The Traitor of Sherwood Forest

by Amy S. Kaufman

An immersive, sultry, heart-pounding historical reimagining of the Robin Hood ballads, told through the piercing eyes of one of his spies

Jane Crowe is an ordinary peasant girl who never dreamed she would work for the infamous Lord of the Greenwood. But when she’s forced out of her home, she has no choice but to turn to Robin Hood for help—and he makes her an irresistible offer. He needs a pair of eyes in the King’s Houses, and quiet, unassuming Jane—who has spent her whole life going unnoticed—will be the perfect spy.

At first, Jane’s work for Robin seems straightforward. She whispers to him about the nobles at King’s Houses and all their secrets, including the new Sheriff of Nottingham, who would like nothing more than to see Robin Hood’s head on a spike. But the more Jane is drawn into Robin’s world, the more she’s drawn to Robin himself—a man as charismatic as he is cunning, capable of plucking at her heart as easily as he notches an arrow. As Robin’s tricks grow increasingly dangerous, and shockingly violent, Jane starts to suspect that her hero cares more about his own legacy than helping the common people—and that despite his declarations of affection, he sees her as just another object to be stolen.

When Robin’s schemes implicate Jane in a brutal murder, she must decide: is she prize to be won, a pawn to be used and discarded—or is she an equal player in the game between nobles and thieves?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Retellings, Fantasy, Historical, Fiction, Romance, Adult

416 pages, Paperback

First published April 29, 2025

About the author

Amy S. Kaufman is an author and scholar whose debut novel, THE TRAITOR OF SHERWOOD FOREST, will be out with Penguin Books in April 2025.

Reviews

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 1 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: A historical fiction retelling the story of Robinhood from the perspective of one of his female group members. Loved the intent, especially the idea of presenting the original picture of Robinhood from medieval ballads. However, the execution didn’t work for me. This felt more like YA fiction (except that it isn’t YA-friendly.) Bland narrator, minimal character development, and a lot of needless focus on physical attraction (with an equally unnecessary romantic triangle.) It might work better for those who don’t read much historical fiction but are interested in a Robinhood retelling.

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Plot Preview:

Jane is an ordinary peasant girl with an uncaring mother more interested in her own dalliances and elder brothers who don’t have much time for their only sister. So when her beau Bran suggests that she work for the infamous Lord of the Greenwood, Jane is taken aback but willing to give her new assignment a try. What initially seems to be a straightforward spy job soon turns into a challenging game of keeping ahead. Further complicating the matter is Jane’s attraction to Robinhood, whose behaviour doesn’t seem to match his reputation. When things escalate beyond control, Jane is forced to take some tough decisions.
The story comes to us mostly in Jane’s third-person perspective.

PSA: The blurb reveals too much, including an important spoiler from the final quarter.


I’ve never read a Robinhood retelling, and I’ve not read the original ballads. What I know of this legendary character is limited to what I have watched in a couple of Hollywood movies, which are obviously not historically accurate, and a children’s abridged storybook. As such, I had been looking forward to this novel with great anticipation. I still remember how happy I had been when I got this ARC. Unfortunately, the writing style, the plot development, and the characters didn’t click for me at all.


Bookish Yays:
🎯 The author’s note. Brilliant in every way, this note explains her writing choices and offers insight into the legend. Had the writing actually matched up to the thoughts expressed here, the novel would have easily crossed 4 stars for me.

🎯 I like the intent of representing the original portrayal of Robinhood from the medieval ballads, which doesn't match his modern-day image of a hero. Was he written well? No. But I appreciated the less-idealised and supposedly authentic take, and learnt a lot about some of his beliefs and controversies.


Bookish Mixed Bags:
🏹 Ibota, the prioress – the only character written well, but in a relatively limited role. I might even have liked hearing this story from her perspective.

🏹 The ending. Faithful to the legends, but abrupt in its execution.


Bookish Nays:
➴ A wavering tempo, with the proceedings either being too slow (especially at the start with each event going on for an overly long time) or too rushed (especially in the final section.) The action is meagre at the start and overloaded at the end.

➴ Jane as a narrator – so bland! She is sometimes observational, but her perspective includes a lot of ‘telling’, which is difficult to accept considering her ignorance. (Some of the telling is just unbelievable. How the heck would you see “healthy thighs” under medieval gowns?) There’s also a lot of repetition in her narration. Multiple times, she's surprised to find that characters are taller than she thought they were.

➴ All the scenes of longing and lust! I missed seeing the word ‘sultry’ in the blurb, but even if I had, I wouldn’t have thought that it would be so dominant in a historical retelling. Even in between serious discussions, we get information about the salacious stirrings Jane feels at Robin's sight. Ugh!

➴ To make it worse, there’s a partial romantic triangle, with Jane constantly swerving between Bran and Robinhood. This is the worst-written of the subplots. When Jane is with Bran, she wants Robin, and when she’s with Robin, she longs for Bran. That’s it. No logic or depth to it.

➴ The minimal character development. Characters contradict their own statements and beliefs all the time. Robinhood should have been a grey character, given the intent expressed in the author’s note, but he turns out to be mostly dark and manipulative. Jane is naïve and wilful, and seems to be more dominated by her lust than by her mind. It is weird how Jane suddenly knows Robinhood better than all the men who've been with him for far longer. Robin’s not-so-merry men also have an appearance in this book, with most of them not having well-sketched portrayals.

