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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Admittedly, I read the reviews before choosing this book. I broke my own rule to out biases. However, I share similar sentiments to others who have read this novel.
The Good: Exploring the fragile masculinity of Robin Hood. I was really drawn to the premise of a woman protagonist reworking the Robin Hood story. The author makes a strong case against Robin Hood and exploring the morality of the principle he’s known for. Can you really redistribute wealth for good?
The Mid: Largely, the rest of the story / plot pacing.
The Bad: Not bad per se, but not great either. I grew weary of the MC. I love strong feminist characters, but there were some points that made me roll my eyes. I didn’t find the character overly likable nor did I love her. Largely impartial which isn’t the emotions I hope a new novel to arouse.
Thank you — I appreciate NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced by the author, publisher, or any third party. My reviews are voluntary and not sponsored in any
This story is a retelling of Robin Hood, but with a twist on the character. The story started out very strong and hooked me right away. It had everything I could have wanted being full of wit and whimsy as well as some espionage. However I found that the pacing was a bit off throughout the story that made it fall flat a few times. I also struggled with the character of Robin Hood being a villain ih the story, as I wanted to root for him. However that is what makes the twist in the novel so I think it does that well. As the reader along with the main character Jane you also rationalize the actions of Robin at first, though eventually it was hard to emphasize with Jane as she kept making the same choices. Overall a great story and would recommend for anyone interested in reading a different retelling of the famous story.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thank you to Penguin Books for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
The Traitor of Sherwood Forest by Amy S Kaufman is a lush, descriptive retelling of the Robin Hood myth using the point of view of a servant girl swept into Robin Hood’s web. The story relies heavily on the early versions of the myth, taking cues from medieval ballads and songs. The description and stories are much more similar to the roguish somewhat unpredictable outlaw of the forest rather than the post-Renaissance man of courtly honor.
The lens through which the story is told blends both a modern understanding of morality and the medieval story arc. It seems to posit “what if Robin Hood was actually sort of a narcissistic sociopath who was buying his own myth?” The author actually does a great job of crafting this accurate yet differently viewed portrait of Robin Hood. I also did particularly enjoy that while the story gave him a pretty unfavorable characterization, the author was pretty clear until the end that Robin Hood was still pretty sexy. I really appreciate the candor of an author willing to admit that a man can be both a reprehensible weirdo and still sort of alluring.
The problem with this book is that the character of Jane, our main character, feels like a means to an end. She is not particularly interesting nor skilled. It’s mentioned she’s a fair cook and can remember some common herbs, but that’s about it. Her big special trait is seemingly her ability to placate men. She mentions this is due to a father who was a drunk, but it’s very much a “tell, don’t show” situation. A lot of times it’s mentioned that she wants to run free, or that’s all she desires, but that sort of seems to be stated rather than shown as well. It’s very lofty aspirations for a character who’s a bit of a dud. I appreciate that in order to frame the story there needed to be an outsider to Robin Hood’s group—but I don’t think Jane was the best choice.
Kaufman clearly did a lot of research into the early iterations of the Robin Hood story. She did a very good job of crafting a medieval England and the toil and injustice at the time. It’s clear she spent a lot of time crafting the men of Robin Hood’s band with care and detail to bring them alive. For fans of medieval lore and the myth, this can be a wonderful read. It is, however, somewhat diminished by a main character that doesn’t sparkle as bright as the rest of her world.
3/5.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I struggle with this rating because I don’t think this book was for me. From the afterward it’s clear there was a lot of research done in this Robin Hood retelling which is impressive and the medieval setting was fun and unusual.
On the other hand, I did not connect with these characters at all. The FMC feels very 21st century to me and there’s far too much telling instead of showing- general narrative, connections between characters, social commentary, and characters’ emotions. North Woods for me was a 5-star read that did a wonderful job of putting a modern reader into a historical setting that felt real, this book very much did not do that and I often felt the feminist social commentary was being shoved down my throat. (When I could have read between the lines myself and come to the same conclusion!)
If you love romantasy protagonists (Phantasma comes to mind) this may be a very fun read for you that gives you a glimpse into the medieval world. I’m just not that reader.
Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest (clearly!) review.
On the other hand, I did not connect with these characters at all. The FMC feels very 21st century to me and there’s far too much telling instead of showing- general narrative, connections between characters, social commentary, and characters’ emotions. North Woods for me was a 5-star read that did a wonderful job of putting a modern reader into a historical setting that felt real, this book very much did not do that and I often felt the feminist social commentary was being shoved down my throat. (When I could have read between the lines myself and come to the same conclusion!)
If you love romantasy protagonists (Phantasma comes to mind) this may be a very fun read for you that gives you a glimpse into the medieval world. I’m just not that reader.
Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest (clearly!) review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a much different kind of Robin Hood adaptation than modern audiences are used to, for sure. It is clearly very well researched and historically accurate, drawing from the earlier legends and ballads.
That being said, fans of the Disney movie or other modern retellings are in for a bit of a shock at some of the characterizations in this book. I found it very hard to root for anyone at all. It was interesting to see the story through the eyes of a wholly original character, but I found Jane to be incredibly frustrating.
This book is quite well written and thoroughly researched (the historical note at the end was a very welcome inclusion), but for me as a reader, the lack of likeable characters made it just not my cup of tea.
Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Books for the ARC!
That being said, fans of the Disney movie or other modern retellings are in for a bit of a shock at some of the characterizations in this book. I found it very hard to root for anyone at all. It was interesting to see the story through the eyes of a wholly original character, but I found Jane to be incredibly frustrating.
