Lord and Master [Mass Market Paperback]

Nigel Tranter (Author)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Coronet; 1st THUS edition (1973)
• ASIN: B000RT41AO
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars The education and rise of the Master of Gray, October 27, 2007

By 

Shawn Marchinek "McDonald" (Washington State, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Lord and Master (Coronet Books) (Paperback)

Lord and Master by Nigel Tranter is book one of the Master of Gray trilogy. This is Tranter's tale of Patrick Gray, heir to the powerful Lord Gray. Book one begins with Patrick as a young man dodging his first bullet by having his illegitimate brother David Gray take the fall as father of the Dean of St Andrew's daughter. Patrick is the real father but is saved from the shame and could look elsewhere for a worthy marriage. This leaves us with David or Davy, as he is known, who the main character of the book is. David marries Mariota and raises her daughter Mary Gray as his own. He also shadows Patrick, trying to keep him out of trouble. Patrick is sent to finish his education on the continent as his Protestant father, the Lord Gray, hedges a bet against a possible Catholic rising in Scotland. Eventually this fails to pass and Davy is sent to bring Patrick home. Home Patrick returns but he quickly applies his fine education in Politics and States craft.

Quickly he became the King's Master of the Wardrobe, acting Chancellor and member of the Privy Council. He caused the fall of the Regent, the Douglas Earl of Morton and freed the King to begin his own reign. Now we see the successive rise and fall of Esme Stewart, Duke of Lennox followed by James Stewart, Captain of the Guard and Earl of Aaron both kin and favorites of King James. Both are aided to power by Patrick and removed as they became obstacles of the Master of Grays plans. Patrick even represents King James to Queen Elizabeth as a ambassador and begins his own intrigue at the English court. He ultimately influences the final trial and execution of the deposed Queen Mary of Scots, mother of King James. Patrick is the ultimate victim of his own plotting and only through the final hour deeds of his ever loyal brother Davy does Patrick escape execution for treason and escapes to the continent banished and forfeit.

Although the book ends one can't wait to pick up the second book of the Trilogy and see what happens next. A bit slow at first, the book quickly picks up and leaves you wanting more by the end. A great Tranter book and fine addition to my favorites book shelf. I prefer the 1300's and 1400's Scotland in Tranters books but this book placed in the late 1500's is proving that Scotland at any period of time is an interesting and ever changing place and I shall learn more about this centuries characters and stories.