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Sherwood
Fans of Danielle Paige, Marissa Meyer, and Alex Flinn will devour New York Times bestselling author Meagan Spooner’s next fierce fairy tale-inspired story, which Illuminae author Amie Kaufman calls “a kick-ass, gender-flipped feminist retelling.”
Robin of Locksley is dead.
Maid Marian doesn’t know how she’ll go on, but the people of Locksley town, persecuted by the Sheriff of Nottingham, need a protector. And the dreadful Guy of Gisborne, the Sheriff’s right hand, wishes to step into Robin’s shoes as Lord of Locksley and Marian’s fiancé.
Who is there to stop them?
Marian never meant to tread in Robin’s footsteps—never intended to stand as a beacon of hope to those awaiting his triumphant return. But with a sweep of his green cloak and the flash of her sword, Marian makes the choice to become her own Robin Hood.
Robin of Locksley is dead.
Maid Marian doesn’t know how she’ll go on, but the people of Locksley town, persecuted by the Sheriff of Nottingham, need a protector. And the dreadful Guy of Gisborne, the Sheriff’s right hand, wishes to step into Robin’s shoes as Lord of Locksley and Marian’s fiancé.
Who is there to stop them?
Marian never meant to tread in Robin’s footsteps—never intended to stand as a beacon of hope to those awaiting his triumphant return. But with a sweep of his green cloak and the flash of her sword, Marian makes the choice to become her own Robin Hood.
469 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 19, 2019
About the author
Meagan Spooner
21 books3,419 followersNew York Times bestselling author Meagan Spooner grew up reading and writing every spare moment of the day, while dreaming about life as an archaeologist, a marine biologist, an astronaut. She graduated from Hamilton College in New York with a degree in playwriting, and has spent several years since then living in Australia. She's traveled with her family all over the world to places like Egypt, South Africa, the Arctic, Greece, Antarctica, and the Galapagos, and there's a bit of every trip in every story she writes.
She currently lives and writes in Asheville, North Carolina, but the siren call of travel is hard to resist, and there's no telling how long she'll stay there. She's the author of the award-winning Starbound trilogy (These Broken Stars, This Shattered World, Their Fractured Light) and the Skylark Trilogy (Skylark, Shadowlark, Lark Ascending) as well as the upcoming Beauty and the Beast retelling Hunted.
In her spare time she plays guitar, plays video games, plays with her cat, and reads.
She currently lives and writes in Asheville, North Carolina, but the siren call of travel is hard to resist, and there's no telling how long she'll stay there. She's the author of the award-winning Starbound trilogy (These Broken Stars, This Shattered World, Their Fractured Light) and the Skylark Trilogy (Skylark, Shadowlark, Lark Ascending) as well as the upcoming Beauty and the Beast retelling Hunted.
In her spare time she plays guitar, plays video games, plays with her cat, and reads.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,378 reviews
March 28, 2018
OMG, my friends. This book. It's the kickass, gender-flipped, feminist retelling your heart has been waiting for.
* The prose is as gorgeous as only Meagan Spooner can make it. She just... HOW does she write like that? I've been watching for years, and I still can't figure it out. She weaves words like nobody else, and I ache over how beautiful they are.
* Ahhhh, the characters. I fell for them so deeply. She knows how to add depth and nuance and complexity to even the ones you want to be one-sided, the ones you want to put a label on. She reminds us that even when we want to pretend otherwise, the world is complex indeed.
* The romance. The world. The effortless twining together of past and present. The... just, the story. I wept as I finished this story, because I didn't know I needed to read it until I held it in my hands.
* Also, there's a bit on mansplaining that made me cheer out loud.
Basically, add it to your TBR now, thank me later. You're going to love Sherwood.
* The prose is as gorgeous as only Meagan Spooner can make it. She just... HOW does she write like that? I've been watching for years, and I still can't figure it out. She weaves words like nobody else, and I ache over how beautiful they are.
* Ahhhh, the characters. I fell for them so deeply. She knows how to add depth and nuance and complexity to even the ones you want to be one-sided, the ones you want to put a label on. She reminds us that even when we want to pretend otherwise, the world is complex indeed.
* The romance. The world. The effortless twining together of past and present. The... just, the story. I wept as I finished this story, because I didn't know I needed to read it until I held it in my hands.
* Also, there's a bit on mansplaining that made me cheer out loud.
Basically, add it to your TBR now, thank me later. You're going to love Sherwood.
April 2, 2019
I’m so mad! I was looking forward to loving this book!! I have loved some of the authors other books. This book; the only thing I liked was the idea and the poster I got of the book cover in my fairy loot box. Sigh..............................
......................
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
September 17, 2018
I started reading Sherwood on 9/3/18 and finished it on 9/15/18. This book is a great read. The main character, Marian is more of a tomboy. She likes to carry a sword and practice archery instead of doing the duty and expectation of a lady. She takes matter into her own hands when she finds out someone is in danger. I like how Marian weighs the pros and cons to being a man. It’s interesting to learn about what noblewoman is all about back in the days. I like that this story include Robin’s views because it makes up for the lack of romance from Marian’s POV, in the beginning anyway. Robin’s view is sweet and I devour every word.
This book is told in the third person point of view following Lady Marian, as she deals with the grief of Robin’s death. Lady Marian lives during the time when women should do embroidery with their time instead of out hunting or saving outlaws. The story started with a prologue following Robin’s life and death during his battle at the King’s side. As the story move forward, readers will follow Lady Marian’s mission to rescue her maid’s brother, Will Scarlet. Will is on the run for his life. In a men’s world, in order for her to go out chasing in the woods, she would have to hide her femininity. When Lady Marian was mistaken for Robin and how with the news of Robin coming back from the dead bring hope to the poor citizens of his land, she decided to continue her disguise as him because that’s the only way she can do to help his people. The second point of view is of Robin. Robin recounts from when he first met Lady Marian and how they become fast friends.
Sherwood is very well written and developed. The read is more of a historical fiction because men are “my Lord” and women are “my Lady”. I enjoy the many adventures and close calls this story offers. This book shows that women can be brave too. I enjoy the humor, especially with Little John and Alan. I haven’t read the original Robin Hood yet but the author does a good job with the retelling, and even better by changing the gender role. All supporting characters’ are excellent even Gisborne. I like the surprises at each turn of events because I couldn’t guess where the story was heading. I like how the characters come together to discuss their strategies. If you are looking for a strong female lead read, I recommend this book for you!
Pro: fast paced, page turner, adrenaline rush, cover, humor, helping the poor, adventures, close calls, strategies
Con: none
I rate it 5 stars!
***Disclaimer: Many thanks to the author Meagan Spooner, publisher HarperTeen, and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details
This book is told in the third person point of view following Lady Marian, as she deals with the grief of Robin’s death. Lady Marian lives during the time when women should do embroidery with their time instead of out hunting or saving outlaws. The story started with a prologue following Robin’s life and death during his battle at the King’s side. As the story move forward, readers will follow Lady Marian’s mission to rescue her maid’s brother, Will Scarlet. Will is on the run for his life. In a men’s world, in order for her to go out chasing in the woods, she would have to hide her femininity. When Lady Marian was mistaken for Robin and how with the news of Robin coming back from the dead bring hope to the poor citizens of his land, she decided to continue her disguise as him because that’s the only way she can do to help his people. The second point of view is of Robin. Robin recounts from when he first met Lady Marian and how they become fast friends.
Sherwood is very well written and developed. The read is more of a historical fiction because men are “my Lord” and women are “my Lady”. I enjoy the many adventures and close calls this story offers. This book shows that women can be brave too. I enjoy the humor, especially with Little John and Alan. I haven’t read the original Robin Hood yet but the author does a good job with the retelling, and even better by changing the gender role. All supporting characters’ are excellent even Gisborne. I like the surprises at each turn of events because I couldn’t guess where the story was heading. I like how the characters come together to discuss their strategies. If you are looking for a strong female lead read, I recommend this book for you!
Pro: fast paced, page turner, adrenaline rush, cover, humor, helping the poor, adventures, close calls, strategies
Con: none
I rate it 5 stars!
***Disclaimer: Many thanks to the author Meagan Spooner, publisher HarperTeen, and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details
Want to read
May 21, 2019Sherwood is one of my MOST ANTICIPATED books of 2019!
A gender-flipped Robin Hood retelling. I feel like I have wanted this story my whole life and it is FINALLY here and I CAN'T STAND IT!
Shelved as 'lost-interest'
May 8, 2019I am not going to give this book a rating to be fair. I tried reading it not once, nor twice but 3 times and I simply can't get into it. I will DNF it for now without a rating because I haven't read enough of it to judge it. I may come back to it in the future though (most probably won't!!).
December 15, 2022
An interesting twist for fans of the Robin Hood legend (which I totally am.) Robin of Locksley is killed while fighting in the Crusades, and Maid Marian takes up his bow and assumes the legend of Robin Hood in his place. Definitely cool from a period piece perspective and for those who enjoy tales of medieval times and horses and overcoming evil taxation.
I was kind of picturing Marian as a Katniss Everdeen bad-ass sort when I read the synopsis and saw the cover, and
I was kind of picturing Marian as a Katniss Everdeen bad-ass sort when I read the synopsis and saw the cover, and
August 8, 2019
Hello, 911? Yes, I've been ROBBED.
I am heartbroken to admit that this fell flat on so many levels and honestly my faith in this author has been severely shaken. I feel so cheated of so much from this book. Where did the grandeur of Hunted go? Where is the beautiful angst from Skylark?? Is this even the same author that wrote those masterpieces??? I did not expect to be this salty about Meagan Spooner!!
S P O I L E R S abound. Ye be warned.
Mkay first off let's just all admit that pretty much the only reason it makes sense why Guy Gisborne aka ye tall and dark and broody man therefore he is DIVINE HAWT MATERIAL becomes the unexpected Love Interest™ is Richard Armitage.
