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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
I spent the whole time cheering Will on, certain I knew how this book HAD to end. I've been recommending this ever since. Such a great depiction of these well known and well loved characters!
I wasn't planning on reading book next, but it was due back at the library... and I had already renewed it about 4 times. So, I had to read it. I'm REALLY glad that I did! I think I read it in about two evenings.
This book is another fairy tale retelling based on the story of Robin Hood. The plot follows Robin Hood's band of men: Rob, John, Much, and Will Scarlet. No one outside of the band knows, but Will Scarlet is a woman called Scarlet. As the taxes are raised, the sheriff becomes more and more brutal to the surrounding citizens. When it becomes clear that "The Hood" and his band are stealing too much and giving it away, the sheriff hires a thief catcher from London. Scarlet has seen this man before, and knows that it means dangerous things for Nottingham. As the story unfolds the pages are filled with adventure, action, love, death, betrayal, and mystery. This book overall was very good. Not quite a 5.. but maybe a 4.5. If only goodreads allowed 1/2 ratings! It was definitely better than some of the others I read in the past few months. I really appreciated this spin on Robin Hood, and that it was quick paced and compelling. It was also interesting because it is told from Scarlet's perspective, and all of the writing is written in her improper British English accent. It was really fun to read it that way.
I didn't know when I picked this up, but there are two more books. So I guess I will be reading those soon!
This book is another fairy tale retelling based on the story of Robin Hood. The plot follows Robin Hood's band of men: Rob, John, Much, and Will Scarlet. No one outside of the band knows, but Will Scarlet is a woman called Scarlet. As the taxes are raised, the sheriff becomes more and more brutal to the surrounding citizens. When it becomes clear that "The Hood" and his band are stealing too much and giving it away, the sheriff hires a thief catcher from London. Scarlet has seen this man before, and knows that it means dangerous things for Nottingham. As the story unfolds the pages are filled with adventure, action, love, death, betrayal, and mystery. This book overall was very good. Not quite a 5.. but maybe a 4.5. If only goodreads allowed 1/2 ratings! It was definitely better than some of the others I read in the past few months. I really appreciated this spin on Robin Hood, and that it was quick paced and compelling. It was also interesting because it is told from Scarlet's perspective, and all of the writing is written in her improper British English accent. It was really fun to read it that way.
I didn't know when I picked this up, but there are two more books. So I guess I will be reading those soon!
The writing was excellent, but it had a few curse words a lot of taking the Lord's name in vain. It seemed to me older YA because of the swearing and the description of violence. But it has a nice twist and some interesting characters. "Will" Scarlet or Scar is a tough girl who dresses as a boy and helps Robin Hood take on the Sheriff of Nottingham and other rogues sent their way. Scar has secrets and spends the book keeping her band safe and her secrets safer.
I've never been so conflicted on whether or not I like or dislike a book.
A great retelling of the classic Robin Hood tale through a different viewpoint. Grounding the tale in a more real world, interweaving romance, revenge, and friendship, this tale will enchant readers and keep them entertained from beginning until end.
Book Review (ARC)
I am a sucker for a Robin Hood story. Scarlet was even better than I expected. It’s a fast moving, quick thinking, and fully detailed version of the story. It’s an original remake, if that makes any sense. While I am familiar with the original Robin Hood story, this one still felt fresh and new in the way that it was told. The story of Scarlet is one that I have never read much about and Gaughen’s imagining of who Scarlet could have been is wonderful. Scarlet’s story melds in perfectly with Robin’s and her back story is slowly unraveled, a definite treat in its twists and turns.
Other loved characters such as Big John and Friar Tuck make their appearances as well, some more than others. Much, a character I hadn’t remembered from previous Robin Hood tales, has a big role as one of Hood’s band (along with John), and he quickly became one of my favorite characters. He was so endearing and charming in his own way that it would be hard to do anything other than love him. I would continue to read stories with these characters that Gaughen has made into her own!
Reviewed by Jessica for Book Sake.
I am a sucker for a Robin Hood story. Scarlet was even better than I expected. It’s a fast moving, quick thinking, and fully detailed version of the story. It’s an original remake, if that makes any sense. While I am familiar with the original Robin Hood story, this one still felt fresh and new in the way that it was told. The story of Scarlet is one that I have never read much about and Gaughen’s imagining of who Scarlet could have been is wonderful. Scarlet’s story melds in perfectly with Robin’s and her back story is slowly unraveled, a definite treat in its twists and turns.
Other loved characters such as Big John and Friar Tuck make their appearances as well, some more than others. Much, a character I hadn’t remembered from previous Robin Hood tales, has a big role as one of Hood’s band (along with John), and he quickly became one of my favorite characters. He was so endearing and charming in his own way that it would be hard to do anything other than love him. I would continue to read stories with these characters that Gaughen has made into her own!
Reviewed by Jessica for Book Sake.
