Scan barcode
alesia_charles's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I found myself thinking, early on, "Yes, Robin definitely has the personality of someone who would lead an insurgency in the cause of whatever he saw as justice."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Child abuse
wordsofclover's review against another edition
3.0
I received this book from Jo Fletcher Books in exchange for an honest review.
12 years on from being abandoned by Robin Hood, Maid Marion is happy raising her children, and helping the people of Sherwood Forest in the ways she can with her special powers of magic and relationship with the Fae. When Friar Tuck comes to Marion with terrible news of the deaths of several of their friends in mysterious circumstances, Marion ends up on a journey with her ex-husband, a tricksy Fae lord and a sullen warrior to discover what is happening and to stop the killer coming for her children.
I really loved a lot of things about this book from a new and interesting look at the character of Maid Marion - who I feel is often an underused character in Robin Hood stories, and can at other times fall into any kind of category from damsel in distress to badass warrior princess. I loved this magical version of Marion and it felt really natural that she would be a hedgewitch, helping people with their ailments and with a special relationship with the fae and the dragon of Sherwood Forest. Yes, dragon!!
Some of the descriptive writing in this about the fae, the different kinds of magical creatures and just the general description of the nature and surroundings were so beautiful, I really loved it. I really loved the magic used in this book too - it wasn't flashy by any means, but quite subtle and in a way, it felt more real and authentic. I think people who love the fae in The Cruel Prince, would like the fae in this book. I wish we saw more of Underhill, the fae world, in this book as we only got descriptions but never saw what it was like ourselves so that would have been cool.
The villain in this book, despite doing some scary things wasn't actually that scary for me, and I felt the reveal seemed a bit obvious. The ending with the villain also felt a bit anti-climatic - I know there was suppose to be a sadness there as well over it all, which is true, there was, but I wanted more of a fight I think.
One of the things in this book however, that I just can't get over is how Robin Hood is portrayed. I hated seeing what a vile, bitter person he was. The Robin Hood I grew up watching and being told stories about would never become the Robin in this book, and the way he treated Marion and how he talked to her was truly unforgivable. For readers who love the tale and figure of Robin Hood, prepare to have your hearts broken in this book!
12 years on from being abandoned by Robin Hood, Maid Marion is happy raising her children, and helping the people of Sherwood Forest in the ways she can with her special powers of magic and relationship with the Fae. When Friar Tuck comes to Marion with terrible news of the deaths of several of their friends in mysterious circumstances, Marion ends up on a journey with her ex-husband, a tricksy Fae lord and a sullen warrior to discover what is happening and to stop the killer coming for her children.
I really loved a lot of things about this book from a new and interesting look at the character of Maid Marion - who I feel is often an underused character in Robin Hood stories, and can at other times fall into any kind of category from damsel in distress to badass warrior princess. I loved this magical version of Marion and it felt really natural that she would be a hedgewitch, helping people with their ailments and with a special relationship with the fae and the dragon of Sherwood Forest. Yes, dragon!!
Some of the descriptive writing in this about the fae, the different kinds of magical creatures and just the general description of the nature and surroundings were so beautiful, I really loved it. I really loved the magic used in this book too - it wasn't flashy by any means, but quite subtle and in a way, it felt more real and authentic. I think people who love the fae in The Cruel Prince, would like the fae in this book. I wish we saw more of Underhill, the fae world, in this book as we only got descriptions but never saw what it was like ourselves so that would have been cool.
The villain in this book, despite doing some scary things wasn't actually that scary for me, and I felt the reveal seemed a bit obvious. The ending with the villain also felt a bit anti-climatic - I know there was suppose to be a sadness there as well over it all, which is true, there was, but I wanted more of a fight I think.
One of the things in this book however, that I just can't get over is how Robin Hood is portrayed. I hated seeing what a vile, bitter person he was. The Robin Hood I grew up watching and being told stories about would never become the Robin in this book, and the way he treated Marion and how he talked to her was truly unforgivable. For readers who love the tale and figure of Robin Hood, prepare to have your hearts broken in this book!
luanam's review against another edition
4.0
Short reviews at the moment because I have way too many books due for return to the library.
