Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Sherwood” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Sherwood

Meagan Spooner (Goodreads Author)

3.66 · Rating details · 3,374 ratings · 956 reviews

Fans of Danielle Paige, Marissa Meyer, and Alex Flinn will devour New York Times bestselling author Meagan Spooner’s next fierce fairy tale-inspired story, which Illuminae author Amie Kaufman calls “a kick-***, gender-flipped feminist retelling.”

Robin of Locksley is dead.

Maid Marian doesn’t know how she’ll go on, but the people of Locksley town, persecuted by the Sheriff o ...more

Get A Copy

ebook, 496 pages

Published March 19th 2019 by HarperTeen

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Sherwood, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

YA Novels of 2019

870 books — 2,963 voters

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi

Can't Wait Books of 2019

1,463 books — 3,987 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.66 ·

Rating details

· 3,374 ratings · 956 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Sherwood

Mar 19, 2019 Helena of Eretz ✰ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, did-not-finish, unpopular-opinions, robin-hood

DNF at 30%

One of my bookish New Year’s resolutions was to stop torturing myself through books I wasn’t enjoying. It’s so bloody disappointing that one of my most anticipated releases of 2019 ended up being the first book that I DNF’ed. Ugh.

Just so you know, The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) with Errol Flynn is my favourite film of all time. ALL TIME!!! And The Princess Bride (1987) with Cary Elwes comes in at a close second. You have NO IDEA how sad I am that I couldn’t even get through this b ...more

flag 286 likes · Like · see review

Mar 27, 2018 Amie Kaufman rated it it was amazing

OMG, my friends. This book. It's the kickass, gender-flipped, feminist retelling your heart has been waiting for.

* The prose is as gorgeous as only Meagan Spooner can make it. She just... HOW does she write like that? I've been watching for years, and I still can't figure it out. She weaves words like nobody else, and I ache over how beautiful they are.

* Ahhhh, the characters. I fell for them so deeply. She knows how to add depth and nuance and complexity to even the ones you want to be one-side ...more

flag 187 likes · Like · see review

Mar 31, 2019 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-all, hardback, young-adult, own

I’m so mad! I was looking forward to loving this book!! I have loved some of the authors other books. This book; the only thing I liked was the idea and the poster I got of the book cover in my fairy loot box. Sigh..............................
......................

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾 ...more

flag 115 likes · Like · see review

Sep 15, 2018 Jasmine from How Useful It Is rated it it was amazing

Shelves: edelweiss, fantasy, young-adult

I started reading Sherwood on 9/3/18 and finished it on 9/15/18. This book is a great read. The main character, Marian is more of a tomboy. She likes to carry a sword and practice archery instead of doing the duty and expectation of a lady. She takes matter into her own hands when she finds out someone is in danger. I like how Marian weighs the pros and cons to being a man. It’s interesting to learn about what noblewoman is all about back in the days. I like that this story include Robin’s views I started reading Sherwood on 9/3/18 and finished it on 9/15/18. This book is a great read. The main character, Marian is more of a tomboy. She likes to carry a sword and practice archery instead of doing the duty and expectation of a lady. She takes matter into her own hands when she finds out someone is in danger. I like how Marian weighs the pros and cons to being a man. It’s interesting to learn about what noblewoman is all about back in the days. I like that this story include Robin’s views because it makes up for the lack of romance from Marian’s POV, in the beginning anyway. Robin’s view is sweet and I devour every word.

This book is told in the third person point of view following Lady Marian, as she deals with the grief of Robin’s death. Lady Marian lives during the time when women should do embroidery with their time instead of out hunting or saving outlaws. The story started with a prologue following Robin’s life and death during his battle at the King’s side. As the story move forward, readers will follow Lady Marian’s mission to rescue her maid’s brother, Will Scarlet. Will is on the run for his life. In a men’s world, in order for her to go out chasing in the woods, she would have to hide her femininity. When Lady Marian was mistaken for Robin and how with the news of Robin coming back from the dead bring hope to the poor citizens of his land, she decided to continue her disguise as him because that’s the only way she can do to help his people. The second point of view is of Robin. Robin recounts from when he first met Lady Marian and how they become fast friends.