➴ Thanks to the above, the connection between the characters never feels organic. We see them having feelings for each other, but never understand the hows and whys. The relationships hence feel surface-level. Jane’s attraction towards Robinhood is the least convincing.

➴ The dialogues are somewhat movie-like in their extravagance, making the book feel like a screenplay at times. This might be entertaining for some readers, but the unrealistic tone of the conversations pulled me out of the narrative. It’s annoying to see historical characters use interjections such as “Shit!”, “My arse!” or the F word. There are a few other anachronistic phrases such as someone “having a tell.” This negated the effect of the few instances where genuine medieval spellings have been used, which I had appreciated.

➴ I didn’t expect a strong literary feel anyway from such a plotline, but I did expect a stronger historical feel. There IS historical content but the characters’ thoughts and actions feel more modern. (Not 21st-century-modern, but definitely not 12-13th century.) The least convincing is the idea of Jane and a couple of other ladies spouting modern feminist thoughts about women’s emancipation and freedom of choice. Hah!


All in all, I had expected to love this book, especially as a lover of historical fiction and atypical retellings. However the overall book reads like a YA work (except for the adult content such as cuss words, lewd thoughts, and gruesome action.) It’s very lightweight as a historical novel. I cannot deny the potential of this idea of showing the negative shades of Robinhood’s character, but the execution leaves much to be desired.

This is the author’s debut novel, and her prior works have been scholarly nonfiction. A part of me feels like this book too would have worked better as a nonfiction, offering us the truth about Robinhood’s character as portrayed in the medieval ballads, and cutting out the ignorant Jane as the narrator. As a historical fiction, it just doesn’t hit the bullseye.

I’m not sure whom to recommend this to as it was a below-average experience for me. However, no two readers read the same book. Perhaps this might work better for readers who don’t read historical fiction often and are open to a novel view into the medieval hero’s life.

1.5 stars.


My thanks to Penguin Group - Viking for providing the DRC of “The Traitor of Sherwood Forest” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better.

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[Farda Hus · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

First off, thank you to the publisher and author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is a refreshing take on the Robin Hood legend, nestled among a sea of Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and other familiar retellings. And I must say, it was beautiful. I love how everything unfolded. Jane, the FMC, was naive, but not in a way that made her irritating. She was clever, just learning and growing in her own way. Robin, on the other hand, was a character I both loved and hated, in the best way possible. He felt so human—flawed, complex, and unpredictable.

The side characters were a delightful addition to the story, each one adding something special to the narrative, and the ending… oh, the ending! It wrapped everything up perfectly, leaving me beyond satisfied. There was a warmth to this book that stayed with me from start to finish. The entire journey felt like being enchanted in the best possible way.

This book has that comforting vibe I crave, with the perfect blend of emotional depth and rich character development. It’s the kind of story that lingers with you long after you've closed the pages.

[⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆ Kim ⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

જ⁀➴ 2 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Amy S. Kaufman, and Penguin Books for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Traitor of Sherwood Forest is available now!

"You'll see, soon enough, that a silver-tongued man is nothing but shining paint on a low coin. He'll promise you your freedom, he'll promise to change the world for you, to shift the moon and stars. But the only way to be truly free is to be your own woman. Not his."

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊
Okay, so I did actually finish The Traitor of Sherwood Forest the day it was published! I remember having to force myself to finish because I was so close to being done and I didn't think I would make the deadline, but I did. I honestly thought I posted my review here already, but I think Goodreads became Glitchreads and didn't save any of my review when I was working on it, so here's my eARC review for the book...almost 2 months later. Unfortunately, this didn't stick the landing, and I was sorely disappointed by this retelling.

When Jane Crowe is forced to move out of her house, she struggles to find a job to make ends meet. When her lover, Bram, sets her up with the opportunity to work for none other than the infamous Robin Hood, she jumps on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Robin offers her to work in the King's Houses, where she'll be his eyes and ears on the corrupt nobility and clergy in town. When Robin's tasks turn into deadly, violent games and eventually ropes Jane into a murder/crime scene, she starts to learn that Robin is more than just a person who steals from the rich and gives to the poor.

To start, I want to take a moment to appreciate the amount of time and research that the author put into writing this. This is her debut novel, but if you look on her Goodreads page, you can see she's written a lot of textbooks and nonfiction about Medieval England and she's also a historian. I knew going into this that this would be a dark retelling of Robin Hood, but I never knew that the version we all know and love today was from the Victorian era and was made squeaky clean to appeal to larger audiences! Kaufman takes from the original tale of Robin Hood as her inspiration for the story and she goes into depth about this more in her author's note. I will say that perhaps putting the author's note at the beginning of the book rather than after the acknowledgments and the story was over would've probably provided more historical context as to why everything is the way that it is in the story.

Getting into the actual story and plotline itself, I found it to be bland and boring for a majority of the book. I felt as if the plot was dragging at many points and I felt it didn’t really kick in until the 60-70% mark, when one thing after the other started happening. It felt like the same old, same old with Jane trying to spy for Robin to get information, Jane trying to fit in with the rest of Robin’s crew of merry men, and then Jane fighting between what she knows of Robin and what she wants to believe of him. Once that 60-70% mark hit, everything started happening so fast and that’s when I started to become invested in the story. It’s personally a little too late in the story for my liking, but to each their own. I also felt like the ending was too fast and abrupt. I remember reading the last chapter, swiping left to see what was next, and then it was just the acknowledgments and the author’s note. It was also so anticlimactic for all of the events leading up to it.

