The Crown in the Heather by N Gemini Sasson

The Crown in the Heather is the story of Robert the Bruce. When Robbie is a small boy living is Scotland, his grandfather vies for the Scottish Crown, but loses it to John Balliol. Robert is disappointed to learn that his father doesn't long for the crown, but instead opposes the Balliol family by becoming a man of  King Edward "Longshanks".  To his father's disgrace, Robert follows down his grandfather's path and fights for an independent Scotland. Another young warrior for Scotland is James Douglas. His hatred for all things English takes root at the siege of Berwick. There his father, William Douglas, fights the English. When the battles ends, the town is destroyed and his father is imprisoned.  James is sent to Paris to be educated, but instead languishes in the French City. Back in Scotland, Robert has become enamored with Elizabeth de Burgh, who is caring for his daughter. In order to marry her, he becomes Longshank's man. A threat of treason charges force Robert to once again fight for Scotland. James, now a man and Lord Douglas, too joins the fight for Scotland. Together, they face many tough times.
This is a fast paced book about Robert the Bruce and his quest to become King of Scotland. There are many battles, but the scenes aren't overly graphic, but still remain true to the realistic nature of the times.  The characters are also extremely realistic. There are hotheads like John Comyn and even Robert; noble warriors such as James Douglas and William Wallace and even the cunning king in Longshanks. Since this is the first book in a trilogy, I expect to be entertained even more. I loved this book, as I recently have been interested in my own genealogy. According to the WWW, I have Scottish roots on my Adcock side YAY! I always knew it!
There is only one thing that I will caution readers about. This book switches POV's from James to Robert quite often. This wasn't a problem for me, but to some this is a downfall.
I won this awesome book from Kimberly at Historical Fiction Obsession! Thanks again Kimberly! I am now addicted to the story of Robert!!
You can purchase a Kindle Copy of The Crown in the Heather here. Worth Dying For, the sequel, can be picked up here. The final chapter of the trilogy, The Honor Due a King, is due in October!