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Men of Sherwood
Their trust is broken. The Men of Sherwood are scattered to the four winds.Will Scarlett and Guy of Gisborne must escape Nottingham and the noose.When they find their new life, without Robin Hood and his lies, they are at peace for the first time. Guy’s love for Will makes a rose’s bloom pale in comparison. Guy is gentled by Will’s dominance, and Will’s confidence grows under Guy’s care.Right up to the moment Robin returns.In the ensuing chaos, Will discovers his anger with Robin is masking something much more painful. When Guy realises the three men are standing on a blade’s edge he makes a decision.This time they fall not with fear but with hope in their hearts.The Men of Sherwood series are medieval romances. They are dark and contain just about every trigger warning there is, so please be careful. Stay safe and well.
286 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 7, 2019
14 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Luddington
51 books146 followersSarah Luddington is the author of historical gay romance and contemporary gay romance. She is a gay rights activist, holds three martial arts black belts, a degree in Medieval History and far too many dogs. She lives on a mountain in Spain and in her spare time writes and reads LGBTQ fiction.
Come and visit her website at www.romanticadventures.net or Facebook for more information. She always welcomes contact with her readers.
Many thanks.
If you want to comment on my work then do get in touch: sarah@fictionwriter.co.uk
Come and visit her website at www.romanticadventures.net or Facebook for more information. She always welcomes contact with her readers.
Many thanks.
If you want to comment on my work then do get in touch: sarah@fictionwriter.co.uk
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 5, 2022
This was a different retelling of the Robin Hood legend - reframing the MCs in unexpected ways (to me anyways). I was particularly impressed with how the author redrew Friar Tuck here with some alarming back story aspects to several of the key characters. Luddington also kept me guessing where she was taking the relational arcs with a steady ramping up of drama / tensions post introduction of the Guy of Gisborne character; a cliffhanger ending paving the way to the next book in the series. 3.5 stars.
February 16, 2019
Um. Well, good tale. Action packed as you would expect from a revisioned Robin Hood story but for something of a twist, Robin/Robert is complete bastard, actually. However, there is much too modern sexual understanding with PC buzzwords for me. This ends on a cliffhanger, which I expected. Not sure if I'll pick up the next one. This felt like a really long book.
December 12, 2020
Maybe it's Will being the main character instead of Robin, but something's off about this. I did enjoy going through how each person responds to trauma in their own different way, but it kind of reads more like a fanfic than a retelling/novel. I agree with the rest of the comments, that I'd almost prefer hard-to-read bad accents than this 'gentle modern' version of dialogue?
It just seems like the book was obsessed with love and especially sex, like Will was used as a main character in a dating sim so you could choose between two types of men. Everything became a political statement about who was sleeping with who, or 'I'm gay, I dare you to judge me.' Like most people wouldn't just up and volunteer their sexual preferences for the sake of doing it. Everything is not about that. I find it hard to believe that everyone Will runs into is so soft and immediately reacts with 'aww, I support you.' It's almost like it's written to please a reader who wants someone to tell them that.
I could forgive it if it wasn't for the fact that the characters seem..different. When you think of Robin Hood, you think of the handsome, escape artist-silver tongued, playful figure. But they go out of their way to make him this dark, dominate, scary closed-off jerk, and I feel like it was only to benefit the main character, so Will could continuously boast about being 'so pretty,' in comparison to this 'rugged, scarred manly man.' And to make Robin seem 'broken,' and cruel by the crusades in a way that could make Will a saviour. Idk, it was strange.
I feel the same heart-broken for Guy, who's attitude that he's supposed to have has been taken by Robin. In turn, Guy's the 'sensitive,' one, who's scared of everything. The tone feels backwards when it's read, like you can tell it's written by a female voice? Does that make sense?
Is it the paper? It's printed on this white, smooth paper instead of the novel-like rough textured one I'm used to, and the book is in a square shape, making it a little harder to hold and read through than the usual rectangle shape.. just everything seems like a weird choice.
It all feels like it's bordered in a haze of romance goggles.. and I'm not saying it was written bad, the stars were meant to reflect how I liked it. And it wasn't as bad as 'I did not like it,' but it wasn't better than 'It was okay.' Just my personal preference, about the power-balances feeling backwards, I guess.
It just seems like the book was obsessed with love and especially sex, like Will was used as a main character in a dating sim so you could choose between two types of men. Everything became a political statement about who was sleeping with who, or 'I'm gay, I dare you to judge me.' Like most people wouldn't just up and volunteer their sexual preferences for the sake of doing it. Everything is not about that. I find it hard to believe that everyone Will runs into is so soft and immediately reacts with 'aww, I support you.' It's almost like it's written to please a reader who wants someone to tell them that.
I could forgive it if it wasn't for the fact that the characters seem..different. When you think of Robin Hood, you think of the handsome, escape artist-silver tongued, playful figure. But they go out of their way to make him this dark, dominate, scary closed-off jerk, and I feel like it was only to benefit the main character, so Will could continuously boast about being 'so pretty,' in comparison to this 'rugged, scarred manly man.' And to make Robin seem 'broken,' and cruel by the crusades in a way that could make Will a saviour. Idk, it was strange.