I haven't watched the BBC Robin Hood show yet but, thanks to a plethora of gif sets on Tumblr, I know Richard plays an excellent Guy. And honestly I am always drawn to complex and conflicted characters, so I can see the appeal of such a radical choice in a Robin Hood retelling . . . BUT THIS WASN'T WRITTEN WELL ENOUGH FOR ME TO APPRECIATE OR APPROVE OF THE DECISION!! Like, did the author suddenly forget how to portray GOOD character development for this book?? This reads more like the better kinds of fanfics than an actual published novel and y'all if I want fanfic, I can find that easily. I don't expect too much from it . . . but I expect a LOT more from published works who literally have a team of people behind it!! And the funny thing is that sometimes even fanfics from JUST ONE PERSON are written so, so, soooo much better than works with a literal TEAM OF PEOPLE working on it.
[I'm not talking the creative process with a team of people, more along the developmental and editorial side.]
A N Y W A Y S
This definitely read like an ode to tough girls and a love for the Richard Armitage version of Guy Gisborne. And again, if IT HAD BEEN DONE RIGHT, that would have been perfectly fine!! But this was just so LONG and BORING and plain old RIDICULOUS in some parts that I was just left with the salty taste of unexpected disappointment.
Some finer rants about certain details that really disappointed me:
"You sound more like a man returning from his own war than a lady."
"Who are you to say that being a lady, in itself, is not its own kind of war?"
Something I have noticed lately in proclaimed and acclaimed "feminist" books is a tendency to put boring women on pedestals simply for the fact that are not in possession of Y chromosome. And, y'all, I can't STAND IT!! Feminism isn't holding one gender above the other! It is about equality and that doesn't mean tearing one side down to your level . . . or stooping to theirs. It's about mutual respect of strengths and weaknesses and just plain old decency. I'm so tired of books/movies being touted of as GIRL POWER when it's really just some character saying she's tougher and better than other girls. And yes, historically and currently, women struggle so much!! But I read books to see worlds/alternates where that isn't the case; I read books to glimpse possibilities of the kind of world I want to live in myself, and maybe gain some hope from those books to make that happen!
I just . . . I don't know how to properly express my frustration with books where the women are just so stupidly tough that they cause more problems than the ones they attempt to fix . . . and all in the name of feminism!! And of course we can't touch those women cause they are our heroes! And, yes, I am probably coming off as extremely confusing here and you're more than welcome to continue this kind of discussion in the comments, but I hope you know what I am trying to say here!!!
A N Y W A Y S
I am also severely upset with the "romance" in this book. It is unhealthy, unexplained, and seems to rest upon the fact that there HAS to be a romance to make this a true Robin Hood retelling.
Forget that Marian is mostly a thoughtless ninny bent on her OWN ideas of situations and acting recklessly upon those. Forget that Guy is poorly developed and alternates between making weird moon-eyes at Marian or angrily stalking after Robin Hood. Forget that Robin of Locksley himself is such a strangely forgettable character and I'm still not sure why people loved him so damn much. Forget all of that!! It still doesn't detract from the reality that Guy treats Marian horribly, she manipulates him for her own purposes, none of that is resolved in ANY PROPER WAY . . . and they still end up together. I'm sorry but that isn't the kind of Enemies-To-More type of stuff that can be well-done and healthy. It isn't.
BUT ALSO LITERALLY NONE OF THE PLOT MAKES SENSE!!! E V E R!
Let's see if I can remember things correctly and just try to jot down the messy tangle of a "plot" this book tried to have.
- Robin dies
- so sad!! why did this happen??
- oh yeah so Marian could be her boring self
- kudos to a fairly realistic version of PTSD I guess?
- literally why even was Marian made the MC
- she mourns a man she mostly used to make herself feel better
- steals clothing from his room for Reasons™
- Will Scarlet yet again as a plot prop
- apparently the twist of there being an ACTUAL Robin Hood ghost never occurred to the author as the brilliant idea that would have made this boring slush something amazing
- Marian is very good at being a man
- or the majority of people back in the day were very good at being stupid
- Guy apparently likes Marian
- Guy is also somewhat of a Sherlock Holmes
- but is blinded by looooooove
- therefore he never sees the obvious sneakiness of his Lady Love™
- Marian is never caught out in her disguise and that is the biggest mystery
- retelling stuff happens maybe
- oh wait there's Merry Men??? maybe?? who knows
- could have had an interesting confusion a la Twelfth Night with Siuld or Shield or Sheila
- but no mention of queers anywhere here at all
- the archery contest gave me hope of this book crawling out of boring
- but that hope was false
- also for a book titled Sherwood the only thing that happens is that people ride through this forest a lot and that's it
- Marian's attempts at plotting are beyond laughable and just sad
- literally why even is she still the MC??
- also Guy is developed much to slowly to be believable
- but the book would maybe have been better if Guy was the MC and he was tormented with the ghost of Robin and they ended up being bitter besties
- just forget Marian cause she's ridiculous here
- and for someone who can fight well and shoot well and ride well . . . Marian fails
- Marian fails so much
- apparently romance is kindled cause of a steamy, fireside kiss that would have been better if it was between her and ghost Robin . . . or between Guy and ghost Robin
- WHY WASN'T THERE A GHOST ROBIN I HAVE BEEN ROBBED
- there is a huge tangle of Important Plot Events near the end that really doesn't make sense
- Marian is dramatic AGAIN
- Guy apparently loves her so much that he is super dramatic too
- water saves the day
- they kiss
- the end of everything but most of all my expectations
Honestly, Men In Tights is a better version of Robin Hood than this. This book tried so, so, soooooo hard to be epic and unique and DIFFERENT . . . and ultimately I think the amount of trying is what ruined it. Things were just so FLAT all the time!! And, yes, I did see hints of Meagan Spooner's lovely, masterful writing in some points . . . but it still wasn't enough. I don't know what happened or if this was an old project she just decided to throw at the world, but I am very disappointed. There is a problematic "romance", a laughable tangle of "plot", too many underdeveloped characters acting as if they are better developed . . . and, yeah, it just doesn't work. ALSO WHY IS THIS BOOK SO LONG??? If it had been excellent I would have approved of the length BUT IT WASN'T EXCELLENT!! And I literally only forced myself through it to see how it would end and report back to Helena to see if it improved after she DNF'd it at 30%. But clearly she made the wiser choice to put this boring brick aside, whereas I was almost Marian-stupid and kept charging forward.
In conclusion:
I am heartbroken to admit that this fell flat on so many levels and honestly my faith in this author has been severely shaken. I feel so cheated of so much from this book. Where did the grandeur of Hunted go? Where is the beautiful angst from Skylark?? Is this even the same author that wrote those masterpieces??? I did not expect to be this salty about Meagan Spooner!!
S P O I L E R S abound. Ye be warned.
Mkay first off let's just all admit that pretty much the only reason it makes sense why Guy Gisborne aka ye tall and dark and broody man therefore he is DIVINE HAWT MATERIAL becomes the unexpected Love Interest™ is Richard Armitage.
I haven't watched the BBC Robin Hood show yet but, thanks to a plethora of gif sets on Tumblr, I know Richard plays an excellent Guy. And honestly I am always drawn to complex and conflicted characters, so I can see the appeal of such a radical choice in a Robin Hood retelling . . . BUT THIS WASN'T WRITTEN WELL ENOUGH FOR ME TO APPRECIATE OR APPROVE OF THE DECISION!! Like, did the author suddenly forget how to portray GOOD character development for this book?? This reads more like the better kinds of fanfics than an actual published novel and y'all if I want fanfic, I can find that easily. I don't expect too much from it . . . but I expect a LOT more from published works who literally have a team of people behind it!! And the funny thing is that sometimes even fanfics from JUST ONE PERSON are written so, so, soooo much better than works with a literal TEAM OF PEOPLE working on it.
[I'm not talking the creative process with a team of people, more along the developmental and editorial side.]
A N Y W A Y S
This definitely read like an ode to tough girls and a love for the Richard Armitage version of Guy Gisborne. And again, if IT HAD BEEN DONE RIGHT, that would have been perfectly fine!! But this was just so LONG and BORING and plain old RIDICULOUS in some parts that I was just left with the salty taste of unexpected disappointment.
Some finer rants about certain details that really disappointed me:
"You sound more like a man returning from his own war than a lady."
"Who are you to say that being a lady, in itself, is not its own kind of war?"
Something I have noticed lately in proclaimed and acclaimed "feminist" books is a tendency to put boring women on pedestals simply for the fact that are not in possession of Y chromosome. And, y'all, I can't STAND IT!! Feminism isn't holding one gender above the other! It is about equality and that doesn't mean tearing one side down to your level . . . or stooping to theirs. It's about mutual respect of strengths and weaknesses and just plain old decency. I'm so tired of books/movies being touted of as GIRL POWER when it's really just some character saying she's tougher and better than other girls. And yes, historically and currently, women struggle so much!! But I read books to see worlds/alternates where that isn't the case; I read books to glimpse possibilities of the kind of world I want to live in myself, and maybe gain some hope from those books to make that happen!
I just . . . I don't know how to properly express my frustration with books where the women are just so stupidly tough that they cause more problems than the ones they attempt to fix . . . and all in the name of feminism!! And of course we can't touch those women cause they are our heroes! And, yes, I am probably coming off as extremely confusing here and you're more than welcome to continue this kind of discussion in the comments, but I hope you know what I am trying to say here!!!
A N Y W A Y S
I am also severely upset with the "romance" in this book. It is unhealthy, unexplained, and seems to rest upon the fact that there HAS to be a romance to make this a true Robin Hood retelling.
Forget that Marian is mostly a thoughtless ninny bent on her OWN ideas of situations and acting recklessly upon those. Forget that Guy is poorly developed and alternates between making weird moon-eyes at Marian or angrily stalking after Robin Hood. Forget that Robin of Locksley himself is such a strangely forgettable character and I'm still not sure why people loved him so damn much. Forget all of that!! It still doesn't detract from the reality that Guy treats Marian horribly, she manipulates him for her own purposes, none of that is resolved in ANY PROPER WAY . . . and they still end up together. I'm sorry but that isn't the kind of Enemies-To-More type of stuff that can be well-done and healthy. It isn't.
BUT ALSO LITERALLY NONE OF THE PLOT MAKES SENSE!!! E V E R!
