As the 14th century dawns, the brutal Edward Longshanks of England schemes to steal Scotland. But inspired by a headstrong lass, a frail, dark-skinned boy named James Douglas defies three Plantagenet kings and champions the cause of his wavering friend, Robert Bruce, to lead the armies to the bloody field of Bannockburn. A thrilling epic of star-crossed love and heroic sacrifice set during the Scottish Wars of Independence. The Spider and the Stone: A Novel of Scotland's Black Douglas Historical fiction 432 pages/3 maps