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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
A gripping account of the early career of Robert the Bruce. Towards the end I couldn't put it down!
Eh, good, but REALLY dry. Young's books are impeccably researched, but this one gets WAY too bogged down in names and places and politics. Finishes well, but I'm not rushed out to read the next one.
In the 13th century King Edward the First of England has conquered Wales and now sets his sights on Scotland. After the convenient death of the Scottish King Edward invades and sets up a new puppet monarch. The Scottish nobles are not happy but fight amongst themselves. One family of powerful nobles with a claim to the throne are the Bruce family and this book follows the story of Robert Bruce from childhood through service to the king and finally through to exile after supporting William Wallace.
As this is the 700th anniversary of the battle of Bannockburn there has been much about Bruce in the media and as someone with an interest in medieval history I thought to give this book a go. It's a weighty tome and obviously well-researched but it just didn't grab my attention as much as it could have done. The difficulty with historical fiction is melding fictional characterisation to historical facts and that is where Young's writing falls down for me. However I have bought the second book in the series so I will continue the story!
As this is the 700th anniversary of the battle of Bannockburn there has been much about Bruce in the media and as someone with an interest in medieval history I thought to give this book a go. It's a weighty tome and obviously well-researched but it just didn't grab my attention as much as it could have done. The difficulty with historical fiction is melding fictional characterisation to historical facts and that is where Young's writing falls down for me. However I have bought the second book in the series so I will continue the story!
I figured that historical novels are very close related to my beloved fantasy genre, so when I was at a big book sale I bought some historical novels.
Robin Young seemed to be a very popular novelist of this kind of stories so her book was the first of that batch that I gave a try. This book is about Robert Bruce and his struggle for an independent Scotland.
In the beginning this book felt a bit like those bbc dramatic documentaries. A broad overview of historic events with now and than some key moments that are expanded on in a dramatic way.
But later on in the book the focus shifts a bit more on the characters and the action.
Another comment on this book is that it is over 500 pages and it feels like a long intro for an even longer book.
but all in all, I had a good time reading this.
Robin Young seemed to be a very popular novelist of this kind of stories so her book was the first of that batch that I gave a try. This book is about Robert Bruce and his struggle for an independent Scotland.
In the beginning this book felt a bit like those bbc dramatic documentaries. A broad overview of historic events with now and than some key moments that are expanded on in a dramatic way.
But later on in the book the focus shifts a bit more on the characters and the action.
Another comment on this book is that it is over 500 pages and it feels like a long intro for an even longer book.
but all in all, I had a good time reading this.
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is a great start to what should be an in-depth look at the life of Robert the Bruce. Robyn Young brought Robert to life and gave him some great and realistic motivations behind the actions the history books tell us. Well-researched, well-written, and wide-ranging. I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy!
* I received this book for free from Goodreads First Reads.
* I received this book for free from Goodreads First Reads.
Why, why, why do I have to discover a new favourite author when I'm broke? This is the best historical fiction author I've discovered since a friend introduced me to Sharon Penman.
I'm a Scot living in England - part of my identity is to be patriotic about my homeland. People would expect me to like a book about one of Scotland's legends. But it's more than just a Scottish novel. Insurrection is well written, atmospheric and exciting.
I don't usually enjoy battles in books: I skim them. It's not that I find them "boring" and it's not the problem I have with them in films (where they're excuses for gore or big action set pieces.) I just can't take them in. I can't visualise what's happening in them. Robyn Young writes in such a way that the brutality of War in the Thirteenth Century is very clear without bogging you down in hack 'n' slash writing that completely loses my focus.
