WINNER of the People's Book Prize Frederick Forsyth Award for Fiction 2025
'You think too much of me,' Aggie said with a smirk, then her eyes darkened. 'This is who I am. If I'd realised that sooner, things might be different.'

'No, things would be exactly the same because Afren -- '

'Afren is going to pay,' Aggie said simply.

Cait shook her head. 'Is this about freedom or revenge?'

'Can't it be both?'

About the book

Cait is from Storran's borders: idyllic, traditional, and completely opposed to separatism.

When her childhood sweetheart, Kenzie, is called up to the ranks of the Queen's Watch to hunt down Storrian Separatists, Cait moves to the capital with him.

In the city of Thorterknock, she quickly realises that her charming countryside life is not the reality for every citizen of Storran. Struggle abounds on the cobbled streets, as does the battle for Storran's liberation from the Five Realms.

Drawn to the enigmatic Separatist firebrand, the Fox of Thorterknock, and her tales of a secret heir to Storran's long-empty throne, Cait finds herself swept into a struggle for freedom. With Kenzie and the Queen's Watch on one side, and the Fox and the Separatists on the other, Cait will learn what it truly means to be a patriot.

And amidst this struggle to secure a better future, she will come to know the power of her own autonomy.

Song of the Stag may be a fantasy, but above all it is a love letter to Scotland's historic and folkloric legacy. From ancient kings and black-hearted patriots to bonnie princes and Jacobite songs, this book is a celebration of a complex, beautiful, and all too often tragic, land.

"R.M. Brown's Song of the Stag is a stunning debut novel. With characters that grip you and a narrative that moves with nuance, pace and drama, this novel tackles complex issues with grace and creative flair. At once curious and commanding, Song of the Stag is a glorious Scottish read." -- Imogen Stirling, creator of Love The Sinner

"Song of the Stag is that mythical promise made real at last -- a novel in equal parts pacy and exquisitely evocative. Beautifully written throughout, the book is gloriously Scottish; a feminist fantasy odyssey of which our nation can be proud. Readers will fall in love with Cait as her journey towards self-determination mirrors that of her nation." -- Kirsten MacQuarrie, author of Remember the Rowan

"Those readers currently frustrated by the block on Scottish self-determination will enjoy spotting political, cultural and linguistic parallels while fans of the fantasy genre will revel in the mythology and timelessness of Song of the Stag." -- Mary McCabe, author of Two Closes and a Referendum

"A brilliant, multi-layered debut about the importance of truths, myths, and folklore around Scotland's past, and their continuing relevance for its present and future. Ultimately, what this book does -- and what its much anticipated sequel is set to do, too -- is pose the key question faced by independence fighters for the past 150 years, from Ghandi to Mandela and many more: if you believe your country should be independent, what are you prepared to do to achieve that? What are you prepared to sacrifice?" -- Sandy Jamieson, author of A Subtle Sadness

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• Publication Date: July 26, 2025
• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 492 Pages
• File Size: 36 KB