One thing I feel, is that the best way to read this novel is to release all expectations and holds to the Robin Hood story that you may have in your heart and enjoy it for its own unique story. The Robin Hood in these pages is not the Merry Man of his Sherwood days and he has issues (some of them would make any feminist and even faintest pro choice supporter gnash their teeth)I will say towards the end you do understand a bit more about why Robin was as he was. . It is not however his story but that of Marian, an accomplished hedgewitch. She, with companions (and Robin), is out to find out who or what is killing their former friends and make sure her children stay safe.
Even the story itself is not the action adventure that immediately may leap to mind with something Robin Hood inspired. It is more melancholy, more subtle in a way, and its central core revolves around solving a mystery, while at the same time it allows for meditation on loss and love and friendship and the impact of the more 'iron' bent aspects of humanity on the magic in the land. And finally there is the fey and these are the types of fey that were called the 'kindly ones' out of caution and some may help but there are also those who do escape unbroken.
So with all this in mind Brightfall was beautifully written, a bit slower paced and less fantasy adventure than I looked for but with a well executed mystery that tied in very well with the characters' portrayals.
One thing I feel, is that the best way to read this novel is to release all expectations and holds to the Robin Hood story that you may have in your heart and enjoy it for its own unique story. The Robin Hood in these pages is not the Merry Man of his Sherwood days and he has issues (some of them would make any feminist and even faintest pro choice supporter gnash their teeth)
Even the story itself is not the action adventure that immediately may leap to mind with something Robin Hood inspired. It is more melancholy, more subtle in a way, and its central core revolves around solving a mystery, while at the same time it allows for meditation on loss and love and friendship and the impact of the more 'iron' bent aspects of humanity on the magic in the land. And finally there is the fey and these are the types of fey that were called the 'kindly ones' out of caution and some may help but there are also those who do escape unbroken.
So with all this in mind Brightfall was beautifully written, a bit slower paced and less fantasy adventure than I looked for but with a well executed mystery that tied in very well with the characters' portrayals.
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
I fell in love with the cover and then I fell in love with this book.
I was hooked after a few pages and couldn't put it down till the end.
It's a mix of fantasy, old legends, and women's fiction. I loved all the part but I was impress by the attention to the relationship, the family, and the changes and path to healing of the characters.
The world building is interesting because it is based on the Robin Hood legend but with a modern take.
Robin Hood is not the perfect hero we learnt to love but an anguished and complex man, a man that has to face his own demons and not hiding behind the religion.
Marian is a strong women who is trying to stop the killing of her friends and to heal ancient and new wounds.
There's a lot of characters development and all the characters are fleshed out and well written.
The world building is fascinating and interesting because it's modern and ancient at the same time, mixing different legends and making them new and modern.
The plot is fast paced, it keeps you hooked and entertained till the last page.
I'd love to read other books featuring this characters because I love them and rooted for them.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I was hooked after a few pages and couldn't put it down till the end.
It's a mix of fantasy, old legends, and women's fiction. I loved all the part but I was impress by the attention to the relationship, the family, and the changes and path to healing of the characters.
The world building is interesting because it is based on the Robin Hood legend but with a modern take.
Robin Hood is not the perfect hero we learnt to love but an anguished and complex man, a man that has to face his own demons and not hiding behind the religion.
Marian is a strong women who is trying to stop the killing of her friends and to heal ancient and new wounds.
There's a lot of characters development and all the characters are fleshed out and well written.
The world building is fascinating and interesting because it's modern and ancient at the same time, mixing different legends and making them new and modern.
The plot is fast paced, it keeps you hooked and entertained till the last page.
I'd love to read other books featuring this characters because I love them and rooted for them.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
heyjaycee's review against another edition
3.0
In Jaime Lee Moyer's new novel Brightfall, the woman previously known as Maid Marian is a hedgewitch. What's more, she's a hedgewitch of rare talent and training. And all her skill will be needed when word reaches her that Robin Hood's gang of Merry Men—now more than ten years disbanded—are dying in mysterious circumstances. What's worse, an innocent six year-old boy has been killed too.
As a member of the once-vibrant fandom for the BBC's late Robin Hood TV show, this novel brought up a lot of feels for me. I still eat up anything to do with Robin Hood like an ice cream sundae, so I was excited to get my hands on a review copy for Brightfall. And imagine my delight when I discovered it was all about Marian—and not only that, but that Marian was a badass witch.
In Moyer's novel, it's been over ten years since the Merry Men ceased their outlawry and went their separate ways. Marian is the only one who remains in Sherwood Forest, living alone in a cottage deep in the woods along with her twin children, Kate and Robbie.
The twins' father is Robin of Locksley, Robin Hood that was, but he didn't stick around to see them born or raised. Marian's sole comfort and lover these past twelve years has instead been Will Scarlet, Robin's brother in this story.
It's so refreshing to see not only a protagonist who's a single mother, but one who is a woman as nuanced and rich with interior life as Moyer paints Marian.
Of course, of course Marian's prime motivation is the safety of her kids—but she has other worries too. The loss of her partner, Will, weighs heavy on her, as she refuses to banish his shade from haunting her. She cares, and cares deeply, for the others who cross her path. And she has difficult decisions to make on her quest to discover who is responsible for the the curse that is killing Robin Hood's old associates.
Said curse is Marian's impetus to leave Sherwood and her children behind and light out on the road. But she's not going alone. Big-hearted Father Tuck saddles her with a protector—and it's none other than Robin of Locksley himself. And my goodness, he's an absolute wanker.
Luckily, Marian collects other companions along the way. And her tour through Nottinghamshire and beyond is downright fascinating. The history in Moyer's novel feels so rich it seems to bubble up from the page. The Roman occupation is fresh on the land, ghosts of the time haunting Marian on her journey. And more recent events have taken their toll—Richard the Lionheart's Holy War and its tithe of young men, and his brother John Lackland's penchant for hunting and carousing in Nottinghamshire have both had their effects on the countryside and on the characters.
If Marian is the heart of Brightfall, noted tosspot Robin of Locksley is the key to the story. I don't want to say too much, but I will say that while Marian is striving to uncover the secrets and hurts that led to the vengeance being enacted on her erstwhile friends, Robin, her reluctant guardian, seems invested in keeping quiet.
I spent much of the book wondering when Robin was going to step into the limelight and reveal his motivations for being quite such a heel. (As I said, the Robin Hood fandom had long-since biased me toward thinking of Robin as a total twat.) But I realised that that's not the point. This story doesn't belong to the famous Robin Hood—it belongs to Marian. So when its revealed that all of the mess they're in can be laid at the feet of a man's failure to face up to his responsibilities, it's not him who'll save the day—but Marian.
While I enjoyed Brightfall, after I closed the book (metaphorically—I'm using an eReader, of course) some questions remained. A lot happened during the events of the story—encountering friends old and new, saving people, failing to save people—and I was still thinking about them even as the story wrapped up.
The one at the forefront of my mind was about the nature of the curse. It's hinted at early on that each of the victims of the curse died staring into a reflective surface. My mystery-solving brain went into overdrive, anticipating occult details about the way the outlaws died. But if that got confirmed, I don't remember it.
There's more. What happened to the kids in the baskets? They appear, we start to care about their fate, and a couple of pages later are gone, hand-waved away. And I'm still not clear whether a certain character was another's consort or brother, down to the awkward inability to use real names while the Fae are about.
Despite the occasional lack of clarity, I'd thoroughly recommend Brightfall for a fun, charming quest around ancient Nottingham. It's got many of the ingredients I love in a fantasy—a deep sense of place, a fleshed-out magic system, and a main character you want to spend more time with.
As a member of the once-vibrant fandom for the BBC's late Robin Hood TV show, this novel brought up a lot of feels for me. I still eat up anything to do with Robin Hood like an ice cream sundae, so I was excited to get my hands on a review copy for Brightfall. And imagine my delight when I discovered it was all about Marian—and not only that, but that Marian was a badass witch.
In Moyer's novel, it's been over ten years since the Merry Men ceased their outlawry and went their separate ways. Marian is the only one who remains in Sherwood Forest, living alone in a cottage deep in the woods along with her twin children, Kate and Robbie.
The twins' father is Robin of Locksley, Robin Hood that was, but he didn't stick around to see them born or raised. Marian's sole comfort and lover these past twelve years has instead been Will Scarlet, Robin's brother in this story.