And she doesn't suffer from what I call Phillippa Gregory Syndrome: taking a fringe theory (Henry VIII was the father if Mary Boleyn's children, Katherine of Aragon did have sex with her first husband, Perkins Warbeck was one of the Princes in the Tower), basing a novel around that theory and insisting in the Author's Notes that it must be true. Young sticks to the known facts (though she admits to moving the timing of a couple of events) and her conjecture is confined to motives, which must always be the case in historical writing - fiction or otherwise - where the people involved haven't left us clear written accounts of why they acted the way they did. And these imagined motives are compelling. Bruce is a complex character whose allegiances shifted and changed without obvious external pressure. Young gives the reader a possible motives for his actions that we can recognise - a desire for respect from his peers, lack of guidance when it was needed most, an adversarial relationship with his father.
If anyone wants to know what to get me for Christmas this year, I'll be giving them a list of Robin Young"s books.
I'm a Scot living in England - part of my identity is to be patriotic about my homeland. People would expect me to like a book about one of Scotland's legends. But it's more than just a Scottish novel. Insurrection is well written, atmospheric and exciting.
I don't usually enjoy battles in books: I skim them. It's not that I find them "boring" and it's not the problem I have with them in films (where they're excuses for gore or big action set pieces.) I just can't take them in. I can't visualise what's happening in them. Robyn Young writes in such a way that the brutality of War in the Thirteenth Century is very clear without bogging you down in hack 'n' slash writing that completely loses my focus.
And she doesn't suffer from what I call Phillippa Gregory Syndrome: taking a fringe theory (Henry VIII was the father if Mary Boleyn's children, Katherine of Aragon did have sex with her first husband, Perkins Warbeck was one of the Princes in the Tower), basing a novel around that theory and insisting in the Author's Notes that it must be true. Young sticks to the known facts (though she admits to moving the timing of a couple of events) and her conjecture is confined to motives, which must always be the case in historical writing - fiction or otherwise - where the people involved haven't left us clear written accounts of why they acted the way they did. And these imagined motives are compelling. Bruce is a complex character whose allegiances shifted and changed without obvious external pressure. Young gives the reader a possible motives for his actions that we can recognise - a desire for respect from his peers, lack of guidance when it was needed most, an adversarial relationship with his father.
If anyone wants to know what to get me for Christmas this year, I'll be giving them a list of Robin Young"s books.
Having read some history books about The Scottish Wars of Independence plus biographies of Robert the Bruce, I have to say that this book is not historically accurate - Robert the Bruce never fought in Wales, and there is no evidence that he knighted William Wallace.
Nor is this book particularly well-written. The characters are one-dimensional and unconvincing, in what was a complex period in history.
For a better-written and more accurate story about Robert the Bruce's rise to power, read Nigel Tranter's excellent trilogy [b:The Bruce Trilogy: The Steps to the Empty Throne / The Path of the Hero King / The Price of the King's Peace|1460064|The Bruce Trilogy The Steps to the Empty Throne / The Path of the Hero King / The Price of the King's Peace (Robert the Bruce, #1-3)|Nigel Tranter|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327700857l/1460064._SY75_.jpg|1450899] or Colm McNamee's [b:Robert Bruce: Our Most Valiant Prince, King and Lord|1496747|Robert Bruce Our Most Valiant Prince, King and Lord|Colm McNamee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1344735807l/1496747._SY75_.jpg|1488109].
Nor is this book particularly well-written. The characters are one-dimensional and unconvincing, in what was a complex period in history.
For a better-written and more accurate story about Robert the Bruce's rise to power, read Nigel Tranter's excellent trilogy [b:The Bruce Trilogy: The Steps to the Empty Throne / The Path of the Hero King / The Price of the King's Peace|1460064|The Bruce Trilogy The Steps to the Empty Throne / The Path of the Hero King / The Price of the King's Peace (Robert the Bruce, #1-3)|Nigel Tranter|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327700857l/1460064._SY75_.jpg|1450899] or Colm McNamee's [b:Robert Bruce: Our Most Valiant Prince, King and Lord|1496747|Robert Bruce Our Most Valiant Prince, King and Lord|Colm McNamee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1344735807l/1496747._SY75_.jpg|1488109].
Great read. Well written, engaging, enlightening... A really good start to the trilogy and whilst I'm not fond of us English being the enemy, I'll definitely be reading more.