Reviews

Travelers Along the Way: A Robin Hood Remix by Aminah Mae Safi

violet_reads's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

catsloverain's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

akacya's review against another edition

4.0

2023 reads: 256/350

this robin hood retelling follows rahma al-hud, who loyally followed her sister to fight in jerusalem during the third crusade. now, though, she’s determined to get herself and her sister out alive. but because of her sister’s persistence, she decides to take this one last mission with her.

i’ll be honest, i don’t know much about the crusades, besides the fact that they happened. i’ve also never been super into robin hood (though i do support his mission). however, since i’ve enjoyed the other remixed classics books i’ve read, i decided to pick this one up. i’m very glad i did, because i was so immersed in this story and these characters. rahma and her sister, zeena, meet fellow travelers along their way to jerusalem, and it was so interesting to read about everyone’s experiences and interactions with one another.

i can’t wait to read more books from this author!

lekhoury's review against another edition

5.0

Travelers Along the Way is the Muslim, gender-swapped Robin Hood remix that we all needed. It transplants all of your beloved characters and their iconic escapades into the Third Crusade, pitting them instead against Richard the Lionheart and his opponents as they vie for control of the City of Jerusalem. Rahma al-Hud and her merry band are still the fantastically clever thieves we all love and the fair maid Marian is replaced with the dashing Majid. The story is action-packed, funny, and deeply human despite its brutal backdrop.

The characters, heroes and villains alike, were masterfully crafted, and I thoroughly enjoyed the POV dips into the minds of the opposing rulers. Travelers Along the Way does a fantastic job of preserving the unique facets of each character throughout the length of the story. I've been finding that characters can sometimes lose their unique traits during the climax of the adventure, everyone so focused on their goal that they become robotic. But these characters felt so human and so real. I loved constantly rolling my eyes at Zeena and cackling at Viva being predictably unpredictable.

Thank you to Macmillan and Amina Mae Safi for giving me an eARC of Travelers Along the Way in exchange for an honest review.

kiaranazon's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Starts off slower than I would like, but it picks up considerably at about the mid point. It’s a fun heist style story, with more than one heist - which is always a plus. Took me awhile to find my bearings with some unfamiliar terms referring to people / nationalities (I suppose having a better handle on history would have helped here) but that’s part of the fun of reading a historical novel, and I suppose a benefit to a slower start. Still, it was a lot of set up for building the team for a one off novel. Solid 4 stars tho, certainly worth a read.

bet27's review against another edition

3.0

(More 3.5 stars) Worth reading, even though I wished for more. Felt like a slow start, with groundwork I didn't need that held the story back at first, but when it found its legs - the adventure was one I was glad to be on. Intriguing to see an old tale from this angle.

joshhill1021's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

willyshakeslove's review against another edition

5.0

You had me at "Robin Hood Remix" with a Muslim main character set in the Crusades. Safi achieved the incredibly difficult job of staying true to the merry tone of the original while also making the reader think about the complex racial, political, and religious issues going on during the time of the Crusades through her beautifully crafted characters. The gathering of the Green Hood's Merry Band of Outlaws is joyful to read and the serious moments are heartfelt and thought-provoking. Loved this read!

meeeeganc's review against another edition

adventurous funny fast-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

tortue's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75