I feel the same heart-broken for Guy, who's attitude that he's supposed to have has been taken by Robin. In turn, Guy's the 'sensitive,' one, who's scared of everything. The tone feels backwards when it's read, like you can tell it's written by a female voice? Does that make sense?
Is it the paper? It's printed on this white, smooth paper instead of the novel-like rough textured one I'm used to, and the book is in a square shape, making it a little harder to hold and read through than the usual rectangle shape.. just everything seems like a weird choice.
It all feels like it's bordered in a haze of romance goggles.. and I'm not saying it was written bad, the stars were meant to reflect how I liked it. And it wasn't as bad as 'I did not like it,' but it wasn't better than 'It was okay.' Just my personal preference, about the power-balances feeling backwards, I guess.
April 22, 2019
I'm a bit of a Robin Hood fan, so this caught my eye. I'm not even opposed to some m/m action, so that's not what kept me from giving it a higher rating. I liked the book - I just didn't think it was amazing.
The adventure part of the book was well done. I liked the way the fight against the Sherriff was portrayed. I liked Marian's part, and how she fit in the story. She was fierce and strong. Tuck and John, Much, and even Guy. Their stories and how they blended into the adventure...that all definitely gets the higher marks for me.
If it was all about the romance, it would probably only be 3 stars. And that not even because it was poorly written--it wasn't. It just felt really modern. I wasn't expecting to hear such contemporary language about men in sexual relations with each other. I mean, I suppose to be actually period-appropriate, there wouldn't be any talk of the romance of it. I reckon men just didn't talk about their feelings back then. Another reviewer mentioned "modern buzzwords" and that caps it, for me. For the most part, the rest of the book felt appropriate for the period, but then certain terms would tossed in that would take me completely out of the bubble, to the point it felt like reading two different books. Put the romance into a contemporary setting, and I'd probably give it 4.5-5 stars.
I do think that as a love triangle, it was fairly well represented. I mean, I could buy how Will could be attracted to both characters - I don't want to spoil who the second lover is, so I won't say any more than that. I will confess some of the sex scenes were pretty hot.
My rating for this book would be R+, for explicit m/m and m/m/m sex, dubious and non-consent triggers in a couple scenes (involving secondary characters) and mild-to-strongly depicted violence.
The adventure part of the book was well done. I liked the way the fight against the Sherriff was portrayed. I liked Marian's part, and how she fit in the story. She was fierce and strong. Tuck and John, Much, and even Guy. Their stories and how they blended into the adventure...that all definitely gets the higher marks for me.
If it was all about the romance, it would probably only be 3 stars. And that not even because it was poorly written--it wasn't. It just felt really modern. I wasn't expecting to hear such contemporary language about men in sexual relations with each other. I mean, I suppose to be actually period-appropriate, there wouldn't be any talk of the romance of it. I reckon men just didn't talk about their feelings back then. Another reviewer mentioned "modern buzzwords" and that caps it, for me. For the most part, the rest of the book felt appropriate for the period, but then certain terms would tossed in that would take me completely out of the bubble, to the point it felt like reading two different books. Put the romance into a contemporary setting, and I'd probably give it 4.5-5 stars.
I do think that as a love triangle, it was fairly well represented. I mean, I could buy how Will could be attracted to both characters - I don't want to spoil who the second lover is, so I won't say any more than that. I will confess some of the sex scenes were pretty hot.
My rating for this book would be R+, for explicit m/m and m/m/m sex, dubious and non-consent triggers in a couple scenes (involving secondary characters) and mild-to-strongly depicted violence.
November 1, 2020
I discovered Sarah Luddington not so long ago (Shadow ops series) and now I want to read everything she ever wrote. When I was growing up Robin Hood was my favorite book by far and although historical is not the trope I pick up often I was really interested in the retelling of this story. If you ever read the original book by Walter Scott you'll be surprised, but by no means disappointed. The characters are basically the same, but some only by name (that refers especially for friar Tuck and Guy Gisborne). Lady Marians' role is changed for the purpose of the story. The big plus is that all the characters are far more complex, conflicted and depicted in various "shades of gray". There is no black and white, good or bad, there are just people, each with their own background stories. This especially goes for Robin. The historical setting and the way of living in those times, more than a 900 years ago is depicted quite well. If you're not a history nerd like I am you'll probably won't even notice some historical errors. They don't affect the story itself which is powerful, intriguing, angsty, steamy and would work quite well if not even better in a contemporary setting. If you haven't read the original story (which is based on folk legend anyway) just disregard most of my remarks and enjoy the ride. All in all it's a great read. As I'm posting this I've already read and reviewed the second book in this series. Worth your time.
