Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - The Scottish Boy

Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

The Scottish Boy by Alex de Campi

22 reviews

fractaltexan's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This is probably one of the best books I've read this year. It's a book that drew me in and kept me going! Perhaps it's my love of the Medieval period of history. But the book itself was beautiful. From the start, you find yourself immersed in a world of intrigue. Of politics, of perhaps fate in a world that can be cruel. Of the horrors of war laid bare. Of the trials of love brought forth in ways that make you cry.

I found myself in the world of Iain and Harry of Lyon. In the court of Edward III. This book really does well at immersing you in a world of a country knight, while mercilessly tugging at your heartstrings.

Content Warnings

kharlan3's review against another edition

Go to review page

Content Warnings

bea_s_not_here's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

katiehj's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny hopeful sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I can understand this book not being to everyone's taste, but I loved it! If you go into the story without any expectations and you don't like spicy books, you are not going to like this story. But Iain and Harry are both complex beautiful characters. And as another reviewer pointed out, while this book fails the Bechdel Test miserably, there are two loving, complex secondary female characters that are wonderful too.

I would definitely read this again!

Content Warnings

veralidaine's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

njh_books's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

If you are looking for a historically accurate historical fiction romance novel, please U-turn at your earliest convenience, if not, this may be for you.

It was decently believable until the last 150 pages and then...

It's a thick book, about 500 pages, yet it never really dragged for me. Some parts were slower than others but there was never really a point in the novel where I was begging for it to get on with it.

I quite enjoyed Harry and Iain, and they both grew on me as they grew up as well. Sometimes they were both idiots with each other, but they seemed to generally figure it out. Glad Iain got his revenge.

Alys is a rockstar as well and I enjoyed her wit and keeping Harry in check. While this is a MLM novel, Alys could be ace--her distain for the process to get pregnant to the point she basically does some medieval process of IUI and that she desires a courtly love, not a physical/sexual one, speaks of that potential.

The dynamic between Harry, Iain, and Alys I would've loved to see more of, simply because the last scene was killer and the three of them seem to balance each other out well. Liked the ending where the protagonist, the lover, and the best friend all can get along and live in harmony.

Some fav quotes/scenes that may have made me giggle:

"The aide scrunches his face in discomfort. ‘Those are the private royal gardens, Sir Harry. We do not look towards them nor do we reach into them, unless we have a very great desire to lose our hand.'
Harry's face reddens in embarrassment as he is led away from the bench, probably never to be allowed near it again.
'Are you worried the King overheard your prayer?' the aide asks.
'No. I prayed in English,’ Harry says.
'Pfft,' the aide snorts. ‘Then God did not hear it either, for He does not speak the vulgar tongue.'"(474)

"Alys finds the chest containing the scarves and ribbons. Her brow furrows. ‘lain, why on earth do any of us need so much haberdashery? I, for one, have no intention of ever going to court again.’
‘Well,’ lain whispers, in his rough, ruined voice, 'you're going to go through a lot of ribbons, because every time that great Sassenach idiot rides into a tournament he's going to need a favour.'
‘Oh lord,’ Harry groans. 'You're teaming up on me?’
And two bright, mischievous brunets look at him and grin. 'Who, us?' says Alys, her face innocent.
‘We'd never,’ purrs lain." (505-506)

Content Warnings