In terms of Jane and Robin, if the author was trying to sell that there was a romance between the two, it didn’t work. There was no chemistry between the two whatsoever, and I know that romance isn’t at the forefront of this story, but if there’s going to be any amount of it, I want it to feel believable that they have some tension and chemistry going on. I felt none of that reading this. It also doesn't help that there's a love triangle present, except the love triangle was so dang weak it didn't feel like one at all. Jane kept going back and forth with her feelings between Bram and Robin, and whenever she was with one of them, she wanted to be with the other. I'm genuinely shocked that she was shocked when Bram started to catch on, and then she had the audacity to be mad when he found out she had feelings for Robin.

The only character I liked was Ibota, the abbess. She was headstrong, sassy, and not afraid to tell it to people straight. I loved the advice she gave to Jane, and although it felt a bit more fitting for the 21st-century woman than a woman living in medieval times, I think the advice—take Ibota's quote I put at the beginning of my review, for example—resonates across centuries simply because of how accurate it still is today.

I know that this is the author’s debut novel, and while I thought it was an interesting retelling of a story that we all THOUGHT we knew and loved growing up as children, there was so much missing and I felt that this could be infinitely better. I appreciated the depth of the historical accuracy and knowledge that was put into the book, but I felt it was at the expense of good pacing and plot.
𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊
⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: Finally on my last eARC I need to read and finish by Tuesday!🎊Will I be able to read a 416-page book by Tuesday? Stay tuned to find out. I haven’t read a historical fiction fantasy in a while, and this will be a first for me since this is a Robin Hood retelling! It also seems like I’m on a streak with debut authors lately with these eARCs, so I’m grateful for the opportunity to read from a debut author and review their first-ever book. I’m a sucker for fairy tale and mythology retellings, so let’s hope this delivers!🏹🌿🤞🏼🍀✨

[ari [semi ia] · Rating 1 out of 5]

we no vibe. so we dnf 😋🦶


pre-read

help i’m drowning in arcs and i’ve literally stopped requesting them why do i keep getting emails 🥀🥀

[Srivalli Hiatus) · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 Stars

One Liner: Good idea, underwhelming execution

Jane Crowe is a peasant girl with a huge responsibility on her shoulders. When things get dire, her beau of sorts takes her to Robin Hood. If she passes Robin’s tests, she will get a chance to prove her worth and make a living.

However, as Jane enters a new world, she wonders if everything is as it seems. There’s more to Robin than his charisma, and not everything is positive. What will Jane do when the situation gets complicated? What will she choose?

The story comes in Jane’s third-person POV (mostly).

My Thoughts:

Firstly, I have to thank my friend Rosh for advising me to go into the book with zero expectations. That certainly helped.

The idea of a manipulative Robin Hood is interesting. I’ve read about his not-so-clean image and the possible dark side, which doesn’t get highlighted often. So, the book’s premise appealed to me.

Here, I have to mention the author’s note. It’s the best part. It makes me wonder if she should have written non-fiction about it rather than this book.

Now, Jane is your typical YA character, but set in the Medieval Ages. She has flutters based on almost nothing. I still can’t understand what it was about Robin that infatuated her. His looks? His so-called persona, when all we see is him acting like a spoiled brat?

Midway through, I couldn’t help but laugh at Jane’s stupidity (especially when she is supposed to be highly observant and a good judge of human nature). Here’s a girl with zero comprehension who thinks she knows Robin more than his ‘colleagues/ gang members’. She sounds so pathetic that it’s hard to stay interested and continue reading.

The other characters were stereotypical. Fortunately, Ibota, the prioress, was marginally better. Honestly, she seemed like the only one to have a functioning brain.

I appreciate the details about the so-called men of the Church, or the gender bias prevalent in society. But, honestly, when your heroine is such a mess, it is hard to care about anything.

I did my best and plodded through the first 30% and then switched to speed-reading. The funny thing is that the pacing was still slow. And in the last section (around 80% or so), things move quickly, too quickly. Then, it’s over.

To summarize, The Traitor of Sherwood Forest has a worthy premise, but the execution feels all over the place. The intent is great. The presentation is not!

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking Penguin (Penguin Books), for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

#NetGalley #TheTraitorOfSherwoodForest

[Zoë · Rating 4 out of 5]

not my hot fox childhood boyfriend being evil and manipulative

[val ᝰ.ᐟ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i’m not sure how to feel about this. it felt mediocre and bland. the beginning was very slow and even though it picked up after the half way mark, the ending was too rushed and anticlimactic. i didn’t even know that it was the last chapter because it didn’t feel like a scene that should’ve been the ending of a book. it caught me heavily off guard when i clicked for the next page but ended up at the acknowledgments. there should’ve at least been an epilogue. i also think i couldn’t completely enjoy the story due to not liking the characters. jane was just overly naive kinda just wanna call her stupid and robin was an ass. i’m not sure if the author wrote them like this on purpose but i disliked every character in this book since the beginning except the prioress, ibota. she’s the only one in this story that had brains. well to be fair, even though i didn’t like john for a while, at the end he also had some really good character development.

pre-read: thank you netgalley, penguin, and the author for this e-arc.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this if you like retellings, medieval settings, and heists with con men.