November 3, 2020
I am a Robin Hood fan going all the way back to the Richard Greene TV show and have seen the movies, the TV shows and read the fanfiction. I had high expectations for this series and was not at all disappointed. I was surprised by the m/m/m characters who got together but the way the author developed the characters it was totally believable. I also liked that Marian was well handled. I had worried about that since often her token role is simply Robin's love interest. I am not an expert on the historical period but I enjoyed the world building here enormously. I was very glad I had the second volume to start immediately after I finished this one, as I wanted to know more of the story and the world.
I loved the first book in this series and came to care about the characters and their relationships. This second book was painful as some of those relationships appear irrevocably broken. The author has a great talent for breaking your heart and then putting it back together. The world building is as involving as in the first book, the action scenes were great and there are lots of plot twists to keep you entertained and guessing. Wish I could start the next volume now and continue my binge of this series.
I loved the first book in this series and came to care about the characters and their relationships. This second book was painful as some of those relationships appear irrevocably broken. The author has a great talent for breaking your heart and then putting it back together. The world building is as involving as in the first book, the action scenes were great and there are lots of plot twists to keep you entertained and guessing. Wish I could start the next volume now and continue my binge of this series.
January 2, 2023
Don't think you KNOW the story of Robin Hood - this is a fucked up rendition with very surprising aspects... ha-ha!!
Will (Scarlett) & (Friar) Tuck are attacked by 5 soldiers (don't ask where they came from!) but are rescued by a "hooded" man - aka Robyn. Will & Tuck take Robyn to a village where they hand over the money they've 'rescued', & thus begin a friendship.
Marion, introduced as Robyn's sister, is married to the Sheriff of Nottingham (duh?); Tuck now falls in love with Marion; & Will falls for Robyn.
Now: here comes Guy of Gisbourne, who Robyn fucked on their way to the Crusades; & we have a threesome with Will, Robyn & Guy; & an adventure into Nottingham to scare the sheriff...
Buuut... Robyn has been lying all this time - he's a spy for Pope Innocent & Philip of France & everything gets royally fucked up!!
Robyn escapes to France; Will & Guy stay together as fuck-buddies; & I really, really want another story to tell me how it all ends up!!
Will (Scarlett) & (Friar) Tuck are attacked by 5 soldiers (don't ask where they came from!) but are rescued by a "hooded" man - aka Robyn. Will & Tuck take Robyn to a village where they hand over the money they've 'rescued', & thus begin a friendship.
Marion, introduced as Robyn's sister, is married to the Sheriff of Nottingham (duh?); Tuck now falls in love with Marion; & Will falls for Robyn.
Now: here comes Guy of Gisbourne, who Robyn fucked on their way to the Crusades; & we have a threesome with Will, Robyn & Guy; & an adventure into Nottingham to scare the sheriff...
Buuut... Robyn has been lying all this time - he's a spy for Pope Innocent & Philip of France & everything gets royally fucked up!!
Robyn escapes to France; Will & Guy stay together as fuck-buddies; & I really, really want another story to tell me how it all ends up!!
May 9, 2020
I picked this up because I am a fan of the author more than I am of Robin Hood. It took me a bit to get into the story, and I realize that this is at least partially due to a dislike of Tuck, and I don't particularly like Robin. I'm ok with Will, he has a painful backstory that makes me more likely to sympathize with him. By the end of the book, I actually despise Robin and am terrified that Will may still end up with him in the series. Kind of like her first series where I hated who the main character ultimately ended up with, I feel this one is likely going to be the same. I am interested to see where the series goes and to see if I'm proven right.
November 2, 2020
I've read every version of Robin Hood out there so, this version with a MM twist was a must have. The story followed the original tale, but with a more complex plot, some parts difficult to read and some parts with a lot of drama, and intrigue. A captivating tale, full of wonderful and well written characters, in between action, danger and conflicting situations that helped rounding up a pretty good love story in an historical context. Loved it!
November 2, 2020
This book 2 followed after book 1 solving some of the conflicts in the long journey of Robin to recover Will and Guy's trust. More darker than book 1, the author showed us another side of the characters, more emotional and intense but also more hopeful. An amazing twist in the classic legend of Robin Hood. I can't wait for more adventures on this series!
October 9, 2020
This is my first book of Sarah Luddington and now I want to read everything she writes! I absolutely enjoyed her gay version of Robin Hood in this Men of Sherwood. Lots of intrigue, lots of twists and turns. It wasn't at all predictable.
October 17, 2020
this was interesting... sexy and curious.. i loved marian.. i loved the different and odd way of telling this story of robin hood and the men of sherwood.. it was very good and i liked it. cant wait to read the next one.
October 17, 2020
good story.. i found myself not liking "robin" though.. he was rude and mean.. and just ugh... i love will... im hoping for things to not happen haha. it had lots of actions and twists and turns.. good story
October 18, 2020
Man...I did not know what to expect with this story. Will and Robin are such complex characters, Guy comes in later in the story so don’t know much about him. I really enjoyed this story. Can’t wait for the next one. I need to now what happens with these three.
October 27, 2020
Enjoyable retelling.
June 19, 2022
The story continues in a book 2.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews