Customer Reviews

The Stewart Trilogy: Lords of Misrule; A Folly of Princes; The Captive Crown (Coronet Books)

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I was sad to hear of Nigel Tranter's passing just days into the new millenium. This great historical writer who had the unique gift of making us see, hear, and feel the heartbeat of times long past, of kings half forgotten whose reputations were laid to rest often as quickly as they were.

Robert the Bruce, hero of Bannockburn, was the grandfather of Robert II by his daughter Marjory, wife of Walter Stewart. The kings from this union came to be known as the Stewarts, and Robert II and his son Robert III were two of the weakest. Both, prematurely doddering and unwilling or unable to wield the power in the kingdom, yielded the real power to Robert Stewart, Earl of Fife and Menteith. This last Robert is a character of the type frequently found in Tranter novels: a stern, unyielding master of realpolitik. (See James Stewart in WARDEN OF THE QUEEN'S MARCH for a reincarnation.)

The action is seen through the eyes of the fictional Jamie Douglas, descendent of the famed "Black Douglas" of Robert the Bruce's day, who tries to help shore up the monarchy for David, Duke of Rothesay, oldest son of Robert III.

Scottish history can be incredibly murky and involved at times, and that's what makes it so fascinating. Tranter has a gift for breathing life into periperal characters and putting them into play across a wide landscape and over a long period of time.

My favorite subplot involves the notorious Wolf of Badenoch, who burns down the Cathedral of Elgin, the so-called Lantern of the North, because of a dispute with its bishop. The Wolf's son, Alexander , becomes a steadfast friend and ally of Jamie Douglas.

It was my great fortune to read this trilogy while criss-crossing Scotland. I would recommend someone new to Tranter starting with the Robert the Bruce trilogy, but after that, read THE STEWART TRILOGY.

I just can't say enough about Nigel Tranter. He takes historical fiction to a new level. This is how it could have been. This trilogy covers the Scottish kingdom through the last days of Robert II, through Robert III and into the beginning days of James I in prison in England. All the events are through James "Jamie" Douglas, the eldest but illegitimate son of James Douglas, Lord of Dalkeith, and the wealthiest noble in Scotland and head of the second most powerful branch of the up and coming Douglas clan. In book one "Lords of Misrule", we see Jamie become a lord in his own right and come to court after he sees the murder of the Earl Douglas and seeks to find the killer. Robert, Earl of Fife and Menteith, second son of Robert II also sets himself up as Governor and soon to be Regent. A great side story of the legendary Alexander Stewart, the Wolf of Bandanoch, Earl of Buchan really moves the story along. And in the end we see Jamie engaged to Mary Stewart, a illegitimate daughter of Robert II.
In book two "A folly of Princes" Robert III has come to the throne but proves a weak and sad king who is run by his family. All are slowly set up and pushed aside by Robert, now Duke of Albany and Governor of Scotland. Jamie falls in with Robert III's heir Prince David who begins as a great match to out-wit and supercede his uncle Robert as Governor but ultimately fails. This leads to book three "The Captive Crown" where Jamie is forced into the highlands and befriends Alexander Stewart, son of the late Alexander "Wolf of Bandenoch" Stewart together they try to counter Albany's power and protect the surviving Prince James. All the while the Douglas clan continues to marry Stewart brides and gain titles and land. Then add in the ursurper Henry, now King of England who wishes to reinstate his ancestor Edward I, the longshanks, policy towards Scotland. A great, great read.

In this tale you follow the bastard son of a Douglas lord who in his first battle is knighted on the field for protecting the slain body of the Earl of Douglas. His loyalty to the earls' wife, the House of Douglas and to Scotland draw this heroic figure in to the intrigue behind members of the House of Stuart's tragic betrayal of the Scottish Crown.

Nigel Tranter has a rare and amazing gift for word craft. His ability to draw you into a tale is second to none. At every turn of the page I found my self reaching for a sword to help the young Jimmy Douglas.