Sherwood Review

Synopsis from Edelweiss:

The Lady becomes the Legend in this gender-bending, action-packed, and highly romantic retelling of Robin Hood by the New York Times bestselling author of Hunted, Meagan Spooner.

Robin of Locksley is dead.

Maid Marian doesn’t know how she’ll go on, but the people of Locksley town, persecuted by the Sheriff of Nottingham, need a protector. And the dreadful Guy of Gisborne, the Sheriff’s right hand, wishes to step into Robin’s shoes as Lord of Locksley and Marian’s fiancé.

Who is there to stop them?

Marian never meant to tread in Robin’s footsteps—never intended to stand as a beacon of hope to those awaiting his triumphant return. But with a sweep of his green cloak and the flash of her sword, Marian makes the choice to become her own hero—Robin Hood.

Perfect for fans of Queen of Hearts, Dorothy Must Die, and other turned-on-their-heads retellings, Sherwood is the empowering feminist-hero story for which today’s readers are begging.

About: Sherwood is a young adult retelling written by Meagan Spooner. It will be published on 3/19/2019 by HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins, 496 pages. The genres are young adult, fairytales, retelling, fantasy, and fiction. Meagan published many books of which I have read Hunted and loved it. Please see below for more information about the author.

My Experience: I started reading Sherwood on 9/3/2018 and finished it on 9/15/2018. This book is a great read. The main character, Marian is more of a tomboy. She likes to carry a sword and practice archery instead of doing the duty and expectation of a lady. She takes matter into her own hands when she finds out someone is in danger. I like how Marian weighs the pros and cons to being a man. It’s interesting to learn about what noblewoman is all about back in the days. I like that this story include Robin’s views because it makes up for the lack of romance from Marian’s POV, in the beginning anyway. Robin’s view is sweet and I devour every word.

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

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

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

Con: none

I rate it 5 stars!

Buy it here for free shipping: Book Depository

About the Author:

New York Times bestselling author Meagan Spooner grew up reading and writing every spare moment of the day while dreaming about life as an archaeologist, a marine biologist, an astronaut. She graduated from Hamilton College in New York with a degree in playwriting. She’s traveled all over the world to places like Egypt, Australia, South Africa, the Arctic, Greece, Antarctica, and the Galápagos, and there’s a bit of every trip in every story she writes. She currently lives and writes in Asheville, NC, but the siren call of travel is hard to resist, and there’s no telling how long she’ll stay there. She’s the author of the award-winning Starbound Trilogy (These Broken Stars, This Shattered World, Their Fractured Light) and the Skylark Trilogy (Skylark, Shadowlark, Lark Ascending) as well as the “Beauty and the Beast” retelling Hunted. In her spare time she plays guitar, plays video games, plays with her cat, and reads. You can visit her online at http://www.meaganspooner.com (Photo obtained from the author’s website and info obtained from Edelweiss).

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

xoxo,
Jasmine