Price of a Princess

by Nigel Tranter

Book Overview

A riveting tale of romance, treachery and heartbreak, set in 15th century Scotland: the story of Mary Stewart, eldest sister of James III of Scotland and her part in making Orkney and Shetland part of Scotland.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 034060994X
• ISBN13: 9780340609941
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.4" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

Pawn of the Medieval Age

This Tranter novel was short but sweet. Unlike most of the previous stories we see Medieval Scotland through the eyes of a woman,Princess Mary, the older sister of King James III. She starts as a guiding hand to her 15 year old brother-King. After the take over of government by Lord Boyd, who becomes Regent, she is forced to marry Boyd's son who is elevated to Earl of Arran. Love blossoms between Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran and Mary finds herself a more able statesman than most men of the time. She and her husband become envoys to many European countries and help cement ties for Scotland. She helps gain the Orkney and Shetland Islands and a wife for James III from the King of Denmark for Scotland. Then things unravel as the Boyd regime falls and more trials and heartbreak follow for this wise woman. She ultimately leaves her mark on Scotland for she is the mother of the future Hamilton, Earls of Arran who impact the crown during the time of James V and Queen Mary of Scots. A powerful character but still a pawn of the time. This short read is vivid and full of description. It shows the trials and expectations that royal women endured that the men did not. A nice breath of fresh air and new point of view from a woman's stance as I read the series in Chronological order. The sequel, Lord in Waiting, by Tranter is next on the list and I hope a worthy successor to this book.