Customer Reviews

High Kings and Vikings

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After reading Tranter's Kenneth (an excellent book about Kenneth Mac Alpin, uniter of Scotland and Pictland, in the 9th century), I wanted to have the story continued. This is Nigel Tranter's next book, chronologically. It begins about 150 years later, with Scotland challenged internally (with mormaors vying to be High King, assassinations, and battles with Viking marauders). Tranter (who was about 90 when he wrote this historical novel) tells the story in a compelling way. It is hard to put the book down, with warfare (both on land and at sea), romance, and intrigue present on almost every page.

Cormac (Thane of Glamis) and his love, Fenella (niece of the Mormaor of Angus) are the central characters, but famous present and future Scottish kings play a large role in the book as well: There is MacBeth (meaning Son of Life), who is the Mormaor of Moray and Ross at this point; Constantine (the noble High King, who is killed by a mormaor); and the memorable Malcolm the Destroyer (yet another High King of Scotland). There also is the half-Scottish, half-Norse Thorfinn Raven-Feeder, who is another fascinating character. Their battles and negotiations with each other, and with the norsemen and the Angles are interesting indeed.

I liked Tranter's accounts of the Viking raids, and the horrible consequences for the common people along the coasts of Scotland, as well as the capturing of their longships by Cormac and his men, and their use by the Scots against their various enemies. Some minor criticisms: I wished that Tranter had devised at least one storm for the Scots to go through in their new vessels, but there was nothing worse than some rain; there also was no mention of what happened to the longship that Ian the Wright of Usan, Scotland built; there was no mention of what happened to the Mormaor of Mar, after he supported the vanquished High King, Kenneth III, immediately after Kenneth's defeat (he apparently emerged later as a great supporter of the new High King, Malcolm).

All in all, however, I enjoyed this book very much, and look forward to reading more of Nigel Tranter's works.

Nigel Tranter does an excellent job in bringing Scotland circa 1000 A.D. to life. Seen from the viewpoint of Cormac, Thane of Glamis, Tranter writes an enjoyable story of a young man coming into his own, both as a politician and as a fighter of vikings. I didn't give it five stars for the sole reason that the main character was too "modern" in his outlook, but not irritatingly so. I highly recommend it.

"O'er the wires the electric message came: he is no better, he is much the same."

It would be unkind to lump Tranter with his fellow Scot, the poetaster McGonagall; although an author who, straight-faced, can come up with a title such as the one that graces this novel has only himself to blame. It's true that some of Tranter's vast output can be mildly diverting, if you don't mind historical and literary tone-deafness. His characters, whatever their names and titles, are unfortunately always the same: a small cast of modern people with modern attitudes, transported back five or ten centuries and endowed with an irritating repertoire of cod Olde English. (What of this of Master Tranter? Gey gordon it is, and, and, not so ill, just, all agreeing ...) I recall in one of his books an embassy to the court of Henry VII taking offence at being called Scotch instead of Scots. This would have been meaningless much before the twentieth century. It's a kind of unhistorical political correctness. Scott and Burns both called themselves Scotch; and Scotsmen unaffected by genteel Edinburgh preciosity still do. Other times he makes a big thing about how the Scots were more salt-of-the-earth than the English because they didn't call their kings 'Majesty'. Neither did the English, until Henry VIII picked it up from the French.

I like historical novels. There are some good ones among the dross, and a few very good ones. The best you can say for this book is that it isn't one of the worst. If you really like it - if you think it's something more than a written-by-numbers Cook's tour of the Scottish Dark Ages - there's no more to be said. Actually, Tranter wrote only one historical novel: "Balefire", set in the sixteenth-century Borders. I remember liking that when I read it aged thirteen. All the rest is repetition. Meanwhile, novelists with real historical feeling and originality, like Robert Neill or Henry Treece (you might like them if you could read them), are long out of print.

This book is very well written, and covers the time period when Scotland was going through birth pains as a nation, and mixes romance, history and action quite well.

High Kings and Vikings by Nigel Tranter was a smooth read. Although the history of the period is sparse Mr. Tranter added a lot to make this story believable and enjoyable. This early history of Scotland is the side not often remembered. This is pre-Bruce and even pre-Dunkeld Dynasty. This story takes place in the years centering on 1000AD. The main character is Cormac mac Farquar, the Thane of Glamis. His lives through 4 high kings and marries the heir to the Mormaor of Angus. Cormac rises to fame by essentially capturing Viking long ships and teaching fishermen how to man and fight the same ships. They in turn become a Naval force to retaliate back against the Vikings, first on the Eastern Coast of Scotland but then even sailing around to the Western side to aid the then Prince Malcolm of Strathclyde who will become Malcolm, the Destroyer.

In this tale we learn a lot of the politics of the Mormaors or Ri (minor Kings) and the elections of the High King of Scots. The candidates are from opposing branches of the royal family and by doing this ensure that a strong High King exists but in reality it leads a lot of backstabbing, literally, and internal warfare between claimants.

As we weave through this web of Viking raids and political intrigue with Thane Cormac, we see 4 High Kings come and go but Cormac keeps his honor with each and proves a true Scot and valuable asset to the Throne. We even see some of MacBeth and his infamous brother, Thorfinn the Raven Feeder who appear as peers to Cormac but who actually were Grandsons of Malcolm the Destroyer. A little stretching of years to fill in the gaps and give some more meet to this still shrouded time in Scotland's History. Tranter gives fair warning in the Preface. All in all a smooth read and great insight to the days before Bruces, Stewarts, Douglases and so forth.

Nigel Tranter brought a glimmer of light to the Drk Ages.
We have Christendom enetering lives......and there is nothing but TROUBLE in Scotland dueing this first millennium. With a profound thrust Mr. Tranter has thrown the reader into complete chaos!
Cery good read!