Once again Yolen and Harris succeed in creating another fascinatingly intoxicating tale of the Scottish Highlands, where loyalty to one's king is first, and bravery comes at a high price. A long journey is traveled, friends and family are lost, and a boy grows up. Wolves become foxes and life changes forever.
In Prince Across the Water, diehard bravery is shown in every character featured, whether they are men, women, young or old. Unfortunately, many of these courageous people of the Scottish Highlands pay the price for their bravery, in a bloddy battle against overwhelming odds in which old friends are lost, and new friends are gained.
The characters in this book are engaging and seem to draw you into the story with them. The persuasiveness of the prose has the reader rooting on the Scottish, booing their enemies, crying when the brave die, and laughing with the clansmen and their families.
I definitely recommend this book to the slightly more mature reader because of the few gory scenes and their detailed descriptions, but that only makes the story all the more realistic. If you like getting lost in time with a believable character and nothing but a dirk at your side, this book is for you, without a doubt.