Even though I enjoy Scottish romances, this was my first Amanda Scott romance and I will certainly say that she knows her Scottish history. Although a novice about this period of Medieval Scottish history, after reading King of Storms, I no longer am. Though I’m grateful to the author for this introduction, as strong as this book is in historical detail, it lacked in the romance department.

The Earl of Fife, the third son of the High King of Scots, wants more power. He is able to control his weak father and his incompetent older brother, to rule Scotland. He is ambitious and believes that if he can present Parliament with evidence of his abilities, they will make him king. He is aided in his plans by an emissary he believes to be from the Pope who proposes that they steal the treasures of the Knights Templars of Scotland, and maybe even the Stone of Scone. Fife, with the support of the Pope, could then become the King of Scotland.

The Knight Templars of Scotland are charged with protecting the country’s most valued treasures and relics and they are aware of Fife’s ambitions. To stop his grasping, they summon Sir Giffard Maclennan, a sea captain and fellow Templar to help. Their plan is to simply move the Templar’s treasure to a different location, which is why Sir Giff is needed. When he arrives to meet his fellow Templars (all of whom are heroes from Scott’s previous books), he meets Lady Sidony, the youngest of seven sisters, five of whom are married to men involved in the secret Templar activities.

Lady Sidony, as the youngest sister, has always had others to make decisions for her. Now, since all of her sisters are married, she is like a fish out of water. She’s in the background and forgettable, which causes people to say things that are secret to others in her presence. As a result, she has a wealth of information, including a pretty good idea of what her family is up to.

Sir Giff, as an outsider, is instantly aware of Lady Sidony and her charms. He also figures out quickly that she knows more than she should, making her a possible threat if she accidentally discloses any information to the wrong people. He also wants her to be aware that it is her fault for not reminding others of her presence and that it is a choice she makes. Through Giff, Sidony recognizes she is capable of making decisions and, because Giff helps her to come to this realization, she feels a special bond and attraction to him that grows during their accidental treasure adventures. Like Sidony, Giff’s character also grows. He is reckless, a “fly by the seat of his pants” type hero. Throughout the course of the book, he learns to tone down this recklessness for Sidony’s safety.

Scott creates a story with interesting characters and rich detail. The relationship between Giff and Sidony is sweet. One of my favorite parts of the story occurs when Giff is preparing for his voyage and, as he is saying goodbye to Sidony, he asks her if he can see her again when he returns. It was a sweet moment within the story and one that I have seen used very infrequently. The story is also full of complicated intrigue between the opposing sides and is rich in history.

Even though the love relationship can be characterized as sweet, that’s the best I can say about it. As a romance, the book lacked because I neither felt a spark or saw a glimpse of passion between Giff and Sidony. Another major problem was that I was not interested in the external conflict; the bad guys were just dull. As the story unfolds, many other characters are mentioned from other books, and since this is my first in the series, I was somewhat overwhelmed trying to figure out who belonged with whom. You don’t have to read the others to know what is happening, but it might help simply with the characters. And finally, it wasn’t until I read the author’s note at the end of the book, that I recognized the true significance of the prologue (I think).

If you are looking for a story with rich historic detail or you are already invested in this series and need to finish it, King of Storms may be for you. But if you need heat and passion in your romance, this book may be one to skip or wait till it reaches your local library.