Let's see if I can remember things correctly and just try to jot down the messy tangle of a "plot" this book tried to have.
- Robin dies
- so sad!! why did this happen??
- oh yeah so Marian could be her boring self
- kudos to a fairly realistic version of PTSD I guess?
- literally why even was Marian made the MC
- she mourns a man she mostly used to make herself feel better
- steals clothing from his room for Reasons™
- Will Scarlet yet again as a plot prop
- apparently the twist of there being an ACTUAL Robin Hood ghost never occurred to the author as the brilliant idea that would have made this boring slush something amazing
- Marian is very good at being a man
- or the majority of people back in the day were very good at being stupid
- Guy apparently likes Marian
- Guy is also somewhat of a Sherlock Holmes
- but is blinded by looooooove
- therefore he never sees the obvious sneakiness of his Lady Love™
- Marian is never caught out in her disguise and that is the biggest mystery
- retelling stuff happens maybe
- oh wait there's Merry Men??? maybe?? who knows
- could have had an interesting confusion a la Twelfth Night with Siuld or Shield or Sheila
- but no mention of queers anywhere here at all
- the archery contest gave me hope of this book crawling out of boring
- but that hope was false
- also for a book titled Sherwood the only thing that happens is that people ride through this forest a lot and that's it
- Marian's attempts at plotting are beyond laughable and just sad
- literally why even is she still the MC??
- also Guy is developed much to slowly to be believable
- but the book would maybe have been better if Guy was the MC and he was tormented with the ghost of Robin and they ended up being bitter besties
- just forget Marian cause she's ridiculous here
- and for someone who can fight well and shoot well and ride well . . . Marian fails
- Marian fails so much
- apparently romance is kindled cause of a steamy, fireside kiss that would have been better if it was between her and ghost Robin . . . or between Guy and ghost Robin
- WHY WASN'T THERE A GHOST ROBIN I HAVE BEEN ROBBED
- there is a huge tangle of Important Plot Events near the end that really doesn't make sense
- Marian is dramatic AGAIN
- Guy apparently loves her so much that he is super dramatic too
- water saves the day
- they kiss
- the end of everything but most of all my expectations
Honestly, Men In Tights is a better version of Robin Hood than this. This book tried so, so, soooooo hard to be epic and unique and DIFFERENT . . . and ultimately I think the amount of trying is what ruined it. Things were just so FLAT all the time!! And, yes, I did see hints of Meagan Spooner's lovely, masterful writing in some points . . . but it still wasn't enough. I don't know what happened or if this was an old project she just decided to throw at the world, but I am very disappointed. There is a problematic "romance", a laughable tangle of "plot", too many underdeveloped characters acting as if they are better developed . . . and, yeah, it just doesn't work. ALSO WHY IS THIS BOOK SO LONG??? If it had been excellent I would have approved of the length BUT IT WASN'T EXCELLENT!! And I literally only forced myself through it to see how it would end and report back to Helena to see if it improved after she DNF'd it at 30%. But clearly she made the wiser choice to put this boring brick aside, whereas I was almost Marian-stupid and kept charging forward.
In conclusion:
June 11, 2019
i mean, the cover absolutely deserves 5 stars,,,,,,,,but i just REALLY didn't care for the book.
ughghghghghhghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghg <-me giving up on reading
the idea of the story was v interesting but i think meagen spooner's writing style just doesn't connect with me. the characters felt flat to me and i felt the story was unnecessarily slow
but the LITTLE snippets with robin made me want to cry oh my god why didn't we get more of that. honestly, best part of the book. i love robin :((((((
anyways
1.5 stars
ughghghghghhghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghg <-me giving up on reading
the idea of the story was v interesting but i think meagen spooner's writing style just doesn't connect with me. the characters felt flat to me and i felt the story was unnecessarily slow
but the LITTLE snippets with robin made me want to cry oh my god why didn't we get more of that. honestly, best part of the book. i love robin :((((((
anyways
1.5 stars
April 16, 2019
"Marian's life had been ordained when she was born a girl. But Robin Hood's life?"Robin Hood is dead. It's not a spoiler, it's right there in the synopsis. While going on a secret mission where she had to hide her identity, Marian is mistaken for Robin Hood, because not everyone is convinced he is dead ... and because Marian has some kickass skills. She embraces this opportunity to do good and to be free, and it's pretty awesome.
Meagan Spooner uses a retelling of Robin Hood to showcase a history of gender inequality, and to show just how much a woman can accomplish when she has the opportunity. Even if that opportunity is stolen under guise. But Spooner takes a big risk with the romantic interest in her reimagining, and it's a risk that I'm noticing not everyone is liking. But life is complex, and people are even more so. And as this story subtly teaches, we are not always who we appear to be when the layers are pulled back. Regardless, Marian has been given the freedom of choice and she's using it. End of discussion. Check it out.
My favorite quote:
"The difference it makes to speak to men and have them listen to your words, to act in the world not merely react, to ride out when I choose and be free."
Audiobook performed by the talented Fiona Hardingham.
December 30, 2020
Este es de esos libros que parten de una idea genial, pero que caen en el abismo por lo mal ejecutados que resultaron. En Sherwood nos encontramos con un mundo en el que Robin de Locksley ha muerto en una de las guerras del rey y, por lo tanto, Marian se ha quedado sola y con el corazón roto. Obviamente, varios hombres llegan para intentar obtener el título de Lord de Locksley, entre ellos Guy de Gisborne, que lo único que pretende es casarse con Marian. Sin embargo, ella está muy preocupada por lo que hará el sheriff con los forajidos de Sherwood ahora que Robin no está y, en un momento impulsivo, Marian decide ponerse la capa de Robin y hacerle creer a esas personas que aún hay alguien protegiéndolas.
Y sí, todo suena muy interesante, pero en un libro de 480 páginas, la trama no puede ponerse interesante sólo hasta la 400. Mientras leía esta historia, sentía que nada pasaba, que nadie iba hacia ninguna parte y que, con cada minuto que pasaba, Marian se me hacía más y más insoportable. O sea, entiendo que la autora quiso darle un toque nuevo a la leyenda de Robin, pero recalcar mil y un veces que Marian era mejor arquera que él me indignó un montón. Además, a pesar de que intentaban plantearla como una mujer que no necesita que la rescaten, los capítulos enteros en los que se quedaba destrozada por todo decían todo lo contrario.
¿Y podemos hablar de que esta mujer se enamora del villano? Like… dioses. No es que pretenda seducirlo para manipularlo, no. ¡De verdad se enamora! Y lo besa y lo disfruta y… ugh. Robin estaría muy decepcionado, qué barbaridad.
En fin, que no disfruté para nada de este libro y, tristemente, leo que una gran cantidad de lectores se sienten así. Parece que los otros libros de Spooner son muchísimo mejores que este, así que quizá le dé una nueva oportunidad en el futuro.
Y sí, todo suena muy interesante, pero en un libro de 480 páginas, la trama no puede ponerse interesante sólo hasta la 400. Mientras leía esta historia, sentía que nada pasaba, que nadie iba hacia ninguna parte y que, con cada minuto que pasaba, Marian se me hacía más y más insoportable. O sea, entiendo que la autora quiso darle un toque nuevo a la leyenda de Robin, pero recalcar mil y un veces que Marian era mejor arquera que él me indignó un montón. Además, a pesar de que intentaban plantearla como una mujer que no necesita que la rescaten, los capítulos enteros en los que se quedaba destrozada por todo decían todo lo contrario.
¿Y podemos hablar de que esta mujer se enamora del villano? Like… dioses. No es que pretenda seducirlo para manipularlo, no. ¡De verdad se enamora! Y lo besa y lo disfruta y… ugh. Robin estaría muy decepcionado, qué barbaridad.
En fin, que no disfruté para nada de este libro y, tristemente, leo que una gran cantidad de lectores se sienten así. Parece que los otros libros de Spooner son muchísimo mejores que este, así que quizá le dé una nueva oportunidad en el futuro.
March 25, 2019
So I have read a lot of Robin Hood retellings, and watched a lot of movies too. Errol Flynn is pretty iconic and even with the ridiculous outfit Will Scarlett wore (red is really not good camouflage in a forest especially when topped by a giant feathered cap), my 5 year old self pretty much ate that classic movie up.
As far as Marian is concerned, Olivia de Havilland was no pushover and the later iteration with Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio similarly cast her as a woman to be reckoned with. In The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley Marian assumes a pivotal role as the real master archer of the band, with Robin being a man of only middling skill with a bow.
So what does Sherwood do that I haven't seen before? Well, Robin of Locksley dies in the first few pages, so there's that. Then it is actually pretty standard for the first half. Marian mourns, a lot. She hears Robin's voice in her head. It turns out that since childhood she's been a better archer than Robin, and thanks to her larger build, she matched and often bested him in hand to hand combat. She thinks Guy of Gisborne is horrible because he works for the Sheriff, although we don't actually ever see him do anything unreasonable in the circumstances.
At this point I'm thinking there better be something else because so far this is not dazzling me. There is a jailbreak, which was pretty good, but otherwise I'm not feeling like Marian is interesting enough to be the focus of the story.
The second half after around the time of the archery contest happens and the events leading up to it is when things improved for me. It turns out my early instincts (hopes?) were right, and it's actually Guy of Gisborne who, in this version, undergoes the most significant change from previous characterizations.
This was for me, the most positive aspect of the story. Honestly, he ended up being a far more interesting and potentially original character than Marian, and one I would have liked more of. Unfortunately, for a large portion of the book we only get Marian's assumptions about him and his motivations, which play into the usual cruel and villainous role Gisborne's character is normally portrayed as.
Ultimately I think this will probably be enjoyed most by either people who don't know the Robin Hood story that well, and like the woman masquerading as a man trope; or, by Robin Hood superfans who want to read anything Robin Hood (although maybe take that with a grain of salt given my own reaction). If you are pretty familiar with the story, there isn't a ton of new direction here with the exception of Gisborne, who unfortunately doesn't get as much focus as I would have personally preferred.
