What do you think?
Rate this book
Robin Hood - The Shadows of Sherwood Forest
An action-filled retelling of the story of Robin Hood as seen through the eyes of his trusted strong right hand, Little John.
When peasant John Little witnesses the Sheriff of Nottingham’s men destroying his village for John’s crime of poaching deer to feed his people, he flees into the tangle of Sherwood Forest with the only other survivor, his young foster daughter Marian. But dangers lurk there, the outlaw Robin Hood soon catches them and takes them prisoner.
Robin Hood does not quite match the heroic stories that are already told about him. For all Robin’s dazzling bravado and clever tricks, the reality of his fight against oppression by the Norman nobility is a rough and dirty life in the forest, outlawed and constantly hunted.
As the newly dubbed Little John gets an education in how to fit into Robin’s dangerous band, Marian, too, grows into a force to be reckoned with. Thrust into life in a world of fearless bandits, uncertain allies, and merciless vendettas, Little John and maid Marian earn their place—and build an unshakable friendship with Robin Hood.
Told with earthy historical detail and unforgettable characters, this is a must for any young reader fascinated by knights and fights, kings and peasants, or who wants to delve into the many tales that built the Robin Hood legend.
When peasant John Little witnesses the Sheriff of Nottingham’s men destroying his village for John’s crime of poaching deer to feed his people, he flees into the tangle of Sherwood Forest with the only other survivor, his young foster daughter Marian. But dangers lurk there, the outlaw Robin Hood soon catches them and takes them prisoner.
Robin Hood does not quite match the heroic stories that are already told about him. For all Robin’s dazzling bravado and clever tricks, the reality of his fight against oppression by the Norman nobility is a rough and dirty life in the forest, outlawed and constantly hunted.
As the newly dubbed Little John gets an education in how to fit into Robin’s dangerous band, Marian, too, grows into a force to be reckoned with. Thrust into life in a world of fearless bandits, uncertain allies, and merciless vendettas, Little John and maid Marian earn their place—and build an unshakable friendship with Robin Hood.
Told with earthy historical detail and unforgettable characters, this is a must for any young reader fascinated by knights and fights, kings and peasants, or who wants to delve into the many tales that built the Robin Hood legend.
350 pages, Hardcover
Published October 5, 2021
2 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 27, 2021
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for supplying me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Its wonderful to return to the world of Sherwood Forest and Robin Hood and his Merry Men. A well crafted story that revisits all the stories we know and love from the perspective of Little John, Robin's right hand man, as opposed to Robin himself. The characters are brought to life so vividly and you cannot help but cheer for them as they fight injustice throughout Nottinghamshire.
The only negative I can say is that there are a number of grammatical errors that can be quite jarring, however I believe this to be due to mistranslations from the original German text.
Its wonderful to return to the world of Sherwood Forest and Robin Hood and his Merry Men. A well crafted story that revisits all the stories we know and love from the perspective of Little John, Robin's right hand man, as opposed to Robin himself. The characters are brought to life so vividly and you cannot help but cheer for them as they fight injustice throughout Nottinghamshire.
The only negative I can say is that there are a number of grammatical errors that can be quite jarring, however I believe this to be due to mistranslations from the original German text.
December 10, 2021
I love a book about Robin Hood. This one was okay, a fairly straightforward tale with a lot of focus on Marian and Little John's backstory and a more realistic tale of how Robin Hood may have actually been in real life.
Young Marian is rescued from the Sherriff of Nottingham's murderous soldiers by Little John when her entire village is killed off simply for poaching a deer to feed their families. The two flee to the woods, but quickly find that they aren't safe there either. The outlaw Robin Hood catches them and takes them prisoner. The legendary outlaw doesn't quite live up to the stories told about him. He is more man and less myth. Little John and Marian must prove themselves and gain Robin's trust, and ultimately friendship, if they want to make it in his not-so-merry band.
It didn't necessarily stand out from other Robin Hood books, but it was an enjoyable read. There were some minor flaws with the writing, lots of POV switching mid-paragraph, some clunky moments in the dialogue, and there weren't any major twists or changes to the story as we know it so sometimes it wasn't holding my attention but it would be one that historical readers of high school age and up will enjoy if they love the tale of Robin Hood.
Young Marian is rescued from the Sherriff of Nottingham's murderous soldiers by Little John when her entire village is killed off simply for poaching a deer to feed their families. The two flee to the woods, but quickly find that they aren't safe there either. The outlaw Robin Hood catches them and takes them prisoner. The legendary outlaw doesn't quite live up to the stories told about him. He is more man and less myth. Little John and Marian must prove themselves and gain Robin's trust, and ultimately friendship, if they want to make it in his not-so-merry band.
