To Crown A King

by Raedene Jeannette Melin

Scotland, 1295. The kingdom is on the verge of rebellion. John Balliol wears the crown, but even his powerful Comyn kin cannot break King Edward of England’s insatiable desire to conquer the northern realm.

For Christina Bruce, neither man is worthy of being called King of Scots. Born into the influential Bruce family, the only noble house to rival the Comyns, she is expected to obey her father and side with England. But when a chance meeting with an outlaw named William Wallace brings her into the conflict, she risks everything to get what she wants most – freedom.

From award-winning author Raedene Jeannette Melin, To Crown A King is the empowering tale of Christina Bruce and her struggle between family loyalty and Scottish freedom. Discover her untold story and follow along as she takes her destined place in history.

Genres: Historical Fiction, British Literature, Scotland, Historical, Fiction

298 pages, Paperback

First published December 10, 2019

About the author

Professional procrastinator, sharpie addict, servant of ungrateful dogs.
Fueled by strong coffee, repressed emotions and fits of diabolical laughter.

Raedene Jeannette Melin is an award-winning fiction writer and author of the new novel To Crown A King. Born in British Columbia, Canada, she holds a BA in History and a Master’s in Integrated Studies. Her debut novel, Las Hermanas, published in 2018, won the National Indie Excellence Award for adventure fiction and placed as a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Infatuated with trees and fresh mountain air, Raedene lives in Salmon Arm with her husband and two dogs.

Visit Raedene online at www.rjmbooks.ca.
Find Raedene on Facebook and Instagram or follow her on Twitter @RJMBooks.

Reviews

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am big fan of historical fiction but this one did not hit the mark for me. There were brief moments of intrigue, but overall I was mostly left wanting more. I believe more character and plot development was needed to prevent the story line from remaining stagnant.

Recipe of this novel: Christina rides somewhere, discussions are had, she rides somewhere else... throw in some expressions of tiredness and repeat.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Other then what I learned while watching Braveheart, I know very little about the history of Scotland. This novel intrigued me as it focuses on a young woman from an influential noble family in 1295 Scotland. Christina Bruce, a descendant of Celtic & Norman kings, was an influential person during the Scottish Wars of Independence, however, very little is truly known about her. While her father pledges loyalty to England, she is left to make tough decisions for herself & her family.

What I loved: Christina 's character. She is brave, fierce & loyal to a fault sometimes. The author takes great detail in fleshing out Christina's life & her role in the Scottish War. And there is a lot of history & historical events that I really enjoyed reading about. And Christina's relationships with her family & the heads of the other noble families is full of drama. I also loved the special relationship Christina develops with William Wallace.

What I didn't: There are a lot of characters to keep track of. Some that disappear for a bit & then show up just when you've forgotten about them. The story struggles with pacing & can be a bit slow in parts (lots of riding back & forth.) It is also very heavy on the history which I actually enjoyed. However, there were parts where the events felt rushed through that should have been elaborated on more fully & character's motives detailed a bit more.

To Crown A King is rich on history and drama. What it lacks in pacing, it makes up for with a strong female character, an interesting family dynamic & leaves you wanting more.

*I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.*
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[Lee]

Set during Scotland's war for independence, we follow Christina Bruce. She fights to find her own place in the world and tries to help her country be the country she thinks it can be.

This biographic piece had a lot of history in it that often at times felt clunky and thick. My knowledge of the Scottish war for independence doesn't exist, but even with the history laid on throughout the novel, I don't feel like it's any better. It slowed down the pace and didn't make it an easy read for me.

It wasn't only the thick history that slowed the novel down for me, but the writing in general. It was all clunky and didn't flow well. At times, the writing felt like it was aimed for younger readers. The blend between fiction and non-fiction didn't feel cohesive. There was a divide there which left me feeling like I was reading a non-fiction story more than a fiction story based on history.

Due to the writing, I had a hard time getting to know Christina. The story spanned for around ten years, so I should have gotten to know her and see how much she changed over the years, but I didn't get any of that. She came across as rather plain to me when I'm sure she was anything but.

I was eager to dive into this novel, but due to the writing and the ending, this book really missed the mark for me.

