18 Jun J R Tomlin The Douglas Bastard Book Review #HistoricalFiction #MedievalScotland #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @tomlinjeanne @cathiedunn

FEATURED AUTHOR: J R Tomlin

I am pleased to host J R Tomlin as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour that is being held between June 12th — June 23rd, 2023. J R Tomlin is the author of the Historical Fiction, Scottish Historical Fiction, The Douglas Bastard (Archibald the Grim Series, Book 1), released by the author on 26th April 2022 (185pages).

Below are highlights of The Douglas Bastard, J R Tomlin’s author bio, and my 5-star review of her novel.

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/04/blog-tour-archibald-the-grim-series.html

HIGHLIGHTS: THE DOUGLAS BASTARD

The Douglas Bastard

(Archibald the Grim Series)

By J R Tomlin

Blurb:

Young Archibald, the Black Douglas’s bastard son, returns from exile to Scotland ravaged by war. The war-hardened Knight of Liddesdale will teach him what he must learn. And with danger on every side, he must learn to sleep with one eye open and a claymore in his hand because even their closest ally may betray them…

Buy Links for The Douglas Bastard:

Universal Link:  https://books2read.com/u/4AAwdp

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0968X5V3Y

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0968X5V3Y

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0968X5V3Y

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0968X5V3Y

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-douglas-bastard-a-historical-novel-of-scotland-j-r-tomlin/1140930069

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ebook/the-douglas-bastard

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1606972264

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/J_R_Tomlin_The_Douglas_Bastard?id=AM12EAAAQBAJ

ARCHIBALD THE GRIM SERIES

Buy Links for Archibald the Grim Series:

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BDW1VJ61

Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BDW1VJ61

AUTHOR BIO: J R TOMLIN

J R Tomlin is the author of twenty historical novels.

Her historical novels are mainly set in Scotland. You can trace her love of that nation to the stories of Robert the Bruce and the Black Douglas that her grandmother read her when she was small and to her hillwalking through the Scottish Cairngorms where the granite mountains have a gorgeous red glow under the setting sun.

In addition to having lived in Scotland, she has traveled in the US, mainland Europe and the Pacific Rim. She now lives in Oregon.

Social Media Links:

Website: www.jrtomlin.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TomlinJeanne

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/j-r-tomlin

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/J.R.-Tomlin/author/B002J4ME1S

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4094154.J_R_Tomlin

BOOK REVIEW: THE BASTARD DOUGLAS

The Douglas Bastard by J. R. Tomlin is the first book in the series about Archibald Douglas, the bastard son of James Douglas, during the reign of King David II in 14th Century Scotland. It is a coming-of-age story about Archibald, orphaned as a nine-year-old boy and exiled to France with the young king. Archibald is placed under the care of Sir William Douglas, with whom he returns to Scotland to take back castles and lands from the English, setting the stage for King David’s return. Archibald rises in rank from squire to knight and ultimately fights in the disastrous Battle of Neville’s Cross, where the king is wounded and captured.

Author Tomlin has created an intriguing tale told from the first-person perspective of Archibald as he matures from an idealistic boy to a battle-hardened young man who becomes disheartened by the political machinations of noblemen pledged to fight for the king. Though conditioned to obey his superiors, Archibald sometimes disregards commands and openly questions Sir Williams’ brutal act of capturing and murdering a rival, whom the king had appointed as constable of Roxburgh and Sheriff of Teviotdale.

Vibrant descriptions of historical events ring true, such as a tournament hosted by the English during a temporary truce. The final chapters vividly describe the gut-wrenching horror of battle at Neville’s Cross. Archibald fiercely fights to protect his king, but he soon recognizes the hopeless situation when disloyal commanders and their men retreat and abandon them.

For those unfamiliar with the history of Scotland, it may be difficult to grasp how some of the characters are related to each other. The dialogue uses the Scottish dialect, but a glossary that defines the distinct terms is helpful.

Those who enjoy reading medieval Scottish fiction should find The Douglas Bastard an intriguing start to the epic saga of the historical figure known as Archibald the Grim.

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