Sherwood is very well written and developed. The read is more of a historical fiction because men are “my Lord” and women are “my Lady”. I enjoy the many adventures and close calls this story offers. This book shows that women can be brave too. I enjoy the humor, especially with Little John and Alan. I haven’t read the original Robin Hood yet but the author does a good job with the retelling, and even better by changing the gender role. All supporting characters’ are excellent even Gisborne. I like the surprises at each turn of events because I couldn’t guess where the story was heading. I like how the characters come together to discuss their strategies. If you are looking for a strong female lead read, I recommend this book for you!

Pro: fast paced, page turner, adrenaline rush, cover, humor, helping the poor, adventures, close calls, strategies

Con: none

I rate it 5 stars!

***Disclaimer: Many thanks to the author Meagan Spooner, publisher HarperTeen, and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.

xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details ...more

flag 87 likes · Like · see review

Jan 24, 2019 megs_bookrack marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Sherwood is one of my MOST ANTICIPATED books of 2019!

A gender-flipped Robin Hood retelling. I feel like I have wanted this story my whole life and it is FINALLY here and I CAN'T STAND IT!

...more

flag 72 likes · Like · see review

Aug 13, 2018 Hamad marked it as lost-interest

Shelves: arcs, e-books, good-covers, dnf, 2019-reads

I am not going to give this book a rating to be fair. I tried reading it not once, nor twice but 3 times and I simply can't get into it. I will DNF it for now without a rating because I haven't read enough of it to judge it. I may come back to it in the future though (most probably won't!!).

flag 64 likes · Like · see review

Mar 14, 2019 Sh3lly added it

Shelves: fantasy, i-love-peer-pressure, maybe-its-just-me, read-2019, young-adult, i-read-it-wrong, did-not-finish

Officially giving up.

I'm at 21% and the plot is barely getting solidified, an almost 500 page book. I'm finding it very difficult to get into. I love the idea of Maid Marian being Robin Hood, but it's … meh so far. Unfortunately. Putting it aside for now.

flag 42 likes · Like · see review

Apr 08, 2019 Jennifer rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ass-kicking-chicks, read-2019, retelling-reimagining, young-adult-genre, rdn, listened-to-audiobook, stand-alone-novel, feminism, bookstagram

"Marian's life had been ordained when she was born a girl. But Robin Hood's life?"
Robin Hood is dead. It's not a spoiler, it's right there in the synopsis. While going on a secret mission where she had to hide her identity, Marian is mistaken for Robin Hood, because not everyone is convinced he is dead ... and because Marian has some kickass skills. She embraces this opportunity to do good and to be free, and it's pretty awesome.

Meagan Spooner uses a retelling of Robin Hood to showc ...more

flag 48 likes · Like · see review

Jun 11, 2019 may ❀ rated it did not like it

Shelves: 400-pgs, fantasy, in-the-trash-you-go, meh, historical, kickass-heroine, bye, look-at-that-beauty, n-o-p-e, yawn

i mean, the cover absolutely deserves 5 stars,,,,,,,,but i just REALLY didn't care for the book.

ughghghghghhghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghg <-me giving up on reading

the idea of the story was v interesting but i think meagen spooner's writing style just doesn't connect with me. the characters felt flat to me and i felt the story was unnecessarily slow

but the LITTLE snippets with robin made me want to cry oh my god why didn't we get more of that. honestly, best part of the book. i love robin :(((( ...more

flag 38 likes · Like · see review

Jul 25, 2019 Kat rated it really liked it

Shelves: library-3

An interesting twist for fans of the Robin Hood legend (which I totally am.) Robin of Locksley is killed while fighting in the Crusades, and Maid Marian takes up his bow and assumes the legend of Robin Hood in his place. Definitely cool from a period piece perspective and for those who enjoy tales of medieval times and horses and overcoming evil taxation.

