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8th out of 57 books
—
138 voters
Scarlet (King Raven #2)
After losing everything he owns, forester Will Scarlet embarks on a search for none other than King Raven, whose exploits have already become legendary. After fulfilling his quest--and proving himself a skilled and loyal companion--Will joins the heroic archer and his men.
Now, however, Will is in prison for a crime he did not commit. His sentence is death by hanging--unles...more
Now, however, Will is in prison for a crime he did not commit. His sentence is death by hanging--unles...more
Hardcover, 443 pages
Published
September 1st 2007
by Thomas Nelson Publishers
(first published August 3rd 2007)
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ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
Scarlet, the second book in Stephen Lawhead's King Raven Trilogy focuses on Will Scatlocke ("Scarlet"), a disillusioned forester who goes searching for, finds, and joins King Raven's infamous band of thieves. During one of their exploits, Will is caught, sentenced to hang, and thrown into prison where he is asked to tell his story to a priest in hopes that he'll let slip some information that will help sheriff Guy of Gysborne find and defeat the robbers. T...more
Scarlet, the second book in Stephen Lawhead's King Raven Trilogy focuses on Will Scatlocke ("Scarlet"), a disillusioned forester who goes searching for, finds, and joins King Raven's infamous band of thieves. During one of their exploits, Will is caught, sentenced to hang, and thrown into prison where he is asked to tell his story to a priest in hopes that he'll let slip some information that will help sheriff Guy of Gysborne find and defeat the robbers. T...more
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Oh, Stephen Lawhead, how I love your books.
Lawhead's latest project is a re-telling of the Robin Hood legend. This is the second book in the trilogy, told from the perspective of Will Scarlet. A good deal of the story is relayed, by Scarlet, to a monk he refers to as Odo while he is imprisoned.
I consistently enjoy Stephen Lawhead's storytelling style, as well as his attention to detail. Lawhead has mastered the technique of portraying actions, gestures, and facial expressions without resorting t...more
Lawhead's latest project is a re-telling of the Robin Hood legend. This is the second book in the trilogy, told from the perspective of Will Scarlet. A good deal of the story is relayed, by Scarlet, to a monk he refers to as Odo while he is imprisoned.
I consistently enjoy Stephen Lawhead's storytelling style, as well as his attention to detail. Lawhead has mastered the technique of portraying actions, gestures, and facial expressions without resorting t...more
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Stephen R. Lawhead returns with the second of the King Raven trilogy, after Hood, doing an excellent job of making it feel fresh and new: this tale is told from the viewpoint of someone completely new, Scarlet, who knows little of this “King Raven” character or what he can do to aid him.
The book opens with the framing tale of Scarlet, who is in prison and sentenced to be hanged. In the brief time before his execution, Scarlet tells his story of losing everything and becoming a forester where he...more
The book opens with the framing tale of Scarlet, who is in prison and sentenced to be hanged. In the brief time before his execution, Scarlet tells his story of losing everything and becoming a forester where he...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Scarlet is at least an improvement over Hood. There are sympathetic characters and an actual plotline, even if it's near-hopelessly muddied by transitions between Scarlet-as-narrator and actual third-person-omniscient in two separate chunks of timeline.
Scarlet's verbal tics (calling people "fella" and using "en't" for "isn't") come and go, never ceasing to be jarring or managing to sound like anything other than a folksy affectation in the mouth of the character. They are handy markers as to whe...more
Scarlet's verbal tics (calling people "fella" and using "en't" for "isn't") come and go, never ceasing to be jarring or managing to sound like anything other than a folksy affectation in the mouth of the character. They are handy markers as to whe...more
I love these books. This is the second chapter in the King Raven series and well worth the read.
Lawhead has continued his trilogy with much the same tone but in an entirely different voice. This one is told in alternating points of view. There are portions told in the third person, but much of it is told by Will Scarlet himself, and these portions are by far my favorite.
Will has been captured while on a dangerous errand for Rhi Bran and as he sits waiting for the hangman's noose, he tells his...more
Lawhead has continued his trilogy with much the same tone but in an entirely different voice. This one is told in alternating points of view. There are portions told in the third person, but much of it is told by Will Scarlet himself, and these portions are by far my favorite.