I knew this was going to be a treat when I saw the author was also a medieval scholar. The setting was so captivating, and I loved how all the details tied it all together. The descriptions of the forest and the churches were particularly well done, putting you right in those places.

The characters were incredibly well-developed, even the side characters. They all added something unique to the story, and directly influenced the plot or the main characters.

The pacing was a bit slow in the beginning, but the last half was a run. It was hard to put down once things got going. I was very pleased with the end, I think it was a very compelling resolution. I don’t know much about the original myths and ballads, but I appreciated the author’s note at the end about changes she had made, or stories she had pulled from.

Thank you to Amy S. Kaufman, Viking Penguin, and NetGalley for the eARC!

[DianaRose · Rating 3 out of 5]

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

3.5 stars

this was an interesting retelling of robin hood through the eyes of a young woman who is recruited by robin hood to assist in his missions, and eventually becomes enamored by his charismatic and beguiling personality.

our fmc jane crowe is torn between being ensnared by robin hood despite knowing he is using and manipulating her emotions, and being her own woman that makes choices based on what is best for herself and those she loves; i appreciated the character development the author has for jane. i also enjoyed how the author made robin hood rather ruthless — he sacrifices those who help him to ensure his own neck is safe

i also listened to the audio and the narrator did a fine job!

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s no shortage of Robin Hood retellings and reimaginings, but (FINALLY!) we’ve got one that works from the original Medieval Robin Hood ballads, rather than the more modern, fairy tale-ish Robin-the-exiled-noble version of the character.

I’ll be honest and say that I prefer the more modern iteration of the character in terms of personal taste, but we’ve got plenty of versions of that, so I was excited to see an author go much further back and work from a breed of Robin who is, to say the least, not such a cut-and-dried traditional hero.

This book does have a hero, it just isn’t Robin, who follows the medieval archetype of his character. Our hero is the lovely and complex Jane, who serves as a bit of a foil to Robin and his band of not-so-merry men.

I liked Jane and her character arc, but what’s truly intriguing if you have some academic interest in the history of the Robin Hood story and its evolution is Robin himself. Is he a hero? A villain? A bit of both? Would that distinction even matter to him?

That is just a bit of the moral exploration that this book does as it attempts to navigate whether eating the rich is really unquestionably virtuous, as well as the fact that no one’s motivations are always pure.

A terrifically intriguing read and a welcome change from the predictable Robin Hood retellings that we typically get.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much, PENGUIN GROUP Viking Penguin | Penguin Books, for providing me this ARC.

"An immersive, sultry, heart-pounding historical reimagining of the Robin Hood ballads, told through the piercing eyes of one of his spies."

This was an interesting take on the classic Robin Hood. I enjoyed the allure of the tale, although I must admit, it didn't captivate me as much as I had hoped. While I found the characters and plot engaging, there were moments where the pacing felt uneven. A decent read nonetheless.

As always, all thoughts are my own. 🖤✨

Pub Date Apr 29 2025

[E.M. Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have seen Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves so many times that, as with The Princess Bride, I can still quote whole sections of dialogue by heart and recite most of the lines verbatim if it's on and I'm in the room.

And yes, Kevin Costner's bad accent is as objectively bad as you may recall it being. I don't care. Some stories crawl into your heart when you're young and never get dislodged.

Many people feel the same way about the fox version of Robin Hood from the Disney cartoon (mostly, I remember the lady in waiting who is also a chicken and low-key amazing).

All that to say, Amy S. Kaufman has her work cut out for her in writing a Medieval Robin Hood who is truer to the myths of the time than the sanitized hero who lives in our modern dreams.

When reading a book like this one, I like to evaluate its success in terms of what it's trying to achieve:
- Show a version of Robin who is closer to a Medieval person than a 20th-century fantasy (yes)
- Tell the stories of people around the figure who are less famous and contextualized (yes)
- Add more women to the mix than we typically get (yes)
- Reflect the episodic nature of the ballads (yes)
- Explore the gap between the idealized version of a person when we put them on pedestals vs the actual human being (oh yes)

Jane Crowe, our point-of-view character for this story, is not famous. She's a nineteen-year-old woman, uneducated, poor, and facing few prospects when she's brought into Robin's circle. While astute and capable of great observation, she's also inexperienced and deeply in over her head.

There's enough of a love triangle for this book to resonate with YA readers, but that's not really Kaufman's focus. She's more interested in the gap between reality and our expectations, and what to do when the cause and effect of blind action takes your life in places you never expected.

As her author's note makes clear, this Robin is not the merry rascal of modern legends. I liked the way we slowly see more facets of his character. There are clues and the Merry Men in particular drop a lot of them. The title of the book promises treachery and when it comes, it feels inevitable and also well answered given the rules of Jane's world.

Robin himself remains somewhat unknowable. We're given a backstory and some causation and readers are left to make of Jane's opinions what we wish.

One the whole, The Traitor of Sherwood Forest is more about the people caught up in the story that revolves around Robin than the actual person, and I see a lot of wisdom in that choice.

