The Douglas Bastard by J.R. Tomlin is book one in her series, “Archibald the Grim,” which is a spinoff series of “The Douglas Trilogy.’

J.R. Tomlin has quickly become one of my favorite historical authors. This book takes you back to Medieval Scotland during the 14th century Wars of Scottish Independence. King Robert the Bruce and the Black Douglas are dead — and Scots once more must fight for their freedom.
Young Archibald, the Black Douglas's bastard son, returns from exile to a Scotland ravaged by war. With treachery and danger on every side, he must learn to sleep with a claymore in his hand and one eye open because even his closest friend might betray him...

If there was a way to travel back in time I know I would choose to go to Medieval Scotland - it just fascinates me. This story is full of political treachery, everyday hardships, battles, continuing fights for freedom, ambitious men, and death … but it is also full of lessons, Archibald (Archie) goes through the wringer as he deals with his status among the Scottish nobility. What transpires is an engaging coming of age story; one that portrays the hardships, the development of a boy into a warrior, and the qualities of loyalty and trust.

I always enjoy medieval tales and even more when the author includes historical accuracy. Tomlin does history justice without allowing the story to become a dry text book.

If you enjoy stories written by Bernard Cornell, Donoven Cook, Oliver Clements, Philipa Gregory, or Peter Gibbons - I think you will enjoy this book!

📚Disclosure: I received a review copy of this #book from the author/publisher via #Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, comments, and interpretations of the story are my own and bias free. I did not receive any money in exchange for this review. Thank you to the publisher/author for allowing me the opportunity to review. 🦄
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An excellent story about an illegitimate boy fathered by a nobleman. Set in Scotland and with great use of the vernacular I really enjoyed the book. Some have mentioned the slow pace of the story and I can agree to some extent but this felt like a tome type book and was accordingly wordy. This is my first read by Tomlin and found the author to be highly articulate in the writing and the research was excellent. The characters are well drawn and I liked the main character while those around him were memorable after the book was finished. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advance copy of The Douglas Bastard, well done.

Dead is the Black Douglas. The crown of Scotland is up for grabs as adversaries want to overrun the realm now that their great hero is no longer ruling. Archibald, the bastard son of the Black Douglas and an orphan, battles for a nation that is being torn apart from inside and outside upon his return from exile. Because even his closest buddy may betray him, Archibald must learn to go to sleep with a claymore in his hand and one eye open if he wants to live. The brutal Second Scottish War of Independence, when Scotland’s very life is at stake, is the setting for this adventure.

The author’s study of this period is seen in the novel. He described armor and weaponry in great detail and spoke in a great deal of ancient vernacular. Even a glossary is included in the book so the reader doesn’t have to spend as much time looking up words like “ambuscade” and “Marischal.” My humble view is that this book should rank right up there with Millie Thom’s fantastic series of novels that trace the life of English legend Alfred the Great. The Black Douglas was a fantastic book to read, with vivid details that drew the reader in and kept them engaged. I would argue that there were too many characters, and it got challenging to remember who was who in the plot, aside from a few grammatical issues.

The characters are well-drawn, the writing is fluid, the author effectively paints imagery without using lengthy descriptive passages, the storyline is energetic and within the parameters of true history, and there are just enough surprises to keep the reader engaged and turning the pages. I adore how she included so many little elements of daily life in the tale. I had the impression that Archibald and I were standing together. Being the bastard son of a nobility presented challenges for him, including constant abuse by his peers. With equal odds, he survived. It is very conceivable how the author thinks this may have happened. The reader is transported into the action by the dramatic battle scenes. I like this book, and I want to read the rest of the ones in the series.

I’m sorry it took me so long to read this book! This is the opening story in the life of a powerful Scottish nobleman who started life as a bastard without an inheritance during the 100 Years War.

I didn't get it sent to my kindle before it was archived. I am unable to review it. Sorry and thanks for the review copy.

This book takes place between the years 1338 and 1346. It is the story of Archibald Douglas and deals with the Scottish War of Independence.

Archie is the Black Douglas' illegitimate son, which explains the title. His father was killed in battle, and when the book begins his mother has just died. Left an orphan at age nine, he's taken in as a page by his father's cousin, Sir William of Liddesdale.

I liked the MC. He was a scrappy little kid. He makes a slew of stupid mistakes, but all kids do. He wants to grow up to be a renowned knight like his father. For the first half of the book. he's relegated more or less to being an observer of the various players and events. And holy moly, there are a lot of characters. I had a lot of difficulty keeping track of all of them.

The book displays the author's evident research into this period. He used a lot of archaic vernacular and gave detailed descriptions of armor and weapons. My Kindle dictionary was working overtime while I read this book! I learned a slew of new words.

Although I love coming of age stories, this one suffered from significant pacing issues. Time creeps by at the speed of a glacier, until it abruptly doesn't. There will be a fight scene that moves like a bolt of lightening, and then it's back to tedious time increments again. To illustrate my point, by the halfway mark he's only twelve. Those three years slowly crept by! I found that I could easily set this book aside. I really like historical fiction, so it is the writing style, I suppose. When I read HF written by Bernard Cornwell or Douglas Jackson, it's the exact opposite problem: it's very difficult to stop reading.

I think this would work out well for readers that enjoy an authentic feel of a time period, and do not mind both an abundance of details and a slower pace.

I was provided this book from Netgalley and Albannach Publishing.

I hadn't read the previous books in this series but that didn't stop me from really enjoying this one. Archie Douglas is just nine years old and his mother has just died of the flux, his father Sir James Douglas is already dead. As his parents weren't married Archie is in a bit of a difficult position, but it isn't long before he's taken into the household of his friend the fifteen year old King David. They're exiled in France, but Archie dreams of getting back to Scotland to fight the English - and eventually he does.

My thanks to the publisher who sent me a digital copy of the book for review via Netgally.

I received an electronic ARC of this novel in exchange for an unbiased opinion and I am extremely happy I got this one.Historical fiction can not only entertain the reader but also teach and Tomlin’s The Douglas Bastard does just that. The plot of the hero’s journey is timeless but Tomlin makes it very hard to put down this story. The characters are believable and the dialects they speak are dpit on with the time period this is set in. This book was so good as soon as I finished I went and purchased 7 of the author’s other novels.

The Douglas Bastard by J. R. Tomlin is an interesting read, following Archibald Douglas, the Black Douglas’ bastard, since he is 9 years old, through his journey to become a knight. He doesn’t follow orders, puts others and himself in danger.
Well researched, there’s a glossary included at the end that’s really helpful.
Looking forward for more from this author.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

What a historical journey to the 14th century! Authentic right down to the Scottish brogue. Was like having my Grandmother Sinclair alive again! I didn't read the previous books but it didn't stop me from enjoying this. Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher! 3.5 stars

An absorbing book and I look forward to reading many more from this author, with a couple sitting beside me at present. Liking history and knowing the lie of the land helps greatly, but even if you didn’t, it is a book to enjoy.

This novel was absolutely enthralling from beginning to end. The historical setting was well depicted and really reflected the era, and the characters were richly drawn. There are some harrowing scenes in this book, but I guess that is to be expected. There are also lots of intrigue at court and a few romance stories to boot.

I thought this book was really wonderful and I will certainly be looking to reading the rest of the series.

*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.

I really enjoyed this book as I have pretty much all of of J R Tomlin's books, this one felt a little rushed but that might be because I wanted to keep reading the story.