I was kind of picturing Marian as a Katniss Everdeen bad-ass sort when I read the synopsis and saw the cover, and (view spoiler) ...more

flag 36 likes · Like · see review

Mar 24, 2019 Justine rated it liked it

Shelves: 2019-read

So I have read a lot of Robin Hood retellings, and watched a lot of movies too. Errol Flynn is pretty iconic and even with the ridiculous outfit Will Scarlett wore (red is really not good camouflage in a forest especially when topped by a giant feathered cap), my 5 year old self pretty much ate that classic movie up.

As far as Marian is concerned, Olivia de Havilland was no pushover and the later iteration with Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio similarly cast her as a woman to be reckoned with. In The So I have read a lot of Robin Hood retellings, and watched a lot of movies too. Errol Flynn is pretty iconic and even with the ridiculous outfit Will Scarlett wore (red is really not good camouflage in a forest especially when topped by a giant feathered cap), my 5 year old self pretty much ate that classic movie up.

As far as Marian is concerned, Olivia de Havilland was no pushover and the later iteration with Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio similarly cast her as a woman to be reckoned with. In The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley Marian assumes a pivotal role as the real master archer of the band, with Robin being a man of only middling skill with a bow.

So what does Sherwood do that I haven't seen before? Well, Robin of Locksley dies in the first few pages, so there's that. Then it is actually pretty standard for the first half. Marian mourns, a lot. She hears Robin's voice in her head. It turns out that since childhood she's been a better archer than Robin, and thanks to her larger build, she matched and often bested him in hand to hand combat. She thinks Guy of Gisborne is horrible because he works for the Sheriff, although we don't actually ever see him do anything unreasonable in the circumstances.

At this point I'm thinking there better be something else because so far this is not dazzling me. There is a jailbreak, which was pretty good, but otherwise I'm not feeling like Marian is interesting enough to be the focus of the story.

The second half after around the time of the archery contest happens and the events leading up to it is when things improved for me. It turns out my early instincts (hopes?) were right, and it's actually Guy of Gisborne who, in this version, undergoes the most significant change from previous characterizations.

This was for me, the most positive aspect of the story. Honestly, he ended up being a far more interesting and potentially original character than Marian, and one I would have liked more of. Unfortunately, for a large portion of the book we only get Marian's assumptions about him and his motivations, which play into the usual cruel and villainous role Gisborne's character is normally portrayed as.

Ultimately I think this will probably be enjoyed most by either people who don't know the Robin Hood story that well, and like the woman masquerading as a man trope; or, by Robin Hood superfans who want to read anything Robin Hood (although maybe take that with a grain of salt given my own reaction). If you are pretty familiar with the story, there isn't a ton of new direction here with the exception of Gisborne, who unfortunately doesn't get as much focus as I would have personally preferred. ...more

flag 33 likes · Like · see review

Mar 28, 2019 Tabi (ᕗツ)ᕗ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Hello, 911? Yes, I've been ROBBED.

description

I am heartbroken to admit that this fell flat on so many levels and honestly my faith in this author has been severely shaken. I feel so cheated of so much from this book. Where did the grandeur of Hunted go? Where is the beautiful angst from Skylark?? Is this even the same author that wrote those masterpieces??? I did not expect to be this salty about Meagan Spooner!!

description

S P O I L E R S abound. Ye be warned.

Mkay first off let's just all admit that pretty mu ...more

flag 31 likes · Like · see review

Sep 04, 2018 Camile Souza (This Chamber of Books) marked it as to-read

Shelves: 2019, wanna-read-soon, recent-releases, edelweiss-reads

I don't think I've ever read any Robin Hood retelling ~~or any Robin Hood book for that matter~~, but I like the story so I'm curious about this one.

I just got an arc of this book, which is like the 4th arc I got this week, so maybe this is a good time for me to try the lottery or something cause my luck has apparently been off the charts lately.

flag 29 likes · Like · see review

Apr 18, 2019 R.J. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Robin Hood retellings are a lifelong passion of mine, so I have read a LOT of them. I'm especially fond of books that a) do something with the legend that I haven't seen before and b) take a keen interest in Marian -- and like A.C. Gaughen's excellent SCARLET trilogy, this gorgeous standalone novel does both.