It didn't necessarily stand out from other Robin Hood books, but it was an enjoyable read. There were some minor flaws with the writing, lots of POV switching mid-paragraph, some clunky moments in the dialogue, and there weren't any major twists or changes to the story as we know it so sometimes it wasn't holding my attention but it would be one that historical readers of high school age and up will enjoy if they love the tale of Robin Hood.
October 11, 2021
I'm a fan of Robin Hood and this is the first time I've read a retelling from Little John's point of view. I enjoyed a familiar story with a fresh perspective. The characters were easy to rally behind!
It definitely highlights the struggle of Robin and his merry men as they fight injustice. While a battle that is heroic to fight the grit of it behind the scenes is rough at times. Imagine always being on the run and being hunted, I worried so for them all.
It was a fun read and I believe fans of Robin Hood would enjoy it.
Thank you to Arctis Books and NetGalley for the review copy.
It definitely highlights the struggle of Robin and his merry men as they fight injustice. While a battle that is heroic to fight the grit of it behind the scenes is rough at times. Imagine always being on the run and being hunted, I worried so for them all.
It was a fun read and I believe fans of Robin Hood would enjoy it.
Thank you to Arctis Books and NetGalley for the review copy.
August 26, 2023
1.5 stars
By the Virgin (a phrase that was used ad nauseam in the book), this was bad!
For starters, it was boring. I would have DNF’d it for sure if I had not been reading it for a reading challenge. The characters were very flat as well and I didn’t really care about any of them.
This was shelved as YA, but I don’t think it is. It’s quite graphic and there is a lot of violence toward animals which i didn’t like at all. Why were so many animals decapitated? It was unnecessary and gross and sad.
The ending was horribly depressing. I would not recommend this book.
By the Virgin (a phrase that was used ad nauseam in the book), this was bad!
For starters, it was boring. I would have DNF’d it for sure if I had not been reading it for a reading challenge. The characters were very flat as well and I didn’t really care about any of them.
This was shelved as YA, but I don’t think it is. It’s quite graphic and there is a lot of violence toward animals which i didn’t like at all. Why were so many animals decapitated? It was unnecessary and gross and sad.
The ending was horribly depressing. I would not recommend this book.
October 25, 2021
I was taken quite by surprise with Tilman Roerhig’s Robin Hood telling. Historical fiction with no fantastic elements usually bores me to tears, though I must read it to incorporate it into curriculum. This Robin Hood “reweaving,” as the synopsis puts it, is excellent.
I was confused at the term “reweaving” when I picked up this complimentary copy sent to me by the wonderful people at Arctis Books. I hadn’t quite heard that term before and wondered if the book was a retelling or what. I don’t really like retellings, as they mostly simply copy the story from another person and appropriate other aspects into the narrative to change it, which I find mostly distasteful. This book, however, does not retell, it does reweave, and it remains faithful to the cultural and ethnic backgrounds of the people from where the tale comes, which I found encouraging.
As a reweaving, many of the lesser known or utilized aspects of the Robin Hood legend show up in this version of the tale. It’s not a romantic tale, and it truly shows a side to the guerrilla-style warfare that Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men engaged in that is not squeaky-clean and romanticized. Roerhig’s tale takes us to the origin of the relationship between Little John, Robin’s main lieutenant, and focuses on the main goals of Robin’s resistance movement—maintaining Richard’s kingdom as his while he is away in the Crusades and ensuring equal treatment for Saxons in a Norman-ruled England.
The main highlight for me in this narrative is the characters and their relationships with one another. Truly, they provide the bulk of the narrative and kept the interest going for me the whole time I read the book. The background of historical events comes to the reader in small, news-type snippets at the beginning of each chapter, like a quote, and the rest of the story stays in England and gives information through the daily activities of the people around whom the story revolves. It is quite as much a political thriller as it is an action/adventure and historical fiction novel.
I can’t find anything negative about this novel to mention, really. Perhaps the translation creates some awkwardness in the wording and dialogue, but not nearly enough to distract me at all from the overall story. I do understand some things will be lost in translation; however, I did not find any here.
I highly recommend this book for any reader who loves the story of Robin Hood. I know there are many young students who have a hard time sorting through YA offerings of late to find any that aren’t fantasy or romance or just flat-out inappropriate; this selection would be perfect for those types of readers. It would also make a great assignment for researching different legends and highlighting where the parts of the Robin Hood legend mentioned in Roehrig's telling originated in history and from whom the origins came.
