the same kind of push that YA phenomena like Twilight and The Hunger Games have received. The younger generation deserves to discover what a truly great series really looks like. In every aspect, from the mighty imagination on display, to the amazing attention to detail and historical accuracy, the pace of the plot and the sheer quality of the writing, this is head and shoulders above most other offerings.

One person found this helpful

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Jenn M.

is undeveloped and unsympathetic (I love Per! I hate Per

Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2015

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I'm surprised this book got such high ratings. The main character, Andrea, is undeveloped and unsympathetic (I love Per! I hate Per! Oh no, they're killing people!); other characters like Windsor are just a crude patchwork of stereotypes. The description of 16th century life is interesting but not enough to carry the story. Try Connie Willis for more complex plots and much better writing.

7 people found this helpful

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Rebecca C. Rausch

Great book!

Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2015

Another fantastic book by Susan Price.

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Top reviews from other countries

Eileen Shaw

They're ill to tame, the border men...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 20, 2012

Verified Purchase

What would happen if a scientific company in the 21st century found that using cold fusion they could move to the 16th century and return when necessary through a thoroughly unnerving but safe tube? The immediate appeal would be the possibilities of enrichment via mining, precious metals, fishing, foodstuffs free of genetic modification etc. FUP, at the beautiful country house Dilsmead Hall is sending out geological surveys and what they find is very promising. The only problem is, the particular part of Cumberland they emerge into was a wilderness in the 16th century, peopled only by feuding gangs of Reivers. The Sterkarms are presently the most powerful band, and they are interfering with the geologist's surveys. They don't do any real harm but they quietly and efficiently rob the survey teams of whatever they fancy taking from them. Sometimes the survey teams come back without a stitch of clothing. FUP, the company (no idea what it stands for and we are not told) has asked for the Reiver's cooperation, and has made the wonder-drug asprin available to them as a bribe, but bands of Sterkarms just cannot keep to any agreement made.

They do have an insider living with the Sterkarms, an anthropological student named Andrea. Unfortunately she has caught the eye of the son, Per, of the Chief: Torkild Sterkarm and she is finding it very hard to remember that she is meant to be doing a job. She has learned the language, and it is she who is the translator whenever the Sterkarms agree to meet with Windsor, the owner of the cold fusion plant that powers the journeys to and from the 16th to the 21st centuries. But when Per is hurt in a raid on a neighbouring band, Andrea persuades Windsor to let him through the tube to a modern hospital. There's a lot of humour to be gained from Per's reaction to things like telephones and televisions, as he recovers. Then Andrea learns that Windsor is going to keep Per in hospital as a guarantee for the Sterkarm's good behaviour.

The relationship between the two groups does not quite pan out how the 21st century inhabitants planned. The inevitable confrontation makes a marvellous plot - how can men on sooty-black ponies with spears and bows and arrows confront the 21st century's Kalashnikovs? If only Windsor hadn't gone for the cheap and cheerful option. A brilliant plot, a set of characters that are true to their separate centuries - and only Andrea between them, trying her best to explain the past to the future and the future to the past. And if it comes to a choice, which way will she go?

One person found this helpful

Nick Green

Sterkarm fever sweeps the globe (I wish)

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 26, 2013

Verified Purchase

The very best stories are delicious `What if?'s. In this case, `What if a modern-day corporation built a road tunnel into the 16th century to exploit its resources, without bargaining on a local clan who are effectively the Mafia without the squeamishness?' And what if you could read all the way to the end without ever once reflecting on how preposterous that sounds? That's The Sterkarm Handshake.

Brain-bending time-travel fiction this isn't; the fact of the Time Tube is taken as a given, and if you as reader can do that too, then you are in for a hell of a ride. Look, time travel just works, okay? This story is about how breaking the laws of time is a piece of cake compared with handling human beings. Modern corporate greed + feudal 16th century culture is an irresistible formula, a bit like sulphur + saltpetre + charcoal + fire. Best to stand well back. And it doesn't help that the corporation's only competent translator - the wonderful protagonist, Andrea - is in love with the chief's son.

Can this possibly end well? The great thing is that at no point can you ever predict what is going to happen, and yet when it does happen it's as inevitable and unstoppable as a landslide. The sheer realism alone is a breath of fresh air. There are no archers here with implausible aiming skills - these bowmen miss as often as they hit - and guns jam, and safety catches cut your finger, and wounds go septic. Best of all are the astonishing passages in which we see our modern world through the eyes of 16th century characters, so that you end up seeing even a humble aspirin in a new and even magical light. I literally couldn't stop reading, my hand was getting cramp from holding the book. Four hundred pages never felt so short, and at the end I turned straight to page one of the sequel, A Sterkarm Kiss.

I wish these books would be reissued and given the same kind of push that YA phenomena like Twilight and The Hunger Games have received. The younger generation deserves to discover what a truly great series really looks like. After the Sterkarms I don't think they'd ever look at another dishy vampire again.

One person found this helpful

Angelsoft

Ha ha Jim lad- a rollicking adventure

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 24, 2014

Verified Purchase

And if you know anything about the Reivers and the Debatable Land this will shiver your timbers! Marketed as a young adult read it carries it's own in the more 'grown-up' market of general fiction, supported by a fair amount of research into the way folks did live through those times. Of course it is a little romanticised, but it's handled nicely and is an enjoyable light read

Jane

awful

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 9, 2023

Verified Purchase

Load of rubbish, cannot believe this was nominated for award, I was really looking forward to reading this but gave up after 10% on my Kindle. Boring, unrealistic, trying to be a poor imitation of Outlander, and failing miserably. I am probably not the target audience but as I love Outlander I thought this would be right up my street, but not a patch.

Enthusiast

Disappointing!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 22, 2010

Verified Purchase

I bought this book after reading reviews on this page, but was very disappointed.

Expecting something special, instead I found bafflingly poor (and inconsistent) characterisation, ranging from a frankly unbelievable stereotype (Windsor) to an assembled-by-numbers heroine - while the description of the 'science' in this 'science fiction' book demonstrated the authors, ah, lack of scientific knowledge.

Finally, the determination to force home a Message fatally undermined what was a pretty weak plot, which was abandoned rather than brought to a satisfactory ending...

This is not a book for adults, or indeed for discriminating children.

One person found this helpful

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