After all, ain't that the truth for people who achieve wild levels of fame?

[Lola Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little iffy on how I feel about this one. The ending felt rushed and rather anticlimactic in my opinion. The plot itself was promising in the beginning and had some interesting bits, but it fizzled as the story went on. I think a lot of it boiled down to personal preference for me as I didn’t LOVE the idea of Robin being a villain, but I figured it could be good if executed well. Unfortunately I’m just not sure that it was. I also didn’t like how easily swayed the FMC was, she struck me as a bit shortsighted and naive and those kinds of characters end up annoying me more than anything.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the arc.

[Ashleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fascinating tale. It took me a while to warm up to it, especially because it can feel like a story slowly unwinding. Much like the Greek tragedies you will feel and feel, but never satisfaction.

If Robinhood were real, he’d be a self assured narcissist with low self control and a heart for admiration. He’s crude and crass, and unfair to those who follow him. In a way, he is almost childlike. And Jane, a lost girl never truly found.

The last 25% of this page held me in a vice and I was eager to finish the story. I am however, a fan of happy ends.

[Charlee Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️, rounded up for GoodReads

Thank you Penguin Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review The Traitor of Sherwood Forest!

Amy S. Kaufman's debut novel is a must read for historical fiction lovers and people who love the ballad Robin Hood! Kaufman's authoritative voice grounds the historical aspect, but her spin on this tale brings the fictionalizations to life!

Robin Hood is a folk hero far more complex than how he is portrayed in modern media. And when viewed through the eyes of one of his spies, particularly a woman, how does the perception of the "hero" change?

I loved reading Kaufman's debut, and I will be waiting for her next piece of historical fiction! It is a brilliant balance of historical realism and literary romance. I couldn't wait to see what choices our FMC would make or how she would figure out Robin's latest game.

[Bubbi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book to read and review.

I'll start with the one thing I liked about The Traitor of Sherwood Forest—because trust me, it's all downhill from there.

The one redeeming quality of the book is its unique portrayal of Robin Hood. That’s not to say I liked this depiction of Robin — I found him to be cringe, unlikeable, and repulsive from the get-go, however Kaufman takes a fresh approach to the legendary hero, offering a version of Robin who is morally complex, tempestuous, and contradictory. This Robin isn't the idealized hero of most stories. Instead, Kaufman presents him as someone who may have trampled over the innocent, become consumed by ambition and revenge, and lost sight of his original purpose. It’s a refreshing take on the Robin Hood myth, but unfortunately, it wasn’t executed as well as I had hoped. As Kaufman writes, "I wanted to write Robin as the Middle Ages imagined him... both chivalrous and cruel. He steals from the rich, and he sometimes protects the poor, but he is also violent, erratic, and deeply flawed." It's an interesting and unique take on the Robin Hood legend and I appreciated it, but sadly, this is where my enjoyment ended because all of the characters are insufferably unlikeable.

Let’s talk about Jane, the protagonist. From the very start, I found her frustratingly naive and, frankly, annoying. She’s inexplicably infatuated with Robin Hood from their first meeting, but her feelings are completely unearned. There’s no real reason why she should be so enamored with him—she simply admires his looks, charm, and bravery. However, these superficial qualities are not enough to justify her obsessive admiration. She lets herself be used and discarded by Robin, turning into a "pick-me" who constantly questions her worth in relation to him. Zero dignity.

Robin, despite his so-called code of honor where he supposedly never harms or disrespects women, consistently treats them poorly from the very beginning. He flirts with and uses women for his gain, and when he's done, he discards them without a second thought. One of the most blatant examples of Robin's hypocritical nature occurs when Robin makes a crude comment about another woman in the story, and Jane brushes it off, despite earlier witnessing him throw a temper tantrum when another man made a similar joke. Double standards much? She even acknowledges how demeaning he talks about women: “[She] bristled. He had a foul name for the washerwoman, he did, and fouler words for Betrice, and she wondered suddenly how Robin referred to her when she wasn't in the room.” And yet continues to overlook it. This is the man Jane thinks respects women? Give me a break.

But the hypocrisy doesn’t end there. Robin, the ever so chivalrous and gentlemen, bets Jane as a prize in an archery contest, saying: “If you’re the better shot, then you can have the girl.” Appalling. This is someone who Jane still thinks lives by his moral code, and yet he openly bets her as if she were a mere object. It’s demoralizing, and Jane, despite being repeatedly described as observant and capable of reading people, does nothing to question Robin’s behavior, even when it’s right in front of her. She ignores the glaring red flags and dehumanizing way Robin treats her, as well as his lack of respect for women in general.

Jane’s inability to see Robin’s flaws is even more frustrating when she excuses his behavior time and time again. Robin is supposed to protect the poor and vulnerable and yet when he steals wine, he doesn’t care that an innocent servant will be punished for it. Jane, in turn, dismisses this, suggesting that Robin must not have known the consequences. Like hello, girly? I thought you said he was clever. Truth is, he just didn’t care and you, for some inconceivably reason, refuse to acknowledge any of it. This is just one example of Jane’s willful ignorance; she consistently holds Robin to a different, far more lenient standard than she does others, which is both frustrating and hard to read.

