An excellently researched debut novel from the perspective of Peter Young, the tutor of James VI of Scotland. Historical fiction is littered with accounts of Mary Queen of Scots, but I have not read much on the early life of her son, James VI so I was very interested in reading this one. If you are a fan of historical fiction with a solid plot that is historically accurate and well-researched, you will love this book. I absolutely loved this, but what kept me from giving it a full 5 stars is that it tends to be dense and reads with and academic leaning in places. I don't mind that overly much; however, readers who don't read non-fiction from this time period may struggle. 4.5 Stars

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a review copy of this novel.

Tvordi's debut novel details life in Scotland during the late 1500s, particularly following a teacher to the young King named Peter. Based on true historical events, the story is rich with information and plot, and the characters, most being real, were engaging to follow in day-to-day life. The novel's ideas were clear, and it certainly boasts a unique set of literary characteristics

That said, I think this book would have benefited from traditional publishing. I understand the difficulty, especially in this day and age, to get a book published, I really do. But, this book has a lot of potential that I think wasn't fulfilled. The writing was strong, especially for a new author voice, but there were many instances in which words were repeated, thus making them redundant, or sentences clunky. Deeper editing might have revealed that. Another thing that took me out of the narrative was the passage of time. Some sections would be over the span of four years, but how that time passed was never clear.

Finally, there was a lot of "telling," and not so much "showing." I personally am a fan of pieces that engage the soul of the reader, allowing them to step right in to the world they are experiencing on the page. During most of this novel, I didn't feel that, even though I felt as though it had the potential to take me there.

This is certainly not a negative rating. I enjoyed my time reading this and commend Tvordi for the strong work that was present. I just think it needed some deeper work.

An intriguing look at the early life of James I and VI and his relations with an older man. This novel is well written and satisfying and brings the reader into a world not often explored.

If you enjoy thoroughly researched, well written historical fiction with engaging characters and a great plot,, The Schoolmaster is the book for you. I loved it!

This story is captivating. I really enjoyed reading it, and Tvordi's writing style is a mix of modern and of the time, which allows for the reader to be brought into the world but still understand what is being said. The characters and their relationships are carefully crafted, and even when tensions are there due to the situations they are in, the social class they are a part of, and the politics of the time, you can feel the weight of their actions on them. The history of Scotland is so interesting, and being brought into that time period with such a strong narrative and characters shows how talented Tvordi is with the way everything is balanced and carefully crafted.