It's so refreshing to see not only a protagonist who's a single mother, but one who is a woman as nuanced and rich with interior life as Moyer paints Marian.
Of course, of course Marian's prime motivation is the safety of her kids—but she has other worries too. The loss of her partner, Will, weighs heavy on her, as she refuses to banish his shade from haunting her. She cares, and cares deeply, for the others who cross her path. And she has difficult decisions to make on her quest to discover who is responsible for the the curse that is killing Robin Hood's old associates.
Said curse is Marian's impetus to leave Sherwood and her children behind and light out on the road. But she's not going alone. Big-hearted Father Tuck saddles her with a protector—and it's none other than Robin of Locksley himself. And my goodness, he's an absolute wanker.
Luckily, Marian collects other companions along the way. And her tour through Nottinghamshire and beyond is downright fascinating. The history in Moyer's novel feels so rich it seems to bubble up from the page. The Roman occupation is fresh on the land, ghosts of the time haunting Marian on her journey. And more recent events have taken their toll—Richard the Lionheart's Holy War and its tithe of young men, and his brother John Lackland's penchant for hunting and carousing in Nottinghamshire have both had their effects on the countryside and on the characters.
If Marian is the heart of Brightfall, noted tosspot Robin of Locksley is the key to the story. I don't want to say too much, but I will say that while Marian is striving to uncover the secrets and hurts that led to the vengeance being enacted on her erstwhile friends, Robin, her reluctant guardian, seems invested in keeping quiet.
I spent much of the book wondering when Robin was going to step into the limelight and reveal his motivations for being quite such a heel. (As I said, the Robin Hood fandom had long-since biased me toward thinking of Robin as a total twat.) But I realised that that's not the point. This story doesn't belong to the famous Robin Hood—it belongs to Marian. So when its revealed that all of the mess they're in can be laid at the feet of a man's failure to face up to his responsibilities, it's not him who'll save the day—but Marian.
While I enjoyed Brightfall, after I closed the book (metaphorically—I'm using an eReader, of course) some questions remained. A lot happened during the events of the story—encountering friends old and new, saving people, failing to save people—and I was still thinking about them even as the story wrapped up.
The one at the forefront of my mind was about the nature of the curse. It's hinted at early on that each of the victims of the curse died staring into a reflective surface. My mystery-solving brain went into overdrive, anticipating occult details about the way the outlaws died. But if that got confirmed, I don't remember it.
There's more. What happened to the kids in the baskets? They appear, we start to care about their fate, and a couple of pages later are gone, hand-waved away. And I'm still not clear whether a certain character was another's consort or brother, down to the awkward inability to use real names while the Fae are about.
Despite the occasional lack of clarity, I'd thoroughly recommend Brightfall for a fun, charming quest around ancient Nottingham. It's got many of the ingredients I love in a fantasy—a deep sense of place, a fleshed-out magic system, and a main character you want to spend more time with.
nietzschesghost's review against another edition
4.0
Brightfall is a retelling of the story of Robin Hood and Maid Marian, and what a spectacular historical fantasy it was. I adored the fact that Marian was the central character and with her personality traits it's difficult not to admire her; strong, independent and opinionated protagonists always grab my attention. The weaving together of the fantasy and real worlds is done seamlessly and Moyer's prose is nothing less than mesmerising making this a pure pleasure to read. Right from the beginning, I was drawn into an immersive world of myth and legend; it's very entertaining as well as having an intense, exciting plot and relatable characters.
Where the book lacks in pace it makes up for in action, intrigue and a cast of diverse people. This is basically a thrilling murder mystery set primarily in the world of the Fae and has that wonderful fairy-tale vibe to it. There are twists upon twists upon twists and they just keep on blindsiding you every time; I don't quite know how Moyer did it! There are often times when authors either neglect the plot in order to focus on character development or vice versa, but not here; I found the attention to detail was excellent for almost everything. I was genuinely depressed when I came to the end as I wanted to inhabit this crazy, cosy world for longer. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Jo Fletcher for an ARC.