There are several instances where Jane’s lack of critical thinking and self-awareness comes to the forefront. Even Robin’s own crew warns her about him, telling her that he’s manipulative, plays games, and has done worse things than they ever could. These are the people who know him best—who have been with him the longest—and they still try to caution her. But Jane, stubbornly convinced of her own perception of Robin, refuses to listen. She ignores all the warnings and continues to justify his actions. She dismisses the reality in front of her because she’s too infatuated with Robin to see him for who he truly is. One of the most infuriating moments is when Jane lashes out against Robin’s crew after they kill an innocent page boy. She says Robin would never have done that, only for Robin to later admit that he would have done the same thing. And instead of holding him accountable, Jane just goes along with it, accepting it as if everything’s justified the minute it comes out of his mouth. Girl, where did your brain cells fly off to?

To make matters worse, Jane’s relationship with her boyfriend, Bran, is poorly handled. Despite being in a committed relationship, Jane mentally cheats on him as she pines for Robin. Eventually, she physically cheats, and when Bran leaves her after discovering the betrayal, Jane has the audacity to call it a betrayal on his part. She shows no remorse, and her actions are entirely selfish. There’s a particularly infuriating scene where Jane is at church during a baptism, and Robin decides to pick a fight with soldiers and guards right in the middle of the ceremony. Babies are being baptized, and mothers and children are in danger, but Jane’s only concern is for Robin’s safety. Her brother, her boyfriend, and literal infants are at risk, and yet Jane doesn’t even think about them—she’s only focused on Robin. Here, and I quote, "[Her brother] pressed through the crowd for her, risked himself, and she hadn't thought of him at all. She'd only had eyes for Robin." I cannot defend her. She chose a man, who doesn’t care if she lives or dies, over her own brother. This moment was a clear of how far Jane had gone into her delusion about Robin. She puts him on a pedestal while everything around her falls apart, and it’s hard to take her seriously when she’s so blind to the reality of her situation. Also who picks a fight at a place fully of babies getting baptized? Another example right in Jane’s face that Robin doesn’t care about the innocent, he just loves the attention.

But the worst moment for me was when Jane considers lying about being raped to convince the Prioress of her distress. She briefly entertains the idea of claiming she was raped to make her story more convincing and gain sympathy. This was the moment I lost all remaining respect for her. Irredeemable. Absolutely not. That is abysmal.

In addition, Jane’s ability to sneak around and do her job is laughable. Her urges to be near Robin are so overwhelming that she rides out to see him without thinking. She’s shocked when a hunter following her tracks leads straight to Robin’s hideout. At one point, Jane steals a key to the cell that is holding Robin prisoner. She steals it from a woman who has just confided to her that she has been used and discarded by Robin, reminiscing and contemplating about what she did and felt. Jane hopes the woman won’t notice the missing key, thinking to herself, “But why would she look for the cellar key, unless she was thinking about Robin?” Are you kidding me? She was just talking to you about Robin 37 seconds ago! Absolute buffoon Jane is. Likewise, Robin’s supposed cleverness also seems to evaporate in critical moments, leading to situations that don’t make much sense. Such as going to a place that has already been exposed to the authorities and shooting arrows in broad daylight. If he’s supposed to be clever, his actions certainly don’t reflect that.

There is also this strange moment I just have to mention because it’s so ridiculous. A character who has taken Jane under her wing offers to shelter her at her nunnery, where no one would look for her. Jane is hesitant, not because she’s worried about her safety, but because she doesn’t want to be a nun—she wants a man. The nun then suggests that Jane could have a secret relationship if she’s careful, which is both so wild and disrespectful to the whole image and title of a nun. It was so absurd I had to laugh. Seriously, what am I reading.

And even at the end of the book, Jane continues to delude herself. She recognizes that she isn’t someone who wants to be at the forefront of war with deaths and killing and instead is a person that yearns for peace and safety. She mourns Robin and says that above everybody else Robin was the only person who truly knew her. Which is so laughable because just before he shamed her for being overwhelmed from seeing a sadistically tortured and brutalized body. He taunts and belittles her saying he thought she was different and was disappointed in her. He scolds her for not being grateful that he saved her and manipulates her into upholding undying loyalty for him. He shames her for not handling the brutality of war and murder, and yet she continues to idealize him, even in death. Even in the end, this character makes no sense.

The supporting characters don’t fare much better. The entire plot often feels like everyone is easily fooled, even when they’re face-to-face with Robin. People who have been hunting him for years are suddenly eager to play his games rather than capture him on sight. It’s hard to believe that even the most naive character would fall for this.

In conclusion, while The Traitor of Sherwood Forest had a promising premise with its complex take on Robin Hood, the execution ultimately fell flat. Jane’s character was more insufferable than endearing, and I found it hard to sympathize with her, especially given her naïveté, lack of self-respect, and obsession with a flawed, hypocritical man. The book just didn’t resonate with me, and I can’t say I enjoyed it.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come! 🏹

(FINAL REVIEW:)

This was a Robin Hood retelling that told through the eyes of a young woman who finds herself swept up into the live and adventures of the Merry Men of Sherwood Forest. While there were some things that I found myself not particularly liking, I still had a fantastic time with the setting and both the well known and the unknown side characters that were introduced long the way. 🗡️

