The King's Swift Rider: A Novel on Robert the Bruce

Hunter (the Knight of the Golden Plain series) visits the 14th-century Scottish uprising against the English dramatized in Braveheart. Though not as gory as that film, the novel features enough ferocious bloodletting to make the squeamish squirm. The plot is driven by convenience: the teenage narrator, Martin Crawford, a messenger and spy for Robert the Bruce, sees every important leader of the day up close, including the dying King Edward I. He also observes (and sometimes plays a decisive behind-the-scenes role in) many major battles, despite their far-flung sites. Hunter further stretches credibility by portraying the Scots, especially Bruce, as near-saints who are fearsome killers only on the battlefield, while the unremittingly evil English commit atrocities wherever they go. In sum, a not-altogether convincing yarn, but, for those who like war stories, the battle scenes are stirring, the pace is brisk and the Scots' bravery in the face of overwhelming odds is inspiring. Ages 12-up. (Oct.)