Where the book lacks in pace it makes up for in action, intrigue and a cast of diverse people. This is basically a thrilling murder mystery set primarily in the world of the Fae and has that wonderful fairy-tale vibe to it. There are twists upon twists upon twists and they just keep on blindsiding you every time; I don't quite know how Moyer did it! There are often times when authors either neglect the plot in order to focus on character development or vice versa, but not here; I found the attention to detail was excellent for almost everything. I was genuinely depressed when I came to the end as I wanted to inhabit this crazy, cosy world for longer. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Jo Fletcher for an ARC.
whatjasread's review against another edition
No rating, no date - DNF @ p187/61%
Originally this sounded interesting but, after reading it, I now just think it doesn’t work very well. The events are obviously reimagined so the characters are changed but this doesn’t work in my opinion. I struggled to read about characters we know and love doing things that were completely uncharacteristic of them. Had this been written with a completely new original cast of characters created by Jaime Lee Moyer, this would have been a lot more exciting and easier to get through.
Originally this sounded interesting but, after reading it, I now just think it doesn’t work very well. The events are obviously reimagined so the characters are changed but this doesn’t work in my opinion. I struggled to read about characters we know and love doing things that were completely uncharacteristic of them. Had this been written with a completely new original cast of characters created by Jaime Lee Moyer, this would have been a lot more exciting and easier to get through.
snaomiscott's review against another edition
2.0
** DISCLAIMER: I was provided with an advanced reading copy of this book by the publisher (via Amazon Vine) in return for an honest review. **
I’m not going to lie, I really wasn’t impressed with this book. It’s got so many faults and flaws that the few shining moments it does have don’t really raise it above a two-star rating, in my opinion. And honestly, this is a hell of a shame, because the basic premise has so much promise and so much to offer.
Robin Hood and his Merry Men have broken up and gone their separate ways. Robin himself has retreated to a monastery to seek forgiveness for his sins, Tuck has become Abbott of St Mary’s Abbey in Nottingham, Little John’s got married and started a farm, and Marian has settled down to a simple life as the local witch of Sherwood with her two children and a seriously smart vixen. One day, Marian is visited by Timothy, one of Tuck’s junior monks, who brings bad news – apparently someone seems to be going around killing her old friends in mysterious ways, with Will (presumably Scarlet) being the most recent.
After pressing the monk for as much information as he can provide, Marian agrees to meet up with Tuck three days later at a tavern in Nottingham, giving her time to wander off to the local stone circle where she summons up a fae Lady and her retinue to find out if they can shed some light on what’s going on. There’s a run-in with an obnoxious brat of a fae girl and the fae Lady gives Marian a promise of protection, and then suddenly Marian’s off to see the local guardian of Sherwood, who just happens to be a dragon.
See, this is one of the many problems I have with this book. The fae are initially introduced as these powerful, dangerous spirits who shouldn’t be treated lightly, and yet at several points throughout the narrative Marian barely raises a sweat dealing with them. She even ends up with a fae Lord accompanying her on her journey. The dragon (whose name is Marlow) shows up briefly in the beginning, with Marian tending to an injured wing, and then turns up again at the end of the story but doesn’t seem to serve any purpose other than to tick a trope box. The same goes for the brief appearance of the wholly unthreatening griffin, the slightly out-of-place mermaids who’ve made their home in the River Sheaf, and old mother Grindylow and her children that the heroes encounter on the outskirts of Sheffield market. None of these encounters seem to offer more than a cursory challenge to the protagonists and then they’re gone.
Another problem I have is the historical and geographical accuracy. Now, it may just be because I grew up in this area and spent a fair bit of my life studying the local history and geography, but the author gets so many things wrong in this book. I’m not saying there wasn’t a stone circle in Sherwood back at the start of the Thirteenth Century, but if there was it’s not one I’ve heard of. The nearest one I can think of is Nine Ladies, which is about thirty miles from Nottingham on Stanton Moor. Then there’s Tuck’s Abbey, St Mary’s in Nottingham. Unfortunately, according to folklore the St Mary’s Abbey connected with Tuck was all the way up in York, and while there is a St. Mary’s in Nottingham it’s never been an Abbey.
The author also seems to have a problem with geography. It takes Marian and her entourage a few days to get from Hucknall (where Little John lives) to Mansfield. That’s a massive hike of all of nine miles for those who don’t want to break out Google maps, and even allowing for the fact the land was covered in greenwood at the time that still wouldn’t take most people more than half a day to walk. There are other confusing geographical problems, such as the cliffs and waterfalls they pass as they follow the River Sheaf, but for me the worst part is the very inclusion of Sheffield in the first place.