The story follows Jane Crowe who follows her lover, Bran, into Sherwood Forest to be introduced to Robin Hood and join the Merry Men. While I really did enjoy the perspective of medieval England through the eyes of an ordinary woman instead of a noble one, she felt rather immature for her age at times and really didn’t think things through at others. The one thing that really ground my gears while reading through her perspective was that she was constantly back and forth with herself about her lust for Robin while still trying to stay “loyal” to a guy that doesn’t really do anything for her, but still expects to have all the benefits of being in a relationship. But I didn’t like her outright. I really did enjoy her interactions with Bran, her brothers, and the other Merry Men when she wasn’t in the same scene as Robin since she seemed to come alive with them. I especially enjoyed her time spent with Mooch and Tuk since they were some of the few individuals that treated Jane like a human instead of either a wayward girl or an object to be won and shown off. 😒

Now what really made this book shine to me was that of the amount of research that went into this book. I loved that Kauffman had decided to set this book in the historically accurate period of Robin Hood while also including the different ballads of the outlaw in the story itself. This decisions for a setting and the use of the known ballads made the book feel more like an in depth take on who Robin Hood was as a man in this period of time instead of a folkloric figure that doesn’t really have a personality outside of their tales. Again, this understanding of the story came from me reading the Author’s Note and again continues my active campaign to get people to read this part of the book first and have the publishers put this at the beginning of the book instead of at the back of the book. ‼️

A big thank you goes out to Penguin Books and NetGalley for accepting my request to read in this in exchange for an honest (and late) review, and to the author, Kaufman, for writing such a wonderfully darker take on the man, the myth, the legend that is Robin Hood! ❤️

Publication date: April 29, so go take a look at it!

Overall: 4/5 ⭐️

[inês · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Amy S. Kaufman, and Penguin Books for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Traitor of Sherwood Forest is a Robin Hood retelling that dives deeper into the origins of the ballads instead of relying on the squeaky clean Victorian imaginings of the tale. That is to say, this is very different from the Disney version of Robin Hood. As someone who didn't know too much about the legend of Robin Hood, this book felt fresh and extremely well researched. The author was capable of bringing to life Medieval England in a way that felt both familiar and new.

As we focus on Jane Crowe, a peasant woman, the author was capable of exploring the existence of those who history ignores. I loved how conflicted Jane always felt in regards to both her needs vs. duties, as well as Robin Hood himself. We accompany Jane as she begins to spy for Robin Hood, believing that all he does is for the common good, and is forced to question every single one of her and his actions as suffering is brought to people she believes are not vile enough to warrant. Jane's arc is one that could be told in any era, as she begins to recongnize her own worth after years of feeling as valuable as a rotten onion. She finds her own voice and agency, and that is always an empowering arc to read about!

As for the plot itself, it felt a little repetitive and lacking in tension. It was hard for me to understand why that was because it is an action packed narrative, but ultimately each confrontration was lacking in the sense of urgency it required to raise the stakes for me. The romantic plotline with a love triangle also felt weak. It was clear that Jane and Bran had to chemistry but I also didn't feel it with Robin, so I was not really invested in this part of the storyline, despite feeling happy with the end result!

Overall, I would recommend this book to historical fiction lovers who want a different perspective on Robin Hood but also on how the stories we tell ourselves are not always the truth.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is in the Medeival world, in The Ballads of Robin Hood, we get one of the first bad boys, a morally grey, hero you will both love and hate, and Amy S. Kaufman has forever stained him on my soul!!!

I loved this version of Robin so so much!!! As a medievalist, I loved all the Easter eggs this book had! Lines right from the ballads, King Arthur, and Beowulf references and a fantastic look at the medieval world from the eyes of a peasant girl. Jane.

Jane can give the reader a love hate relationship with her charicter but as the book unfolds you see she represents how the people of the medieval world saw Robin Hood, and, luster after him and the vast mythos surrounding him, and his actions. The reader becomes Jane, feeling what she feels for Robin and his world, his friends.

I can't recommend this book enough!!! A favorite of 2025 for sure!!!

I still picture Robin looking like Jonas Armstrong from the BBC series! With his cheeky smile and cute 90s boyish haircut

Now, as this tale is done. I hunger to get my recurve, sharpen my arrows, and head to the Greenwood where I hope to catch a glimpse of its Lord of the Forest! 🏹😈💜

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Traitor of Sherwood Forest by Amy S. Kaufman is a third person-POV historical novel examining the story of Robin Hood through the original Medieval lens. Jane has few prospects in life and has little respect for her mother relying so much on men. When Jane meets Bran, she finds someone who is calm and steady but maybe doesn’t necessarily fill her with excitement. But then Bran brings her to meet Robin Hood, setting off Jane’s own journey of self-discovery and she’s going to have to make a lot of sacrifices if she’s going to survive.

The author’s note helped to contextualize a lot of what happens in the book, particularly in regards to Robin Hood. Like a lot of Americans, I grew up on the Disney version and all the stories of the selfless Robin and his beloved Maid Marion. This is all apparently a revision that started in the time of Henry VIII and the original Robin Hood was much more morally gray and didn’t really have a love interest as he instead devoted himself to the Virgin Mary. It was a really interesting experience for me to read this because it showed me how much my enjoyment of an adaptation is colored by the version I grew up on and prefer.

