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neffcannon's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
aoosterwyk's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting blend of dystopian legend, fantasy and sci-fi. The main character is likable and smart, she teams up with some other skilled teens to fight the injustice of the government.
After Robyn sneaks out for the night to raid the local tech dump, she returns to a house with no parents and a pool of blood in the kitchen.
This sporadic violence (reminiscent of Hunger Games) as well as the political themes makes me think the book is more appropriate for upper middle. No romance!
After Robyn sneaks out for the night to raid the local tech dump, she returns to a house with no parents and a pool of blood in the kitchen.
This sporadic violence (reminiscent of Hunger Games) as well as the political themes makes me think the book is more appropriate for upper middle. No romance!
kelleemoye's review against another edition
4.0
An suspenseful and action-packed dystopian retelling of Robin Hood.
jklbookdragon's review against another edition
4.0
I discovered this excellent author through A Tyranny of Petticoats, and decided that I wanted more. This is a delightful reframing of the Robin Hood story in a dystopian future. Robyn Loxley is a mixed-race girl about twelve years old. When her parents are "disappeared" by the power-hungry Governor Crown, she learns to live by her wits with the help of friends she finds in the lower-income area known as Sherwood and the adjacent forest. There is an interesting element of old religion in the book as well that Robyn learns about as she struggles to understand the gifts and signs that her parents left for her. I look forward to the next book in this series (trilogy?).
brandypainter's review against another edition
3.0
Originally posted here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
Shadows of Sherwood by Kekla Magoon is a fun new update to the Robin Hood legend in which the majority of the gang is made up of girls. And it's pretty great.
Robyn Loxley likes to tinker with old tech and the best place to find that requires her to sneak out of her house in the middle of the night. On the Night of Shadows, one such excursion saves her life when Governor Crown sends the military police out to assassinate and/or remove from their homes any Parliament member who would speak against his rule. Spouses and children are included in his directive. On this night Robyn returns home to find her parents gone and blood in the kitchen. Her father has tried to prepare Robyn for just such an eventuality. As she goes on the run, she has a few clues to help her and picks up some friends along the way. But learning to trust other people and navigate the terrifying new world they find themselves in does not come easily for a loner such as Robyn.
Robyn is independent and likes to do things her own way. She seems to have had few friends in her old life, mostly missing her parents and not really mentioning any one else. It takes her a while to trust the friends she begins to make, and she does several things that puts them at risk due to her own unthinking bravado. The conflicts that result from these situations helps to round out her character and adds to her journey. It also helps to develop the other characters as well. Robyn is a mixed child, she has a black father and a white mother. It is because of this that she is set up to be such a hero in the world, and I loved that aspect. The rest of the gang is also interesting. Laurel is an orphan and an expert thief. The mysterious Key is good at knowing what is going on and gathering intelligence. He is also good at strategy and has a mysterious past. Scarlet is a tough girl who is a top-notch hacker who uses her talents to undermine the Governor's regime. Tucker is a divinity student who gives them all sanctuary when they need it. Merryan is the niece of the Governor who moonlights as a volunteer in hospitals for the needy and begins to question her uncle's rule. The team is still new and has its issues, but I enjoyed watching them all get to know each other and figure out how they would operate.
The book is set in a futuristic world. The world building is the book's one great weakness. There's a lot of stuff about moon lore that weighs the book down at times particularly when it is not quite clear what its import is or how it will impact the action. The political issues are harsh and real enough without this aspect. Without the lore the book would be shorter but also tighter from a plotting perspective. The story wanders a little too much and seems unsure of its direction due to the number of threads being used to weave it.
Right now the villains are fairly predictable and two dimensional. Little is known of Crown. His chosen head for the military police, Marissa Mallet Sheriff of Sherwood District, is the face of the villainy in the story. She makes an excellent villain but there is not much else to her but that-at least no yet.
I love the diversity and girl power in this book. I'm looking forward to recommending it to the kids I know who love these types of stories.
Shadows of Sherwood by Kekla Magoon is a fun new update to the Robin Hood legend in which the majority of the gang is made up of girls. And it's pretty great.
Robyn Loxley likes to tinker with old tech and the best place to find that requires her to sneak out of her house in the middle of the night. On the Night of Shadows, one such excursion saves her life when Governor Crown sends the military police out to assassinate and/or remove from their homes any Parliament member who would speak against his rule. Spouses and children are included in his directive. On this night Robyn returns home to find her parents gone and blood in the kitchen. Her father has tried to prepare Robyn for just such an eventuality. As she goes on the run, she has a few clues to help her and picks up some friends along the way. But learning to trust other people and navigate the terrifying new world they find themselves in does not come easily for a loner such as Robyn.
