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A review by patriciomas
Greenwode by J. Tullos Hennig
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Greenwode is an interesting beginning to a queer retelling of Robin Hood. In this telling, Robin (called Rob here) is a druid and follower of traditional English religion who becomes childhood friends with Gamelyn (Guy of Guisbourne), a Christian nobleman. Their paths cross multiple times throughout the story. They become lovers, but all the while the story (and many of the other characters) remind us and them of the near-impossible-to-bridge gulf between their worlds.
There are a lot of dreams/prophecy in the book, and most of the time it's pretty opaque - not because it's poorly explained, but because it's opaque to the characters. It's well-done. Rob's central conflict is whether he and Gemelyn can truly be together - or whether, as his parents and mentor believe, they are fated to be enemies. Gamelyn's is whether he can reconcile his love - and lust - for Rob with his Christian faith. I enjoyed Gamelyn's side of things more, but that may be because he has more going on.
I can't say I loved the ending, but it was pretty clear where things were going. The last few chapters were difficult to get through because I could tell that the hammer was about to drop, it was going to be bloody, and that Rob and Gamelyn's relationship couldn't survive in the short-term). It clearly gives us the setup for the story to come - the proper retelling of Robin Hood.
I plan to read the sequel - the second book in the originally-planned duology. But, at the recommendation of the person who suggested the series to me, I'll stop there, because it gets apparently goes directions most readers don't want it to go afterward.
There are a lot of dreams/prophecy in the book, and most of the time it's pretty opaque - not because it's poorly explained, but because it's opaque to the characters. It's well-done. Rob's central conflict is whether he and Gemelyn can truly be together - or whether, as his parents and mentor believe, they are fated to be enemies. Gamelyn's is whether he can reconcile his love - and lust - for Rob with his Christian faith. I enjoyed Gamelyn's side of things more, but that may be because he has more going on.
I can't say I loved the ending, but it was pretty clear where things were going.
I plan to read the sequel - the second book in the originally-planned duology. But, at the recommendation of the person who suggested the series to me, I'll stop there, because it gets apparently goes directions most readers don't want it to go afterward.