This book is quite well written and thoroughly researched (the historical note at the end was a very welcome inclusion), but for me as a reader, the lack of likeable characters made it just not my cup of tea.
Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Books for the ARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood
Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual content
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is a 2 star read for me.
It was just so depressing and everyone was just awful. All the main characters were just awful terrible people.
The worst villian got away with everything and we never see if they get the ending they deserve. The ending is by far the worst part. It’s abrupt and cruel. I didn’t love this book. It was slow, the FMC totally naive. Robin Hood awful. The sheriff not terrible but not good either. I just didn’t like this at all.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.
It was just so depressing and everyone was just awful. All the main characters were just awful terrible people.
The worst villian got away with everything and we never see if they get the ending they deserve. The ending is by far the worst part. It’s abrupt and cruel. I didn’t love this book. It was slow, the FMC totally naive. Robin Hood awful. The sheriff not terrible but not good either. I just didn’t like this at all.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.
Thank you so much Penguin for this ARC!!
This was absolutely spectacular in every way. I can’t praise it enough. It was so phenomenal it made me wish I had been much stingier with my five star ratings earlier in the year so that this one truly stood alone.
The pacing, in my opinion, was quicker than is typical for historical fiction in a way that made it feel more engaging while still not being rushed or seeming like it didn't fit the genre. It's really hard to balance the genre expectation that the plot be a bit more protracted while not making it seem tedious or winding. I think Kaufman perfectly hit the balance that makes it approachable for readers who aren't used to historical fiction as well as satisfying avid readers of the genre.
The prose is just delightful. It was illustrative, thought provoking, and all around enjoyable to read.
Characters are complex and multifaceted, and each and every one is fleshed out. None of them felt like an easily forgettable side character or someone who was just inserted for plot convenience.
The romance and chemistry between characters is compelling and exciting, if you like true slow burn this is the perfect book for you.
This is easily one of my favorite reads of the year, and may be my favorite historical fiction book of all time, I can't recommend it enough!
This was absolutely spectacular in every way. I can’t praise it enough. It was so phenomenal it made me wish I had been much stingier with my five star ratings earlier in the year so that this one truly stood alone.
The pacing, in my opinion, was quicker than is typical for historical fiction in a way that made it feel more engaging while still not being rushed or seeming like it didn't fit the genre. It's really hard to balance the genre expectation that the plot be a bit more protracted while not making it seem tedious or winding. I think Kaufman perfectly hit the balance that makes it approachable for readers who aren't used to historical fiction as well as satisfying avid readers of the genre.
The prose is just delightful. It was illustrative, thought provoking, and all around enjoyable to read.
Characters are complex and multifaceted, and each and every one is fleshed out. None of them felt like an easily forgettable side character or someone who was just inserted for plot convenience.
The romance and chemistry between characters is compelling and exciting, if you like true slow burn this is the perfect book for you.
This is easily one of my favorite reads of the year, and may be my favorite historical fiction book of all time, I can't recommend it enough!
I received an E-ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I think for those readers who want a historically accurate retelling of Robin Hood, they will love this book.
The factual history of that time woven in with a character most of us girls have had crushes on since we saw the (Disney) animated film was done exceptionally well, even though Robin was not the knight in shining armor we all saw him as.
Though I could appreciate the depth of knowledge the author had, as well as a jaded side of Robin that I've never read, this just was not for me personally.
I think for those readers who want a historically accurate retelling of Robin Hood, they will love this book.
The factual history of that time woven in with a character most of us girls have had crushes on since we saw the (Disney) animated film was done exceptionally well, even though Robin was not the knight in shining armor we all saw him as.
Though I could appreciate the depth of knowledge the author had, as well as a jaded side of Robin that I've never read, this just was not for me personally.
First off I’d like to say thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC. I am always favorable to retellings of classic stories and fairytales, and I had high expectations for this book. I truly wanted to like Jane, but before I say how I really feel about her as a character I must say that I can only imagine how the author tried to portray her as if she were truly a peasant in the mid evil time period. Life was hard if you were not born into nobility or even middle class, so Jane’s story is probably more realistic than fiction. That being said, she was very hard to like. Her consistent back and forth struggle with morality and her ability to be easily manipulated was irritating to say the least. She knew that Bran was the smart choice, and just like so many other female characters in books I read she goes full send towards all the red flags.
I did like the twists and turns throughout the book with Robin and his merry men, and I especially liked Little John’s character. I really liked that he challenged Jane to see the danger she was in, and again she chose to ignore it.
Lastly, I loved Ibota, and wish I had more of a back story for her. I think her character was extremely interesting, wish I knew if she was actually a witch, and how her and Roger came to be together.
Overall I was entertained and enjoyed the book, and especially the ending. I love the backstory about Robin Hood and how his story has been changed throughout the generations.
#arc #netgalley
I did like the twists and turns throughout the book with Robin and his merry men, and I especially liked Little John’s character. I really liked that he challenged Jane to see the danger she was in, and again she chose to ignore it.
Lastly, I loved Ibota, and wish I had more of a back story for her. I think her character was extremely interesting, wish I knew if she was actually a witch, and how her and Roger came to be together.
Overall I was entertained and enjoyed the book, and especially the ending. I love the backstory about Robin Hood and how his story has been changed throughout the generations.
#arc #netgalley
adventurous
dark
medium-paced