There's so much to admire in what Meagan Spooner does with this story. Her prose is rich and lovely without ever getting overwrought, she does a superb job of depicting the physical toll tha ...more

flag 28 likes · Like · see review

Jan 30, 2019 Nick marked it as to-read

I want this like right now.

flag 28 likes · Like · see review

Dec 15, 2019 Cinda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya, feminist

I have always loved Robin Hood stories, and wasn't sure what would set this story apart.Spooner puts a quirky feminist twist on an old story, even finding redemption for some of the classic villains in the tale. Highly recommend.

flag 26 likes · Like · see review

Dec 29, 2018 Emily May marked it as dnf

Shelves: 2019, young-adult, fairy-tales, arc

ARC provided in exchange for honest review 🏹

flag 28 likes · Like · see review

Jun 23, 2019 Trina (Between Chapters) marked it as did-not-finish

DNF at 25%. Just not feeling this. I don't think I enjoy Robin Hood retellings.

flag 24 likes · Like · see review

Feb 15, 2019 Hollis rated it really liked it

Shelves: finished-in-february-2019, all-the-feels, seriously-kick-ass-lady-protag, romance, ya, arc, retellings, hist-fiction, 2019-reads, hate-to-love-romance

Grief, thought Marian, was not the melancholy mourning of a loss, not the long and dwindling ache that ballads sang of. It was forgetting, and remembering, again and again, an endless series of slashes, each as violent and sharp as the last.

My god, I don't know how this author does it. It's like she has a finger on the pulse of my feels. She wrecked me the same way in HUNTED. It's so subtle but the resonance of her words is just spectacular. I swear I spent like.. a good 50% of this choking back ...more

flag 22 likes · Like · see review

Sep 24, 2019 Irene Sim rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy-sci-fi, audio, 2019-read

This book was for the most part a 3 star rating. I was really intrigued by the premise of the story and I thought I knew exactly how it would go down but the first half was really tiring and - dare to say - boring? But the author really surprised me in the end making that last 30% of the book deserving 5 stars (and I'm so glad I didn't DNFed it), so I decided to settle in the middle.

The story starts when Maid Marian receives the news of Robin's death in the Holy Lands which greatly doubts are tr This book was for the most part a 3 star rating. I was really intrigued by the premise of the story and I thought I knew exactly how it would go down but the first half was really tiring and - dare to say - boring? But the author really surprised me in the end making that last 30% of the book deserving 5 stars (and I'm so glad I didn't DNFed it), so I decided to settle in the middle.

The story starts when Maid Marian receives the news of Robin's death in the Holy Lands which greatly doubts are true. From then on, the story unfolds as Marian accidentaly becomes the notorious Robin Hood, taking actions on behalf of the poor and unfortunate, as chapter after chapter, we get glimpses of how she and Robin met in the first place and how their friendship and engagement evolved, through Robin's own memories.

For the first half of the book, we get to spend a lot of time inside Marian's head, as she conciders one course of action after another, as she over-analyses everything and everyone which is over tiring. What really bothered me was that everything that happened wasn't of Marian's doing or choice but circumstantial and opportunistic. People just were too eager to believe what they thought they were seeing instead of just see what was in front of them. I think, misconceptions and prejudices of the era helped a lot towards that conclusion. After all it was unheard off a woman to know how to yeld a weapon or behave like a man.

There's lack in romantic interest in the first part, as the author tries to build on Marian's character, the physical absence of Robin - his inputs were too short to count - and sir Guy is very laconic and reserved in his interactions with Marian to be a true romantic candidate. Of course I couldn't ever thought of the Sheriff of Nottingham as a truly romantic character because every time he entered in a scene all I could picture in my head was this:

You can't blame me if the movie spoiled that character for all the one's that'll follow!

