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Sherwood #1
Sherwood
Forced from his home by Norman invaders, young Edward Aelredson, Thane of Denby, takes refuge in the forest Sherwood, where, with sword and bow, he bedevils the usurping king and comes to be called "Robin Hood." Reprint.
529 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1991
19 people are currently reading
1988 people want to read
About the author
Parke Godwin
240 books90 followersParke Godwin was an American writer known for his lyrical yet precise prose style and sardonic humor. He was also known for his novels of legendary figures placed in realistic historical settings; his retelling of the Arthur legend (Firelord in 1980, Beloved Exile in 1984, and The Last Rainbow in 1985) is set in the 5th century during the collapse of the Roman empire, and his reinterpretation of Robin Hood (Sherwood, 1991, and Robin and the King, 1993) takes place during the Norman conquest and features kings William the Conqueror and William Rufus as major characters. His other well-known works include Waiting For The Galactic Bus (1988) and its sequel The Snake Oil Wars (1989), humorous critiques of American pop culture and religion.
Parke Godwin also worked as a radio operator, a research technician, a professional actor, an advertising man, a dishwasher and a maitre d' hotel.
Godwin's short fiction has appeared in several anthologies. His short story "Influencing the Hell out of Time and Teresa Golowitz," was the basis of an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone.
Parke Godwin also worked as a radio operator, a research technician, a professional actor, an advertising man, a dishwasher and a maitre d' hotel.
Godwin's short fiction has appeared in several anthologies. His short story "Influencing the Hell out of Time and Teresa Golowitz," was the basis of an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
February 15, 2015
Quite simply one of the most thoroughly enjoyable books I have ever read. I found this in a used book store and took a chance on it. I really did not expect to like it because the cover art looked pretty cheesy; sort of cartoonish, plus I had never heard of the author. So I was expecting an unrealistic 'Robin Hood and his band of merry men type of tale.
This book is nothing like that. This is an emotionally complex, richly detailed, historically realistic epic saga. This is definitely not the Kevin Costner Robin Hood and you won't hear any Bryan Adams power ballads in the background.
I was thoroughly wrapped in this story. I had touble putting it down. I brought it to work with me every day just in case I found a few spare minutes. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who is even remotely interested in historical fiction. However, my usual favorite genre is epic fantasy and I would recommend this to any fans of that genre as well. This book has it all--love, betrayal, injustice, amazing fight scenes, intricately drawn culture, history, languages...everything I love in a great story. Particularly loved the language. I learned so many new words and phrases that were so interesting and made these characters so vivid. Thank goodness for iPhone dictionary apps! I got so caught up in it that I found myself thinking in Saxon..saying things to myself like "Och, but i'm that tired. Only I ent for the bed yet because I'm that hungry, I am. " This book made me want to cover my living room floor with "rushes", start wearing robes and breeches, cover the roof on my house with thatch and read by a rush-light.
I won't spoil anything but there were some MAJORLY unexpected plot turns in this book that I never saw coming.I never would have guessed that Robin and the....oh, wait-- I said i wouldn't spoil it. Any road,, I loved this story and am ordering the sequel now.
This book is nothing like that. This is an emotionally complex, richly detailed, historically realistic epic saga. This is definitely not the Kevin Costner Robin Hood and you won't hear any Bryan Adams power ballads in the background.
I was thoroughly wrapped in this story. I had touble putting it down. I brought it to work with me every day just in case I found a few spare minutes. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who is even remotely interested in historical fiction. However, my usual favorite genre is epic fantasy and I would recommend this to any fans of that genre as well. This book has it all--love, betrayal, injustice, amazing fight scenes, intricately drawn culture, history, languages...everything I love in a great story. Particularly loved the language. I learned so many new words and phrases that were so interesting and made these characters so vivid. Thank goodness for iPhone dictionary apps! I got so caught up in it that I found myself thinking in Saxon..saying things to myself like "Och, but i'm that tired. Only I ent for the bed yet because I'm that hungry, I am. " This book made me want to cover my living room floor with "rushes", start wearing robes and breeches, cover the roof on my house with thatch and read by a rush-light.
I won't spoil anything but there were some MAJORLY unexpected plot turns in this book that I never saw coming.I never would have guessed that Robin and the....oh, wait-- I said i wouldn't spoil it. Any road,, I loved this story and am ordering the sequel now.
December 25, 2012
Update note, Dec. 24, 2012 --That book mentioned in the first paragraph below, that I couldn't recall the author or title of when I wrote this review, was Robin Hood (1912) written by Henry Gilbert.
My first literary introduction to the Robin Hood legend came as a seven- year old kid, through a large, thick (or so it seemed to me then, with a child's size perceptions!) trade paperback novel, of which --to my great frustration!-- I can't now recall either the author or the title. (But I vividly recall the cover, and large amounts of the content!) The style and reading level marked it as an adult, not a juvenile book --but a 50s adult book, with no content a kid with a good vocabulary and bright mind couldn't read. I read it avidly, and the unjustly outlawed champion of the underdogs (like myself) against the bullies, who robbed from the rich to give to the poor, found an enduring soft spot in my heart; hence my attraction to other literary and dramatic portrayals of the character. I'm currently reading Lawhead's Hood, and that prompted me to think about writing a retrospective review of this somewhat earlier book.
The Robin Hood legend/tradition grew over time, adding layers of features influenced by later developments; the medieval folk ballads about Robin that are the first embodiments of the tale don't anchor him in a specific historical time and a specific part of England. Sir Walter Scott was the first writer, in Ivanhoe (which I've also reviewed on Goodreads), to make him a contemporary of Richard the Lionhearted. That image stuck, and became the traditional historical setting for most of the treatments that followed, including my first introduction to the character. Godwin, however, sets himself to writing a historical re-imagining of what the factual roots of the tale, if any, might have been like (much as Catherine Christian does for the Arthurian legend in The Pendragon). That leads him to set the story just after the 1066 Norman conquest, when the antipathy between Saxons and Normans was at its height (by the time period of Ivanhoe, that distinction, and with it the animosity, had actually been largely dissipated by intermarriage and acculturation).
Though the Goodreads description above strays into review territory, its superlative praises are actually pretty well founded. Personally, I debated between giving the book five stars or four only because I sometimes think I'm too prodigal with my five-stars, and the five-star rating puts it in company with some major classics. But I settled on five, because there is literally no element of historical fiction that Godwin doesn't handle well here: excellent plotting, vivid and credible characters, perfect pacing, beautiful style with just the right amount of rich detail, serious depth and a solidly-grounded moral perspective, and accurately researched history seamlessly integrated with the story. Here and there, the book realistically reflects some of the pre- Victorian earthiness of the world being depicted, but this is never gratuitous nor obscene. It can be, in places, a very violent book; and it reminds us that human history is often, at bottom, simply a record of the cruel injustice humans are capable of --and people you like and care about are not infrequently on the receiving end of violence and cruel injustice here. (Though Godwin also reminds us that the villains in this world are humans, too --sometimes with virtues along with their vices, and/or with their own mental rationalizations of what they do.) The role of simple folk-Catholic Christianity in the lives of these people is treated sympathetically and positively; and especially through Father Beorn's reflections and struggles, the author (even though Godwin himself isn't, as far as I know, a professed Christian) grapples a bit with the issues of the right Christian response to violent tyranny and injustice --a question that still occupies thinking Christians, in a world where the oppressors have only updated their weaponry and adopted Armani suits instead of chainmail.