As far as Marian is concerned, Olivia de Havilland was no pushover and the later iteration with Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio similarly cast her as a woman to be reckoned with. In The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley Marian assumes a pivotal role as the real master archer of the band, with Robin being a man of only middling skill with a bow.
So what does Sherwood do that I haven't seen before? Well, Robin of Locksley dies in the first few pages, so there's that. Then it is actually pretty standard for the first half. Marian mourns, a lot. She hears Robin's voice in her head. It turns out that since childhood she's been a better archer than Robin, and thanks to her larger build, she matched and often bested him in hand to hand combat. She thinks Guy of Gisborne is horrible because he works for the Sheriff, although we don't actually ever see him do anything unreasonable in the circumstances.
At this point I'm thinking there better be something else because so far this is not dazzling me. There is a jailbreak, which was pretty good, but otherwise I'm not feeling like Marian is interesting enough to be the focus of the story.
The second half after around the time of the archery contest happens and the events leading up to it is when things improved for me. It turns out my early instincts (hopes?) were right, and it's actually Guy of Gisborne who, in this version, undergoes the most significant change from previous characterizations.
This was for me, the most positive aspect of the story. Honestly, he ended up being a far more interesting and potentially original character than Marian, and one I would have liked more of. Unfortunately, for a large portion of the book we only get Marian's assumptions about him and his motivations, which play into the usual cruel and villainous role Gisborne's character is normally portrayed as.
Ultimately I think this will probably be enjoyed most by either people who don't know the Robin Hood story that well, and like the woman masquerading as a man trope; or, by Robin Hood superfans who want to read anything Robin Hood (although maybe take that with a grain of salt given my own reaction). If you are pretty familiar with the story, there isn't a ton of new direction here with the exception of Gisborne, who unfortunately doesn't get as much focus as I would have personally preferred.
April 19, 2019
Robin Hood retellings are a lifelong passion of mine, so I have read a LOT of them. I'm especially fond of books that a) do something with the legend that I haven't seen before and b) take a keen interest in Marian -- and like A.C. Gaughen's excellent SCARLET trilogy, this gorgeous standalone novel does both.
There's so much to admire in what Meagan Spooner does with this story. Her prose is rich and lovely without ever getting overwrought, she does a superb job of depicting the physical toll that Marian's adventures take on her in a plausible yet non-gratuitous way, she strikes a neat balance between having Marian be plausibly tall and strong and capable enough to pull off the charade of being Robin Hood while also making her believably a woman of her time, and the development of the central romance is beautifully done. I was getting inklings early in the book that things might be heading in a particular direction, but almost talked myself out of it several times because I was afraid to get my hopes up (which is perfect, because so was Marian!) or make a love interest out of someone who wasn't worthy of her. And then I was right and ***SO HAPPY***.
I loved this book. I already want to read it again, and once I return my library copy and buy one of my own, I'm pretty sure I will. Recommended.
There's so much to admire in what Meagan Spooner does with this story. Her prose is rich and lovely without ever getting overwrought, she does a superb job of depicting the physical toll that Marian's adventures take on her in a plausible yet non-gratuitous way, she strikes a neat balance between having Marian be plausibly tall and strong and capable enough to pull off the charade of being Robin Hood while also making her believably a woman of her time, and the development of the central romance is beautifully done. I was getting inklings early in the book that things might be heading in a particular direction, but almost talked myself out of it several times because I was afraid to get my hopes up (which is perfect, because so was Marian!) or make a love interest out of someone who wasn't worthy of her. And then I was right and ***SO HAPPY***.
I loved this book. I already want to read it again, and once I return my library copy and buy one of my own, I'm pretty sure I will. Recommended.
Want to read
September 4, 2018I don't think I've ever read any Robin Hood retelling or any Robin Hood book for that matter, but I like the story so I'm curious about this one.
I just got an arc of this book, which is like the 4th arc I got this week, so maybe this is a good time for me to try the lottery or something cause my luck has apparently been off the charts lately.
I just got an arc of this book, which is like the 4th arc I got this week, so maybe this is a good time for me to try the lottery or something cause my luck has apparently been off the charts lately.
December 16, 2019
I have always loved Robin Hood stories, and wasn't sure what would set this story apart.Spooner puts a quirky feminist twist on an old story, even finding redemption for some of the classic villains in the tale. Highly recommend.
Shelved as 'dnf'
December 29, 2018ARC provided in exchange for honest review 🏹
Want to read
January 30, 2019I want this like right now.
May 23, 2019
4.5 en realidad, pero no podía ponerle 4 estrellas. Goodreads, las medias estrellas YA.
Bueno, no sabéis las ganas que tenía de leer este libro. Desde que leí Cazados, estaba deseando leer este, y en cuanto lo tuve en mis manos, no pude evitar comenzar su lectura.
Esta historia es un retelling de Robin Hood, historia que AMO desde pequeña por diferentes adaptaciones cinematográficas (sobre todo la de Kevin Costner). Pero en este caso, nuestro Robin es Lady Marian. La historia comienza con la muerte de Robin en la guerra, dejando a Marian sumida en la tristeza por la muerte de su prometido y no solo eso, sino que también era su mejor amigo y compañero de vida.
Tras el duelo, se entera de que el hermano de su doncella necesita ayuda, ella ha entrenado toda la vida con Robin en el arte de la lucha y el tiro con arco, por lo que decide ayudarle escondiendo su identidad bajo una capa. Cuando ayuda a Will, este la confunde con el fallecido Robin Hood y empieza a correrse la voz de que en realidad Robin está vivo. A partir de aquí, Marian empezará a hacerse pasar por él para ayudar a más personas y sin darse cuenta, se verá envuelta en un montón de problemas y situaciones que jamás pensó que iba a vivir.
La historia me ha flipado por completo y me ha mantenido enganchada desde el comienzo de su lectura. La ambientación es maravillosa y ver lo que destaca Marian en una sociedad tan opresora con la mujer es increíble.
Los personajes me han gustado muchísimo. Marian es luchadora y quiero ser feliz viviendo a su manera y no como dicta la sociedad. Eso la impulsa desde pequeña a entrenar con Robin y él la ve como a un igual. Y Marian patea muchos culos en este libro, es asombrosa. Los personajes secundarios como Will, John, Elena, Alan... me han encantado, pero si me tengo que quedar con alguien es con Gisborne, el antagonista y de la historia que se pasa todo el libro empecinado con capturar a Robin Hood.
Es una historia llena de aventuras, con un mensaje brutal, donde se ve la tradición y como una chica rompe esa cadena que las ataba a ser solo la mujer de alguien, y donde los sentimientos de los personajes son los que mueven la historia. De verdad, he cogido mucho cariño a Sherwood, Nottigham y Locksley. Pero por supuesto, en mi corazón siempre quedará mi querida Marian. Larga vida a Robin Hood.
Por cierto, no supero el final TAN MARAVILLOSO y ese giro de acontecimientos. INSUPERABLE.
Bueno, no sabéis las ganas que tenía de leer este libro. Desde que leí Cazados, estaba deseando leer este, y en cuanto lo tuve en mis manos, no pude evitar comenzar su lectura.
Esta historia es un retelling de Robin Hood, historia que AMO desde pequeña por diferentes adaptaciones cinematográficas (sobre todo la de Kevin Costner). Pero en este caso, nuestro Robin es Lady Marian. La historia comienza con la muerte de Robin en la guerra, dejando a Marian sumida en la tristeza por la muerte de su prometido y no solo eso, sino que también era su mejor amigo y compañero de vida.
Tras el duelo, se entera de que el hermano de su doncella necesita ayuda, ella ha entrenado toda la vida con Robin en el arte de la lucha y el tiro con arco, por lo que decide ayudarle escondiendo su identidad bajo una capa. Cuando ayuda a Will, este la confunde con el fallecido Robin Hood y empieza a correrse la voz de que en realidad Robin está vivo. A partir de aquí, Marian empezará a hacerse pasar por él para ayudar a más personas y sin darse cuenta, se verá envuelta en un montón de problemas y situaciones que jamás pensó que iba a vivir.
La historia me ha flipado por completo y me ha mantenido enganchada desde el comienzo de su lectura. La ambientación es maravillosa y ver lo que destaca Marian en una sociedad tan opresora con la mujer es increíble.
Los personajes me han gustado muchísimo. Marian es luchadora y quiero ser feliz viviendo a su manera y no como dicta la sociedad. Eso la impulsa desde pequeña a entrenar con Robin y él la ve como a un igual. Y Marian patea muchos culos en este libro, es asombrosa. Los personajes secundarios como Will, John, Elena, Alan... me han encantado, pero si me tengo que quedar con alguien es con Gisborne, el antagonista y de la historia que se pasa todo el libro empecinado con capturar a Robin Hood.
Es una historia llena de aventuras, con un mensaje brutal, donde se ve la tradición y como una chica rompe esa cadena que las ataba a ser solo la mujer de alguien, y donde los sentimientos de los personajes son los que mueven la historia. De verdad, he cogido mucho cariño a Sherwood, Nottigham y Locksley. Pero por supuesto, en mi corazón siempre quedará mi querida Marian. Larga vida a Robin Hood.
Por cierto, no supero el final TAN MARAVILLOSO y ese giro de acontecimientos. INSUPERABLE.
Read
August 2, 2023Fascinating premise, and she clearly loved the BBC Robin Hood series as much as I did! This is a solid Robin Hood story, not quite origin story, not quite what happens next. Great historical fiction vibe without being too pedantic.
This is sort of an "it's not you, it's me" situation with this book. There's nothing wrong with it, I just didn't connect with the characters.
This is sort of an "it's not you, it's me" situation with this book. There's nothing wrong with it, I just didn't connect with the characters.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
June 23, 2019DNF at 25%. Just not feeling this. I don't think I enjoy Robin Hood retellings.
August 29, 2020
Overall: 4/5 Stars
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Plot and Themes: 4/5
Awesomeness Factor: 5/5
Review in a Nutshell: Sherwood is a fantastic Robin Hood retelling as long as you’re willing to push past the slow parts.
"It's easy to be a hero when you never look beyond your next battle. Only fools believe they know all there is to know."