The side characters are great though, loosely based on the originals, their interactions with both Marian and "fake" Robin are fun to read and even though I knew how the story would unfold, it totally took me by surprise and that's why I won't say more in my review.

If you decide to give this story a go, then be persistent and don't give up, because the ending is more realistic than the one in the original tale (even if a bit exaggerated in love declarations) and totally satisfactory. ...more

flag 20 likes · Like · see review

Jan 09, 2019 Lisa rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019, arc

Another stellar retelling by Meagan Spooner! I LOVED this gender swapped Robin Hood story. Marian is fierce yet vulnerable and noble yet flawed.

PLUS there's romance in here that was beautiful and so unexpectedly lovely.

I need more!!

flag 16 likes · Like · see review

Aug 03, 2018 Lenore . rated it liked it

Shelves: arc-2018, anticipated-2019, im-not-gonna-write-you-a-love-song, read-in-2018, all-the-love-i-lost-with-you, i-like-to-keep-my-issues-strong

✧ ARC PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW ✧

I was so certain I would give Sherwood 4 stars. But the last 25% smashed my expectations to bits in the worst way.

A feminist, gender-bent Robin Hood retelling should have been epic enough to make my heart swell with joy and pride as I turn the last page, but all my positive feeling towards this book was swept away by disbelief and anger and regret the nearer I got to the ending. I've shouted at this story for too lo ✧ ARC PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW ✧

I was so certain I would give Sherwood 4 stars. But the last 25% smashed my expectations to bits in the worst way.

A feminist, gender-bent Robin Hood retelling should have been epic enough to make my heart swell with joy and pride as I turn the last page, but all my positive feeling towards this book was swept away by disbelief and anger and regret the nearer I got to the ending. I've shouted at this story for too long to pretend that my heart has not hardened towards it.

But let me begin at the beginning. I had very low expectations coming into Sherwood, given that this is my first Maegan Spooner novel, but after the slow first chapters, I found that I was delighted by the detailed and accurate rendition of Medieval England, the good handling of grief and PTSD, and Marian. I love Marian. I would still die for Marian, but that doesn't erase my negative feelings towards the way her arc was wrapped up. Maybe I did expect too much of Spooner. Maybe she led me to believe that this story would be more feminist than she intended it to be. I thought I was reading a book about a medieval woman finding her voice, her strength, her independence, the story of a woman living life-after-love and discovering that she was her own hero all along, and inspiring other women to follow in her steps. And for a time, I was reading that story, aglow with beautiful female friendships and smash-the-patriarchy quotes. But just as I was basking in the feminist glory of Sherwood, the storyline shifted in the direction I most dreaded it would take, and it broke my heart to watch it slip away to where my heart would never follow.

All my certainties about the future course of Marian's tale shattered when Spooner made her fall for someone whose relationship with her was not only already unhealthy, but whose role as a love interest pushed Marian's life back into the well-worn grooves of patriarchal order.

You've had your fun, Robin Hood, now get back to becoming a housewife. Because it would be too radical to let Marian lead her band of outlaws from a makeshift kingdom in Sherwood Forest and spend her days shooting arrows from the treetops and her nights carousing by the bonfire.

A feminist message, indeed.

More of my reviews can be found on my blog, Valley of the Books. ...more

flag 15 likes · Like · see review

Aug 08, 2018 Scrill marked it as dnf

Shelves: arc

ARC provided through Edelweiss for a fair review

Nope, I can't do this anymore. I am bored out of my mind. And I hate to say this because I LOVED Hunted.

30% I made it over a quarter of the book and I just dgaf about these characters, what they're doing, their plans, their goals, the entire town of Lockesly. Honestly, I have been hoping for a crude twist in the story where Marian suddenly likes Sir Guy. AND THAT'S JUST NOT FAIR TO DEAR ROBIN.