Will has been captured while on a dangerous errand for Rhi Bran and as he sits waiting for the hangman's noose, he tells his...more
Review by Erin Bullock:
This is the second book in the King Raven Trilogy. The whole trilogy is a re-telling of the Robin Hood legend. Most of this book is written from the first-person perspective. William Scatlocke (aka: Will Scarlet) is being held in prison because of his allegiance to King Raven (aka: Robin Hood). He is telling his life story to a monk named Odo who is writing it all down. When Will is finished with his narrative, he is to be hanged as a traitor to the king. The part of the b...more
This is the second book in the King Raven Trilogy. The whole trilogy is a re-telling of the Robin Hood legend. Most of this book is written from the first-person perspective. William Scatlocke (aka: Will Scarlet) is being held in prison because of his allegiance to King Raven (aka: Robin Hood). He is telling his life story to a monk named Odo who is writing it all down. When Will is finished with his narrative, he is to be hanged as a traitor to the king. The part of the b...more
William Scatlocke is being held in a dank, dark cell awaiting his own hanging. He'll be held in that cell for five months and his only company is a surly jailer, who refuses to speak to him, and a monk by the name of Odo, who has been sent by Abbott Hugo to learn as much as he can of Rhi Bran y Hud (Robin Hood).
This is how this book is laid out. It's the first person account of Will Scarlet's meeting with Rhi Bran and the subsequent events - all told to a monk who writes down the tales. Mixed in...more
This is how this book is laid out. It's the first person account of Will Scarlet's meeting with Rhi Bran and the subsequent events - all told to a monk who writes down the tales. Mixed in...more
While there was nothing particularly wrong with this book--in fact, I quite enjoyed it--there was an overall feeling of "too much." "Hood" was such an excellent story and such a compelling read that it left me very much wanting more; however, that desire may have been best left unquenched.
The story of Will Scarlet joining Rhi Bran y Hud's gang of Welsh freedom fighters is fairly straightfoward, even if it's not told that way. The first three-quarters of the story are told in flashback form, with...more
The story of Will Scarlet joining Rhi Bran y Hud's gang of Welsh freedom fighters is fairly straightfoward, even if it's not told that way. The first three-quarters of the story are told in flashback form, with...more
Review I reviewed the first book in this series, Hood, and had a few complaints--namely, the characters were hard to follow, the pacing was inordinately slow in the beginning, and the primary protagonist was too wishy-washy. Some of those were solved, some weren't.
The characters were trimmed down (or at least more familiar and there were very few new characters) in this book. Most of the Barons took a big back seat--it was Will, one key priest, Bran, and the band of Merry Men (and Merien) taking...more
The characters were trimmed down (or at least more familiar and there were very few new characters) in this book. Most of the Barons took a big back seat--it was Will, one key priest, Bran, and the band of Merry Men (and Merien) taking...more
Will Scarlet is in prison and dictating his story to a monk who seeks to discover information on Rhi Bran y Hud for his master Abbot Hugo. Through Will’s memory we learn the latest news of Prince Bran’s exploits. He and his men have become experts at stealing from the rich and giving back to the poor people of Elfael. Will Scarlet tells how he found Prince Bran and joined up with him. As always, Prince Bran’s only goal is to take care of his people and get his land back.
As Will retells his story...more
As Will retells his story...more
Will Scatlocke lost his home and his livelihood with the coming of William the Red to the throne. As he travels, working to feed and house himself he hears about King Raven, a robber of the wealthy, who shares what he gets with those who have little or nothing.
The story is told largely by Will who becomes Will Scarlet when he joins King Raven's band. He is accepted after a bow duel with Raven himself. Raven beats him by a hair but welcomes him into the group anyway. As they strive to win back R...more
The story is told largely by Will who becomes Will Scarlet when he joins King Raven's band. He is accepted after a bow duel with Raven himself. Raven beats him by a hair but welcomes him into the group anyway. As they strive to win back R...more
I didn't love it as much as the first one, but it was still fun and exciting. The lines between Goodies and Baddies are more cut and dry in this one, which made it a little less interesting than Hood King Raven Book 1, and the relationship between Bran and Mérian resolved itself a little too easily for me (considering the ending of the last book!). Perhaps Lawhead portrayed Bran as a more idealized version of the same character from the first book because this story is told through Will's eyes,...more
Reactions: WHY?! Why did it take me so long to read?! It's fairly big.. I'll give it that. It was hard bringing it from class to class and just as I was getting into it, I was forced to stop! Stupid french tests... Anyway I've read Hood and though that one took a while to get into too, they are both really good books.
I think it's Historical fiction mostly because it's about the time when England was being invaded by Sanxons and Ffreinc (Francs if you don't know.. took me two and a half books to...more
I think it's Historical fiction mostly because it's about the time when England was being invaded by Sanxons and Ffreinc (Francs if you don't know.. took me two and a half books to...more
Contrary to the amount of negative feedback to follow, I did really love SCARLET and will definitely be reading TUCK. Below are some of my qualms about the story...