"Bottom line" (as Library Journal would put it :-)): highly recommended, to historical fiction fans and to any readers who like quality plotted fiction!
My first literary introduction to the Robin Hood legend came as a seven- year old kid, through a large, thick (or so it seemed to me then, with a child's size perceptions!) trade paperback novel, of which --to my great frustration!-- I can't now recall either the author or the title. (But I vividly recall the cover, and large amounts of the content!) The style and reading level marked it as an adult, not a juvenile book --but a 50s adult book, with no content a kid with a good vocabulary and bright mind couldn't read. I read it avidly, and the unjustly outlawed champion of the underdogs (like myself) against the bullies, who robbed from the rich to give to the poor, found an enduring soft spot in my heart; hence my attraction to other literary and dramatic portrayals of the character. I'm currently reading Lawhead's Hood, and that prompted me to think about writing a retrospective review of this somewhat earlier book.
The Robin Hood legend/tradition grew over time, adding layers of features influenced by later developments; the medieval folk ballads about Robin that are the first embodiments of the tale don't anchor him in a specific historical time and a specific part of England. Sir Walter Scott was the first writer, in Ivanhoe (which I've also reviewed on Goodreads), to make him a contemporary of Richard the Lionhearted. That image stuck, and became the traditional historical setting for most of the treatments that followed, including my first introduction to the character. Godwin, however, sets himself to writing a historical re-imagining of what the factual roots of the tale, if any, might have been like (much as Catherine Christian does for the Arthurian legend in The Pendragon). That leads him to set the story just after the 1066 Norman conquest, when the antipathy between Saxons and Normans was at its height (by the time period of Ivanhoe, that distinction, and with it the animosity, had actually been largely dissipated by intermarriage and acculturation).
Though the Goodreads description above strays into review territory, its superlative praises are actually pretty well founded. Personally, I debated between giving the book five stars or four only because I sometimes think I'm too prodigal with my five-stars, and the five-star rating puts it in company with some major classics. But I settled on five, because there is literally no element of historical fiction that Godwin doesn't handle well here: excellent plotting, vivid and credible characters, perfect pacing, beautiful style with just the right amount of rich detail, serious depth and a solidly-grounded moral perspective, and accurately researched history seamlessly integrated with the story. Here and there, the book realistically reflects some of the pre- Victorian earthiness of the world being depicted, but this is never gratuitous nor obscene. It can be, in places, a very violent book; and it reminds us that human history is often, at bottom, simply a record of the cruel injustice humans are capable of --and people you like and care about are not infrequently on the receiving end of violence and cruel injustice here. (Though Godwin also reminds us that the villains in this world are humans, too --sometimes with virtues along with their vices, and/or with their own mental rationalizations of what they do.) The role of simple folk-Catholic Christianity in the lives of these people is treated sympathetically and positively; and especially through Father Beorn's reflections and struggles, the author (even though Godwin himself isn't, as far as I know, a professed Christian) grapples a bit with the issues of the right Christian response to violent tyranny and injustice --a question that still occupies thinking Christians, in a world where the oppressors have only updated their weaponry and adopted Armani suits instead of chainmail.
"Bottom line" (as Library Journal would put it :-)): highly recommended, to historical fiction fans and to any readers who like quality plotted fiction!
April 20, 2021
I absolutely devoured this book until it lost me with about a hundred pages left.
Godwin changes up the Robin Hood story a whole lot and, while I didn't agree with all of the changes, I was totally willing to let Godwin shape the story however he wanted and just be along for the ride.
For some more context about what I mean:
Godwin moves the story back about a hundred and fifty years. Instead of the time of Richard the Lionheart, the tale now takes place during the reign of William the Conqueror. This was the change that bothered me the least. It was interesting seeing the Saxon vs Norman struggle and taking the scope from "Robin Hood vs the Sheriff" to "Robin Hood vs the conquerors of his country".
The whole "Marian is secretly super hot for the Sheriff" was a pointless plotline and one I could have done without.
Most of the merry men are lessened in importance. Tuck barely has five lines and Little John is a bit of a psycho.
Godwin makes sure that all characters get a say in the story, which means that everyone has multiple dimensions and no one is actually an irredeemable scumbag. I, however, prefer my bad guys super nasty so that you practically cheer when they get what's coming to them (Bernard Cornwell is an example of a historical fiction author that is an expert at writing gross bad guys you love to hate).
So, anyway, I was on board despite all of that but then in the last hundred pages or so Godwin pulls a really bad deus ex machina and .
It almost feels like Godwin painted himself into a corner and didn't know how to get Robin out of the mess he was in, so he just came up with a rushed and pretty nonsensical ending.
Godwin changes up the Robin Hood story a whole lot and, while I didn't agree with all of the changes, I was totally willing to let Godwin shape the story however he wanted and just be along for the ride.
For some more context about what I mean:
Godwin moves the story back about a hundred and fifty years. Instead of the time of Richard the Lionheart, the tale now takes place during the reign of William the Conqueror. This was the change that bothered me the least. It was interesting seeing the Saxon vs Norman struggle and taking the scope from "Robin Hood vs the Sheriff" to "Robin Hood vs the conquerors of his country".
The whole "Marian is secretly super hot for the Sheriff" was a pointless plotline and one I could have done without.
Most of the merry men are lessened in importance. Tuck barely has five lines and Little John is a bit of a psycho.
Godwin makes sure that all characters get a say in the story, which means that everyone has multiple dimensions and no one is actually an irredeemable scumbag. I, however, prefer my bad guys super nasty so that you practically cheer when they get what's coming to them (Bernard Cornwell is an example of a historical fiction author that is an expert at writing gross bad guys you love to hate).
So, anyway, I was on board despite all of that but then in the last hundred pages or so Godwin pulls a really bad deus ex machina and .
It almost feels like Godwin painted himself into a corner and didn't know how to get Robin out of the mess he was in, so he just came up with a rushed and pretty nonsensical ending.
August 3, 2025
Still one of my all time favorite Robin Hood retellings.
May 31, 2012
I picked this up, not expecting anything special, but it turned out to be one of the better retellings of the Robin Hood story that I have ever encountered. Most Robin Hood stories feel more like fantasy than history. Not this one. Godwin deals in the gritty realities of the 11th century. His Robin Hood is not a mythic hero, just a middle-class Saxon farmer/forester trying to hold onto the only (small, yet complicated) world he understands against a tide of Norman invaders who are determined to run roughshod over the traditional rights of his people. Godwin's other characters are cut from the same cloth--realistic people with believable aims and desires of their own, clashing in the ways that real people do. Above all, it's easy to believe that this Robin Hood (neither unknown nor a great national hero) could survive in under-the-radar oral tradition, finally appearing historically as a brief reference to "rhymes of Robin Hood" in a surviving manuscript a couple of centuries later.
I give this book 4 stars instead of 5 for two reasons. One is that I'm not overly fond of Godwin's writing style. Another is that the story takes a slightly unbelievable twist toward the end for the sake of a happy ending. But it will be a long time before I find a Robin Hood story that satisfies me the way this one did.
I give this book 4 stars instead of 5 for two reasons. One is that I'm not overly fond of Godwin's writing style. Another is that the story takes a slightly unbelievable twist toward the end for the sake of a happy ending. But it will be a long time before I find a Robin Hood story that satisfies me the way this one did.
March 8, 2013
I was told before reading this story that I would either love this author, or not care for him in the slightest. I somehow have defied this and have landed in between.