Look, back in the thirteenth century Sheffield was pretty much nothing more than a wooden castle sitting on the confluence of the Don and Sheaf, with a small hamlet of huts and taverns clustered nearby for the protection the castle afforded. But in this book Sheffield is described as a bustling metropolis with busy streets and a thriving market economy, and absolutely no mention whatsoever of the castle. Now, call me a pedant, but this was the last straw in a book full of particularly troubling straws. My disbelief has been far from suspended by this book.
I’m not saying it’s all bad. There are some nice touches in the background detail and it’s clear the author has tried very hard to make this at least somewhat historically accurate, but for me it could have done with much deeper research and much better exploration of the local geography. The character of Marian is well written and presents us with a strong female heroine that’s far more than just the usual kick-ass woman with a sword, and the interplay between her, Jack and Bert is engaging. This is why I’m giving this two stars, and not the one star I was leaning towards when I initially turned the last page in the book. I can kind of see why so many other readers have fallen in love with this book, but for me the lack of accuracy was enough to make me less than interested in further adventures of Maid Marian at this time.
I’m not going to lie, I really wasn’t impressed with this book. It’s got so many faults and flaws that the few shining moments it does have don’t really raise it above a two-star rating, in my opinion. And honestly, this is a hell of a shame, because the basic premise has so much promise and so much to offer.
Robin Hood and his Merry Men have broken up and gone their separate ways. Robin himself has retreated to a monastery to seek forgiveness for his sins, Tuck has become Abbott of St Mary’s Abbey in Nottingham, Little John’s got married and started a farm, and Marian has settled down to a simple life as the local witch of Sherwood with her two children and a seriously smart vixen. One day, Marian is visited by Timothy, one of Tuck’s junior monks, who brings bad news – apparently someone seems to be going around killing her old friends in mysterious ways, with Will (presumably Scarlet) being the most recent.
After pressing the monk for as much information as he can provide, Marian agrees to meet up with Tuck three days later at a tavern in Nottingham, giving her time to wander off to the local stone circle where she summons up a fae Lady and her retinue to find out if they can shed some light on what’s going on. There’s a run-in with an obnoxious brat of a fae girl and the fae Lady gives Marian a promise of protection, and then suddenly Marian’s off to see the local guardian of Sherwood, who just happens to be a dragon.
See, this is one of the many problems I have with this book. The fae are initially introduced as these powerful, dangerous spirits who shouldn’t be treated lightly, and yet at several points throughout the narrative Marian barely raises a sweat dealing with them. She even ends up with a fae Lord accompanying her on her journey. The dragon (whose name is Marlow) shows up briefly in the beginning, with Marian tending to an injured wing, and then turns up again at the end of the story but doesn’t seem to serve any purpose other than to tick a trope box. The same goes for the brief appearance of the wholly unthreatening griffin, the slightly out-of-place mermaids who’ve made their home in the River Sheaf, and old mother Grindylow and her children that the heroes encounter on the outskirts of Sheffield market. None of these encounters seem to offer more than a cursory challenge to the protagonists and then they’re gone.
Another problem I have is the historical and geographical accuracy. Now, it may just be because I grew up in this area and spent a fair bit of my life studying the local history and geography, but the author gets so many things wrong in this book. I’m not saying there wasn’t a stone circle in Sherwood back at the start of the Thirteenth Century, but if there was it’s not one I’ve heard of. The nearest one I can think of is Nine Ladies, which is about thirty miles from Nottingham on Stanton Moor. Then there’s Tuck’s Abbey, St Mary’s in Nottingham. Unfortunately, according to folklore the St Mary’s Abbey connected with Tuck was all the way up in York, and while there is a St. Mary’s in Nottingham it’s never been an Abbey.
The author also seems to have a problem with geography. It takes Marian and her entourage a few days to get from Hucknall (where Little John lives) to Mansfield. That’s a massive hike of all of nine miles for those who don’t want to break out Google maps, and even allowing for the fact the land was covered in greenwood at the time that still wouldn’t take most people more than half a day to walk. There are other confusing geographical problems, such as the cliffs and waterfalls they pass as they follow the River Sheaf, but for me the worst part is the very inclusion of Sheffield in the first place.