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// Content Warning: Violence, Death, Torture (Mention), Panic Attacks, Anxiety, Grief, Murder //
”The world had told her what she was to be. And she’d known all along that she wasn’t enough.”
- Premise -
Sherwood is a Robin Hood retelling like no other, mostly because Robin of Locksley is dead, leaving Maid Marion behind in Edwinstowe. When Sir Guy of Gisborne reveals his plan to marry Marion and take over Robin’s land, Marion must find a way to help the people of Locksley while avoiding marriage with a man she detests. Sometimes all people need is a little hope, but can Marion play that role without losing her life?
”Will you take away their hope because you have none?”
- Writing -
This book definitely reads like historical fiction. I don’t know why I didn’t expect that, but somehow I didn’t and was surprised to find that. Meagan Spooner manages to somehow ground this classic tale in a somewhat concrete time and place. It definitely isn’t historically accurate, but how can it be when the story it’s telling was morphed and changed over centuries? Despite the accuracy probably being off, the setting feels strong and well-developed. Meanwhile, Meagan Spooner’s writing is as fantastic as always. This book has a very feminist tone, which I adored, and dealt with a lot of heavier subjects. There’s a lot of emotion in this book that I totally wasn’t prepared for but I’m so grateful.
"You sound more like a man returning from his own war than a lady."
"Who are you to say that being a lady, in itself, is not its own kind of war?"
- Plot -
Time for a confession: I’m not a huge fan of Robin Hood. I don’t hate the story or anything, I just don’t know much about it (besides the basics and the Disney movie). However, I never felt like I was missing out by not knowing a lot about it. This book actually inspired me to learn more about the classic tale and I appreciate it even more. Aside from the retelling aspect, the plot is good. There’s a lot of action, which you could expect, but there were also some slow parts. During the 50-200 page mark, there were several points where I definitely felt the pace drag, but the ending made up for it. Trust me, this ending is amazing and I would give the ending alone 5/5 stars.
”I am the Lady Marion. I am a free woman and I am loved by Robin of Locksley. I don’t shatter for someone like Guy of Gisborne.”
- Characters -
This book has a lot of familiar faces in it. Every major Robin Hood character makes an appearance, if not playing a major role in ways you wouldn’t expect. Marion is a good protagonist, with notable strengths and some interesting faults. I love her journey in this book, especially with her grief and understanding her relationship with Robin. However, Gisborne stole the show for me. He was such a fascinating character! My only wish is that we spend more time with him. The rest of the merry men are also great characters, with great depth and personality. I did have one issue with the romance aspect of the book though-- mostly that it felt a little bit like an afterthought. I could believe the love interest’s feelings, and I really loved seeing that grow, but on Marion’s side, it felt forced. I just wish it had been perhaps hinted at a little more earlier in the book, instead of coming from nowhere with only a hundred pages left. That said, I still loved it because I’m trash for enemies-to-lovers.
Grief, thought Marian, was not the melancholy mourning of a loss, not the long and dwindling ache that ballads sang of. It was forgetting, and remembering, again and again, an endless series of slashes, each as violent and sharp as the last.
- Conclusion -
Pros- Fun, feminist take on the original story, great characters, well developed setting
Cons- It can be really slow, romance is a little forced
Overall- 4/5 stars.
Sherwood is a emotional story of loss and hope, and is absolutely worth the dedication required to read.
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Plot and Themes: 4/5
Awesomeness Factor: 5/5
Review in a Nutshell: Sherwood is a fantastic Robin Hood retelling as long as you’re willing to push past the slow parts.
"It's easy to be a hero when you never look beyond your next battle. Only fools believe they know all there is to know."
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// Content Warning: Violence, Death, Torture (Mention), Panic Attacks, Anxiety, Grief, Murder //
”The world had told her what she was to be. And she’d known all along that she wasn’t enough.”
- Premise -
Sherwood is a Robin Hood retelling like no other, mostly because Robin of Locksley is dead, leaving Maid Marion behind in Edwinstowe. When Sir Guy of Gisborne reveals his plan to marry Marion and take over Robin’s land, Marion must find a way to help the people of Locksley while avoiding marriage with a man she detests. Sometimes all people need is a little hope, but can Marion play that role without losing her life?
”Will you take away their hope because you have none?”
- Writing -
This book definitely reads like historical fiction. I don’t know why I didn’t expect that, but somehow I didn’t and was surprised to find that. Meagan Spooner manages to somehow ground this classic tale in a somewhat concrete time and place. It definitely isn’t historically accurate, but how can it be when the story it’s telling was morphed and changed over centuries? Despite the accuracy probably being off, the setting feels strong and well-developed. Meanwhile, Meagan Spooner’s writing is as fantastic as always. This book has a very feminist tone, which I adored, and dealt with a lot of heavier subjects. There’s a lot of emotion in this book that I totally wasn’t prepared for but I’m so grateful.
"You sound more like a man returning from his own war than a lady."
"Who are you to say that being a lady, in itself, is not its own kind of war?"
- Plot -
Time for a confession: I’m not a huge fan of Robin Hood. I don’t hate the story or anything, I just don’t know much about it (besides the basics and the Disney movie). However, I never felt like I was missing out by not knowing a lot about it. This book actually inspired me to learn more about the classic tale and I appreciate it even more. Aside from the retelling aspect, the plot is good. There’s a lot of action, which you could expect, but there were also some slow parts. During the 50-200 page mark, there were several points where I definitely felt the pace drag, but the ending made up for it. Trust me, this ending is amazing and I would give the ending alone 5/5 stars.
”I am the Lady Marion. I am a free woman and I am loved by Robin of Locksley. I don’t shatter for someone like Guy of Gisborne.”
- Characters -
This book has a lot of familiar faces in it. Every major Robin Hood character makes an appearance, if not playing a major role in ways you wouldn’t expect. Marion is a good protagonist, with notable strengths and some interesting faults. I love her journey in this book, especially with her grief and understanding her relationship with Robin. However, Gisborne stole the show for me. He was such a fascinating character! My only wish is that we spend more time with him. The rest of the merry men are also great characters, with great depth and personality. I did have one issue with the romance aspect of the book though-- mostly that it felt a little bit like an afterthought. I could believe the love interest’s feelings, and I really loved seeing that grow, but on Marion’s side, it felt forced. I just wish it had been perhaps hinted at a little more earlier in the book, instead of coming from nowhere with only a hundred pages left. That said, I still loved it because I’m trash for enemies-to-lovers.
Grief, thought Marian, was not the melancholy mourning of a loss, not the long and dwindling ache that ballads sang of. It was forgetting, and remembering, again and again, an endless series of slashes, each as violent and sharp as the last.
- Conclusion -
Pros- Fun, feminist take on the original story, great characters, well developed setting
Cons- It can be really slow, romance is a little forced
Overall- 4/5 stars.
Sherwood is a emotional story of loss and hope, and is absolutely worth the dedication required to read.
February 15, 2019
Grief, thought Marian, was not the melancholy mourning of a loss, not the long and dwindling ache that ballads sang of. It was forgetting, and remembering, again and again, an endless series of slashes, each as violent and sharp as the last.
My god, I don't know how this author does it. It's like she has a finger on the pulse of my feels. She wrecked me the same way in HUNTED. It's so subtle but the resonance of her words is just spectacular. I swear I spent like.. a good 50% of this choking back tears and emotion. Her writing, the undercurrent of grief and loss, not to mention the determination and self-realization and doubt and betrayal of memory.. slay. I am slayed.
"You sound more like a man returning from his own war than a lady."
"Who are you to say that being a lady, in itself, is not its own kind of war?"
I'll admit there was a bit in the middle that did feel a little slow (and, like, that's also maybe because this isn't a typical quick short YA read but, like HUNTED, fairly hefty.. though this one is almost five hundred pages vs HUNTED's four hundo) but everything else? Man oh man. That said it's that middle part that makes me hesitate to round up buuut please know how tempted I am. So so tempted.
"Your-- but Domina means 'Lady'."
"I named him when I was six. Would you rather stand here and discuss the issue, or finish rescuing me?"
"You named your stallion Lady?"
I didn't reread the summary (if I ever had?) because I trusted in the author and I wanted to be surprised by her take on this retelling and as a result I highly recommend going into this that way. There were so many surprises along the way (though please note I'm not sure I've ever seen a real Robin Hood movie besides Men in Tights, which I've watched an embarrassing amount of times, and doesn't really count..) and I loved them all. There's one particular direction this goes in that fucking blew my mind.
"It's easy to be a hero when you never look beyond your next battle. Only fools believe they know all there is to know."
I really don't want to say much about this one and so I'm left with nothing to say. Awkward.
(insert READ THE BOOK throwing gif here)
** I received an ARC from Edelweiss and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
My god, I don't know how this author does it. It's like she has a finger on the pulse of my feels. She wrecked me the same way in HUNTED. It's so subtle but the resonance of her words is just spectacular. I swear I spent like.. a good 50% of this choking back tears and emotion. Her writing, the undercurrent of grief and loss, not to mention the determination and self-realization and doubt and betrayal of memory.. slay. I am slayed.
"You sound more like a man returning from his own war than a lady."
"Who are you to say that being a lady, in itself, is not its own kind of war?"
I'll admit there was a bit in the middle that did feel a little slow (and, like, that's also maybe because this isn't a typical quick short YA read but, like HUNTED, fairly hefty.. though this one is almost five hundred pages vs HUNTED's four hundo) but everything else? Man oh man. That said it's that middle part that makes me hesitate to round up buuut please know how tempted I am. So so tempted.
"Your-- but Domina means 'Lady'."
"I named him when I was six. Would you rather stand here and discuss the issue, or finish rescuing me?"
"You named your stallion Lady?"
I didn't reread the summary (if I ever had?) because I trusted in the author and I wanted to be surprised by her take on this retelling and as a result I highly recommend going into this that way. There were so many surprises along the way (though please note I'm not sure I've ever seen a real Robin Hood movie besides Men in Tights, which I've watched an embarrassing amount of times, and doesn't really count..) and I loved them all. There's one particular direction this goes in that fucking blew my mind.
"It's easy to be a hero when you never look beyond your next battle. Only fools believe they know all there is to know."