I love the idea of a gender bender retelling. BUT WHY ...more

flag 15 likes · Like · see review

Apr 22, 2018 Cindy ✩☽♔ marked it as to-read

Okay, I still have not read Hunted but how can I possibly pass up on a female Robin hood? I can't. So onto the TBR pile lol

flag 15 likes · Like · see review

Feb 21, 2019 laurel [suspected bibliophile] rated it it was ok

Shelves: ya-books, 2019-read, arcs, alternate-history, fairy-tale-based

2.5 stars

An uninspired gender-swapped retelling of Robin Hood, with Marian playing both the roles of herself and the titular hero after her betrothed, Robin of Locksley, is killed while fighting alongside King Richard I in the Crusades.
-
Up until about the 80% mark I was planning to give this a solid two stars and a scathing review.

So what changed?

Not much, to be honest, but there was far more action and things happening in the last 20% than in the previous 80.

This felt a whole hecking lot like H ...more

flag 16 likes · Like · see review

Mar 10, 2020 explorerofbooks rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This gender-switched retelling turns the original folktale up an adrenaline-racing notch, while taking down gender inequality at the same time. Containing many well known characters from the legend, like Will Scarlet, Little John and Alan-a-dale, Sherwood simply enhances the magic of storytelling.

Lord Robin of Locksley died in the Crusades, but Marian barely has any time to grieve about it. The Sheriff of Nottingham is still out there, taking advantage of her people, and the Sheriff’s right hand This gender-switched retelling turns the original folktale up an adrenaline-racing notch, while taking down gender inequality at the same time. Containing many well known characters from the legend, like Will Scarlet, Little John and Alan-a-dale, Sherwood simply enhances the magic of storytelling.

Lord Robin of Locksley died in the Crusades, but Marian barely has any time to grieve about it. The Sheriff of Nottingham is still out there, taking advantage of her people, and the Sheriff’s right hand Guy of Gisborne is hoping to take Robin’s place as her husband. Marian has no other choice than to become her own hero, concealed by her deceased lover’s green cloak and a sword. Her people are desperate for any sign of hope, and only the new Robin Hood can bring it to them.

The myth of Robin Hood has always been timeless, tallying thousands of variations all over the world. Surprisingly, here, the magnificent Robin of Locksley was merely a sly, careful nobleman trying to ask for justice, but still loyal to the crown. Now it is Marian that gets caught in danger, resorting to breaking the law in Robin’s name. It is Marian that commences the reputation that becomes Robin Hood. The writing style had a different feel than other fantasy novels. It was transcendently brittle, and read straight like a classic from the medieval times. Spooner twines swaying prose together without effort. The pace never desists, constantly making me want to move to the next page. Better yet, I never knew where the plot was heading next, what new adventure or conflict Spooner would come up with to keep me entertained. Marian leads most of the story in third perspective, but there are short chapters containing flashbacks of her romance with Robin, in his own viewpoint. This was actually a fresh take on gradually creating chemistry among characters, and humanized Marian’s anguish entirely.

Lady Marian is an opinionated woman who doesn’t want men to see her as delicate, someone who’s actually interested in the issue of politics. Her Lord might be dead, but that doesn’t mean she can’t fight for her people, before the Sheriff turns Locksley to dust. Her bow and her noble purpose are the only things that keep her connected to Robin, the only thing that she absolutely can’t lose. She does not want to stand on the sidelines like an idle housewife, but desires to be bold and change things. Yet, she’s constantly conflicted about what she’s doing, feeling as if she’s deceiving her own people. Her wild identity makes her trickier, and wiser about her own prejudice. Gradually, she begins to realize her betrothed wasn’t all what she imagined him to be. In fact, the question remains if Robin would even agree with the radical path she has chosen for herself. Guy was oddly sympathetic and patient at times, forced to desire power by his elders. He even is intrigued by Marian’s passions, even if they aren’t feminine. The commander recognizes her need for greatness, to mean something in deeds instead of theoretical power. He understands better than anyone the games of wealth and titles, even if he has chosen for a different kind of revolution. His thought process swaggered me immediately, and he turned out to be one of the most intriguing characters I have ever encountered. If anything, his least approving trait was that he fell for Marian so easily, without context.

