Medieval History

All Good Things Must End: KINGDOM by Robyn Young

Kingdom by Robyn Young

Oddly, I had mixed feelings when I finally got to open this last instalment in Robyn Young's Insurrection Trilogy.

The first in the series, Insurrection, is one of my favourite books and reading it was a real highlight of my 2013 reading year, but there is no escaping the fact that this is a trilogy, and if you know anything about the Robert the Bruce story, and the Wars of Scottish Independence, then you will know some of the highs and lows of this book, and this trilogy as a whole.

My mixed feelings were these. Sadness, excitement, reluctance.

Sadness, knowing it was all going to come to an end. I had waited so patiently for this book's release. Was thrilled to the bone to find myself alone with it on a quiet evening. But I was still a little sad to see the story reach its zenith.

Excitement, as this is a story ? so much of it based in fact - of many climaxes. You do not have to wait for this final book for major historical events to unfold.

The battles, the betrayals, the demise of William Wallace, the unimaginable and unjustifiable crimes against the Bruce's friends and family. There is not one book in this series that does not have one or more of these poignant moments in British and Scottish history as its backbone. But in Kingdom, you have one of the biggest. You have Bannockburn

Reluctance, because this is not a series. This is a trilogy. The bucks stops here, folks, and if you got attached, prepare yourself for it all to end. There are no more after this one. The story has concluded.

I so often see authors writing long winded series' when they could have written a trilogy. I took comfort in knowing that this was not going to happen here. These magnificently written Insurrection books would wind up with book three.

There were enough important and fascinating events happening during this period of time that the author could have quite easily made the books shorter and stretched them into six books, but why would she do that, when she can turn them into a powerful trilogy? Each book an epic in their own right?

I for one, am glad this author has the guts to write epic books and complete them in the third instalment. It is truly refreshing and I can not wait for her next trilogy. I will devour them as readily as I have devoured these.

- MM

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Medieval History