I really don't want to say much about this one and so I'm left with nothing to say. Awkward.
(insert READ THE BOOK throwing gif here)
** I received an ARC from Edelweiss and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
September 15, 2023
This book was for the most part a 3 star rating. I was really intrigued by the premise of the story and I thought I knew exactly how it would go down but the first half was really tiring and - dare to say - boring? But the author really surprised me in the end making that last 30% of the book deserving 5 stars (and I'm so glad I didn't DNFed it), so I decided to settle in the middle.
The story starts when Maid Marian receives the news of Robin's death in the Holy Lands which greatly doubts are true. From then on, the story unfolds as Marian accidentaly becomes the notorious Robin Hood, taking actions on behalf of the poor and unfortunate, as chapter after chapter, we get glimpses of how she and Robin met in the first place and how their friendship and engagement evolved, through Robin's own memories.
For the first half of the book, we get to spend a lot of time inside Marian's head, as she conciders one course of action after another, as she over-analyses everything and everyone which is over tiring. What really bothered me was that everything that happened wasn't of Marian's doing or choice but circumstantial and opportunistic. People just were too eager to believe what they thought they were seeing instead of just see what was in front of them. I think, misconceptions and prejudices of the era helped a lot towards that conclusion. After all it was unheard off a woman to know how to yeld a weapon or behave like a man.
There's lack in romantic interest in the first part, as the author tries to build on Marian's character, the physical absence of Robin - his inputs were too short to count - and sir Guy is very laconic and reserved in his interactions with Marian to be a true romantic candidate. Of course I couldn't ever thought of the Sheriff of Nottingham as a truly romantic character because every time he entered in a scene all I could picture in my head was this:
You can't blame me if the movie spoiled that character for all the one's that'll follow!
The side characters are great though, loosely based on the originals, their interactions with both Marian and "fake" Robin are fun to read and even though I knew how the story would unfold, it totally took me by surprise and that's why I won't say more in my review.
If you decide to give this story a go, then be persistent and don't give up, because the ending is more realistic than the one in the original tale (even if a bit exaggerated in love declarations) and totally satisfactory.
The story starts when Maid Marian receives the news of Robin's death in the Holy Lands which greatly doubts are true. From then on, the story unfolds as Marian accidentaly becomes the notorious Robin Hood, taking actions on behalf of the poor and unfortunate, as chapter after chapter, we get glimpses of how she and Robin met in the first place and how their friendship and engagement evolved, through Robin's own memories.
For the first half of the book, we get to spend a lot of time inside Marian's head, as she conciders one course of action after another, as she over-analyses everything and everyone which is over tiring. What really bothered me was that everything that happened wasn't of Marian's doing or choice but circumstantial and opportunistic. People just were too eager to believe what they thought they were seeing instead of just see what was in front of them. I think, misconceptions and prejudices of the era helped a lot towards that conclusion. After all it was unheard off a woman to know how to yeld a weapon or behave like a man.
There's lack in romantic interest in the first part, as the author tries to build on Marian's character, the physical absence of Robin - his inputs were too short to count - and sir Guy is very laconic and reserved in his interactions with Marian to be a true romantic candidate. Of course I couldn't ever thought of the Sheriff of Nottingham as a truly romantic character because every time he entered in a scene all I could picture in my head was this:
You can't blame me if the movie spoiled that character for all the one's that'll follow!
The side characters are great though, loosely based on the originals, their interactions with both Marian and "fake" Robin are fun to read and even though I knew how the story would unfold, it totally took me by surprise and that's why I won't say more in my review.
If you decide to give this story a go, then be persistent and don't give up, because the ending is more realistic than the one in the original tale (even if a bit exaggerated in love declarations) and totally satisfactory.
December 5, 2019
Aún dudo si ponerle 3,5
Me ha parecido muy lento. Aunque las páginas pasaban rápido, no sucedía lo mismo con la trama. Tampoco me ha gustado que la protagonista estuviera todo el tiempo pensando "¿qué haría Robin?", lo rasgos feministas que se apreciaban en muchos otros aspectos, quedaban eclipsados por esta contradicción. Han habido cosas que no me he creído para nada y que ha generado giros que no me han convencido. Lo que sí me ha gustado de la novela es la historia y el carácter de Marian.
Me ha parecido muy lento. Aunque las páginas pasaban rápido, no sucedía lo mismo con la trama. Tampoco me ha gustado que la protagonista estuviera todo el tiempo pensando "¿qué haría Robin?", lo rasgos feministas que se apreciaban en muchos otros aspectos, quedaban eclipsados por esta contradicción. Han habido cosas que no me he creído para nada y que ha generado giros que no me han convencido. Lo que sí me ha gustado de la novela es la historia y el carácter de Marian.
June 23, 2019
Cuando Robin muere, todo lo que había deseado Marian para su futuro muere con él. Vacía, derrotada y con el corazón roto, Locksley depende ahora del maldito destino que la muerte ha querido ponerle a Marian delante. Se suponía que ella, junto a Robin, iban a ser quienes mandarían en una tierra que podría dejar a sus trabajadores en la pobreza y hambruna. Y, por si fuera poco, Marian pronto tendrá que hacer frente a una proposición indeseada que va a estar evitando a toda costa. Sin embargo, cuando el hermano de su sirvienta es capturado y condenado a la muerte como fugitivo, Marian sabe que no puede quedarse de brazos cruzados. Y, aunque sea una vía de escape inicial, dar a entender que Robin sigue vivo y que de alguna manera ha sobrevivido a la guerra da una falsa esperanza a aquellos que, en las sombras, corean su nombre. Marian sabe que seguir ese camino no es lo adecuado, pero todo lo que sintió en ese breve momento fue lo que realmente vuelve a darle esperanza y la ilusión de un futuro perdido. Ahora no solo se trata de rescatar a aquellos condenados de manera injusta, es momento de dar un paso más. Y, cuando sea testigo de lo que está provocando realmente la guerra y la avaricia de los grandes señores a su pueblo, Marian tendrá que usar el nombre de Robin Hood para algo más. No obstante, nada va a ser tan fácil como creía y, cuando piensa que solo la guerra y el rey son sus enemigos, alguien más está acechando desde las sombras, un contrincante que no dejará escapar a un hombre dispuesto a cambiarlo todo.
Aunque sean libros independientes el uno del otro, Meagan Spooner está creando una serie de retellings de diferentes cuentos clásicos con cuyo inicio fue Cazados, retelling de La Bella y la Bestia. A nuestro país llegó el año pasado y, aunque sí que gustó la atmósfera de la que se rodeó, para mí Cazados no llegó a aportarme nada nuevo. Sin embargo, Sherwood me llamaba por todos lados por una simple razón: la historia de Robin Hood no la tengo tan masticada como la anterior. Aquí sí que hay esquinas que no he visto nunca, huecos oscuros que tengo que descubrir, personajes, elementos y espacios por los que apenas he caminado y que, definitivamente, han hecho que haya disfrutado muchísimo Sherwood desde el principio.
Narrado en todo momento en tercera persona a través de nuestra protagonista, lady Marian, el libro sigue una estética muy similar a la de Cazados, un inicio que nos traslada a la niñez de Robin Hood que, mediante espacios estratégicos a lo largo de todo el libro y bajo un color grisáceo que los diferencia del resto de los capítulos para indicar un salto en el tiempo hacia el pasado, se irá desarrollando hasta llegar al punto en el que ambas historias convergen y chocan para centrarnos únicamente en el presente. Así pues, y tras este primer capítulo introductorio a la historia de Robin y Marian, el libro también consigue meterte desde el principio en el evento que lo va a detonar todo a partir de ese momento; Robin Hood ha muerto. Y no, tranquilidad, no es spoiler. Aparece en la sinopsis y en la primera frase del libro. He de decir que estos primeros compases de la novela me daban la sensación, analizando algunos comportamientos, de ser páginas en las que Marian tendría que hacer frente a esta pérdida, momentos usados únicamente para el duelo, los sentimientos a flor de piel y un corazón roto que hay que reconstruir poco a poco. No obstante, Meagan Spooner no mira hacia este lado mucho tiempo, cortando de raíz con lo que podría haber sido un inicio lento, metódico, algo monótono y aburrido para adentrarte rápidamente en la primera escena de acción y peligro, algo que se va a repetir de manera ininterrumpida por toda la lectura y que servirá, de manera emocionante, tensa y como una misión personal, para que Marian siga hacia adelante bajo el aura y nombre de Robin Hood. Para mí ha sido un acierto total lo que ha hecho la autora en este libro, tocar esta sensibilidad, esa pérdida, de una forma diferente y alejada a la encerrona en una habitación o en casa, añadiendo fuerza en las páginas y siendo la sanación que necesita el personaje de Marian pero, además, sirviendo como camino interesante, absorbente y adictivo para que, a la vez, como lectores y lectoras estemos muy enganchados y enganchadas al libro siempre. Además, hay un juego, un tira y afloja entre Marian y otros personajes secundarios que deja buenos momentos y un buen sabor de boca, aquello que ya te encierra para que no te despegues del libro nunca, para que quieras seguir leyendo y que, sí, origina un descanso de esos momentos de más batalla y carreras de un lado hacia otro pero sin olvidar la sensación de estar dentro de escenas de mucho dinamismo. Es por eso que el ritmo del libro se puede resumir en escena de acción tras escena de acción, con pequeños momentos puntuales más pausados pero que, igualmente, siguen esa estela, una lectura plagada de buenas sensaciones y que, de alguna manera, sí evocan al personaje de Robin Hood a pesar de que este libro no nos cuenta su historia, sino la de su prometida Marian y cómo esta tiene que lidiar no solo con el recuerdo de esa persona que ya no va a estar más a su lado, sino con la nueva identidad que adopta que será, también, un aliciente que te va a tener en ascuas y que te dejará en mente la típica frase de un capítulo más, caminando con Marian y siendo partícipes en ese misterio que la pone en más de una ocasión en un apuro, que llena su camino de obstáculos a resolver, guiándonos por diferentes eventos y situaciones hasta un final trepidante en el que todo va a pasar y nada es lo que parece, poniendo así un punto conclusivo a la altura de todo lo que ha sido el libro hasta ese momento.