[Becs · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the first half of this book I though I would be giving it 4 stars, but unfortunately it ended up being a 3 star read for me.
This book is set during the Scottish war for independence and we follow Christina Bruce (or de Brus) who was the sister to Robert Bruce, who later became king of Scotland. I don't know much about this time period, and therefore can't really comment on how accruent the book are in that regard. But from the small amount of research I have done after reading the book, it does seem to be quite accurate (but please don't quote me on that). So I really enjoyed getting to know some more about the Scottish history during my read of this book.
I really liked Christina as a character and though she was done really well in the book. But we got introduced to quite a few male characters, who we met multiple times during the book, but we didn't really get to know them. And so every time one of them recurred in the story I couldn't remember who they where, which was quite confusing.
Other than that I though it was a really atmospheric book, and I was mostly enjoying myself during my read of it.

[A N N A · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was sent a copy through Net Galley in exchange for a honest review.

This story focuses on the character of Christina Bruce, based on the real life sister of King Robert the Bruce.

This felt more like a middle grade or a very young teen novel rather than a full on historical fiction book. The writing was very basic and I felt that a lot of it would have been a little bit of a stretch for the times - I doubt Christina would have been left on her own for her to keep bumping into strange men left, right, and centre.

BUT! I would take this review with a grain of salt as I have been in a terrible slump for a little while and nothing has made me happy reading wise. By all means, if this summary catches your eye, please give it a go!

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:
Scotland, 1295.
Edward I of England wants control of Scotland. A man named John Balliol wears the Scottish crown but not for long. Christina Bruce is a daughter of Robert Bruce. When the story begins he is in Norway with her older sister Isabel. Christina lives with her grandfather, also Robert Bruce. She’s betrothed to a man she doesn’t love. She avoids this arrangement. She is a woman of determination and rebellion. In an era when females were under the control of their fathers, Christina is not a woman who will obey.
Throughout the story, Christina seems to be in the right place at the right time to become involved with a strong historical figure involved in the Wars of Independence. For example, William Wallace. Without being said, she has a reputation as a wise person who can be counted on for planning and carrying out missions.
My Thoughts:
To Crown a King is my kind of historical fiction. I love Scottish history. I love this time period. And, to top it off, I read about an ancestral family member in the story. I’m not going to name him, because he made a history defining poor choice. I read somewhere else he later apologized.
Christina is a story hero I love. She has strength, maturity, boldness, wisdom, and insight. She’s an imperfect person and this makes her both enduring, likable, and believable. I do have a slight problem with her being in the right place at the right time so often. This seems staged. However, later in the story this “right place” ends.
I like the story, because it is a story that’s not been told until this book.
I like this story, because William Wallace is a character I enjoy reading. He is a likable fellow. He is shown not as a machismo type, but he’s shown as a thinking, observing, guileful warrior.
To Crown a King shows the Scottish noble families and who they aligned with; of course, sometimes they changed to another leader. This story told me people betray those thought to be trusted.
The story is in an era when the brutality of war and aggression is common. It’s also a time when vengeance and revenge is expected.
The Scottish people did not want their land to be controlled by the English king. They were ready to fight and lay down their lives for freedom. This is the number one theme.
The culture of women is shown. However, Christina is a remarkable character for this era.
Source: NetGalley ebook copy. I received a complimentary copy, but was not required to leave a positive review.

[Melisende · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would suggest having some sort of pre-knowledge of the period in order to keep track of the characters in this fictional account of Cristina de Brus at the time of the Scottish Wars of Independence in the 13th century.

The book, for me, was a quick read. Whilst attracted to the premise of focusing on a rarely explored period in Scottish history and bringing to the fore one of the less-known Bruce women, I really felt no connection with the character of Cristina.

I could also not decide if this is a single story or part of something more.

[The Geeky Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review coming soon.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

To Crown a King is a historical fiction novel starring Christina Bruce, sister of Robert the Bruce, and her imagined role in the First War of Scottish Independence with William Wallace. I alternated between three and four stars while reading and ultimately settled on three. As a US American with a Scottish-born grandmother from the Wallace family, stories about William Wallace and the war fascinate me. And this was a good story with a unique angle. The Christina Bruce in this story is a badass - she schemes, she travels, she gets stuff done. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read that I think anyone who enjoys historical fiction will similarly enjoy.