My thanks to Arctis Books for the complimentary review copy, for which I heartily give my own opinion.
I was confused at the term “reweaving” when I picked up this complimentary copy sent to me by the wonderful people at Arctis Books. I hadn’t quite heard that term before and wondered if the book was a retelling or what. I don’t really like retellings, as they mostly simply copy the story from another person and appropriate other aspects into the narrative to change it, which I find mostly distasteful. This book, however, does not retell, it does reweave, and it remains faithful to the cultural and ethnic backgrounds of the people from where the tale comes, which I found encouraging.
As a reweaving, many of the lesser known or utilized aspects of the Robin Hood legend show up in this version of the tale. It’s not a romantic tale, and it truly shows a side to the guerrilla-style warfare that Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men engaged in that is not squeaky-clean and romanticized. Roerhig’s tale takes us to the origin of the relationship between Little John, Robin’s main lieutenant, and focuses on the main goals of Robin’s resistance movement—maintaining Richard’s kingdom as his while he is away in the Crusades and ensuring equal treatment for Saxons in a Norman-ruled England.
The main highlight for me in this narrative is the characters and their relationships with one another. Truly, they provide the bulk of the narrative and kept the interest going for me the whole time I read the book. The background of historical events comes to the reader in small, news-type snippets at the beginning of each chapter, like a quote, and the rest of the story stays in England and gives information through the daily activities of the people around whom the story revolves. It is quite as much a political thriller as it is an action/adventure and historical fiction novel.
I can’t find anything negative about this novel to mention, really. Perhaps the translation creates some awkwardness in the wording and dialogue, but not nearly enough to distract me at all from the overall story. I do understand some things will be lost in translation; however, I did not find any here.
I highly recommend this book for any reader who loves the story of Robin Hood. I know there are many young students who have a hard time sorting through YA offerings of late to find any that aren’t fantasy or romance or just flat-out inappropriate; this selection would be perfect for those types of readers. It would also make a great assignment for researching different legends and highlighting where the parts of the Robin Hood legend mentioned in Roehrig's telling originated in history and from whom the origins came.
My thanks to Arctis Books for the complimentary review copy, for which I heartily give my own opinion.
August 13, 2021
This medieval romp is a sort-of Robin Hood prequel, giving readers a glimpse of Little John’s and Maid Marian’s lives from well before they joined up with Robin Hood’s merry gang of outlaws. It is full of action and characters to which one becomes quite attached. It offers much historical perspective without ever being dry: Saxons versus Normans, the Crusades, King Richard and his evil, usurping brother. It’s particularly good at offering a closeup perspective of life in the 1100s – for peasants, abbots, barons, soldiers, and outlaws.
There are sieges, lieges, gallows, lances, catapults, squires, stallions, kings’ trumpeters, crossbowmen, archers, blacksmiths, healers, pheasant pie, silver goblets, shield bearers, even a cave in which a wardrobe of disguises are hidden. There’s even a falconer whose falcon “Snow Wing” wears a gemstone-encrusted hood. There are real places: Nottingham, Doncaster and the like. Many scenes depict Robin Hood and gang sending bad guys off in their undergarments after stealing all else they have. There are also interesting glimpses into how Jews were regarded at the time (necessary but untouchable). After all, Robin Hood is a legend told and retold since before the 1500s.
This is not for the faint of heart, as there is plenty of violence, and no whitewashing of this gang of thieves, even if they did have a cause and stayed upside of being total ruffians.
For a novel marketed as young adult, it’s interesting that the main character (Little John, who is Robin Hood’s righthand man) is an adult. Occasionally, however, we are treated to Marian’s point of view. She begins the novel as a child, and grows into a strong-minded, beautiful lady who can ride a horse and throw a spear as well as she can play a lute and wear a noblewoman’s gown.
It’s a longwinded book, at 412 pages, and unfortunately, after the incredibly exciting climax (a battle to take back a castle), it devolves briefly into a cheap introduction of a “new” Robin Hood: a young archer who wanders into the circle of aging outlaws, almost instantly wins their approval (and makes Maid Marian go starstruck) and is deemed by them ready to carry on the battle and legend.
Still, readers who love to sink themselves into Medieval times, and certainly all Robin Hood fans, will enjoy this lively tale.