Each minor character feels real, and just as honest as Marian. Even Robin, who we only got to know in few flashbacks, feels known. Alan was a softhearted minstrel, obsessed with spectacle and romance. Will was more sentimental, with a superstitious nature. Elena knows how to hide her intelligence and her grit, but she’s just as determined as Marian. Despite those amusing personalities, I would have liked for them to have bigger roles, and more important backstories other than being a loyal outlaw.

Overall, while probably to excellence, this book could have benefited from less pages. As a character-driven story with a blooming purpose of self-realization, I grant it 4 stars. However, I was unconvinced no one else saw through her rather bland costume. It was as if she wore Harry Potter’s Invisibility Cloak, because how much can a mantle and a mask really hide? Additionally, the tangled ending fell flat to me, compared to the majority of the book. There, we had a woman defeating the law, and former gender norms while she’s at it. For all its faults, Sherwood showed boundless characters, accompanied by an attentive undercurrent of depression, grief and poverty. If there’s one message Spooner is giving along, it’s that masculinity is overrated. ...more

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

Apr 19, 2019 Rae rated it really liked it

Shelves: bt-physical-book, personal-library-physical-books, fiction, 2019

Read this book review and others on my blog: https://thriftybibliophile.com

Sherwood by Meagan Spooner is a Robin Hood retelling that includes delightful twists and turns.

Robin of Locksley is dead, leaving his fiancé, Maid Marian, behind. Wracked with grief, Marian isn’t sure how to go on, but there’s one thing she does know: the people of Locksley need to be protected. Who will protect them now that Robin is gone?

Marian swoops in to the rescue, unintentionally becoming a symbol of hope and just Read this book review and others on my blog: https://thriftybibliophile.com

Sherwood by Meagan Spooner is a Robin Hood retelling that includes delightful twists and turns.

Robin of Locksley is dead, leaving his fiancé, Maid Marian, behind. Wracked with grief, Marian isn’t sure how to go on, but there’s one thing she does know: the people of Locksley need to be protected. Who will protect them now that Robin is gone?

Marian swoops in to the rescue, unintentionally becoming a symbol of hope and justice during dark times. With Robin’s cloak around her shoulders and a clever mask on her face, she becomes the person who left her behind: Robin Hood.

Meanwhile, the sheriff’s righthand man wants to take Robin of Locksley’s place as Marian’s fiancé. Gisborne has feelings towards Marian, but he’s also skeptical of her. He firmly believes that she’s helping the person parading around as Robin Hood. Little does he know that Marian and Robin Hood are one in the same.

I enjoyed reading Sherwood by Meagan Spooner! While I think Spooner’s writing in Hunted was better, I thought Sherwood was wonderfully entertaining. I’m a sucker for retellings, and this is the first Robin Hood retelling I’ve read.

The story in Sherwood was great. I appreciate stories with strong female characters, and Marian fit “strong woman” to a tee. Marian is headstrong, opinionated, and excellent with a bow and sword. She isn’t a damsel in distress—she’s going to do the saving.

While I loved the story, I struggled with Robin of Locksley’s death! Yes, I knew he was dead going into the book, but I love Robin. That was hard to come to terms with. I also struggled with the romance in the book. While I love a good hate to love romance, this one felt somewhat out of place. The romance ultimately grew on me, but it took me a few chapters to get used to it.

Robin Hood’s men were awesome! A fabulous crew of merry men. They provided needed comic relief throughout the book and were in general a great group of characters.

The ending surprised me! I love a good surprise ending. I think the ending wrapped up the book nicely and brought the book to a nice closure.

Should you read Sherwood by Meagan Spooner? If you enjoy retellings, reading this book is a no-brainer. Sherwood was a lot of fun! ...more

flag 18 likes · Like · see review

Oct 31, 2019 Alaina rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2019-ng-group-challenge, retellings, october-2019, fantasy, historical-fiction, fiction, young-adult

Oh shit. Robin is dead. Who will step up to the plate?

