Surprisingly entertaining read. I did not know much about King James or how these legends had influenced his reputation and legacy. Very easy to read and obviously well researched. ~ Jeanne Williams , NetGalley

I have to say at the outset that this was a fascinating book. You don’t have to know a lot about Scottish history to know that the handsome, accomplished and heroic King James IV was killed at the battle of Flodden Field. The absence of a clearly-identifiable body led to the growth of a plethora of stories about what had become of the king…and this book looks in detail at some of them. James was much-loved and so his subjects were perhaps reluctant to see him go which, along with the widespread beliefs of the time in the supernatural, goes some way to explaining the growth of these tales. I enjoyed it, although I found that it lost a little focus towards the end, wandering off into the highways and byways of Scottish (and other) folklore in its attempt to explain exactly how and why the stories took root when, it appears, there’s a perfectly reasonable case for the body having been taken to London. Nevertheless this is an engaging and impressively-researched book, as the vast quantities of reference indicate. ~ Jennifer Young, NetGalley

The Afterlife of King James IV: Otherworld Legends of the Scottish King was a fascinating read for me. I give it five stars. Loved it! ~ Amy Campbell , NetGalley

I have to say at the outset that this was a fascinating book. You don’t have to know a lot about Scottish history to know that the handsome, accomplished and heroic King James IV was killed at the battle of Flodden Field. The absence of a clearly-identifiable body led to the growth of a plethora of stories about what had become of the king…and this book looks in detail at some of them. James was much-loved and so his subjects were perhaps reluctant to see him go which, along with the widespread beliefs of the time in the supernatural, goes some way to explaining the growth of these tales. I enjoyed it, although I found that it lost a little focus towards the end, wandering off into the highways and byways of Scottish (and other) folklore in its attempt to explain exactly how and why the stories took root when, it appears, there’s a perfectly reasonable case for the body having been taken to London. Nevertheless this is an engaging and impressively-researched book, as the vast quantities of reference indicate. ~ Jennifer Young, NetGalley

The Afterlife of King James IV is one of the best books this spring! Chock-full of information, and amazing detail. I initially thought I was going to be reading more of a ghost story, but the history in this book had me captured by page two. From Flodden Field to England, France and beyond - the legacy of King James was a hard one to live down. The idea that he lived beyond Flodden was something that was passed around and whispered. If this was true, then why would he have not returned home? There were so many questions surrounding this, but the author delved into each one with confidence and was able to satisfactorily lay the "ghost" of James IV to rest. ~ Rebecca Hill , NetGalley

The Afterlife of King James IV should be a major discovery for people of Scottish descent who want to know more about their heritage! The author, Keith Coleman, is a native of Dundee, where some of my ancestors came from. Just one more reason for me to find interest. I was fascinated to read about the iron belt worn by James IV for Lent, making it heavier year by year. I could not imagine wearing something like that all my life to assuage my guilt over my not very popular father's death. James III does not sound like a nice guy at all. I was also unaware that Margaret Tudor, who was apparently the sister to Henry VIII, practically twisted herself into a pretzel trying to talk her husband James IV out of going to war with Britain. The reports of James IV's survival of the Battle of Flodden remind me that mankind never changes--how like our myths of Elvis and Hitler! There are so many startling tidbits that I am loath to reveal as spoilers--stop reading now if you do not want to know, although there are loads of these--like the nude corpse of James III being paraded around Leicester, that no one will come away from this book unenchanted or without ripe and juicy dining table anecdotes. Very hard to put this book down! I want a physical copy of The Afterlife of King James IV now. ~ Julia Simpson-Urrutia, NetGalley

I would like to thank the publisher, Chronos Books, for sending me this ARC. I will admit that at first, I wasn’t sure that I was going to like this one. Keith’s writing starting out was a bit slow. It read more like a scholarly piece than the easy writing that I have come to expect from Chronos Books. I kept on going and it did get better. I really do think that this is one of those books that you are gong to have to give time to. It is a very well written and researched book, but this may not be the one to start on if you are looking into Stuart Scotland. This book kind of straddles between history and folklore. We do actually get the best of both worlds in this one. On the one hand, Keith is looking at the historical background and figure of King James IV, then he turns around and adds in some folklore about the king’s death. Again, this is why I don’t recommend you start out reading this book if you are new to Stuart Scotland. What Keith does he cleverly weavers in both of these elements with support to make us get the whole picture of what could have happened to James IV after his death. We also get some of the lead up to his death; again, this is why I don’t recommend this to newbies because if you don’t have an understanding of what was going on in this time period, then you are going to be lost. What I really liked was the different layers of the story. It’s kind of a ghost story, but it’s not. I mean, this is nonfiction with just a little bit of a twist. I like how complex the book was, even though it’s really not that long. I really have never read a nonfiction book like this; I’ve read nonfiction books with layers before, but this one is different. I don’t know, but I just really like mixing the known with the unknown and having the information to support his theories. Okay, that is the main thing here. I have read a number of articles and books that are supposed to be arguing something, but end up losing that point throughout the book. This one doesn’t. Keith uses information to form his point and explores all angles. Keith’s voice is there, but it’s not too much-like some other books that I have read. It’s just enough to see what Keith is trying to prove, but, yet, sticking to the story. Overall, not a bad read. It did take me a little bit to get into it, but it was worth it. This book comes out on April 26, 2019. If you want to check it out for yourself, then hop onto Netgalley and make a request…At least, I think it’s on Netgalley…Don’t hold me to that…. ~ Alyson Serena Willow Stone, Netgalley

I enjoyed reading this. It was informational without being boring and didn't give me that sense of "yeah right," that so many books having to do with the supernatural tend to give me. This is a well-written and interesting book that clearly shows the author's depth of knowledge about his subject matter and his interest in his chosen era. ~ Ionia Froment, GoodReads

The Afterlife of King James IV explores the survival stories following the Scottish king's defeat at the battle of Flodden in 1513, and how his image and legacy were used in the years that followed when he remained a shadow player in the politics of a shattered kingdom. Keith John Coleman has written a legend-based biography of James IV that straddles the gap between history and folklore that looks at the undying king motif and otherworld myths of James IV, one of Scotland's most successful rulers. This enjoyable read taught this history lover a lot about Scotland and James IV. It is expertly researched and well written and a great way to spend a cold day inside being glad that you have a fire or central heating and there being NO BAGPIPES playing in the background. (Yes, they make my head spin: I had to hide in the car during both my brother's wedding and then my niece's brigade out of the church 30 years later!) As always, I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I love emojis (outside of Instagram and Twitter) so let's give it [5/5 beer emojis] ~ Janet Pole, NetGalley