Look, back in the thirteenth century Sheffield was pretty much nothing more than a wooden castle sitting on the confluence of the Don and Sheaf, with a small hamlet of huts and taverns clustered nearby for the protection the castle afforded. But in this book Sheffield is described as a bustling metropolis with busy streets and a thriving market economy, and absolutely no mention whatsoever of the castle. Now, call me a pedant, but this was the last straw in a book full of particularly troubling straws. My disbelief has been far from suspended by this book.
I’m not saying it’s all bad. There are some nice touches in the background detail and it’s clear the author has tried very hard to make this at least somewhat historically accurate, but for me it could have done with much deeper research and much better exploration of the local geography. The character of Marian is well written and presents us with a strong female heroine that’s far more than just the usual kick-ass woman with a sword, and the interplay between her, Jack and Bert is engaging. This is why I’m giving this two stars, and not the one star I was leaning towards when I initially turned the last page in the book. I can kind of see why so many other readers have fallen in love with this book, but for me the lack of accuracy was enough to make me less than interested in further adventures of Maid Marian at this time.
imyril's review against another edition
4.0
Marian is an independent woman of magic - yes, okay, a witch - and her Fae allies are steeped in glamour and treachery. Robin has fled the greenwood for the abbey, and is called back unwilling to be her protector as she tries to solve the mystery of the Merry Men's murders. The stage is set for a bickering road trip where faith and sin will clash with magic as the couple's past comes back to the haunt them.
In spite of the magical trappings, the book is at its best when it focuses on the commonplace; the down to earth details of parenting, contrasting sibling bonds, tensions between estranged lovers, the twin arrows of guilt and grief. And for me, the two sides of the narrative didn't quite gel. While I was initially delighted to discover this was a novel of the Fae (and loved the depiction of the Court), I would have liked rather more of the Court or considerably less of the Fae full stop (the Trickster, in particular, is a brilliant character but so powerful I was left wondering why Marian's quest was required at all). I preferred Marian's exhausting, bounded hedgewitchery to the Trickster's near-unlimited ability to drain the threat from a situation with a glamour or a wave of the hand.
I recommend it for lovers of retellings and tales of the Fae, but I provide a warning to lovers of Robin Hood: this is not the usual Robin; his transformation here into a man warring with his faith and his self-deceit, dodging his responsibilities and hiding from his sins was one of my favourite aspects, but will not make lovers of the Prince of Thieves happy.
The threads of romance - love abandoned, love lost, love planting its first seeds - are handled well, interwoven with themes of responsibility and redemption (along with regular outrage at Robin bloody Hood). But for me it skims a little too lightly, never quite peeling back the layers implied by the narrative.
But this is Marian's story, first and foremost - and with her tale, at least, I was well satisfied.
3.5 stars
In spite of the magical trappings, the book is at its best when it focuses on the commonplace; the down to earth details of parenting, contrasting sibling bonds, tensions between estranged lovers, the twin arrows of guilt and grief. And for me, the two sides of the narrative didn't quite gel. While I was initially delighted to discover this was a novel of the Fae (and loved the depiction of the Court), I would have liked rather more of the Court or considerably less of the Fae full stop (the Trickster, in particular, is a brilliant character but so powerful I was left wondering why Marian's quest was required at all). I preferred Marian's exhausting, bounded hedgewitchery to the Trickster's near-unlimited ability to drain the threat from a situation with a glamour or a wave of the hand.
I recommend it for lovers of retellings and tales of the Fae, but I provide a warning to lovers of Robin Hood: this is not the usual Robin; his transformation here into a man warring with his faith and his self-deceit, dodging his responsibilities and hiding from his sins was one of my favourite aspects, but will not make lovers of the Prince of Thieves happy.
The threads of romance - love abandoned, love lost, love planting its first seeds - are handled well, interwoven with themes of responsibility and redemption (along with regular outrage at Robin bloody Hood). But for me it skims a little too lightly, never quite peeling back the layers implied by the narrative.
But this is Marian's story, first and foremost - and with her tale, at least, I was well satisfied.
3.5 stars