Parke Godwin I feel has a good grasp on the character of Robin and even wrote a very pleasing Marian. Because of this, I thought for certain that I would love this tale because this characterization seems to be what most Robin Hood authors lack. Godwin's pro's overshadowed his characterization, however. I found myself with blurry eyes for most of the book as it became more politically oriented than anything else. If you are a reader that enjoys that sort of tale, then this might work better with you. Robin Hood for me is more of an adventure tale. Sherwood did have its share of Merry Men righting wrongs and even the battle against the Sharif rang true to Robin Hood, but it was done in such a way that did not flow and often times left me wanting to skip ahead to parts that strictly concerned the characters as opposed to the overarching plot.
While it was not an overall bad book, it just wasn't the tale for me. If you are a fan of Robin Hood, I do suggest picking it up and giving it a try though because Godwin does have a firm grasp on what he wants to say. Unfortunately for me, it wasn't quite what I was looking for.
Parke Godwin I feel has a good grasp on the character of Robin and even wrote a very pleasing Marian. Because of this, I thought for certain that I would love this tale because this characterization seems to be what most Robin Hood authors lack. Godwin's pro's overshadowed his characterization, however. I found myself with blurry eyes for most of the book as it became more politically oriented than anything else. If you are a reader that enjoys that sort of tale, then this might work better with you. Robin Hood for me is more of an adventure tale. Sherwood did have its share of Merry Men righting wrongs and even the battle against the Sharif rang true to Robin Hood, but it was done in such a way that did not flow and often times left me wanting to skip ahead to parts that strictly concerned the characters as opposed to the overarching plot.
While it was not an overall bad book, it just wasn't the tale for me. If you are a fan of Robin Hood, I do suggest picking it up and giving it a try though because Godwin does have a firm grasp on what he wants to say. Unfortunately for me, it wasn't quite what I was looking for.
August 16, 2008
Now that Bernard Cornwell has become the historical novel author de jour, I often wonder if he would have existed at all without Parke Godwin. Godwin often toils in the same literary field at Cornwell... retellings of famous Anglo events and people... and often to better effect than Cornwall manages. Sherwood isn't a retelling of the Robin Hood tale, as much as a complete reimagining. Godwin places Robin in an England quickly being subjugated by the Normans, following the Battle of Hastings. Rather than a simple story of "robbing the rich to give to the poor", Godwin aims for larger targets; the worth of man and the power and rights that men deserve under a ruling government... even a monarchy. For fans of the Robin Hood legend of Robin, Little John et al keeping Jolly Old England safe for good King Richard some real work to get into Godwin's incarnation, but, like me, they'll feel rewarded at story's end.
October 23, 2025
I think this is the story that started my love of Robin Hood books. Really fun read and great fantasy story !!
April 19, 2011
Absolutely excellent. Definitely the best Robin Hood book I've yet read (and I've read quite a few!). Everything about it is believable, and the author truly makes you feel like you are witness to these events. I'm so used to reading Robin Hood books that mention Normans vs. Saxons without really delving into who they are or why they don't like each other (for someone not raised with that bit of British history, I can remember being very confused reading those first few books), that it was a delightful surprise to find a story that not only explained who the Normans and the Saxons were, but actually took me through the action-filled, gritty conquering of Britain. It truly made sense to place Robin in this turbulent 1000s, rather than the "standard" crusade-era of Richard.
I would not recommend this book to say a kid because there are many intense and sometimes ghastly scenes (it does center around war after all), but for young adults and adults it is definitely a piece of fiction worth reading!
I would not recommend this book to say a kid because there are many intense and sometimes ghastly scenes (it does center around war after all), but for young adults and adults it is definitely a piece of fiction worth reading!
February 16, 2015
A fresh take on the Robin Hood legend set during the Norman conquest of England after the Battle of Hastings.
It took me a while to get a feel for Godwin's writing style. Having previously read him that was to be expected. You're going to need a dictionary for this one though. I learned a lot of new words.
My only criticism is the blatant anachronism used in reference to the Plantagenet era. Otherwise a very enjoyable read....highly recommended.
It took me a while to get a feel for Godwin's writing style. Having previously read him that was to be expected. You're going to need a dictionary for this one though. I learned a lot of new words.
My only criticism is the blatant anachronism used in reference to the Plantagenet era. Otherwise a very enjoyable read....highly recommended.
December 29, 2020
On my search through every 'Robin Hood,' book to find the best one, this one might actually be the best I've ever read. Paul Creswick's, "The Adventures of Robin Hood," has always held that place for me, but because of nostalgia. This book delivers everything I've wanted to see: the grim desperation of a time when good people are forced to do bad things in time of war.
I will admit, for someone used to reading modern fantasy, the language and writing can be so confusing. But it helped to take notes every now and then, and to really pay attention (since I'm not too familiar with the history between Saxons-Normans). I was very interested in how the author mentioned why he chose to write the story where he did, and how we're used to seeing Robin Hood in the 12th century (Like in the BBC show, year 1192) when in reality, 'King Richard was only in England for four months of his crusade,' which I had no idea. It'd actually make a lot of sense that Robin would be ran out of his home by invaders on his own land. It was refreshing, even though confusing, and I suppose because of when it was written (1991), times were different. I only wish the cover was different! It almost threw me off from reading it! Please can we have an update..?
It was fun getting to see that he still had the personality of Robin, the stubborn-leader with all the charisma, and that witty charm. I groan every time I see those new stories of Robin Hood that try to be too dark and serious, taking all the fun out of why we enjoy the stories in the first place. It's fun to watch him run circles around people who abuse their authority.
And when you put Marian in the mix, it's that perfect atmosphere of romance. The way they describe one scene of walking through Sherwood forest and taking mystical vows, you can feel the magic of a story there, and get a real picture of being surrounded by woods, it's amazing. I love the character of Marian, she's always so strong and full of life, fun, while still a strong feminine role.
It never lacks for action either. The politics can take you for a spin (there was a time when I'd started to write down every word I'd never heard of, and had to stop because it would've been too many), but there are some scenes that had me on the edge of my seat, reading faster and faster, impressed at how brutal someone like a fun-loving Robin can turn into a psycho when pushed. Like for instance, It was so intense, and easily the best scene in the book.
Yeah, I get a little disappointed that 'Denby' isn't Locksley, and don't really enjoy being taken out of the immersion by hearing 'Edward' instead of 'Robin,' or even that 'Ralf,' is the enemy instead of 'Guy.' But the Sheriff quickly becomes someone you can empathize with, and when you're born in a different situation, he can't be blamed for trying to make the best out of it. I don't agree with the love triangle for the sake of having one, and I don't mind it happening, just not the reason. For example, how Just wondering why that reasoning never came up, instead of physical attraction.
I love the little insights we got about Robin, who, when responded to the songs and ballads played about him (that we know today in the present), we could hear his thoughts, like "I sound so brave in these songs, but really I was just scared for my life and homesick, I wasn't feeling brave at all.." and it's a bit sad to watch the effect war has on them. Even to when they're all forced out into the forest, it's romantic at first to think about the idea, but then when the weeks passed and winter came and it got really hard to eat, and they were lonely for years, avoiding guards and changing lifestyles.. in reality, it gets old fast.
Some of my favourite scenes:
• We get Always what I live for.
• Robin Savage!
• Robin and Marian on their way to Edwinstowe, and how they're just so in love about their marriage proposals. "I'm halfway between honor and ordinary."
• Robin taking Wystan to face his punishment after the tension that led up to it. It's the first time we see Robin so angry that he has to make a hard choice as a leader, his loyalty to individual friends, or loyalty to his people as a whole.
• Will practically begs for it, and we see him shocked with the reality of how dangerous their situation is when he comes close to a near death experience, and how much he risks of his family and losing everything by following Robin. I was so sad when his wife didn't show up to the meeting spot like always because she didn't want to risk their children for their illegal sneaking around. And on the flip side, is Robin, who acts stoic like he's indifferent, but is really feeling sad and betrayed about losing such a for sure loyalty.
• Robin and Marian walking back to Denby after their first meeting.
• Again, the forest trap scene after death, and how Robin picks off Ralf's men one by one until they both end up wounded to the brink of death.
• The creepy cabin in the forest and the tale about the witch's blood, it had me listening to Robin's storytelling with the isolated atmosphere of being in the forest and it's strange magic.
• Robin and Ralf pretending to be hated enemies after agreeing to work together to sneak out of an obvious snake infested room. That was fun.
There's so much detail in every character! I can go on for days about this book, stop me now! All he wanted was to be at home, farming and working, peacefully. I like how they finally decided to leave him alone, saying like 'okay, I'm just gonna give him his land back because he's dangerous and this is all it takes to sedate him.' He's right though, people go about in the war only caring about power, and no one cares enough if normal people are just trying to work through their whole lives to survive.
I will admit, for someone used to reading modern fantasy, the language and writing can be so confusing. But it helped to take notes every now and then, and to really pay attention (since I'm not too familiar with the history between Saxons-Normans). I was very interested in how the author mentioned why he chose to write the story where he did, and how we're used to seeing Robin Hood in the 12th century (Like in the BBC show, year 1192) when in reality, 'King Richard was only in England for four months of his crusade,' which I had no idea. It'd actually make a lot of sense that Robin would be ran out of his home by invaders on his own land. It was refreshing, even though confusing, and I suppose because of when it was written (1991), times were different. I only wish the cover was different! It almost threw me off from reading it! Please can we have an update..?
"Your cousin so maladroit, Judith. Does he not know how to kneel?"
For a moment, Judith prayed for a miracle: the earth to yawn beneath Adelaide and swallow her on the instant. "It is like taking exercise, cherie. If seldom practiced, there is a certain stiffness."
It was fun getting to see that he still had the personality of Robin, the stubborn-leader with all the charisma, and that witty charm. I groan every time I see those new stories of Robin Hood that try to be too dark and serious, taking all the fun out of why we enjoy the stories in the first place. It's fun to watch him run circles around people who abuse their authority.
Robin smiled amiably at the young Norman. "Price a bit high?"
"He says his horse is better bred than yourself; that lords do not go afoot. Nor does the son of the Count of the Vexin sleep in a stable."
"Why not?" Robin countered. "It was good enough for Jesus."
And when you put Marian in the mix, it's that perfect atmosphere of romance. The way they describe one scene of walking through Sherwood forest and taking mystical vows, you can feel the magic of a story there, and get a real picture of being surrounded by woods, it's amazing. I love the character of Marian, she's always so strong and full of life, fun, while still a strong feminine role.
Watching him, she was taken with a sudden fit of giggles. "Men, roosters, boars, you're all the same. I've said yes, so you think: Right, let's get on with the bedding."
"Weeping Jesus, I've thought no such--"
"Don't be wroth, Robin, just a bit of fun!"
It never lacks for action either. The politics can take you for a spin (there was a time when I'd started to write down every word I'd never heard of, and had to stop because it would've been too many), but there are some scenes that had me on the edge of my seat, reading faster and faster, impressed at how brutal someone like a fun-loving Robin can turn into a psycho when pushed. Like for instance, It was so intense, and easily the best scene in the book.
"Alan, have you ever pondered on the magic of changes?" He held up his knife with a chunk of steaming ham impaled thereon. "When we raise the beast, it's a pig. On a Norman table it becomes pork."
Yeah, I get a little disappointed that 'Denby' isn't Locksley, and don't really enjoy being taken out of the immersion by hearing 'Edward' instead of 'Robin,' or even that 'Ralf,' is the enemy instead of 'Guy.' But the Sheriff quickly becomes someone you can empathize with, and when you're born in a different situation, he can't be blamed for trying to make the best out of it. I don't agree with the love triangle for the sake of having one, and I don't mind it happening, just not the reason. For example, how Just wondering why that reasoning never came up, instead of physical attraction.
I love the little insights we got about Robin, who, when responded to the songs and ballads played about him (that we know today in the present), we could hear his thoughts, like "I sound so brave in these songs, but really I was just scared for my life and homesick, I wasn't feeling brave at all.." and it's a bit sad to watch the effect war has on them. Even to when they're all forced out into the forest, it's romantic at first to think about the idea, but then when the weeks passed and winter came and it got really hard to eat, and they were lonely for years, avoiding guards and changing lifestyles.. in reality, it gets old fast.
Some of my favourite scenes:
• We get Always what I live for.
• Robin Savage!
• Robin and Marian on their way to Edwinstowe, and how they're just so in love about their marriage proposals. "I'm halfway between honor and ordinary."
• Robin taking Wystan to face his punishment after the tension that led up to it. It's the first time we see Robin so angry that he has to make a hard choice as a leader, his loyalty to individual friends, or loyalty to his people as a whole.
• Will practically begs for it, and we see him shocked with the reality of how dangerous their situation is when he comes close to a near death experience, and how much he risks of his family and losing everything by following Robin. I was so sad when his wife didn't show up to the meeting spot like always because she didn't want to risk their children for their illegal sneaking around. And on the flip side, is Robin, who acts stoic like he's indifferent, but is really feeling sad and betrayed about losing such a for sure loyalty.
• Robin and Marian walking back to Denby after their first meeting.
• Again, the forest trap scene after death, and how Robin picks off Ralf's men one by one until they both end up wounded to the brink of death.
• The creepy cabin in the forest and the tale about the witch's blood, it had me listening to Robin's storytelling with the isolated atmosphere of being in the forest and it's strange magic.
• Robin and Ralf pretending to be hated enemies after agreeing to work together to sneak out of an obvious snake infested room. That was fun.
There's so much detail in every character! I can go on for days about this book, stop me now! All he wanted was to be at home, farming and working, peacefully. I like how they finally decided to leave him alone, saying like 'okay, I'm just gonna give him his land back because he's dangerous and this is all it takes to sedate him.' He's right though, people go about in the war only caring about power, and no one cares enough if normal people are just trying to work through their whole lives to survive.
"He lives for this. I have to live through this."
July 26, 2024
I CREATED A DICTIONARY FOR ALL THE ARCHAIC TERMS IN THE BOOK. GOODREADS WOULDN’T LET ME UPLOAD IT. MESSAGE ME IF YOU WANT IT.
My Robin Hood kick kind of died recently, so hopefully this will renew my interest. I’m pretty sure I’ve read it before but it’s been quite a while.
So far its just tales of innocent Robin growing up without a care. He is friends with Little John, Much and Will Scatloch. Will is teaching him how to shoot a bow and his father is coming back from obligatory soldier duty.
We glimpse Ralf Fitz-Gerald getting trained as a squire and taking his blows during training from some other rapscallions.