(SOME MINOR SPOILERS FOLLOW)
I was increasingly irritated with the breaks from first person narration. They often felt so jarring, it was as if the author was hitting the pause button on the actual story to indulge in showing off his knowledge of history. I don't even mind the history at all when it's in context--but honestly I really...more
(SOME MINOR SPOILERS FOLLOW)
I was increasingly irritated with the breaks from first person narration. They often felt so jarring, it was as if the author was hitting the pause button on the actual story to indulge in showing off his knowledge of history. I don't even mind the history at all when it's in context--but honestly I really...more
Lawhead's integration of the Robin Hood legends into early twelfth-century Britannia is fascinating to me. I am familiar with the legends but not with that period of history, so the blend provides a fun, imaginative learning environment.
I didn't enjoy this installment as much as the previous one for a few reasons. One is that I found the timing confusing. Much of the book is in flashback form, recounting how the title character Will Scarlet ended up in prison. However, a number of chapters come...more
I didn't enjoy this installment as much as the previous one for a few reasons. One is that I found the timing confusing. Much of the book is in flashback form, recounting how the title character Will Scarlet ended up in prison. However, a number of chapters come...more
I'm not really sure if I should be calling this historical fiction on account that Robin Hood isn't ratified as an actually living being in years ago ago. But it does have William the Red, and he is real.
But this really isn't a Robin Hood story, not that I claim to know anything about Robin Hood other than the movies. But I think we've all been deceived a bit, where the character names are somewhat familiar, the story stands all on it's own. I think Lawhead uses the old tale as a stepping stone...more
But this really isn't a Robin Hood story, not that I claim to know anything about Robin Hood other than the movies. But I think we've all been deceived a bit, where the character names are somewhat familiar, the story stands all on it's own. I think Lawhead uses the old tale as a stepping stone...more
Aug 04, 2011
Jacob Aitken
added it
I won't tell about the story line because that wouldn't be fair to the reader. I won't ruin it for you. But about the book itself, its style and flow. This book is so much better than *Hood.* The storyline is crisper, its characters so much more mature, and the dialouge is cleare.
The romance is among Lawhead's better renditions. I do fear that some of Lawhead's works tended to repeat themselves (this was especially true in the Pendragon Cycle). Here, the romance is more sensible and realistic. I...more
The romance is among Lawhead's better renditions. I do fear that some of Lawhead's works tended to repeat themselves (this was especially true in the Pendragon Cycle). Here, the romance is more sensible and realistic. I...more
Ok, so I really debated between three and four stars, but decided on four since it's always better to just round up, right? I really enjoyed the plot of Scarlet, even more so then Hood. I felt the story developed a bit quicker in this second novel. However, having gotten used to Lawhead's writing style, I admit to having skipped over a few slow pages. I only did this maybe twice during sections in which was from the King or Sheriff's points of view. I really just wanted to get back to the story...more
As much as I enjoyed Hood, the first book in the King Raven series, Scarlet is that much better. Written almost entirely in first person from the viewpoint of William Scatlocke, whom Bran dubs Will Scarlet, it takes the reader even deeper into the band of outlaws leading the resistance against the Norman invaders.
Will, who has been captured and awaits hanging, is dictating his "confession" to Brother Odo, a Norman priest. Sheriff Robert de Glanville (Lawhead's equivalent of the Sheriff of Nottin...more
Will, who has been captured and awaits hanging, is dictating his "confession" to Brother Odo, a Norman priest. Sheriff Robert de Glanville (Lawhead's equivalent of the Sheriff of Nottin...more
As often happens with books and movies that you expect to follow a certain story-line or a well-known character, you will be disappointed unless you leave the preconceived ideas at the door (or at the book-cover, in this case). To really enjoy the book, forget everything you know about Robin Hood and start fresh. The author gives a great explanation at the end of the book, describing his research and reasoning for putting together the plot the way he did, if you are so curious. Despite a pretty...more
I recently listened to the audiobook of Scarlet, which is the second in the King Raven trilogy that reimagines the Robin Hood story in the context of Norman-occupied Wales around 1100 AD. Such an interesting time and a fascinating take on this legend! This book is told mostly from the perspective of Will Scarlet, a member of the merry gang of thieves. He has been captured by Norman forces and is telling the story of his life and capture to a monk scribe, so at least in the beginning it's somethi...more
Scarlet is the second in the King Raven trilogy about Robin Hood. The story picks up where Hood leaves off, with Will Scarlet being kept prisoner by Count de Braose. Will is in prison for alleged treason to the crown, and will be hung, unless he tells the count where to find King Raven. While in prison, Will is narrating his story to a young monk named Odo, so parts of the story are from Will's first person perspective and others are a third person narrative. The dual narratives work here. Will...more
Hood won from me a five star rating for forcing my reluctant heart to love it, and Scarlet rates the same for holding that love.