I have been sitting on this star rating for DAYS guys. No idea if I should do 2 or 3.. or ya know half rate this shit. Eh, I'm just going to close my eyes and count to 1 Million or something. Let's hope for the best.

Sherwood is my first robin hood retelling book - I think? Not really sure if it is or not but I was definitely down for the ride when I saw it. Unfortunately, the feeling wasn't mutual after starting this book. I was so freaking e ...more

flag 15 likes · Like · see review

Mar 21, 2019 Shannon (It Starts At Midnight) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019, read-for-review, march-2019

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight .

3.5*

Guys, I did not hate this retelling! I think that is worth noting, yeah? You know how weird I am about retellings! I also have some issues with Robin Hood in general after having some... confusing dreams about the animated one as a kid. So I went into this a wee bit hesitantly? But it was pretty good, and so we shall break down what worked for me, and what didn't as much!

The Thin ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Aug 11, 2018 Aila rated it it was ok

Shelves: arc, 2019-release, fantasy-magic, netgalley-edelweiss, historical

solid 2.5 stars

Honestly, reading this book had its ups and downs. Sometimes I would be hesitantly surprised at how something came out, but most of the times I was left disgruntled and distrusting. These feelings vacillated throughout the book, but overall my biggest problem was that I went in thinking it would be something it wasn’t. And that’s what I would let other readers be hesitant of.

This is a Maid Marian-driven book. And yeah, from the blurb, you would guess that. But it’s more about he solid 2.5 stars

Honestly, reading this book had its ups and downs. Sometimes I would be hesitantly surprised at how something came out, but most of the times I was left disgruntled and distrusting. These feelings vacillated throughout the book, but overall my biggest problem was that I went in thinking it would be something it wasn’t. And that’s what I would let other readers be hesitant of.

This is a Maid Marian-driven book. And yeah, from the blurb, you would guess that. But it’s more about her self-discovery, doubts, and worth than it is about her exploits, and a lot of important conversations came too late into the book. (And it’s long!) For some reason, there’s a heavy focus on the long-dead Robin as a character rather than his actions and legacy (truly, I could not explain what made him so well-liked for people to wish him a hero revived). There was the whole Merry Men cast of Will Scarlet, Little John, and others. The adventures were fun but you know what? I could never get on Marian’s side. Her reasoning was just in a naive way. She’s capricious and unruly, guided by emotions and a strong dose of Special Snowflakeness. And that’s awesome, really- she shows girl power and strength and cleverness and it is rivaled by pretty much no one else in the book. However, my heart went out to the only person who dared defy her logic as Robin Hood, aka who she treats with disdain and/or pity in almost every scene but like the last 25% of the book, aka the damn love interest. Now isn’t that romantic?

Whatever. Full review to come. There were certainly good parts to the story in terms of empowerment, adventure, and exploration of the law (as well as rewriting the legend of Robin Hood), but Marian was simply too much for me. Flawed, yes. I love flawed characters. However... bringing in important discussions without wanting to change your ways and ignoring other opportunities to save your people, continually being reckless at the expense of others who are in need? Not my jam. ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Čteme anglicky: Sherwood (duben 2019)	2	8	May 23, 2019 06:26AM
YA Buddy Readers'...: Sherwood by Meagan Spooner - Starting March 8th 2019	1	6	Feb 23, 2019 05:42AM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Fantasy

354 users

Young Adult

291 users

Retellings

278 users

Historical > Historical Fiction

137 users

Historical

64 users

Romance

57 users

Fiction

53 users

Young Adult > Young Adult Fantasy

46 users

Fantasy > Fairy Tales

34 users

Audiobook

31 users

See top shelves…

About Meagan Spooner

Meagan Spooner

3,023 followers

New York Times bestselling author Meagan Spooner grew up reading and writing every spare moment of the day, while dreaming about life as an archaeologist, a marine biologist, an astronaut. She graduated from Hamilton College in New York with a degree in playwriting, and has spent several years since then living in Australia. She's traveled with her family all over the world to places like Egypt, S ...more