Beyond Robin’s devotion to Mary, Jane’s brother has joined the Church and there are discussions around the ways the Church abused their power in the Medieval era. It isn’t a secret that the Catholic Church had a lot of power in Europe for centuries and it handled that power very poorly, with many of the people who claimed to serve God using the Church as a shield to commit heinous acts, acts that, unfortunately, do continue today. Not all depictions of the Church are painted in a bad light, as Jane’s brother is genuinely devoted to God and appears to be a better man than some of the other members of the clergy and Jane works with a nun who is trying to convince Jane to join a nunnery so she can have some kind of power over her own life.

The romantic elements between Bran and Robin are definitely frustrating, mostly because I could see Jane falling for Robin a mile away and how toxic he would be for her. Bran is a good partner who cares about her and respects her boundaries, but he’s also safe. Despite all the negative things Jane thinks about her mother, she still made less than ideal choices regarding men. This helps to show the cycle that many people wind up in when it comes to partners and how anyone can be lured in by a charismatic personality.

Content warning for mentions of CSA and sexual assault

I would recommend this to fans of Robin Hood looking for something based on the original ballads and readers of historical fiction who like more morally gray characters

[Trisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I took this one camping, hoping for a fun, light reading. I appreciate that the author gave a note at the end about trying to keep Robinhood true to the lore and history. However, our main character is Jane - and I struggled with her POV. I found the pacing inconsistent, seeming to rush through parts I'd wish got more time but slowing down as Jane pines for even the site of Robinhood and how much she craves him. I wish I'd loved it but this one just wasn't for me.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

[Emily Poche · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Penguin Group Viking for providing me with a gifted ebook copy of The Traitor of Sherwood Forest through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Jane Crowe has grown up as a common peasant girl, in a home where she didn’t receive much love. At 19, she now has the chance to leave her abysmal home life behind and work for Robin Hood as a spy in the King’s Houses. Jane is immediately drawn to Robin’s charismatic personality and she is willing to pass on the information he’s looking for. As Jane spends more time with Robin and his men, she realizes there is more danger involved and she starts to question her work for Robin and the feelings she’s had for him since their first meeting. Now Jane must decide what’s right and what’s wrong, and what her ultimate role will be in the game between Robin and the nobles.

The Traitor of Sherwood Forest is an interesting take on the Robin Hood legend. I enjoyed having the story told from a female perspective and seeing how Jane wants to prove herself, but is also naive to the situation she gets caught up in. I found myself feeling sorry for Jane throughout much of the book, because her bad decisions and lack of experience brought a lot of chaos to her life.

There is no definitive line between “good” and “bad” characters in the book. Robin is not your typical whimsical, good-natured character from other Robin Hood stories. He is very much morally grey, and I really loved the idea of his character’s initial purpose being a proponent for the undervalued in society, while losing sight in taking things too far with his fight against the nobles. The book did have one likable character that I connected with (Ibota), and I found her to be a strong female character, who was the voice of reason to Jane’s poor decision making.

There is a great historical feel to the story, and Kaufman includes an Author’s Note, that explains some of the decisions she made in her writing, that I really appreciated. I did find the Baron’s War to be a bit confusing, which caused me to not feel as strongly connected to some of Robin’s motivations. I think this was probably due to some pacing issues, that muddled the story, for me.

If you are looking for an intriguing historical fiction read, with a fresh perspective on the Robin Hood legend that explores the lines between heroes and villains, then I would definitely recommend The Traitor of Sherwood Forest.

[Rachel B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

So many great things about this book. I love that this is a unique retelling of the Robin Hood story. You can tell the author is very knowledgeable about the time period. I felt like I was really dropped into 1500s England. I think history buffs will love this purely for the thoroughness of her descriptions.

I think the average reader is going to wish for more excitement and romance. I just kept wanting “more” from this plot and these characters. I never felt connected to them in the way I wanted to be. So, while I enjoyed this, it was rather drier than I would’ve liked.

I really hope this author writes another book. I think her perspective as a medieval scholar puts her in a unique position to write some great historical fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah ⚘]

dnf'd due to foul language + semi-frequent sexual innuendo

[Lisa Gerardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stayed up late finishing this book and I was sorry to be done with it. Jane needs a sequel. I want to know what adventures she finds after Robin Hood.

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good novel. One that looks like a slow read, but the writing and main character make it flow well. The author puts us in Robin Hood times, years after the classic tale, but still very influential in guiding and manipulating politics. He has all sorts of help, informants placed in the right place at the right time. One is our main character, who starts infatuated with Robin and follows all his requests, but soon she starts to have an opinion of her own, and we get it from her perspective. This is the kind of book we look forward to reading at the end of a tiresome day when we just want to be in our book world.

[Candace Fowler]

DNF at 40%. I found this to be very boring. I kept hoping I would get into it but it just didn’t hold any interest for me.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if Robin Hood wasn’t the hero? In The Traitor of Sherwood Forest, a peasant girl gets recruited to spy for the legendary leader himself... only to realize he might be less “steal from the rich” and more “emotionally manipulate the help.” Dark, immersive, and morally messy, this is a story of Robin’s merry little cult that flips the familiar tale on its head.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going in but I really enjoyed this book, especially after reading the author’s notes. The plot took some turns I saw coming, but I was still eager to see how it all played out and the ending was rather satisfying. Overall, it’s a nice addition to the lore and it feels underrated on GoodReads.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!