A Kingdom's Cost cover art

A Kingdom's Cost

A Historical Novel of Scotland (The Black Douglas Trilogy, Book 1)

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A Kingdom's Cost

By: J.R. Tomlin
Narrated by: Gary Furlong
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About this listen

Eighteen-year-old James Douglas can only watch, helpless, as the Scottish freedom fighter William Wallace is hanged, drawn, and quartered. Even under the heel of a brutal English conqueror, James' blood-drenched homeland may still have one hope for freedom, the rightful king of the Scots, Robert the Bruce. James swears fealty to the man he believes can lead the fight against English tyranny.

The Bruce is soon a fugitive, king in name and nothing more. Scotland is occupied, the Scottish resistance crushed. The woman James loves is captured and imprisoned. Yet James believes their cause is not lost. With driving determination, he blazes a path in blood and violence, in cunning and ruthlessness as he wages a guerrilla war to restore Scotland's freedom. James knows he risks sharing Wallace's fate, but what he truly fears is that he has become as merciless as the conqueror he fights.

©2011 J.R. Tomlin (P)2020 Tantor Biographical Fiction Fiction Genre Fiction Scotland King Royalty Highlander

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love the story. shame it was narrated by so.eone who didn't know how places are pronounced by the Scots. A few glaring language differences. other than that a good story about a great man un our history.

Great Story

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A decent historical romp through Scottish history.

Given the accent of the reader I’d have thought his pronunciation of Scone etc might have been less annoying! Nevertheless I enjoyed it and might try part 2.

A good tale

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Beforehand I knew of the Lord of Douglas by name, knowing he one of them was important next to Robert The Bruce. I knew of the way a Douglas would die (spoiler: in Spain), and I knew of one who would fight a young Edward 3rd. I knew one was called Black Douglas. Turned out Black Douglas was the very same Douglas from the first two things I knew about the family.
An exciting story, slapped into the center of Scottish independency. Some of the characters dont get that much time to feel close to, others a lot more attention. It’s interesting, exciting, at times brutal, and endearing. Surprised by the lovemaking scenes described in such details, but I guess it’s neither too detailed nor uncommon. Narrator did a good job, though at times the accents are difficult for a non-Scots ears.

The climatic and anti-climatic story of Scottish independence.

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I don't know what J. R. Tomlin has got against horses - perhaps a Shetland pony bit him as a child ? - but he certainly seems to enjoy killing them off. Every second chapter it seems has a vivid description of yet another horse hacked, maimed, impaled on a pike or otherwise butchered ... Which I know would very much have been the reality of war in the 14th century ... But he really seems to relish the descriptions of these nasty deaths, as horse after horse after horse meets a grisly end.

Usually, I am an absolute cry baby when it comes to animals suffering or dying, and I would have been utterly put off any book, archiving it unfinished after the second or third chapter and/or death, so it's a testament to how enthralling I found "Kingdom 's Cost" overall that I stuck with it all the way through (even if I did fast forward through a couple of battles !)

The book hits just the right notes of tragedy, romance, heroism and historical accuracy to keep you hooked, although the story of Robert the Bruce and the ill-fated 1306 rebellion are well known, especially the final outcome ... I will be spending a credit or two on the rest of the series, and thoroughly recommend this volume at the very least to anyone with even a passing interest in Scottish history.

"A Kingdom's Cost" J. R. Tomlin

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Loved it from beginning to the end. Excellent narrator. Well worth reading if you like Scottish historical novels.

A fantastic historical novel

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a very cleverly written book with a good use of historical facts, very creativly written a must read / listen.

A Kingdoms Cost

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five stars all day long. I'm going straight to get the sequels and hope they are half as good!

one of the very best I've read

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nothing not to like listen yourself thei won't let me leave review until 15 more words

Well worth a listen enjoyed the series well read and well written

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The Black Douglas is a larger than life character who more than deserves his own narrative. A commander in Bruce’s army which fought in the Scottish wars against Edward Longshanks he was a guerrilla tactician, a wily fox, and a loyal knight. The writing is beautifully crafted, and the narration excellent, bringing both plot and characters to life. Excellent.

Fascinating history, wonderful story

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I really enjoyed the story, though it was necessarily bloodthirsty. beautifully read, but tbecrepeated use of "mayhap" became irritating, used 10 times per chapter! I guess it was in an attempt to be of its time, but it began to grate, spoiling an otherwise really good tale.

a good historical novel

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