Lo que más quiero destacar de este libro, lo que creo que ha sobresalido por encima de todo lo demás, es el personaje de Marian y lo que este llega a representar dentro del libro y de la historia. Sherwood tiene una ambientación medieval donde, una vez más, el papel de la mujer, en aquella sociedad, se limitaba a ser una buena esposa, estar en casa, saber comportarse y ser una futura madre. Sin embargo, Marian no quiere eso, nunca ha querido ser como las demás, que le corten las alas a través de un matrimonio. Siempre ha querido mantenerse como una mujer valiente, con un carácter indomable, fuerte, que usa el arco, que lucha y que habla en lugar de quedarse callada, y creo que es algo que ha mantenido con mucha fidelidad. El papel de Marian es soberbio para estar ambientado en una época así. Y, si bien es cierto que está limitada por ser una mujer, teniendo que esconderse tras un nombre y una fachada diferente para actuar y conseguir respeto, al final ves que todo eso que consigue haciéndose pasar por hombre, el honor y la visión de ser un héroe es aceptado en ella cuando se descubre la verdad, habiendo aprobación y para nada rechazo, llegando a convertirse en alguien a quien admirar y seguir, capaz de cerrar esas bocas que juzgan diferente los actos de la gente dependiendo de si eres hombre o mujer, probando que, al final, eso da igual. La manera en la que cambia la visión de un grupo de hombres es lo que consigue Marian, romper con los moldes sociales y demostrar que una mujer es mucho más de lo que se espera de ella, es libre de tomar sus propias decisiones y de ser como quiere ser, sin ataduras.
Por otro lado, la parte negativa del libro se la lleva el poco desarrollo de algunos personajes secundarios. Está claro que Marian es la protagonista principal, la que mueve la historia, pero a su alrededor se abre un abanico de personajes no tan prioritarios como ella que no han terminado de cuajar para mí. Quizás me hubiera gustado sentirme más cercana a ese grupo que ayuda a Marian, conocer mejor cada una de sus historias y vidas, sentir que están a mi lado y que también me han aceptado como una más. Y, aunque sí que tenemos parte de lo que son, no está todo, quedando este grupo vacío en algunos aspectos. Junto a ellos también hay un personaje que sí tiene más relevancia que sufre el mismo destino de mostrarse distante, frío, sin llegar a decirte gran cosa. Creo que la autora ha querido centrarse más en la evolución de Marian, de cómo se convierte en una mujer vista como una mujer más de la sociedad a una mujer de armas tomar que va a dar muchos quebraderos de cabeza, dejando el desarrollo de los demás personajes un poco en el olvido. Como resultado de esto, tampoco me ha convencido el final que se le ha dado al libro. Me ha sabido todo poco creíble y precipitado, todavía me cuesta aceptar ese cambio brusco de los acontecimientos que se han producido para servir de final, no he sentido que fuera la conclusión correcta y más exacta, la que más cuadra, para Marian y para Sherwood después de todo lo que se vive anteriormente. Es como si la autora no supiera cómo terminar ese enfrentamiento y decidiera cambiar por completo la actitud y personalidad de sus personajes y es algo que no me ha convencido.
Por todo lo demás, Sherwood es un libro que engancha por su frescura, su energía y su dinamismo, una historia plagada de acción desde el primer momento y un retelling que consigue evocar bien este mundo de Robin Hood a través de una protagonista fuerte y que te va a conquistar. Directa, rápida, bien equilibrada y pensada, es la lectura perfecta si os gustan este tipo de historias y no sabéis qué leer ahora mismo, un libro que, si le dais una oportunidad, no os va decepcionar en absoluto.
January 3, 2021
The book that got me out of a reading slump, the book that made me add Meagan Spooner to my "instant-buy authors" list, and the book that I would shove to everyone who asks for a recommendation 😍
Easy read? ✓
Fast read? ✓
Emotional read? ✓ (if you didn't sob during that father-daughter moment then you're probably a stone-cold reader 🤣😭)
Gender-bending Robin Hood at its finest, even though I have no basis for comparison (because I have close to zero knowledge about the original Robin Hood, much less other retellings. I knew he had a bow, but that's it 😆). I used to shy away from anything Robin Hood-related, but this book made me love the legend so much!
• The story: 4 stars
It was a bit slow-going, but that didn't stop it from thrilling me to madness with all the conflict and that climax. All the while I was reading it, I didn't know how the ending would play out, and it was in no way predictable. I made this journey with no hope for Marian's future, but that ending really paid off.
Let's talk about that almost-nonexistent romance. The whole time I was reading, I thought this book wasn't going to have a romance plot. Then boom, at more than halfway through, I suddenly realized who the love interest was. And the ship sailed smoothly from there. It was the best pairing ever, and no one could convince me otherwise 😭
• The writing: 5 stars
I usually don't like it when there are dragging paragraphs of a character's thoughts and feelings but the way it was written here in Sherwood was just so beautiful that I appreciated every word of every page!
Not really poetic writing but really close 💖
• The characters: 4.5 stars
I ended up loving every single one of them. Yes, even Sir Guy 😭
Actually, no, I never got around to liking the Sheriff but it's an understandable exception 😬
Fave character? Marian herself. It's rare for the MC to become my fave but Marian is just the ultimate symbol of equality between men and women that you just can't NOT like her.
“I don’t intend that it should be a farewell."
“No one ever does.”
Final verdict: 4.5 stars
Easy read? ✓
Fast read? ✓
Emotional read? ✓ (if you didn't sob during that father-daughter moment then you're probably a stone-cold reader 🤣😭)
Gender-bending Robin Hood at its finest, even though I have no basis for comparison (because I have close to zero knowledge about the original Robin Hood, much less other retellings. I knew he had a bow, but that's it 😆). I used to shy away from anything Robin Hood-related, but this book made me love the legend so much!
• The story: 4 stars
It was a bit slow-going, but that didn't stop it from thrilling me to madness with all the conflict and that climax. All the while I was reading it, I didn't know how the ending would play out, and it was in no way predictable. I made this journey with no hope for Marian's future, but that ending really paid off.
Let's talk about that almost-nonexistent romance. The whole time I was reading, I thought this book wasn't going to have a romance plot. Then boom, at more than halfway through, I suddenly realized who the love interest was. And the ship sailed smoothly from there. It was the best pairing ever, and no one could convince me otherwise 😭
• The writing: 5 stars
I usually don't like it when there are dragging paragraphs of a character's thoughts and feelings but the way it was written here in Sherwood was just so beautiful that I appreciated every word of every page!
Not really poetic writing but really close 💖
• The characters: 4.5 stars
I ended up loving every single one of them. Yes, even Sir Guy 😭
Actually, no, I never got around to liking the Sheriff but it's an understandable exception 😬
Fave character? Marian herself. It's rare for the MC to become my fave but Marian is just the ultimate symbol of equality between men and women that you just can't NOT like her.
“I don’t intend that it should be a farewell."
“No one ever does.”
Final verdict: 4.5 stars
August 6, 2018
✧ ARC PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW ✧
I was so certain I would give Sherwood 4 stars. But the last 25% smashed my expectations to bits in the worst way.
A feminist, gender-bent Robin Hood retelling should have been epic enough to make my heart swell with joy and pride as I turn the last page, but all my positive feeling towards this book was swept away by disbelief and anger and regret the nearer I got to the ending. I've shouted at this story for too long to pretend that my heart has not hardened towards it.
But let me begin at the beginning. I had very low expectations coming into Sherwood, given that this is my first Maegan Spooner novel, but after the slow first chapters, I found that I was delighted by the detailed and accurate rendition of Medieval England, the good handling of grief and PTSD, and Marian. I love Marian. I would still die for Marian, but that doesn't erase my negative feelings towards the way her arc was wrapped up. Maybe I did expect too much of Spooner. Maybe she led me to believe that this story would be more feminist than she intended it to be. I thought I was reading a book about a medieval woman finding her voice, her strength, her independence, the story of a woman living life-after-love and discovering that she was her own hero all along, and inspiring other women to follow in her steps. And for a time, I was reading that story, aglow with beautiful female friendships and smash-the-patriarchy quotes. But just as I was basking in the feminist glory of Sherwood, the storyline shifted in the direction I most dreaded it would take, and it broke my heart to watch it slip away to where my heart would never follow.
All my certainties about the future course of Marian's tale shattered when Spooner made her fall for someone whose relationship with her was not only already unhealthy, but whose role as a love interest pushed Marian's life back into the well-worn grooves of patriarchal order.
You've had your fun, Robin Hood, now get back to becoming a housewife. Because it would be too radical to let Marian lead her band of outlaws from a makeshift kingdom in Sherwood Forest and spend her days shooting arrows from the treetops and her nights carousing by the bonfire.
A feminist message, indeed.
More of my reviews can be found on my blog, Valley of the Books.
I was so certain I would give Sherwood 4 stars. But the last 25% smashed my expectations to bits in the worst way.
A feminist, gender-bent Robin Hood retelling should have been epic enough to make my heart swell with joy and pride as I turn the last page, but all my positive feeling towards this book was swept away by disbelief and anger and regret the nearer I got to the ending. I've shouted at this story for too long to pretend that my heart has not hardened towards it.
But let me begin at the beginning. I had very low expectations coming into Sherwood, given that this is my first Maegan Spooner novel, but after the slow first chapters, I found that I was delighted by the detailed and accurate rendition of Medieval England, the good handling of grief and PTSD, and Marian. I love Marian. I would still die for Marian, but that doesn't erase my negative feelings towards the way her arc was wrapped up. Maybe I did expect too much of Spooner. Maybe she led me to believe that this story would be more feminist than she intended it to be. I thought I was reading a book about a medieval woman finding her voice, her strength, her independence, the story of a woman living life-after-love and discovering that she was her own hero all along, and inspiring other women to follow in her steps. And for a time, I was reading that story, aglow with beautiful female friendships and smash-the-patriarchy quotes. But just as I was basking in the feminist glory of Sherwood, the storyline shifted in the direction I most dreaded it would take, and it broke my heart to watch it slip away to where my heart would never follow.