Robyn is independent and likes to do things her own way. She seems to have had few friends in her old life, mostly missing her parents and not really mentioning any one else. It takes her a while to trust the friends she begins to make, and she does several things that puts them at risk due to her own unthinking bravado. The conflicts that result from these situations helps to round out her character and adds to her journey. It also helps to develop the other characters as well. Robyn is a mixed child, she has a black father and a white mother. It is because of this that she is set up to be such a hero in the world, and I loved that aspect. The rest of the gang is also interesting. Laurel is an orphan and an expert thief. The mysterious Key is good at knowing what is going on and gathering intelligence. He is also good at strategy and has a mysterious past. Scarlet is a tough girl who is a top-notch hacker who uses her talents to undermine the Governor's regime. Tucker is a divinity student who gives them all sanctuary when they need it. Merryan is the niece of the Governor who moonlights as a volunteer in hospitals for the needy and begins to question her uncle's rule. The team is still new and has its issues, but I enjoyed watching them all get to know each other and figure out how they would operate.
The book is set in a futuristic world. The world building is the book's one great weakness. There's a lot of stuff about moon lore that weighs the book down at times particularly when it is not quite clear what its import is or how it will impact the action. The political issues are harsh and real enough without this aspect. Without the lore the book would be shorter but also tighter from a plotting perspective. The story wanders a little too much and seems unsure of its direction due to the number of threads being used to weave it.
Right now the villains are fairly predictable and two dimensional. Little is known of Crown. His chosen head for the military police, Marissa Mallet Sheriff of Sherwood District, is the face of the villainy in the story. She makes an excellent villain but there is not much else to her but that-at least no yet.
I love the diversity and girl power in this book. I'm looking forward to recommending it to the kids I know who love these types of stories.
hamckeon's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this retelling of Robin Hood in a dystopian setting. It all worked perfectly in my opinion. I love that Robyn is a girl. This is a series I will definitely continue to read.
hidingzeus's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like this one. A gender-bent retelling of Robin Hood with a biracial protagonist? Please! But, for me, the author didn't quite pull it off. The book had some convoluted plot things going on that it would have been better off without, like the moon lore. Those parts didn't seem to fit and felt a little shoehorned in. I didn't really enjoy it.
sydneyraereads's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Robyn loses everything she knows and loves in one night. The leader of Nott City has ousted all his political opponents to take control, and Robyn's parents were on that list. Now, she is alone and at risk under this new government. As she makes allies and friends in Sherwood, a simmering rebellion surfaces and Robyn needs to figure out where her allegiance lies.
This was simply okay. Robyn is an infuriating character with little growth. Also, she is only 12 years old and that really feels unbelievable for the things she is doing. Suspend your disbelief and it is a good time. Kekla Magoon has a fantastic writing style, but the characters and plot just didn't do it for me overall.
This was simply okay. Robyn is an infuriating character with little growth. Also, she is only 12 years old and that really feels unbelievable for the things she is doing. Suspend your disbelief and it is a good time. Kekla Magoon has a fantastic writing style, but the characters and plot just didn't do it for me overall.
froggylibrarian1's review against another edition
4.0
Robyn loves to get out at night to explore but when she comes back from a nightly adventure and finds that her parents are gone and blood she is really in for an adventure. Overnight Robyn goes from a child of a Paliament member to a hoodlum. On the run from Sheriff Mallet and the new ruler Ignomus Crown, Robyn must use her wits and trust in her new friends.
This book was quite interesting. It takes ideas from Robin Hood lore and mixes it with some interesting Moon and Sun lore. The setting is futuristic. The characters are fun. I felt like the book took awhile to get started and the mystery of the Moon Lore and her parents' role in everything is still bit muddled for me There is obviously a sequel coming but overall the book ended okay. I will be curious to see if my students take to this.
This book was quite interesting. It takes ideas from Robin Hood lore and mixes it with some interesting Moon and Sun lore. The setting is futuristic. The characters are fun. I felt like the book took awhile to get started and the mystery of the Moon Lore and her parents' role in everything is still bit muddled for me There is obviously a sequel coming but overall the book ended okay. I will be curious to see if my students take to this.