Unwilling to fight but feeling a sense of duty, sixteen-year-old Martin Crawford joins Scotland's rebel army as a swift rider and master of espionage for the leader, Robert the Bruce.
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"Are you there the man they are hunting? Can you hear me? If you can, come quickly to the river, and I will save you."
Sixteen-year-old Martin Crawford succeeds in rescuing this fugitive—only to be surprised that the hunted man is none other than Robert the Bruce, rightful King of Scots. Hoping to lead a quiet life, Martin instead is asked by the king to commit himself to the war the Bruce is fighting to regain Scotland's freedom from the brutal rule imposed on it by the English.
The rebel campaign gathers bloody momentum. Martin impresses the Bruce with his resourcefulness and valor, and also learns the elements of espionage. He is proud then to be chosen as the king's swift rider—a vital link in the freedom army's scattered forces. And such is his daring and boldness in this dangerous position that the Bruce later appoints Martin the king's master of espionage.
Daily now, Martin must risk his life as he secretly gathers the information that will advance the rebel cause and enable the Bruce to fight the climactic battle of Bannockburn. Defeat there will leave the Scots forever slaves. Victory will mean that longed-for freedom.
Based on real events in Scotland's thirty-year War of Independence, The King's Swift Rider is a gripping tale of adventure into which Mollie Hunter weaves her own tribute to one of the most dynamic figures in history, Robert the Bruce. Unblinkingly, she tells of the terrible bloodshed of that war, yet still makes her story's keynote one of courage, honor, and a people's determination to achieve freedom.
Hailed as "Scotland's most gifted storyteller" and currently living in Inverness, Mollie Hunter has drawn many award-winning novels from her country's history. They include You Never Knew Her As I Did, a riveting tale about Mary, Queen of Scots, and her Carnegie Medal winner, The Stronghold. A Sound of Chariots, her autobiographical novel, won the 1991 Phoenix Award from the Children's Literature Association.
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