Really good. Scarlet seemed really confused about who she was and what she was doing. I didn't see much of the romance between Robin and Scarlet until the very end. Good characters. I really wish there had been an epilogue though. Also, I know it is meant to be more authentic, but writing without the word was is not fun to read. I were very disappointed with that.
Probably 3.5
The Good- Will Scarlet having a secret identity retelling of Robin Hood and reworking the character’s relationships. I enjoy a good retelling, a changing of what we have “come to know” a story as.
A longing romance is fun. The writer does not pull punches with killing off characters. I mean the mains continue to survive but it seems gory to an extent.
The not so good - there is only so many times someone can get away before I can suspend my disbelief enough to be on board. The writing style could be more polished for me. Their were some elements I found to be unnecessarily repetitive, and some elements that were just too drawn out.
Bad- the accent. I get that it’s supposed to throw us off the scent of something else but, lord it was way too much. It was almost like a joke. Either way - bad.
Overall though I liked it - a lot and figure I’ll read the next book.
The Good- Will Scarlet having a secret identity retelling of Robin Hood and reworking the character’s relationships. I enjoy a good retelling, a changing of what we have “come to know” a story as.
A longing romance is fun. The writer does not pull punches with killing off characters. I mean the mains continue to survive but it seems gory to an extent.
The not so good - there is only so many times someone can get away before I can suspend my disbelief enough to be on board. The writing style could be more polished for me. Their were some elements I found to be unnecessarily repetitive, and some elements that were just too drawn out.
Bad- the accent. I get that it’s supposed to throw us off the scent of something else but, lord it was way too much. It was almost like a joke. Either way - bad.
Overall though I liked it - a lot and figure I’ll read the next book.
4.5 stars
Scarlet, oh Scarlet, how do I love thee? *happy sigh* This book began to get a fair bit of hype when fellow book bloggers got their hands on ARCs of the sequel, Lady Thief, and not long after, it was picked as our next book club book! I have to say, I'm so freaking glad that I didn't let the hype scare me off on this one, because it is seriously fabulous.
So Scarlet is a retelling of Robin Hood, and honestly that already boded well for me. I love Robin Hood, have done ever since The New Adventures of Robin Hood tore my heart out as a kid. I just forget this fact because Disney's animated film was so meh. When I started reading, I was instantly smitten again, because it's just such a great folk tale. I love A.C. Gaughen's take on it - it's seriously brilliant. I even went and read the author's note at the end, because I wanted to know more and more about how she viewed the tale. Ugh, I'm just in love. It's a fresh take on an awesome story that stays true to the essence and is highly entertaining.
Scar, or Scarlet, the main character is seriously brilliant. She is feisty and strong. She stands up for herself. She can be a bit rash, but only because she cares about people so much. She is one of Robin's Merry Men, although most people think she is a boy. She takes on the persona of Will Scarlet. But there's a lot more to her character than that. Scarlet isn't her real name either. I loved finding out more about her. The only thing that I really didn't understand was her thorough opposition to eating, but it appeared that she grew from that, so okay. I was worried, going in, because the whole book is written from her perspective, in her kind of "dialect". Usually, I am fiercely opposed to dialects in books. It's a pet peeve of mine. But it was really mild here, and it didn't get in the way at all. All it is is "I weren't" and "ain't" and other such slang. But mostly it's almost unnoticeable. Good thing, for me!
But aside from Scar, there's of course Robin Hood himself - or Rob, as he's mostly referred to here. Gaughen really catches the essence of the original tale in Rob's character. I was instantly smitten. Robin Hood is just really sexy to me, okay, don't judge me.
But Rob certainly is sexy and dreamy. He has his fierce principles that you just have to admire. Though he's a bit more moody in this take, I felt like that mostly worked. He did infuriate me at one point because of a certain insult he used, but I feel like there's so much depth to his character that I could read in between the lines. And in the context of the setting, I can understand his behavior.
Rob and Scar's relationship is just pure gold. Scar is naive about her feelings for him, and he is hesitant to pursue anything, but they just have these small moments that completely steal your heart. There's a whole scene about hand holding, which, you may know, I am extremely fond of. I pretty much shipped this from the first encounter, which was only made a little bit confusing because there is a bit of a love triangle going on. And I liked the other side too! *sigh* Time for a threesome, methinks. Basically: Gaughen really knows how to write chemistry.
Rob's fellow Merry Men are brilliant as well. I really loved John, who here is a bit arrogant but playful and charming as well. He made me melt a couple times, pretty much. Much was pretty adorable too, but I really wished he got a bit more screentime. The relationships between these characters and also with the villagers were all very well done. I just love it.
The plot was awesome. I don't know what to say. It's really your classic Robin Hood adventure: they steal from the rich to help the poor pay their taxes. Gisbourne appears as a thief taker, tasked to take down the Merry Men. He and Scar have a past that is extremely interesting. But overall it was a page turner, a quick read, and super enjoyable. My only qualm was the ending.