All my certainties about the future course of Marian's tale shattered when Spooner made her fall for someone whose relationship with her was not only already unhealthy, but whose role as a love interest pushed Marian's life back into the well-worn grooves of patriarchal order.
You've had your fun, Robin Hood, now get back to becoming a housewife. Because it would be too radical to let Marian lead her band of outlaws from a makeshift kingdom in Sherwood Forest and spend her days shooting arrows from the treetops and her nights carousing by the bonfire.
A feminist message, indeed.
More of my reviews can be found on my blog, Valley of the Books.
Shelved as 'dnf'
December 1, 2019ARC provided through Edelweiss for a fair review
Nope, I can't do this anymore. I am bored out of my mind. And I hate to say this because I LOVED Hunted.
30% I made it over a quarter of the book and I just dgaf about these characters, what they're doing, their plans, their goals, the entire town of Lockesly. Honestly, I have been hoping for a crude twist in the story where Marian suddenly likes Sir Guy. AND THAT'S JUST NOT FAIR TO DEAR ROBIN.
I love the idea of a gender bender retelling. BUT WHY DOES ROBIN HAVE TO BE DEAD?
Anyway. 2 attempts is enough for me on this one. Doesn't mean I wont be picking up Meagan's other books though.
Nope, I can't do this anymore. I am bored out of my mind. And I hate to say this because I LOVED Hunted.
30% I made it over a quarter of the book and I just dgaf about these characters, what they're doing, their plans, their goals, the entire town of Lockesly. Honestly, I have been hoping for a crude twist in the story where Marian suddenly likes Sir Guy. AND THAT'S JUST NOT FAIR TO DEAR ROBIN.
I love the idea of a gender bender retelling. BUT WHY DOES ROBIN HAVE TO BE DEAD?
Anyway. 2 attempts is enough for me on this one. Doesn't mean I wont be picking up Meagan's other books though.
February 23, 2019
2.5 stars
An uninspired gender-swapped retelling of Robin Hood, with Marian playing both the roles of herself and the titular hero after her betrothed, Robin of Locksley, is killed while fighting alongside King Richard I in the Crusades.
-
Up until about the 80% mark I was planning to give this a solid two stars and a scathing review.
So what changed?
Not much, to be honest, but there was far more action and things happening in the last 20% than in the previous 80.
This felt a whole hecking lot like Hunted 2.0, with a girl who is a very gifted archer, not like the other girls, and who isn't traditionally pretty yet has men falling over their feet for her even when she treats them worse than dog poo.
Additionally, the whole Robin Hood portion of the story only starts well into the book, and only really manages to limp along as much as it does because apparently everyone in the 12th century was very near-sighted. That or Robin's cloak had magical Harry Potter Power that turned its wearer male instead of invisible, despite said wearer doing things like jumping about in trees, running away from people, or shooting a bow...all while wearing a dress.
On top of that, the merry men don't really...do all that much? The legend sprouts up after one brief instance, then blows out of proportion and I just...I dunno. There is very little sense of time in this book and when it is mentioned it didn't feel like it fit together.
Let's just say that some of the things Guy has to say about Robin Hood and his feckless disregard for consequences or ripple effects made more sense than 100% of whatever Marian did. Honestly, Guy's plans were always much more thought out, and his long term goals are #goals.
Meanwhile, Marian's ~brilliant~ plans always seemed to end like this:
Lesson #1 in planning battles, or literally anything: Always envision what your end state looks like after the mission is accomplished. 1. What do you want your enemies to be doing? 2. What do you want the objective to look like? 3. What are your friends going to be doing? 4. And then plan backwards.
Guy kinda got this. Marian...ehhhhh. Forward thinking is not her forte. Sure, she has no background in mission planning or combat operations but girl, maybe know your weaknesses and learn from your mistakes?
Speaking of Guy.
Anywho, I feel like a lot of other people will probably enjoy this a whole hell of a lot more than I did.
I think part of the problem is because I've done the Robin retellings, and I've read some that I enjoyed a lot more than this one.
Robin McKinley's The Outlaws of Sherwood has Marian as a fantastic archer. A. C. Gaughen's Scarlet trilogy has Marian pretending to be Will Scarlett, Robin's right hand man—a retelling that felt far more in step with the times than this one did. And K. M. Shea's A Girl's Tale has a gender-swapped version of Robyn as well.
This version just felt like it was...going through the paces? I didn't connect to a single character, nor did I feel like any character was fleshed out enough, and I feel like in part it was because the cast was so big and Marian herself so distancing from other people. The girl kept herself isolated as hell.
Another issue I had is that I'm tired of the Not Like Other Girls™️ trope, particularly when it doesn't make sense in the historical time period and devalues the contributions and accomplishments of women during the time.
I'm not saying don't have a woman archer or don't have a woman Robin Hood because these are all totally doable things, I'm saying don't have your noblewoman fluff off...well, everything that is expected of her duty-wise in order to do...I honestly don't know?
Seriously Marian.
How did you occupy your time while Robin was away?
You sure as hell weren't sewing or darning or supervising the household staff or planning high dinners or other meals or managing anything (and I'm not even going to mention the lack of church—look, I'm an atheist and even I know that being a pious and respectable person—especially a noblewoman—was huge during the 12th century) and apparently doing household finances (a very common thing for the lady of the house to manage) alongside her father was too unseemly. And you were avoiding the other noblewomen because they don't understand you. There was a brief mention of a loom and weaving, but that got tossed out the window as soon as Robin was pronounced KIA.
I think my frustration with the historical bits was that so much emphasis was placed on how badly everything smelled and not really on establishing a good chemistry between the leads, having a plausible build-up to the Robin Hood deception or creating a heroine you want to root for.
It's not a good thing when you're rooting for and emphasizing with The Bad Guy more than the main character.
And so much for not giving this a scathing review.
My bad.
I received this ARC from Edelweiss for an honest review.
An uninspired gender-swapped retelling of Robin Hood, with Marian playing both the roles of herself and the titular hero after her betrothed, Robin of Locksley, is killed while fighting alongside King Richard I in the Crusades.
-
Up until about the 80% mark I was planning to give this a solid two stars and a scathing review.
So what changed?
Not much, to be honest, but there was far more action and things happening in the last 20% than in the previous 80.
This felt a whole hecking lot like Hunted 2.0, with a girl who is a very gifted archer, not like the other girls, and who isn't traditionally pretty yet has men falling over their feet for her even when she treats them worse than dog poo.
Additionally, the whole Robin Hood portion of the story only starts well into the book, and only really manages to limp along as much as it does because apparently everyone in the 12th century was very near-sighted. That or Robin's cloak had magical Harry Potter Power that turned its wearer male instead of invisible, despite said wearer doing things like jumping about in trees, running away from people, or shooting a bow...all while wearing a dress.
On top of that, the merry men don't really...do all that much? The legend sprouts up after one brief instance, then blows out of proportion and I just...I dunno. There is very little sense of time in this book and when it is mentioned it didn't feel like it fit together.
Let's just say that some of the things Guy has to say about Robin Hood and his feckless disregard for consequences or ripple effects made more sense than 100% of whatever Marian did. Honestly, Guy's plans were always much more thought out, and his long term goals are #goals.
Meanwhile, Marian's ~brilliant~ plans always seemed to end like this:
Lesson #1 in planning battles, or literally anything: Always envision what your end state looks like after the mission is accomplished. 1. What do you want your enemies to be doing? 2. What do you want the objective to look like? 3. What are your friends going to be doing? 4. And then plan backwards.
Guy kinda got this. Marian...ehhhhh. Forward thinking is not her forte. Sure, she has no background in mission planning or combat operations but girl, maybe know your weaknesses and learn from your mistakes?
Speaking of Guy.
Anywho, I feel like a lot of other people will probably enjoy this a whole hell of a lot more than I did.
I think part of the problem is because I've done the Robin retellings, and I've read some that I enjoyed a lot more than this one.
Robin McKinley's The Outlaws of Sherwood has Marian as a fantastic archer. A. C. Gaughen's Scarlet trilogy has Marian pretending to be Will Scarlett, Robin's right hand man—a retelling that felt far more in step with the times than this one did. And K. M. Shea's A Girl's Tale has a gender-swapped version of Robyn as well.
This version just felt like it was...going through the paces? I didn't connect to a single character, nor did I feel like any character was fleshed out enough, and I feel like in part it was because the cast was so big and Marian herself so distancing from other people. The girl kept herself isolated as hell.
Another issue I had is that I'm tired of the Not Like Other Girls™️ trope, particularly when it doesn't make sense in the historical time period and devalues the contributions and accomplishments of women during the time.
I'm not saying don't have a woman archer or don't have a woman Robin Hood because these are all totally doable things, I'm saying don't have your noblewoman fluff off...well, everything that is expected of her duty-wise in order to do...I honestly don't know?
Seriously Marian.
How did you occupy your time while Robin was away?
You sure as hell weren't sewing or darning or supervising the household staff or planning high dinners or other meals or managing anything (and I'm not even going to mention the lack of church—look, I'm an atheist and even I know that being a pious and respectable person—especially a noblewoman—was huge during the 12th century) and apparently doing household finances (a very common thing for the lady of the house to manage) alongside her father was too unseemly. And you were avoiding the other noblewomen because they don't understand you. There was a brief mention of a loom and weaving, but that got tossed out the window as soon as Robin was pronounced KIA.
I think my frustration with the historical bits was that so much emphasis was placed on how badly everything smelled and not really on establishing a good chemistry between the leads, having a plausible build-up to the Robin Hood deception or creating a heroine you want to root for.
It's not a good thing when you're rooting for and emphasizing with The Bad Guy more than the main character.
And so much for not giving this a scathing review.
My bad.
I received this ARC from Edelweiss for an honest review.
January 9, 2019
Another stellar retelling by Meagan Spooner! I LOVED this gender swapped Robin Hood story. Marian is fierce yet vulnerable and noble yet flawed.
PLUS there's romance in here that was beautiful and so unexpectedly lovely.
I need more!!
PLUS there's romance in here that was beautiful and so unexpectedly lovely.
I need more!!
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