My struggles with the book were mostly annoyances that distracted me from being fully immersed in the story. First, smirking seemed to be used as a plot device. There were a few scenes where multiple people were smirking. It's a rare enough word that when used so frequently and in this way, it's incredibly distracting. Secondly, there were a few awkward foreshadowing and cliffhanger attempts. Something would happen that had a direct impact on an upcoming event - it's based on history, we know it's coming - but instead of letting it play out, we would get something along the lines of, "little did Christina know just how much it would change." It felt clumsy and ultimately unnecessary.

My biggest issue and the reason I chose three stars over four was the brevity of the author's note at the end. With a historical fiction novel, I like to know at the end what was actually real and what was the author filling in the blanks. Instead, we got one paragraph stating we don't know much about her other than her parents, her husband, and another fact not within the scope of this book. I would have liked to know why and how Melin chose to fit Christina into the events of the war and even which of the events are true. Maybe she elaborates in interviews but when I'm in the groove of a book, I like to finish with a sense of what's real.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Rachel Feeck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Prior knowledge of 13th century Scotland highly recommended. I came into this with no historical context other than the notion that England and Scotland have a bumpy history (and that kilts were at one time outlawed), and I was quickly lost in a sea of names.

Nearly every scene featured a new character, and the author helpfully introduced them with two sentences of background. However, for the sake of the narrative, I wish some characters had been omitted, even if it diminishes historical accuracy. I was often guessing whether someone was important or would never be mentioned again.

Christina is the second daughter of the proud Bruce family, and the majority of this story involves her dashing back and forth across the lowlands and running into people (literally, she literally collides). They exchange a few words, and the point of the conversation was lost on me until the next scene, when suspense is set aside and more critical historical context is revealed. Christina reads more as a documentary host than a protagonist: she tells tons of facts and background (something like: this was the cousin of our rival so-and-so, notorious for losing a flock of chickens), but I struggled to pick up her motives and emotions in the narrative. Classic case of tell instead of show, which I'd excuse since this is a historical piece, except I wasn't told the things I needed to know to follow the story.

I really wish the beginning chapters had set up the political landscape: Who was William Wallace? Why is he disliked by the Scottish and English kings? What does Christina think about all of this politics? The more historically savvy might get along without this information, but I was floundering.

I kept reading because the historical events are so dramatic, but I gave up keeping track of characters.

**Thanks to Netgalley and Skjaldmaer Publishing for the free ebook**

[Dana K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is a retelling of the history of the first war of Scottish independence depicted in Braveheart from the female perspective. Christina Bruce, sister to Robert the Bruce, is the central character and according to this version of the story was a pivotal character in history.

This story was action packed covering this time period in Scottish history from many different aspects. It depicts the stark violence of the time and how little influence women had in the time period. Contrasting that, Christina is a dynamo who is every bit as fierce and cunning as the rest of her family often going toe to toe with heads of rival Scottish families, English lords and even William Wallace himself.

I enjoyed the story, although I strongly doubt its probability, it was nice to reimagine the events as told. I appreciated that the story was told with conflict and emotion without being overly dramatic simply because the protagonist was a female. Melin’s approach to writing female-centric historical fiction reminded me of Phillippa Gregory or Alison Weir. This was a great read whether you know Scottish history or are looking to learn some more about it (this is an easy toe-dip in for those intimidated by heavy historical depictions). The only hitch for me was that the ending totally left me wanting more, hopefully a continuation is in the works!