The language written uses a lot of ancient words and very much puts the feel of the book into old England. It’s appreciated, but requires some googling (“combrogi”?).
“Neglect your dearest love before the land. The consequences are lighter.”
It is here that they imply that this is the year 1066. Autumn on September 12th.
Robin has met Marian who in this tale is not of any royal blood. He has had to grow up fast, trained by Will Scatloch he’s already seen war against the invading Normans and killed a few while his father was also killed.
The story also tells of Ralf Fitz-Gerald learning to be a knight by warring against the English. I suspect that he will become the Sheriff of Nottingham, but I don’t know at this point.
As mentioned getting through the language can be rough, but it definitely adds verisimilitude.
”Would it be that all that book-learning makes her look older? If that’s what reading brings, I’ll have nowt of it, thanks the same.”
”For myself, I see him well past contrition but yet a league from good intent.”
Book I ends with Robin made the lord of Denby (replacing his dead father) and Marion about to be engaged to Little John and finally Ralf made Sheriff of Nottingham.
I’ve heard that in the desert lands along the spice routes a man shows his wealth by how fat his wives become. “Look! See how I can afford to feed them.”
Dear God, stop the pain. You won’t? Then leave it on the forge of me and all silent-screaming widows in England who will have more than the comfort of Your only begotten in this loss.
Will Scatloch said no, that such should only be sung by a proper bard, but then how could a body keep the story straight with all the natural human forgetting and exaggerating a pack of Welsh would bring to it?
Do youself a favor and just keep this in google on your phone while reading the book: define old english "########"
Actually I think I’ll go back and make a dictionary of these words. They’ll be good if I myself do some writing in this time period.
I do wish there was a map of the area however.
It notes that Saint Michael’s Day is September 27th, rather than the 29th google says.
”But profit abroad hardly begins with folly at home.”
Marian hung back; he wasn’t the foreigner who squeezed her breasts roughly, but all men were the same on that account.
Would be all that book-learning makes her look older? If that’s what reading brings, I’ll have nowt of it, thanks the same.
I’ll admit to not having seen every ‘Robin Hood’ movie (though more than most) and I’ve never seen some of the incredibly cool and dramatic scenes in this book. They paint a very different portrait here and the language makes it even more dramatic.
Where did men being to lose honor? Not always in one throw, then, but one easier choice at a time until one day a man couldn’t remember where it went or how.
This is a great read! It takes a lot to turn someone into a terrorist and I’m reading how it happens! And Robin doesn’t have the internet!
This books takes all the characters and gives them great depth and solid reasons for doing what they do. No one takes it lightly that they will lose their homes and their families if they stick with Robin.
A fascinating aspect of this is that even though they are hard-working peasants, they still see the nobility as owing them certain protections in the law - which is in fact how feudalism was supposed to work. The lords protect you in trade for the work that you do (and soldiers that you supply). So when this is betrayed, it’s a fundamental betrayal of how the system is supposed to work.
”Now nip off and tell the reeve you lost but one barrel and nowt of your virtue.”
“You’ve already had more of that than’s left,” Freda reminisced with pleasure.
Whatever the Church decreed as the properly subordinate place of women, they often made the best spies.
This is easily the most well-thought-out Robin Hood story I’ve ever read. Even to the point of showing Robin planning the routes he is going to take in various capers. It makes it more of a shame that I can’t follow it on a map!
An unusual request, but Alan had a woodcutter-tenant whom he had never caught red-handed in veracity.
It is interesting to note that they casually mention “Hereward and his rebels” from time to time. This was another famous outlaw from the time.
Hereward the Wake was a British television series, which was produced by the BBC in 1965, and was broadcast weekly on BBC. It was based on the 1866 novel by Charles Kingsley. Alfred Lynch played the title role. Due to the BBC's policy of erasing video tape for reuse in the 1960s and 1970s, the entire series is lost; no episodes survive in the BBC archive.
This is written as though it’s the real story behind the legends and it makes it a real fun read. We know the legend, now here’s what really happened!
I’m an ignorant man, poor as your wisdom reckons riches, and the world’s too big for me.
On page 346 then mention the year 1052 which gives a rough idea of when the novel is supposed to take place.
The book keeps surprising me. Little John has an unpredictable story arc.
It’s also as exciting a story as any. Once you know both the Sheriff and Robin so intimately it makes their confrontations even more dramatic!
Bowman, what are you? Where does your arrow aim that not even gods can see where it will fall?
He made to spit in disgust but thought better of it in front of women of quality.
Why the earl’s harper’s composed songs about you—and Hereward of course, but yours are more fun.
Learning’s a fine thing: clothes your thoughts and puts shoes and even wings to their feet.
Years of war, years of hunger and misery, the people choking the roads, looking for someplace without a war, as Marian was doing when Robin found her.
”Those Norman women at Mansfield—I tell you, Judith, when all women dress shameless as that, there’ll be fires lit in every pulpit up and down the land.”
As the book frequently mentions troop movements in war, it’s even more frustrating to not have a map. And this isn’t the sort of thing that googling will help with.
If a Robin Hood book hasn’t made you cry, this one might!
”Perhaps it is the curse of education. I have lost the grace to be so simple.”
”Since you refuse any pride to my men, they brought their own.”
Well, that was a fantastic book. Not as much swashbuckling as you’d expect, but much deeper and more nuanced than anything else I’ve ever read about Robin.
5 stars and I’ll at least keep it when I’m reading the sequel. It’s falling part, so I might want to donate it so someone else can enjoy it. Highly recommended.
My Robin Hood kick kind of died recently, so hopefully this will renew my interest. I’m pretty sure I’ve read it before but it’s been quite a while.
So far its just tales of innocent Robin growing up without a care. He is friends with Little John, Much and Will Scatloch. Will is teaching him how to shoot a bow and his father is coming back from obligatory soldier duty.
We glimpse Ralf Fitz-Gerald getting trained as a squire and taking his blows during training from some other rapscallions.
The language written uses a lot of ancient words and very much puts the feel of the book into old England. It’s appreciated, but requires some googling (“combrogi”?).
“Neglect your dearest love before the land. The consequences are lighter.”
It is here that they imply that this is the year 1066. Autumn on September 12th.
Robin has met Marian who in this tale is not of any royal blood. He has had to grow up fast, trained by Will Scatloch he’s already seen war against the invading Normans and killed a few while his father was also killed.
The story also tells of Ralf Fitz-Gerald learning to be a knight by warring against the English. I suspect that he will become the Sheriff of Nottingham, but I don’t know at this point.
As mentioned getting through the language can be rough, but it definitely adds verisimilitude.
”Would it be that all that book-learning makes her look older? If that’s what reading brings, I’ll have nowt of it, thanks the same.”
”For myself, I see him well past contrition but yet a league from good intent.”
Book I ends with Robin made the lord of Denby (replacing his dead father) and Marion about to be engaged to Little John and finally Ralf made Sheriff of Nottingham.
I’ve heard that in the desert lands along the spice routes a man shows his wealth by how fat his wives become. “Look! See how I can afford to feed them.”
Dear God, stop the pain. You won’t? Then leave it on the forge of me and all silent-screaming widows in England who will have more than the comfort of Your only begotten in this loss.
Will Scatloch said no, that such should only be sung by a proper bard, but then how could a body keep the story straight with all the natural human forgetting and exaggerating a pack of Welsh would bring to it?
Do youself a favor and just keep this in google on your phone while reading the book: define old english "########"
Actually I think I’ll go back and make a dictionary of these words. They’ll be good if I myself do some writing in this time period.
I do wish there was a map of the area however.
It notes that Saint Michael’s Day is September 27th, rather than the 29th google says.
”But profit abroad hardly begins with folly at home.”
Marian hung back; he wasn’t the foreigner who squeezed her breasts roughly, but all men were the same on that account.
Would be all that book-learning makes her look older? If that’s what reading brings, I’ll have nowt of it, thanks the same.
I’ll admit to not having seen every ‘Robin Hood’ movie (though more than most) and I’ve never seen some of the incredibly cool and dramatic scenes in this book. They paint a very different portrait here and the language makes it even more dramatic.
Where did men being to lose honor? Not always in one throw, then, but one easier choice at a time until one day a man couldn’t remember where it went or how.
This is a great read! It takes a lot to turn someone into a terrorist and I’m reading how it happens! And Robin doesn’t have the internet!
This books takes all the characters and gives them great depth and solid reasons for doing what they do. No one takes it lightly that they will lose their homes and their families if they stick with Robin.
A fascinating aspect of this is that even though they are hard-working peasants, they still see the nobility as owing them certain protections in the law - which is in fact how feudalism was supposed to work. The lords protect you in trade for the work that you do (and soldiers that you supply). So when this is betrayed, it’s a fundamental betrayal of how the system is supposed to work.
”Now nip off and tell the reeve you lost but one barrel and nowt of your virtue.”
“You’ve already had more of that than’s left,” Freda reminisced with pleasure.
Whatever the Church decreed as the properly subordinate place of women, they often made the best spies.
This is easily the most well-thought-out Robin Hood story I’ve ever read. Even to the point of showing Robin planning the routes he is going to take in various capers. It makes it more of a shame that I can’t follow it on a map!
An unusual request, but Alan had a woodcutter-tenant whom he had never caught red-handed in veracity.
It is interesting to note that they casually mention “Hereward and his rebels” from time to time. This was another famous outlaw from the time.
Hereward the Wake was a British television series, which was produced by the BBC in 1965, and was broadcast weekly on BBC. It was based on the 1866 novel by Charles Kingsley. Alfred Lynch played the title role. Due to the BBC's policy of erasing video tape for reuse in the 1960s and 1970s, the entire series is lost; no episodes survive in the BBC archive.
This is written as though it’s the real story behind the legends and it makes it a real fun read. We know the legend, now here’s what really happened!
I’m an ignorant man, poor as your wisdom reckons riches, and the world’s too big for me.
On page 346 then mention the year 1052 which gives a rough idea of when the novel is supposed to take place.
The book keeps surprising me. Little John has an unpredictable story arc.
It’s also as exciting a story as any. Once you know both the Sheriff and Robin so intimately it makes their confrontations even more dramatic!
Bowman, what are you? Where does your arrow aim that not even gods can see where it will fall?
He made to spit in disgust but thought better of it in front of women of quality.
Why the earl’s harper’s composed songs about you—and Hereward of course, but yours are more fun.
Learning’s a fine thing: clothes your thoughts and puts shoes and even wings to their feet.
Years of war, years of hunger and misery, the people choking the roads, looking for someplace without a war, as Marian was doing when Robin found her.
”Those Norman women at Mansfield—I tell you, Judith, when all women dress shameless as that, there’ll be fires lit in every pulpit up and down the land.”
As the book frequently mentions troop movements in war, it’s even more frustrating to not have a map. And this isn’t the sort of thing that googling will help with.
If a Robin Hood book hasn’t made you cry, this one might!
”Perhaps it is the curse of education. I have lost the grace to be so simple.”
”Since you refuse any pride to my men, they brought their own.”
Well, that was a fantastic book. Not as much swashbuckling as you’d expect, but much deeper and more nuanced than anything else I’ve ever read about Robin.
5 stars and I’ll at least keep it when I’m reading the sequel. It’s falling part, so I might want to donate it so someone else can enjoy it. Highly recommended.
October 7, 2011
Typically, we see Robin Hood set during the Plantagenet era of England; sometimes Henry II’s reign, but usually during Richard the Lionheart’s crusade.
Godwin set his during the Norman conquest, highlighting the tumultuous transition from English Kings to French ones (namely, William the Conqueror). It’s a fascinating comparison to legends set later in the time period (because the Plantagenets were also French). This Robin is decidedly not loyal to his King.
Marian is also different - she is well off, but not necessarily high born. Typically we see a Marian that is of equal rank or higher to Robin. This is not the case here. I like her, though. She curses and damns the Normans in every other breath, but given her back story, it makes perfect sense.
The Sheriff. He actually had redeeming qualities! I normally never say this of the of the Sheriff character, but he wants to make things work before Robin is outlawed. He is forced to outlaw Robin. Both men are honorable to each other.
So yeah, I really liked this version. I can't wait to read the sequel.
My only negative comment is STOP DRINKING TEA! Unless you mean brew, in which case, just say brew. But tea had not been brought to Britain yet!!!!
Read this version, especially if you're like me and your favorite historical event is the Battle of Hastings.
Godwin set his during the Norman conquest, highlighting the tumultuous transition from English Kings to French ones (namely, William the Conqueror). It’s a fascinating comparison to legends set later in the time period (because the Plantagenets were also French). This Robin is decidedly not loyal to his King.
Marian is also different - she is well off, but not necessarily high born. Typically we see a Marian that is of equal rank or higher to Robin. This is not the case here. I like her, though. She curses and damns the Normans in every other breath, but given her back story, it makes perfect sense.
The Sheriff. He actually had redeeming qualities! I normally never say this of the of the Sheriff character, but he wants to make things work before Robin is outlawed. He is forced to outlaw Robin. Both men are honorable to each other.
So yeah, I really liked this version. I can't wait to read the sequel.
My only negative comment is STOP DRINKING TEA! Unless you mean brew, in which case, just say brew. But tea had not been brought to Britain yet!!!!
Read this version, especially if you're like me and your favorite historical event is the Battle of Hastings.
January 7, 2021
I decided to flip through it to see if it was worth my time. In those few minutes I found two things about the book I disliked and therefore returned it unread.
First, the writing style is not my taste. It's rather choppy and is not written very well. Godwin's style is confusing and hard to follow. It just doesn't seem to be very good literary quality. For that alone, I didn't feel like wasting my time on it (Though I love Robin Hood retellings!).
Second, one of the first pages I happened to flip to somewhere in the middle of the book was Marian and Robin sleeping together but with more details that I care to know. It was uncomfortable and I just don't like scenes like that in books. Granted, they were apparently supposed to be married but still, scenes like this are unnecessary.
I am writing this review so that in the future, if I come across this book and wonder why I didn't read it, I will remember why and beware!
For anyone looking for a good Robin Hood retelling, I would suggest The Outlaws of Sherwood or Hood!
First, the writing style is not my taste. It's rather choppy and is not written very well. Godwin's style is confusing and hard to follow. It just doesn't seem to be very good literary quality. For that alone, I didn't feel like wasting my time on it (Though I love Robin Hood retellings!).
Second, one of the first pages I happened to flip to somewhere in the middle of the book was Marian and Robin sleeping together but with more details that I care to know. It was uncomfortable and I just don't like scenes like that in books. Granted, they were apparently supposed to be married but still, scenes like this are unnecessary.
I am writing this review so that in the future, if I come across this book and wonder why I didn't read it, I will remember why and beware!
For anyone looking for a good Robin Hood retelling, I would suggest The Outlaws of Sherwood or Hood!
October 12, 2015
I really liked this "origin" story. Very gritty. Very real. Took me a little bit to get into Godwin's writing style but in this tale Robin isn't some mythic good you have to accept. He's a man fighting for his idea of country. You understand him and you understand the people he's fighting against. In that light, the Sheriff of Nottingham isn't wholly evil either. He's just fighting for a different cause. Loved the little insights into a world transitioning between earthy Norse mysticism and Christianity, the cultural clashes of Normans and Saxons, and the root of certain names like Earl and Carl and Fitz.
FYI for some more sensitive readers, there are a couple sexy times in this book. It fits into the story and it's not excessive or vulgar but it is there and it's more than mere mention so be forewarned.
FYI for some more sensitive readers, there are a couple sexy times in this book. It fits into the story and it's not excessive or vulgar but it is there and it's more than mere mention so be forewarned.
October 29, 2024
2015: I read this so long ago, I can't remember as much as I would like. It's on a list of books that I plan to re-read in the near future. (Perhaps, this will be one that I take with me for study abroad?)
2024: Finished on International Robin Hood Day! (10/29) Although technically a reread, this might as well have been my first time reading it because I truly remembered nothing about it. I was engaged on every single page. I'm not sure any Robin Hood book has ever so effectively made me feel the injustices within the narrative like this one.
Really excellent character work the whole way through, too!
Marian being cast as a practical country girl from a farming family has my whole heart.
2024: Finished on International Robin Hood Day! (10/29) Although technically a reread, this might as well have been my first time reading it because I truly remembered nothing about it. I was engaged on every single page. I'm not sure any Robin Hood book has ever so effectively made me feel the injustices within the narrative like this one.
Really excellent character work the whole way through, too!
Marian being cast as a practical country girl from a farming family has my whole heart.
May 29, 2009
What an amazing vision of the story of Robin Hood. Parke brought to life, no, he made it live, in a very believable tale of one of folklore's greatest heroes. Seldom have I read a better historical fiction so well envisioned by the author. Robin, lived and breathed before my eyes. An Awesome work.
Read
July 29, 2016I read 30 pages. Does this book get better? Because it is over 500 pages and I can't see myself slogging through it if it doesn't get better. Actually, I think I won't continue, life is too short and I can't read a book I am not enjoying simply because the book summary sounds good. If I'm not enjoying it, it goes back to the library. Like this one will.
Not for me.
Not for me.
July 23, 2015
OH YOU GUYS
<3
Robin Hood with lots of sex and violence? Robin Hood set in 1066 when it makes sense instead of during the reign of Richard the Lionheart?
this book is basically the next best thing to BBC Robin Hood, which therefore makes it objectively the next-worst thing in the universe, but IT'S COOL WE'RE ALL FRIENDS HERE
<3
Robin Hood with lots of sex and violence? Robin Hood set in 1066 when it makes sense instead of during the reign of Richard the Lionheart?
this book is basically the next best thing to BBC Robin Hood, which therefore makes it objectively the next-worst thing in the universe, but IT'S COOL WE'RE ALL FRIENDS HERE
August 26, 2017
Excellent adaptation of the Robin Hood stories. I've read lots of books about him, but this is one of the best. Great characters, an interesting Sheriff, nice twists and turns and great evocations of the time. I really enjoyed this.
August 21, 2017
I'm about 2/3 of the way through this book. It's a different take on the Robin Hood legend. I like most of the changes though. It seems a bit more grounded in reality than most of the ones I've read. There is a touch of Celtic mysticism to it, but it is always, at least so far, from the point of view of certain characters: being their interpretation of events or people, rather than in the narrative suggesting it actually happened.
Perhaps the biggest change is that of timing and setting. Often, Robin Hood is set during one of the crusades with Robin having come back from them to find things have changed for the worse and he has to right the wrongs. In this case, the setting is shortly after the Battle of Hastings and deals with the aftermath of the Norman conquest. The Sheriff of Nottingham is a Norman under King William's service. There's no Richard the Lionheart or Prince John in this one.
I love that Parke introduces us to Robin, named Edward Aldredson of Denby rather than the usual Robin of Locksly, and the Sheriff, named Ralf Fitz-Gerald, through their backstories as boys in the early chapters. She makes both main characters sympathetic and you come to understand their different points of view before they meet and become adversaries. Many familiar characters to Robin Hood fans like Marian, Friar Tuck, Little John (called John Littlereede here), Will Scarlet (called Will Scatloch - and his Welsh heritage explored more than I've seen before), etc. are fleshed out more than you usually see them with insights into how and why they do the things that are often attributed to them in Robin Hood stories.
I've read many versions, but this one is shaping up to be my new favorite. Oddly enough, I recently also bought another different version: Steven Lawhead's 'Hood'. Haven't read it yet. It'll be interesting to compare the two once I have.
Perhaps the biggest change is that of timing and setting. Often, Robin Hood is set during one of the crusades with Robin having come back from them to find things have changed for the worse and he has to right the wrongs. In this case, the setting is shortly after the Battle of Hastings and deals with the aftermath of the Norman conquest. The Sheriff of Nottingham is a Norman under King William's service. There's no Richard the Lionheart or Prince John in this one.
I love that Parke introduces us to Robin, named Edward Aldredson of Denby rather than the usual Robin of Locksly, and the Sheriff, named Ralf Fitz-Gerald, through their backstories as boys in the early chapters. She makes both main characters sympathetic and you come to understand their different points of view before they meet and become adversaries. Many familiar characters to Robin Hood fans like Marian, Friar Tuck, Little John (called John Littlereede here), Will Scarlet (called Will Scatloch - and his Welsh heritage explored more than I've seen before), etc. are fleshed out more than you usually see them with insights into how and why they do the things that are often attributed to them in Robin Hood stories.
I've read many versions, but this one is shaping up to be my new favorite. Oddly enough, I recently also bought another different version: Steven Lawhead's 'Hood'. Haven't read it yet. It'll be interesting to compare the two once I have.
February 10, 2020
Closer to 4 1/2 stars, but I loved how the legend was told in terms of the historical accuracy and maintaining historical parallelism along with its interaction of the players involved. This book really came out after the series on Showtime (which came out in the 80s mostly), so it is another retelling of the tale, but I like this one better because it is even more realistic in terms of how Anglo-Norman relations would have gotten on at that time. I love how at some point Robin and Ralf have to get along to survive because the rebellion against William, while proper for the right reasons, was not the reasons behind the rebellion in the book, those reasons were purely selfish. One other thing i loved about this book was the quasi mysticism that is only briefly described in two scenes in this book: the Holy Pool where Robin and Marian exchange vows/blood and the healing of Robin by the witch. This is very difficult to write about and an author can get lost in trying to mesh the two worlds together. It is well done here. It is well done in the Showtime series as well and I can only hope that in the future, we get such storytelling of the legend, better than what Kevin Costner put together in his movie (I now have to go back and watch the Liam movie too, but I am sure that one told a completely different Robin Hood account than either Godwin or Showtime told. This book does an excellent job of getting rid of Guy de Gisburne too without anyone even noticing. I look forward to reading the last two in this trilogy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2025
I was going through my TBR pile looking to keep alive the old tradition that I had revived-that of reading a historical novel to end the calendar year. Well, shamefully, I should have finished this very good interpretation of the Robin Hood myth much sooner.
I knew of this book, and Godwin, by word of mouth from my ex-wife some time ago. In the afterword Godwin explain the changes he has made to the story, and the why.
The biggest change is that Godwin sst the tale about 100 years before most of the more traditional telling of Robin Hood. So no crusades, no Richard The Lionheart. In their place you get a more rural, and arguably backwards, England that has just been conquered by the Normans. You have a very young Robin, likely not even 20 years of age, taking over his father's lands and duty to his tenants.
This also becomes a more political story. Ralf (my copy is not with me at this moment, so forgive my not using the full name) is not wholly a villain as sheriff. Instead, he is the bastard son of a Norman knight trying to work his way up the ranks. It is his actions against poachers that leads to Robin turning outlaw.
Instead of the usual black & white you have a Robin Hood tale with lots of grey. Like real life, no one is all good or all bad and this leads to some interesting takes on the traditional legend and alliances.
As a historical novel working through the olde English might take some awhile. There's not a lot of it, but enough I think for most readers to have to get used to.
I knew of this book, and Godwin, by word of mouth from my ex-wife some time ago. In the afterword Godwin explain the changes he has made to the story, and the why.
The biggest change is that Godwin sst the tale about 100 years before most of the more traditional telling of Robin Hood. So no crusades, no Richard The Lionheart. In their place you get a more rural, and arguably backwards, England that has just been conquered by the Normans. You have a very young Robin, likely not even 20 years of age, taking over his father's lands and duty to his tenants.
This also becomes a more political story. Ralf (my copy is not with me at this moment, so forgive my not using the full name) is not wholly a villain as sheriff. Instead, he is the bastard son of a Norman knight trying to work his way up the ranks. It is his actions against poachers that leads to Robin turning outlaw.
Instead of the usual black & white you have a Robin Hood tale with lots of grey. Like real life, no one is all good or all bad and this leads to some interesting takes on the traditional legend and alliances.
As a historical novel working through the olde English might take some awhile. There's not a lot of it, but enough I think for most readers to have to get used to.
October 2, 2018
A well thought out and pretty well-researched. A refreshing and somewhat unique take on the classic "Robin Hood" tales set a bit earlier than the usual legend. It goes to very dark places, for certain, but maintains the underlying humor of the Robin Hood legend that makes it so iconic. I love how there is no ultimate "evil" character as in common in the genre, instead everyone has their own motivations and everyone feels that they are in the "right"so it is not black and white, but a heck of a lot of grey . . . like real human beings! I also love how all the women are portrayed as intelligent and capable, working within the bounds of the patriarchy of their world rather than trying to overlay modern ideals in a medieval reality. No "damsels in distress" tropes here, no waiting on the male heroes to come save them before taking action themselves. Why doesn't Hollywood use this version as a basis for one of the innumerable "Robin Hood" reboots of the past few years? Too many recent versions focus on the gritty darkness while completely missing the wit, sass, and cheek of the Robin Hood character that has kept him part of pop-culture for centuries!
December 12, 2020
As one can guess from the title this is a tale of Robin Hood. It takes the reader through a bit of his early years and then his teens and early adult life when he first joins the battle to fight the invading forces of William and then how he runs afoul of that sovereign and his sheriff of Nottingham. In the tale there is some background of the Saxon laws and their system of governance of the land and people. My only problem was the one I seem to always have with books about England wherein the characters often have the same names (there are a couple Wills and Edwards) and the fact that they are often also called by their holdings, such as Norfolk. Perhaps that is just my personal difficulty.
I found this tale to be well fleshed out and the characters more substantive than most of the of the Robin Hood tales I've read or heard in the past.
I found this tale to be well fleshed out and the characters more substantive than most of the of the Robin Hood tales I've read or heard in the past.
May 20, 2024
Took me a bit longer to get through this than I expected because it's as much a dense historical novel about the aftermath of the Battle of Hastings and the beginning of Norman rule in England as it is a Robin Hood retelling about stealing from the rich and enacting vigilante justice, but it definitely ended up working for me. The author clearly did a ton of research and the setting and time period were very well-realized, especially the tensions between the Saxons and Normans. I also really liked all the stuff about archery, especially how a very good longbow and archer was a genuinely formidable and terrifying opponent to face in the 11th century–the scenes of Norman soldiers getting slowly picked off by Saxons hiding in the trees were super cool. Also, I must speak my truth and say that I think Robin, Marian, and Ralf should have had a threesome, it just would have been fun.
July 27, 2025
A bit longer and denser than it needs to be, but there were parts that made it well worth it. I particularly liked the unwilling friendship that formed between Robin and the Sherrif, although the love triangle with the two of them and Marian was more tiresome. I quite enjoyed setting it just after the 1066 defeat at the battle of Hastings, that gave it a nice historic lens.
A few typos and incomplete sentences here and there, the worst being the frequent use of the word “sew” where “sow” was meant. The prose I liked though for the most part, and I thought all the characters were well written, although there were some Robin Hood band staples I would’ve liked to have seen more of, like Friar Tuck. If I had the option, I’d give it a 3.5/5
A few typos and incomplete sentences here and there, the worst being the frequent use of the word “sew” where “sow” was meant. The prose I liked though for the most part, and I thought all the characters were well written, although there were some Robin Hood band staples I would’ve liked to have seen more of, like Friar Tuck. If I had the option, I’d give it a 3.5/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2018
Very good story but I do agree with some of the other reviewers when they noted that it was hard to follow. I had to re-read several paragraphs because the tenses were in disarray - as a reader, sometimes you don't know who's narrating.
Godwin has a very choppy and cluttered writing style which makes it difficult to follow however I'm a fan of "Robin Hood" so it kept me engaged enough to finish.
Not the best Robin Hood adaption. IMO Angus Donald's version is much better however it was still a very good book (if you can be patient with the writing).
Godwin has a very choppy and cluttered writing style which makes it difficult to follow however I'm a fan of "Robin Hood" so it kept me engaged enough to finish.
Not the best Robin Hood adaption. IMO Angus Donald's version is much better however it was still a very good book (if you can be patient with the writing).
June 9, 2025
I was excited for Prake Godwin to do for Robin Hood what he did for King Arthur in Forelord.
Sadly, i did not find this book to be as good. I would have preferred it to be told from Robin's POV. The story jumped around a lot with many different POV. kind of slow in places, and I have an iffy feeling towards RH being placed in the time of the Norman conquest.
Still some gorgeous prose and philosophical antidotes that I love from Godwin, but something just felt "meh" to me throughout.
I will give book 2 a try later as I do love the author, and I'm curious if things can improve.
Sadly, i did not find this book to be as good. I would have preferred it to be told from Robin's POV. The story jumped around a lot with many different POV. kind of slow in places, and I have an iffy feeling towards RH being placed in the time of the Norman conquest.
Still some gorgeous prose and philosophical antidotes that I love from Godwin, but something just felt "meh" to me throughout.
I will give book 2 a try later as I do love the author, and I'm curious if things can improve.
January 24, 2021
This had elements of fun - disguises! Smuggling! Nemesis team-ups! A Norman hottie who, despite this book being published in 1991 and set a hundred years earlier, was clearly based on Richard Armitage from the 2006 BBC Robin Hood! My main sensation while reading, though, was of a book that was dull but worthy. I respect the scope of the story, the historical acumen, the attention to nuance and detail, but I wouldn't want to play Twister with Parke Godwin.
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