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A review by kzimm2024
The Scottish Boy by Alex de Campi
5.0
4.5 stars. So close to being a favorite, rants at the end of the review. This book is a long read, M/M, not historically accurate but well written so I decided to take my time with it. The chemistry between these two is nuclear, one of my updates was just "wow".
We meet Harry, I love his candor:
"Finally, Harry thinks as sleep overtakes him, finally he’s going to be where the action is... (next day)
The action is horrible."
Harry meets the Boy:
"The boy spits, hitting Harry in the cheek. ‘You killed my family. I will kill every one of you.’
Harry uses his free hand – the one that isn’t gripping the boy’s bicep against his next escape attempt – to wipe the saliva from his face. He sighs, and changes tack.
‘I’m Harry. What’s your name?’
The boy laughs, sharp and hollow. ‘You killed them all and you don’t even know my name. Fuck you. Death. That’s my name.’"
(Funny how I just now realize that "My name is Death" comes in to play later.)
Harry is charged with taking Iain home and keeping him "safe", more like under lock and key to be used as a pawn later. But Harry doesn't roll that way.
As Harry tries to integrate him into his household:
"Harry hears Ralf stride up beside him, and glances up at the big blacksmith.
‘Thanks for standing by today.’
‘My pleasure,’ Ralf says, his eyes on Iain’s back.
His next words are a whisper. ‘He’s determined to hate you.’
‘I know,’ Harry breathes.
‘And he’s furious with himself that he’s failing,’ the blacksmith continues."
There is some fun dialogue between them throughout the story:
"As he scratches her bristly nose, he says, ‘You know my palfrey, Star.’
‘Well, not personally,’ Iain says."
Iain has no regard for his safety and runs, but is caught and viciously returned to Harry:
‘Why can’t you just hate me?’ Iain sobs under his breath. ‘It would be so much easier.’
‘Save your energy,’ Harry says. ‘We can fight tomorrow. Right now we have to rinse those scrapes out with vinegar before they fester. You’ve brought half the moor home with you.’
Harry, his poor horse:
Harry dismounts, shaking with anger.
He straddles the ditch and pulls Iain out by his hair until they’re face to face.
Iain visibly blanches at Harry’s expression of fury. ‘Do. Not. Ever. Stab. My. Horse. Again,’
Harry growls, glaring at the wet, muddy boy. ‘I don’t mind you trying to escape, but think up better plans.’
and "All he wanted was less stabbing, and no more running away." :)
Eventually, they fall in love and boy, what a love it is. Graphic, forbidden sex scenes (some ick moments with the germ police). Harry had always wanted a comrade, he had been raised with no friends his age and longed for that connection. It doesn't seem like Harry struggled with his sexual identity before Iain, since he didn't seek out anyone but Iain, so he loved the person Iain was (who was definitely bi) rather than the gender.
Iain has realistic reasons for going with boys. They were safe, rather than risk an unfortunate pregnancy with a girl. And that he felt he could be killed at any time and wanted to experience everything in life before a death that could come at any time.
They spend time going to tournaments and competing and I found that interesting yet filler as it builds the story. They meet foes and friends and eventually Alys comes along. They make a match solves a lot of problems.
Next comes a separation: I understand why the author needed a reason for Harry and Iain to part so the rest of the story could play out, that the reason for parting had to be good enough. It still hurt!
2 things that bothered me: Harry, as a 19 year old man, is NOT a good communicator. Shocker. Iain, a 17? 18? year old "boy", is not a good communicator either. They could have saved some betrayal if they had just talked! Also, years and years apart and Alys paid a price for that with Harry.
We follow Harry as he loses himself to grief and war for a few years
"Harry is glad he is riding to war. He badly wants to harm a lot of things."
before surprise- we get an HEA. I would have loved a longer epilogue. I feel like the whole long war and vendetta was wrapped up fast at the end and we get a glimpse of what their new normal life might look like but I definitely felt like it was an abrupt ending.
We meet Harry, I love his candor:
"Finally, Harry thinks as sleep overtakes him, finally he’s going to be where the action is... (next day)
The action is horrible."
Harry meets the Boy:
"The boy spits, hitting Harry in the cheek. ‘You killed my family. I will kill every one of you.’
Harry uses his free hand – the one that isn’t gripping the boy’s bicep against his next escape attempt – to wipe the saliva from his face. He sighs, and changes tack.
‘I’m Harry. What’s your name?’
The boy laughs, sharp and hollow. ‘You killed them all and you don’t even know my name. Fuck you. Death. That’s my name.’"
(Funny how I just now realize that "My name is Death" comes in to play later.)
Harry is charged with taking Iain home and keeping him "safe", more like under lock and key to be used as a pawn later. But Harry doesn't roll that way.
As Harry tries to integrate him into his household:
"Harry hears Ralf stride up beside him, and glances up at the big blacksmith.
‘Thanks for standing by today.’
‘My pleasure,’ Ralf says, his eyes on Iain’s back.
His next words are a whisper. ‘He’s determined to hate you.’
‘I know,’ Harry breathes.
‘And he’s furious with himself that he’s failing,’ the blacksmith continues."
There is some fun dialogue between them throughout the story:
"As he scratches her bristly nose, he says, ‘You know my palfrey, Star.’
‘Well, not personally,’ Iain says."
Iain has no regard for his safety and runs, but is caught and viciously returned to Harry:
‘Why can’t you just hate me?’ Iain sobs under his breath. ‘It would be so much easier.’
‘Save your energy,’ Harry says. ‘We can fight tomorrow. Right now we have to rinse those scrapes out with vinegar before they fester. You’ve brought half the moor home with you.’
Harry, his poor horse:
Harry dismounts, shaking with anger.
He straddles the ditch and pulls Iain out by his hair until they’re face to face.
Iain visibly blanches at Harry’s expression of fury. ‘Do. Not. Ever. Stab. My. Horse. Again,’
Harry growls, glaring at the wet, muddy boy. ‘I don’t mind you trying to escape, but think up better plans.’
and "All he wanted was less stabbing, and no more running away." :)
Eventually, they fall in love and boy, what a love it is. Graphic, forbidden sex scenes (some ick moments with the germ police). Harry had always wanted a comrade, he had been raised with no friends his age and longed for that connection. It doesn't seem like Harry struggled with his sexual identity before Iain, since he didn't seek out anyone but Iain, so he loved the person Iain was (who was definitely bi) rather than the gender.
Iain has realistic reasons for going with boys. They were safe, rather than risk an unfortunate pregnancy with a girl. And that he felt he could be killed at any time and wanted to experience everything in life before a death that could come at any time.
They spend time going to tournaments and competing and I found that interesting yet filler as it builds the story. They meet foes and friends and eventually Alys comes along. They make a match solves a lot of problems.
Next comes a separation: I understand why the author needed a reason for Harry and Iain to part so the rest of the story could play out, that the reason for parting had to be good enough. It still hurt!
2 things that bothered me: Harry, as a 19 year old man, is NOT a good communicator. Shocker. Iain, a 17? 18? year old "boy", is not a good communicator either. They could have saved some betrayal if they had just talked! Also, years and years apart and Alys paid a price for that with Harry.
We follow Harry as he loses himself to grief and war for a few years
"Harry is glad he is riding to war. He badly wants to harm a lot of things."
before surprise- we get an HEA. I would have loved a longer epilogue. I feel like the whole long war and vendetta was wrapped up fast at the end and we get a glimpse of what their new normal life might look like but I definitely felt like it was an abrupt ending.