I received an ARC of this novel via @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

"To Crown A King" is the empowering tale of Christina Bruce and her struggle between family loyalty and Scottish freedom. This book helps readers discover her untold story and follow along as she takes her destined place in history.
Born into Scotland's influential Bruce family, Christina is expected to obey her father and side with England. But she believes that Scotland should be free, and her grandfather did, too, and challenged her to think for herself and follow her dream. A chance meeting with an outlaw named William Wallace brings her into the conflict, and she risks everything to get what she wants most – freedom.
Author Raedene Jeannette Melin does a good job writing in a descriptive, engaging way, The book contains tons of characters, though, and it's easy to get confused about who's on which side. Too much telling rather than showing bogs the book down in the last half, too.
Overall, this book is an interesting read. It prompted me to do more research on Christina and her country's history. I also drew parallels between Christina's world and our world today. "Inhumanity (from England's King Edward toward his Scottish subjects) was building rebellion." We can see the same thing happen today and must decide if we'll stand on the side of tradition or forge our own path on behalf of freedom.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

To Crown a King by Raedene Jeanette Melin is the fictionalized story of Christina Bruce, the sister of Robert the Bruce, and the struggle of William Wallace to win Scotland's independence. Little is documented of Christina but Melin has taken what there is and made in into a wonderful story, reminiscent of many of the Wallace and Robert Bruce stories already written, but from a new perspective. Christina is unique among women of the time, and yet extremely traditional. She outlived many of her contemporary rebels, living to marry twice and support the cause courageously.

To Crown a King is an extremely readable book and Christina a very sympathetic character. The plot was what it was and Melin managed to uncomplicate it and make it accessible to a lover of history but not a non-fiction reader. The struggle is real and has been going on for a thousand years...still is today although not nearly as violently as in the past. I recommend this book highly for any lover of history or of Scotland.

I received a free ARC of To Crown a King from Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netballey #tocrownaking

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read my fair share of historical fiction, but this is the first book I’ve read set during the Scottish War for independence. I quite enjoyed the (canceled too soon) show Reign and I have always been intrigued by Scottish history so when I saw this on Net Galley, I thought I would put in a request. The story follows Christina Bruce and the events leading up to her brother, Robert the Bruce being crowned King of Scotland.

Ultimately this book was just meh for me. I liked the premise and Christina was a well written character, but it just felt like most of the book was facts of families that ruled and lands they owned. Up until the last couple of chapters it felt like I was reading a textbook. I would have much preferred the focus had been on Christina the person and less on the war going on around her. Even though this book was too heavy on the historical and too light on the fiction for my tastes I’m still giving it 3 stars because writing any type of historical fiction can’t be easy and I have much respect for any author that takes a shot at it.

[Amy McElroy · Rating 3 out of 5]

To Crown A King is a story of Christina Bruce. Sister to Robert the Bruce she is noble born in Scotland and finds herself embroiled in the rivalry between the Comyns and Bruce families. Her father has sworn allegiance to King Edward of England placing her and her siblings in a very difficult position.

On a chance meeting she meets William Wallace, a man who seeks the same thing as her, freedom!

As war descends, Christina finds she cannot follow her father's orders but will her siblings?

I quite enjoyed this but it did get a bit tiresome reading about Christina going off on her horse alone to all these different places.

I liked some of the characters like Cailean and Wallace ( I may be biased as I adore Braveheart) but I found myself wanting more from Christina and Seton. I wanted to know more of her thoughts and his. I think those two could have been developed a lot better.

That being said it was an enjoyable read and I would like to read more so I hope there's a sequel!

[Helen Leighton-Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historically based on Christina Bruce, Sister of the Scottish Robert Bruce. Although based on historical facts I felt the character development had not been researched or written about well. Am sure a woman of such high standing would not have been without waiting women or at least a maid in constant attendance. She does a lot of jumping onto her horse and riding away with no thought to any of this. The book is a useful tool to investigate Scottish history - a period often selected, however I would have really liked to have gotten more into Christina's 'head'. There is little description of her everyday dress, feelings or female companions. It was a good read, could have been improved greatly had it really looked Christina's whole life, not just her actions going from one place to another.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to start out by writing that my "go to" genre is historical fiction though mostly in the 20th century. I know nothing about Scottish history nor of the heroes/heroines of those times. No, I did not see Mel Gibson's movie. I enjoy books with strong women and Christina lives up to this attribute. Maybe because of my lack of knowledge, I found there were too many characters to keep track of especially with the swapping the use of first and/or last names. Maybe a character diagram would have been helpful. For the most part, I found the pace consistent throughout the book. My rating is 3.5 but rounded up to 4. I am sure a reader with interest in this part of history would enjoy To Crown a King.

