As the 14th century dawns, the brutal King Edward Longshanks of England schemes to steal Scotland. But a frail, dark-skinned boy named James Douglas, inspired by a headstrong lass from Fife, defies three Plantagenet kings and champions the cause of his wavering friend, Robert the Bruce, to lead the armies to the bloody field of Bannockburn. A thrilling historical saga of star-crossed love and heroic sacrifice during the Scottish Wars of Independence.
Chaucer Award First-Place Category Historical Fiction
indieBRAG Medallion Honoree
Foreword Reviews Book-of-the-Year Finalist
"An atmospheric and heart wrenching depiction of a time of upheaval in Scotland."
"[A] memorable, well-researched, and thoroughly enjoyable work of historical fiction! Great read that is highly recommended!"
"The book is an interesting, well-crafted scenario ... [Craney] has woven an interesting tale proposing that the crowning of Robert the Bruce occurred largely because of the help and sacrifice of James, Scotland's Black Douglas and the love of his life, Isabelle MacDuff."
"The battle scenes are detailed and vivid, giving the reader a ringside seat at Scotland's desperate fight for freedom. … 'Spider' will hold readers in suspense, waiting to see if Robert can keep his crown, and Jamie can live with Belle in peace."
"The best book I've read this year."
"It was a marvelous book and I was moved to tears at the long and sad ending."
IndieBRAG, the highly-respected champion and arbiter of quality indie publishing, has honored Glen Craney’s The Spider and the Stone as its most recent winner of the coveted B.R.A.G. Medallion award.
IndieBrag judges are highly selective and must unanimously agree on a selection after conducting a months-long, rigorous assessment of submissions. Previous winners of the Medallion for historical fiction include such luminaries of the genre as Helen Hollick (managing editor of the Historical Novel Society), Steven McKay, Anna Belfrage, Derek Birks, Paula Lofting, Prue Batten, Katherine Ashe, and Jo Ann Butler.
Earlier this year, Foreword Reviews tabbed Craney’s novel about Scotland’s 14th-century wars of independence as a Book-of-the-Year Award Finalist.
