The prose is very effective -- I was quickly engrossed, invested in Marian’s story! But I took months to finish the final third, and nearly DNF, because there are so many unpleasant men who keep getting POV sections. Ugh. If it had just been Robin and Marian, I would have felt quite differently about it. ( )

A weaving of the fragments of the Robin Hood legend into an entertaining story, with an aspect of female empowerment and PTSD on the survivors of war. ( )

Not one of the stronger stories I have read based on Robin Hood. It would have helped if it had been less repetitive, had tighter prose, and if just a dozen less male characters had wanted to bed Maid Marian. ( )

This was unexpectedly lovely, and unexpectedly complex. Not only does it focus on Marian and play the Marian/Robin romance beautifully and hit all the other major episodes from the Robin Hood legend, but also:

the political situation (Richard imprisoned, John making a power grab, etc.) factors strongly into the plot rather than sitting as background to Robin’s adventures
Robin is a former Crusader with PTSD
it tackles sexism head-on without breaking with the medieval setting
the Sheriff is despicable for more than his increased taxation
you get the POVs of pretty much everyone, including the Sheriff, every Merry Man, side characters new to this version, and Robin’s dad.

It’s good medieval fiction in its own right, though I think some of the “known facts” when Roberson was writing have now been debunked, and it uses the cultural awareness of the Robin Hood legend to its advantage—you know X is coming, but not exactly how, and oh gods, that twist made things so much worse, of course it happened that way. I think new headcanons might have been formed.

I would like to thank a friend for recommending this one. She was pretty spot-on with “If you like Outlander, you might also like…”.

8/10 ( )

Robert of Locksley (later Robin of Locksley, then Robin Hood) has been fighting with King Richard (the Lionheart) in the Crusades. Richard has been imprisoned, but Robert makes his way home. There, he comes across Marian, who he knew when they were younger. Marian is the King’s ward since her father passed away, and the Sheriff hopes to marry her. When Will Scarlet, wanted for murder, kidnaps her, though he doesn’t “defile” her, everyone assumes so, so she is ruined. Doesn’t change that the Sheriff still wants to marry her, but she will have none of it.

It’s a long book. It took 200 of the 800 pages for me to get interested, and even then, that was only when they started bringing in characters I already recognized from the Robin Hood story: Little John, Will Scarlett, “Brother” Tuck. I feel like I shouldn’t have to recognize the story to get interested in it. I also sometimes have a hard time when the same person/character is referred to by different names – last name, first name, title – at different points. It took me way too long to realize that William deLacey and the Sheriff were one and the same! I really did like the last 100 pages. Overall, though, I’m keeping it at an “ok” rating. I already have the sequel, so I will read it at some point. ( )