An entertaining twist on a legend from the point of view of an unusual young woman.
A teenage girl uses her skill with bow and arrow to join Robin Hood’s outlaw band in this coming-of-age YA adventure story set in the 12th century.
When 16-year-old Alys Fletcher’s brother, Hob, sets off with Robin of Locksley to join King Richard the Lionheart as a soldier in the Third Crusade, she longs to go with them, as she’s a talented archer herself. Instead, she’s sent to Nottingham Castle as a lady’s maid to Maid Marian, Robin’s true love. Worried for her brother’s safety, Alys makes a bargain with Robin, who promises to bring Hob back unscathed if she does all she can to prevent Maid Marian from marrying another suitor in his absence. Meanwhile, Alys adamantly refuses to consider marriage for herself, despite pressure from her family. While she’s in Maid Marian’s service, a disaster at her family’s farm—and the Sheriff of Nottingham’s onerous taxes—send her clan into poverty. When Robin returns from the Holy Land without Hob, she’s furious that he broke his promise and blames him for the Fletchers’ desperate situation. The novel, told from Alys’ point of view, creatively reimagines the well-known legend of Robin Hood in intriguing ways. At first, Alys is shown to ardently wish only for her family to be reunited and restored to their old life; faced with a series of difficult choices, she struggles with conflicting demands but develops confidence, resilience, and strong friendships with her fellow outlaws, including Little John and Friar Tuck. Vivid descriptions and engaging secondary players enliven the narrative. However, it’s occasionally marred by minor historical inaccuracies; for example, the castle’s interior is decorated with mounted weapons and armor, rather than fabric hangings, and in a crucial discussion about money, the author appears to use the terms shillingand penceinterchangeably. Overall, Alys’ journey from naïve youth to intrepid fighter will appeal to genre fans. The satisfying conclusion positions the protagonist to undertake a new quest in a planned sequel.
An entertaining twist on a legend from the point of view of an unusual young woman.Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2021
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 216
Publisher: Silver Arrow Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A multilayered exploration of the complacent as complicit, all within a unique yet relatable magic system.
An orphaned prince on the run gets a chance at freedom if he can become one of his would-be enslavers.
Three years ago, when the Hierarchy killed his family, 17-year-old Vis Solum had to hide in their Republic, bury his rage, and pretend to support the population’s enslavement in order to survive. The Hierarchy is built on Will—a person’s mental and physical energy—ceded by the low to those above them, and then again, all the way to the top of the three pyramids of leadership: Military, Governance, and Religion. Will powers carts and carriages, keeps vaults locked, and gives Will-users inhuman abilities while sapping ceders of their health and life span. So far, Vis has managed to refuse the ritual to cede his Will. Now, he has little more than a year before he legally has to cede or have his Will drained by Sappers. When Senator Quintus Ulciscor Telimus offers Vis the chance to escape ceding for at least another year, and perhaps never do it at all, Vis agrees. The man officially adopts him so he can attend the Catenan Academy, where all students are tested and prepared for the highest Hierarchy positions. If Vis dominates at the Academy, he can choose a position where he doesn’t need to cede or receive Will at all, far away from the Hierarchy. In return, Vis must act as a spy to prove Religion is unearthing a dangerous weapon. Then, when Vis is blackmailed to act as a double agent, everything changes. In order to succeed, he must become one of those he so hates while keeping his true identity a secret. If he doesn’t, he’ll end up dead, or worse. This Roman-inspired fantasy starts slow but more than makes up for it soon enough. With the inevitable comparisons in mind, fans of Pierce Brown's Red Rising will enjoy this book, but it’s darker, deeper, and takes unexpected paths worth traveling. Trust that the author will get you there in the end.
A multilayered exploration of the complacent as complicit, all within a unique yet relatable magic system.Pub Date: May 23, 2023
ISBN: 9781982141172
Page Count: 688
Publisher: Saga/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Could this be a made-for-gifting book created to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Clarke’s phenomenal debut?
A much-loved author shares a tale for Christmastime.
In an afterword, Clarke tells readers how this story began as a BBC Radio 4 broadcast. Or, rather, she explains how her father’s neurodivergence, her beliefs about the consciousness of trees, and the music of Kate Bush begat a tale in which a young woman sees her future during a walk in a snowy forest. The author also explains how she was certain that Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (2004) contained a footnote describing the city where her protagonist lives, but that it’s gone now—probably removed by a fairy “for reasons of his or her own.” It’s laudable that Clarke wants her readers to experience the narrative without preamble, but this backstory reveals her charms as a writer in a way that the story itself does not. Our heroine, Merowdis Scot, feels most at home in the woods and most herself in the company of animals. Even her sister, Ysolde—who comes closer than anyone to understanding her—is no substitute for Merowdis’ pig, her dogs, her many cats, or the spiders that weave their webs undisturbed in her room. Merowdis is taking a winter walk in the company of a trio of her four-legged companions when she encounters a fox and a blackbird and tells the wood of her desire for a child—a “midwinter child…A child to bring light into the darkness.” Given that Merowdis can’t imagine marrying and, given her ease with animals and unease around people, her wish will require a miracle that’s very different from the miracle found in the Christmas story. Once Merowdis sees her fate, this tale takes on some of the uncanny truth of folklore. Getting to this point, though, means connecting with an “unconventional” heroine who is both familiar and unexceptional in both children’s lit and books for grownups.
Could this be a made-for-gifting book created to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Clarke’s phenomenal debut?Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2024
ISBN: 9781639734481
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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