It was a close call though as my attention began to wander when the focus of the plot derailed for me so that I could spend a chapter with the plot device character Angharad (who while much less obtrusive than her counterparts in other stories is still not chapter worthy in my opinion).
That little road bump however was brilliantly by all of the other characters. As a na...more
It was a close call though as my attention began to wander when the focus of the plot derailed for me so that I could spend a chapter with the plot device character Angharad (who while much less obtrusive than her counterparts in other stories is still not chapter worthy in my opinion).
That little road bump however was brilliantly by all of the other characters. As a na...more
It's quite a jolt moving from Hood to Scarlet and having a new narrator and a completely different voice, even a different attitude to the story. Will Scarlet is amiable, brash, quick-witted and easy to like. That's where the story begins, with Scarlet in jail telling his story to a monk scribe who is trying to persuade the rogue to give up details on the whereabouts of Bran, the Raven King. Instead of giving up useful information, Will takes the priest, and the reader on a remarkable journey wh...more
Sep 28, 2010
Werner
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fans of action-oriented historical fiction
Shelves:
historical-fiction
With this volume, Lawhead continues his deft re-imagining of the Robin Hood legend, set in the Welsh Marches of the late 1000s. There's no "second-book-in-the-trilogy" slump here; the story arc moves steadily forward, and the telling is suspenseful and well-paced. All of the general comments from my review of the series opener, Hood, would apply here as well. This is both solidly-researched historical fiction and adventure fiction set against a sharply defined conflict of good vs. evil, justice...more
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I haven't finished this book, but I am putting it down. As mentioned in my brief review of Hood, the concept is promising for this story. I do enjoy the fact that this second book is from Will Scarlet's POV and that Scarlet is telling it like a story (in telling Odo). Very great concept...just poorly accomplished.
This book simply is not engaging. Lawhead has a very plain way of writing which, while it gets the job done, just does not interest me in the least. The characters are described, but mo...more
This book simply is not engaging. Lawhead has a very plain way of writing which, while it gets the job done, just does not interest me in the least. The characters are described, but mo...more
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Lawhead surpasses himself with this follow-up to "Hood". In "Scarlet", forester William Scatlocke aka Will Scarlet joins the lawless band after his master, a Saxon thane, had his land confiscated by the crown. As Bran and his men, which now includes Will, continue to rob from the Norman rich to give to the poor, they uncover a plot that they hope will help see justice done for the dispossessed people of Elfael.
Told predominantly in the first person narrative of Will Scarlet, there is greater fu...more
Told predominantly in the first person narrative of Will Scarlet, there is greater fu...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Another strong book in the trilogy. I agree with another reviewer - I almost think the setting and atmosphere are better than the actual story. Lawhead does a fantastic job of world-building, and his style really invokes the period he's writing about. That being said, it is still a decent plot with some likable characters and interesting events - but it's the world he's created that will have me buying the third book.
My biggest complaint is with the inconsistent point of view. It really hurts th...more
My biggest complaint is with the inconsistent point of view. It really hurts th...more
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Stephen R. Lawhead is an internationally acclaimed author of mythic history and imaginative fiction. His works include Byzantium, Patrick, and the series The Pendragon Cycle, The Celtic Crusades, and The Song of Albion.
Also see his fanpage at Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/stephenlawhead...
Stephen was born in 1950, in Nebraska in the USA. Most of his early life was spent in America where he earned...more
More about Stephen R. Lawhead...
Also see his fanpage at Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/stephenlawhead...
Stephen was born in 1950, in Nebraska in the USA. Most of his early life was spent in America where he earned...more
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“She [Mérian] shook her head sadly. 'What Bran wants is impossible.'
'Well,' I [Will] said, 'I wouldn't be too sure. I have seen the lone canny fox outwit the hunter often enough to know that it matters little how many horses and men you have. All the wealth and weapons in the world will not catch the fox that refuses to be caught.”
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'Well,' I [Will] said, 'I wouldn't be too sure. I have seen the lone canny fox outwit the hunter often enough to know that it matters little how many horses and men you have. All the wealth and weapons in the world will not catch the fox that refuses to be caught.”