Summing Up:
The cheering fans are not wrong - Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen is absolutely fantastic. It has reignited my love for the Robin Hood tale. This fresh take gives us strong characters with endearing personalities and a meltworthy romance. It had moments that were LAUGH OUT LOUD funny, and other moments where I was "aww"ing out loud. Mostly I read this with a huge ass grin on my face because it's that good. It's super entertaining and wonderful and was exactly the kind of read I needed.
GIF it to me straight!
Recommended To:
EVERYONE. Assuming, of course, that everyone loves awesome characters, fun adventures, and flailworthy romance. Prepare yourself for a heavy dose of FEELS!
Scarlet, oh Scarlet, how do I love thee? *happy sigh* This book began to get a fair bit of hype when fellow book bloggers got their hands on ARCs of the sequel, Lady Thief, and not long after, it was picked as our next book club book! I have to say, I'm so freaking glad that I didn't let the hype scare me off on this one, because it is seriously fabulous.
So Scarlet is a retelling of Robin Hood, and honestly that already boded well for me. I love Robin Hood, have done ever since The New Adventures of Robin Hood tore my heart out as a kid. I just forget this fact because Disney's animated film was so meh. When I started reading, I was instantly smitten again, because it's just such a great folk tale. I love A.C. Gaughen's take on it - it's seriously brilliant. I even went and read the author's note at the end, because I wanted to know more and more about how she viewed the tale. Ugh, I'm just in love. It's a fresh take on an awesome story that stays true to the essence and is highly entertaining.
Scar, or Scarlet, the main character is seriously brilliant. She is feisty and strong. She stands up for herself. She can be a bit rash, but only because she cares about people so much. She is one of Robin's Merry Men, although most people think she is a boy. She takes on the persona of Will Scarlet. But there's a lot more to her character than that. Scarlet isn't her real name either. I loved finding out more about her. The only thing that I really didn't understand was her thorough opposition to eating, but it appeared that she grew from that, so okay. I was worried, going in, because the whole book is written from her perspective, in her kind of "dialect". Usually, I am fiercely opposed to dialects in books. It's a pet peeve of mine. But it was really mild here, and it didn't get in the way at all. All it is is "I weren't" and "ain't" and other such slang. But mostly it's almost unnoticeable. Good thing, for me!
But aside from Scar, there's of course Robin Hood himself - or Rob, as he's mostly referred to here. Gaughen really catches the essence of the original tale in Rob's character. I was instantly smitten. Robin Hood is just really sexy to me, okay, don't judge me.
But Rob certainly is sexy and dreamy. He has his fierce principles that you just have to admire. Though he's a bit more moody in this take, I felt like that mostly worked. He did infuriate me at one point because of a certain insult he used, but I feel like there's so much depth to his character that I could read in between the lines. And in the context of the setting, I can understand his behavior.
Rob and Scar's relationship is just pure gold. Scar is naive about her feelings for him, and he is hesitant to pursue anything, but they just have these small moments that completely steal your heart. There's a whole scene about hand holding, which, you may know, I am extremely fond of. I pretty much shipped this from the first encounter, which was only made a little bit confusing because there is a bit of a love triangle going on. And I liked the other side too! *sigh* Time for a threesome, methinks. Basically: Gaughen really knows how to write chemistry.
Rob's fellow Merry Men are brilliant as well. I really loved John, who here is a bit arrogant but playful and charming as well. He made me melt a couple times, pretty much. Much was pretty adorable too, but I really wished he got a bit more screentime. The relationships between these characters and also with the villagers were all very well done. I just love it.
The plot was awesome. I don't know what to say. It's really your classic Robin Hood adventure: they steal from the rich to help the poor pay their taxes. Gisbourne appears as a thief taker, tasked to take down the Merry Men. He and Scar have a past that is extremely interesting. But overall it was a page turner, a quick read, and super enjoyable. My only qualm was the ending.
Spoiler
Why was the marriage thing necessary? Why did Gisbourne still want to marry her at all? And why, when he just wanted to kill her afterwards? I dunno, I can tell there's like something behind that story, but it just wasn't well explained and felt a bit random.Summing Up:
The cheering fans are not wrong - Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen is absolutely fantastic. It has reignited my love for the Robin Hood tale. This fresh take gives us strong characters with endearing personalities and a meltworthy romance. It had moments that were LAUGH OUT LOUD funny, and other moments where I was "aww"ing out loud. Mostly I read this with a huge ass grin on my face because it's that good. It's super entertaining and wonderful and was exactly the kind of read I needed.
GIF it to me straight!
Recommended To:
EVERYONE. Assuming, of course, that everyone loves awesome characters, fun adventures, and flailworthy romance. Prepare yourself for a heavy dose of FEELS!