[Marti Monet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and the interesting perspective it brought to the Scottish rebellions in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. Christina was a lovely character to read and I found myself identifying with her often. I enjoyed the writing but felt that some of the time jumps were a bit unexpected and hard to keep track of as the story continued. I am a bit upset with the way the book ended but only because it left me wanting so much more of Christina's story. I love a good cliffhanger and I do feel that Raedene delivered there. If there is a next installment I will definitely be snatching it off the shelf.

[CR · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love historical fiction and although I know that this is fiction I still expect the historical parts to be believable. This one however just didn't follow along with that aspect of historical at least not with what I have devoured in the past. This book as very VERY fast paced. Within 3% of the title the MC was sent to collect the rents and killed someone that attacked her and then that person ended up being a spy. It was just way way over the top within the first few pages. I wished that the story would have taken the time for me to get to know the characters and then the story itself.

[Polly Krize · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a fan of historical fiction, I was pleased to read this excellent book by Raedene Jeannette Melin. As the sister of Robert Bruce, Christina Bruce was an important player in the history of Scottish independence from Britain. Although finding herself in opposition to her father and brother, she maintained her ideals and fundamental belief to protect her family. Recommended reading.

[Trick Wiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is about some of the beginning of Scottish history which not much is written about not like English history!You will enjoy where this story takes you and helps you understand why and when history is in the making happened! It moves to me a little slow,a little boring at times but then all of a sudden it gets better! Didn't get confused on the change of events as they happen so if I didn't you wont! Enjoy!! Thank you Met Galley for this go to read first!

[S.E. Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was an interesting viewpoint of Scottish history and broadly the author built that medieval world very well. I liked the main character and her family and cared what happened to them, although I did at points find the numerous subsidiary characters a bit confusing. That said I've always found the history of Scotland at the time confusing,( and the brutality of Edward II against the Scots and Welsh horrifying,) so I'm sure it was no easy task.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone has watched Braveheart, right? This is the story of Scotland and William Wallace told from the perspective of Robert Bruce's sister. I enjoyed reading about the story from a women's perspective. After reading this book it is easy to understand how Scotland was dominated by the English. A interesting read!

[Krista C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read!

I really enjoyed this fictional account of Christina Bruce. Great women are so lost in history. I’m glad we have have historical fiction to imagine what it was like. I cannot wait for the next installment! Thank you for such an enjoyable read.

[Pamela Beckford · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot and story was very good. But I knocked this down two stars due to all the typos and lack of proofreading.

[Skye Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! It’s been quite a while since I’ve had a book that was filled with late night drooping eyes but refusing to put the book down... seriously though. Fantastic read!

[Mizkikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 to many characters, places, and history i didn't need

[Brianna Grunst · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had boring parts don’t get me wrong, most of it was riding from place to place and having secret meetings with men I forgot the names of, but the main character and the love interest made it worth the read. Knowing the book is based on a real person made it personally more intriguing to me. Christina is a great female character who is strong and independent and hates that her father and brother are supposed to decide everything for her including who she will marry and who she will support in a war of independence. She takes it into her own hands to try and change her fate and I really admired that about the character. The love interest is what kept me hooked though, it was only implied at first but the shared smiles and awkward silences made me smile. This book is definitely not for everyone but I loved it, I just wish I didn’t have to keep turning back the pages to remember if I was supposed to know the people she was talking to.

[Jessica Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book because I love Historical Fiction and had high hopes for this one about Christina Bruce. It really disappointed me. I just couldn't get into it. There was a lot of really boring parts that I just skimmed over. Christina was annoying. I just did not like it.

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The setting is Scotland in 1295 and The Kingdom is on the verge of rebellion. Christina Bruce, an influential person during the Scottish Wars.
Her father pledges allegiance to King Edward of England and she is left to make tough decisions for her family and herself.
Will Christina and her siblings follow their father's orders as War descends?
The author did a wonderful job and I very much would like to know and read more about Christina Bruce, sister to Robert the Bruce, crowned the King of Scotland. Fast paced and I had to read to the very end.

Thank you to Publisher and NetGalley for the eARC