I have been interested in this book since I first heard about it, and even though I had high hopes for it, it far surpassed expectations. Remember My Royalty is the best middle-grade historical fiction I've ever read. This is exactly the type of book I loved best at around 11 or 12. And now as an adult, it was just as gripping and well-written as I would have found it then. It truly is an 'all-ages' book in every sense - the main characters range from 11 to 16, and the themes, writing style, and story are highly compelling to children, teenagers, and adults alike.
Remember My Royalty combines Scotland and the Highland Clearances with the Texas Revolution and the Alamo. While the three main characters are fictional, almost all the other characters in the book, including the siblings' uncle, are real historical figures, famous and little-known heroes and ordinary people alike who fought in the war or were living in the area at the time. The author has done extensive research on all the people, places, and events of the time, and that research shines through every detail of the story.
I knew almost nothing about this part of history before reading the book, so at no point was I sure where the story would go. I learnt so much reading it, and the history was so well-presented that I felt as if I knew the real-life characters personally. I had actual chills almost the whole way through the last quarter of the book, that's how well it was written and how invested I was in the story. It covers the events leading up to the war, the siege of the Alamo, and the aftermath in fascinating detail. We see everything through the perspective of Hamish, a young Scottish immigrant fighting in the war and at the Alamo, and his sisters Catriona and Ealasaid, left behind in this new land of Texas with no family other than Hamish and their uncle, navigating life on the frontier and on the edge of the war, surrounded by danger and turmoil and for the most part having only rumours and vague reports of what is going on in the battles. Added to that, Ealasaid is an invalid, navigating bad health and the difficulties that come with the drastic change in climate. I loved that even though there is so much history and real events and people in the book, we never become detached from the main characters or their individual arcs, which are all so well-done. Also, I can't say that I preferred any POV over the others, which is unusual for me in a multi-POV book! I loved all three characters almost equally, and they were all realistic and deep characters. Also, all of the siblings were accurate to their ages in the time they lived in, in how they spoke, acted, and thought. It's rare to find a middle-grade historical fiction that doesn't make the characters too childish or act like modern-day children, but this book absolutely nailed it!
The whole book had an old-fashioned yet timeless feel to it which I LOVED. It was a lot like the adventure books written in the 1800s which I loved growing up, except only in the best ways. I think most modern readers would enjoy it even if older books weren't their thing. It often reminded me of the Little House on the Prairie series on the girls' side, and Hamish's story was reminiscent of G.A. Henty's books, but with more of a focus on the main character. The writing style, too, was like a mix of both those authors.
Each chapter title is a line from a song, for the most part Scottish folk and battle songs. Music plays a large role in the story, and one of my favourite parts of reading this book was getting to listen to each song as I read. The author has made a playlist on Youtube with many of the songs mentioned, and I highly recommend listening along as you move through the story! I loved all the Scottish references, from music to food to accents to traditions and so much more. The blend of Scottish and Texan history was so fascinating! I also liked that there was a clear difference in the characters' speech when they were speaking in Gaelic and when they were speaking English.
The invalid aspect also added to the story. There are so few good books for children and teenagers that feature characters who suffer health issues, especially Christian characters and the struggle that comes with that, and I really appreciated it here.
The themes were so good and well presented. Forgiveness, honour, courage in the great things of life and in the everyday, and remembering your earthly and spiritual heritage are just a few of the many themes that come together to create this rich, thought-provoking story.
Remember My Royalty is a compelling, fascinating, beautifully written historical fiction that boys and girls and adults of any age will all enjoy. If you love well-researched, easy-to-read historical fiction with strong Christian themes, flawed but highly likeable characters, Scottish and American history, siblings and strong family bonds, war stories that are suspenseful and true to life but never gory or overly violent, and a mix of adventure and slice of life, this book is perfect for you. And if you have children in your life aged approximately 10-14, who enjoy high-stakes yet slow-paced stories that don't shy away from deep topics and the hard things of life while at the same time never becoming too heavy, this is an absolute must-have. I know I will be getting a physical copy as soon as I can, and keeping it for any future children I might have as well as for myself!
I received an ARC (advanced review copy) of this book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.