This is the kind of history book that is the reason folks don't like history books. Instead of being as exciting as fiction and sweeping you into the story, it's dull and pedantic. There are excessively long quotes, duninteresting digressions that add nothing to the narrative, and few conclusions for anything dsaiod.

Much in the book is speculation. Pass on it.

The Afterlife of King James IV is a well researched historical account of King James IV, his final days, and the supernatural-like legacy that followed his death. The first few chapters are steeped in historical details of the monarch, the ways he shaped Scotland during his rule, and the events leading to and immediately following his death. There are elements of the supernatural sprinkled throughout these opening chapters, but this aspect of the book starts to pick up during the latter parts of the story. Parts of it read like a ghost story and parts of it read like a really good history book. In the end, it was a portrayal of how the aftermath of the death of a monarch and the mysterious events behind the retrieval or disappearance of his body can have a ripple effect in history that is still felt today.

I found this a fascinating book much better than I expectedi found it a great mix of history and folklore well worth reading

I have to say at the outset that this was a fascinating book. You don’t have to know a lot about Scottish history to know that the handsome, accomplished and heroic King James IV was killed at the battle of Flodden Field. The absence of a clearly-identifiable body led to the growth of a plethora of stories about what had become of the king…and this book looks in detail at some of them. James was much-loved and so his subjects were perhaps reluctant to see him go which, along with the widespread beliefs of the time in the supernatural, goes some way to explaining the growth of these tales.

I enjoyed it, although I found that it lost a little focus towards the end, wandering off into the highways and byways of Scottish (and other) folklore in its attempt to explain exactly how and why the stories took root when, it appears, there’s a perfectly reasonable case for the body having been taken to London. Nevertheless this is an engaging and impressively-researched book, as the vast quantities of reference indicate.

Thanks to Chronic Books and Netgalley for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

The Afterlife of King James IV: Otherworld Legends of the Scottish King was a fascinating read for me. I give it five stars. Loved it!

The Afterlife of King James IV is an intriguing mix of history and folklore. I am fascinated by this period in history and I felt this book really added to my knowledge and understanding of this turbulent time. The level of detail provided by Keith John Coleman is extraordinary. A great read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Chronic Books for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Afterlife of King James IV is one of the best books this spring! Chock-full of information, and amazing detail. I initially thought I was going to be reading more of a ghost story, but the history in this book had me captured by page two.
From Flodden Field to England, France and beyond - the legacy of King James was a hard one to live down. The idea that he lived beyond Flodden was something that was passed around and whispered. If this was true, then why would he have not returned home? There were so many questions surrounding this, but the author delved into each one with confidence and was able to satisfactorily lay the "ghost" of James IV to rest.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

I love historical books about royal personalities. The Afterlife of King James IV is a mixture of history and folklore. I feel it will appeal to a wider range audience than the usual historical books. What I like about this book is that it is very well written and it shows that the author has done all the background research thoroughly before writing it. At the end of the book, all the references are mentioned and they are many!

Overall the book was enjoyable. It provides you with all the information needed without boring you like many other historical books. The author has put more focus on the defeat of Scotland and the subsequent death of King James IV at the Battle of Flodden. There is also lots of mention about the myth surrounding his survival and where he was buried, but all these remain questionable.

Many thanks to publisher Chronos Books and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book and this is my honest unbiased review.

To be honest this really was just not for me. Whilst the premise of exploring the mythology surrounding James IV of Scotland was what drew me to this book, the delivery failed to hold my attention. I felt that it was at times repeatative, convoluted, and disorganised. It assumes a prior knowledge of both Scottish and royal history (which I have); however, I guess I was expecting something a little more chronologically presented - dealing with specific themes (birth, life, death, afterlife) individually rather than collectively. I am sure others will like this - just not for me and I left it unfinished.

A historical lesson mixed with the supernatural, against the backdrop of Tudor Era Scotland/England relations; what's not to like?

Admittedly, The Afterlife of King James IV begins in intimidating fashion, dropping you head first into a specific yet crucial Scottish time period. Keith Coleman does an admirable job of setting the scene and introducing the players, but the opening few chapters do progress slowly, especially for the reader uninitiated into the historical background. The focus of the book is Scotland's defeat and James IV's death at the Battle of Flodden, and the subsequent myth and legend surrounding the king's purported survival of the battle and the final resting place of his body.

While the beginning chapters were a bit tough for me, the book really hit its stride in the middle-to-end chapters, where Coleman details Flodden's aftermath for England and Scotland while interweaving sightings, folklore, and falsehoods surrounding James IV which lingered many years after. Coleman even covers modern "reincarnation" allegations from people who claim to be James IV reborn.

I would recommend this book mainly to aficionados of the time period, as I found myself as a novice to be a bit lost as times. However, I now do have the motivation to continue researching this time period, so that's a bonus in my opinion.

***I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***

The Afterlife of King James IV should be a major discovery for people of Scottish descent who want to know more about their heritage! The author, Keith Coleman, is a native of Dundee, where some of my ancestors came from. Just one more reason for me to find interest. I was fascinated to read about the iron belt worn by James IV for Lent, making it heavier year by year. I could not imagine wearing something like that all my life to assuage my guilt over my not very popular father's death. James III does not sound like a nice guy at all. I was also unaware that Margaret Tudor, who was apparently the sister to Henry VIII, practically twisted herself into a pretzel trying to talk her husband James IV out of going to war with Britain. The reports of James IV's survival of the Battle of Flodden remind me that mankind never changes--how like our myths of Elvis and Hitler! There are so many startling tidbits that I am loath to reveal as spoilers--stop reading now if you do not want to know, although there are loads of these--like the nude corpse of James III being paraded around Leicester, that no one will come away from this book unenchanted or without ripe and juicy dining table anecdotes. Very hard to put this book down! I want a physical copy of The Afterlife of King James IV now. Thank you, #NetGalley and #Chronos Books!

What impressed me about this book, was that it didn't start out with simple ghost stories of how the Scottish King, James IV, was seen after his death. Instead, it delved into history head first and gave the reader a good look at Scotland at the time and a feel for who the king and his predecessors were. Once the author introduced the important players in the life and death of the king, only then did he embark on the supernatural aspects of the book.


I enjoyed reading this. It was informational without being boring and didn't give me that sense of "yeah right," that so many books having to do with the supernatural tend to give me. This is a well-written and interesting book that clearly shows the author's depth of knowledge about his subject matter and his interest in his chosen era.


If you have not read this book yet and are a fan of Scottish history and monarchy, you should consider picking it up.


This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.