Note: This review also appears at www.YAdudebooks.ca
There are sieges, lieges, gallows, lances, catapults, squires, stallions, kings’ trumpeters, crossbowmen, archers, blacksmiths, healers, pheasant pie, silver goblets, shield bearers, even a cave in which a wardrobe of disguises are hidden. There’s even a falconer whose falcon “Snow Wing” wears a gemstone-encrusted hood. There are real places: Nottingham, Doncaster and the like. Many scenes depict Robin Hood and gang sending bad guys off in their undergarments after stealing all else they have. There are also interesting glimpses into how Jews were regarded at the time (necessary but untouchable). After all, Robin Hood is a legend told and retold since before the 1500s.
This is not for the faint of heart, as there is plenty of violence, and no whitewashing of this gang of thieves, even if they did have a cause and stayed upside of being total ruffians.
For a novel marketed as young adult, it’s interesting that the main character (Little John, who is Robin Hood’s righthand man) is an adult. Occasionally, however, we are treated to Marian’s point of view. She begins the novel as a child, and grows into a strong-minded, beautiful lady who can ride a horse and throw a spear as well as she can play a lute and wear a noblewoman’s gown.
It’s a longwinded book, at 412 pages, and unfortunately, after the incredibly exciting climax (a battle to take back a castle), it devolves briefly into a cheap introduction of a “new” Robin Hood: a young archer who wanders into the circle of aging outlaws, almost instantly wins their approval (and makes Maid Marian go starstruck) and is deemed by them ready to carry on the battle and legend.
Still, readers who love to sink themselves into Medieval times, and certainly all Robin Hood fans, will enjoy this lively tale.
Note: This review also appears at www.YAdudebooks.ca
June 19, 2025
Translated from the German, this novel follows (mostly) Little John's POV. King Henry dies and Richard, his son, takes the crown but immediately goes to the Holy Land in an attempt to take Jerusalem from the Infidels, leaving his brother, John Lackland, to watch over England.
John Little has been living with a woman in a small village. She has a two children, a boy toddler and a girl, Marian. He returns to the village with a dead deer, hunted out of the forest but leaves before the sheriff's men arrive. The men murder everyone in the village except Marian, who's hiding, and John finds her with the murdered villagers. John knows neither he nor Marian are safe there any longer and they go on the run, eventually fetching up against a known outlaw - Robin Hood.
Robin is a strange man to John - both harsh and kind, with a love of tricks and games. Robin is striking a blow against Prince John by stealing from the travelers along the roads. John thinks this is a dangerous pastime but realizes that Robin is actually doing good by helping the people John and his barons are taxing to death.
But it isn't an easy life. There are factions who are very willing to do whatever they can to destroy Robin and his Merry Men and quell any transgressions against what John Lackland is trying to do.
I very much enjoyed this novel. There are some familiar characters within the storyline - Sir Richard of the Lea, Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet, Much, the miller's son. And some of their stories follow what the old tales tell while others are different. It is the differences that make this story so intriguing.
John Little has been living with a woman in a small village. She has a two children, a boy toddler and a girl, Marian. He returns to the village with a dead deer, hunted out of the forest but leaves before the sheriff's men arrive. The men murder everyone in the village except Marian, who's hiding, and John finds her with the murdered villagers. John knows neither he nor Marian are safe there any longer and they go on the run, eventually fetching up against a known outlaw - Robin Hood.
Robin is a strange man to John - both harsh and kind, with a love of tricks and games. Robin is striking a blow against Prince John by stealing from the travelers along the roads. John thinks this is a dangerous pastime but realizes that Robin is actually doing good by helping the people John and his barons are taxing to death.
But it isn't an easy life. There are factions who are very willing to do whatever they can to destroy Robin and his Merry Men and quell any transgressions against what John Lackland is trying to do.
I very much enjoyed this novel. There are some familiar characters within the storyline - Sir Richard of the Lea, Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet, Much, the miller's son. And some of their stories follow what the old tales tell while others are different. It is the differences that make this story so intriguing.
July 23, 2021
Normally when I read a good book I devour it quickly and while I really wanted to love this one, unfortunately it was a struggle to read even a chapter at a time.
I first attempted to read it on my kindle but it was too confusing to read. Scenes would suddenly change despite no hint at a new chapter or even a new paragraph. It felt rather choppy and stilted.
I then attempted to read it through the NetGalley app on my phone. While it was frustrating having to zoom in and move the pages about as it showed 2 pages at a time, it was tolerable and the chapters were clearer. The writing also improved as I progressed past the first few chapters and I found myself really getting into the plot, but every now and then it would suddenly change about in the story with no distinct change of scene and I was left wondering what was going on.
So overall for myself, while I really enjoyed the plot, I couldn’t get past the writing style. I’m hoping that it was more so the formatting rather than the actual book itself.
Thank you though to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC by Tilman Roehrig.
I first attempted to read it on my kindle but it was too confusing to read. Scenes would suddenly change despite no hint at a new chapter or even a new paragraph. It felt rather choppy and stilted.
I then attempted to read it through the NetGalley app on my phone. While it was frustrating having to zoom in and move the pages about as it showed 2 pages at a time, it was tolerable and the chapters were clearer. The writing also improved as I progressed past the first few chapters and I found myself really getting into the plot, but every now and then it would suddenly change about in the story with no distinct change of scene and I was left wondering what was going on.
So overall for myself, while I really enjoyed the plot, I couldn’t get past the writing style. I’m hoping that it was more so the formatting rather than the actual book itself.
Thank you though to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC by Tilman Roehrig.
did-not-finish
November 17, 2021Got halfway thru this before finally pulling the plug & I was genuinely surprised to see I'd started reading this in November, which says a little bit about how it felt. I typically love Robin Hood but I truly could not get past the writing, I'm sorry. I don't want to lay this at the feet of the translator, maybe the source novel was also abrupt and weirdly phrased - it was definitely flitting between characters and POVs with alarming frequency - but anyway it turned me off even more than the grimdark aesthetic which had me going :( throughout. I don't hate grimdark on principle! But this iteration of it depressed me. Also the line: Marian and I are not street dogs. Everyone we meet can’t give us a kick. seared itself into my brain. It made me go :(
February 15, 2022
Robin Hood—The Shadows of Sherwood Forest is an interesting twist on the typical Robin Hood story as it is told from the point of view of Little John. I recently read Röehrig’s Erik the Red and found his Robin Hood much more readable. Robin Hood is considerably lighter than Erik the Red and without the more sinister sibling incest. That is not to say that Robin Hood is without darkness, after all it is subtitled The Shadows of Sherwood Forest. There is the toxic Prince John as he and his henchmen overtax the local peasants and torturing and killing them if they are unable to pay. This would be a good read for young adults if they aren’t triggered by such happenings. Overall, I enjoyed the book and appreciated Röehrig’s switch of point of view to bring new eyes to the legend of Robin Hood.
February 20, 2023
On the one hand, I'm incredibly biased, as I love anything and everything Robin Hood. On the other hand, this was an absolutely fantastic novel, long enough to feel whole, but short enough to not make one want to quit. Why this book was only translated to English almost thirty years after its first release I'll never know, but this was so much fun, exploring the legend of Robin Hood more from Little John's point of view, told splendidly, in a fully realized world. Highly recommend.
August 17, 2025
Ok so Robin Hood and Little John are definitely gay right. Like I’m not the only one who thinks this. I don’t wanna sound crazy here (even though I know I am)
Will Scarlet and Robin too but like they’re cousins and yes at the time it was acceptable to marry your cousin but it’s still weird to me as a modern day person
In all honesty I think every version of Robin Hood is gay.
Debate me if you wanna I DARE U
Will Scarlet and Robin too but like they’re cousins and yes at the time it was acceptable to marry your cousin but it’s still weird to me as a modern day person
In all honesty I think every version of Robin Hood is gay.
Debate me if you wanna I DARE U
February 9, 2022
Not really close to the truth of the story of King Richard, but well done nonetheless.
This book could easily lend itself to a sequel.
Characters well rounded, scenes well done, just confusing as to the locations - York is the furthest county from Kent, where Canterbury is, so I got confused as to the locations and why King john would even bother with the Yorkshire regions.
This book could easily lend itself to a sequel.
Characters well rounded, scenes well done, just confusing as to the locations - York is the furthest county from Kent, where Canterbury is, so I got confused as to the locations and why King john would even bother with the Yorkshire regions.
Read
January 25, 2022DNF
So I'm moving this back to my want-to read shelf. I'm about halfway through and suddenly struggling to keep focused on this book. I don't REALLY think it's the book, I'm pretty sure I'm just not feeling it right now so I'll try it again later.
So I'm moving this back to my want-to read shelf. I'm about halfway through and suddenly struggling to keep focused on this book. I don't REALLY think it's the book, I'm pretty sure I'm just not feeling it right now so I'll try it again later.
July 1, 2024
I love a Robin Hood retelling and this is a solid one. It hits all the key plot points of the story, has unique aspects while still keeping true to the heart of the legend. A nice read and worth the time.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews