I rated this Robin Hood feminist retelling a 4.6/5 stars. I believe it’s a standalone but would read more from this author.
Here are my thoughts while reading:
Chapter one is full of urgency with Isabelle in custody and freed from her mother who holds tons of secrets in her pocket. She is told to flee but her mother won’t tell her why. More and more tidbits of secrets are barely revealed which makes for an intriguing read but a little frustrating since mom had at least two minutes to fill her in a little bit. Now Isabelle is on the run from the only place she has called home. And she’s alone. And confused.
I’m having a harder time reading third person narrative these days. The prose often feel somewhat removed like I’m floating in a bubble above the story instead of living and breathing with the characters. But this is already fast paced, so I’m excited.
Page 17 is great and gets right to the point when we learn so early on that Isabelle (16 years old) is Robin Hood’s daughter. But why would the king want to be after her?
After chapter 4 I’m hoping there is romance with Adam. But I kind of wish she had a little experience with boys in her past because if she falls for him, it’ll basically be falling for the first male she ever has access to.
Sidenote: I’m already super interested in Sherwood Forest and the unique way of entering it. Also, the Sisters and the Merry Men are great side characters so far.
I love that Isabelle is fighting for her place among the Merry Men. I also appreciate that some answers are revealed quickly instead of being drawn out too long.
I like how the dialogue flows so smoothly and the natural camaraderie she has already found among her new friends. After chapter 10 I’m hoping she’s not on the run the whole time and can take control of her situation soon. Is Robin Hood and Robert of Huntingdon the same person?
I love the terrible predicament that the Wolf has put her in to make the choice between two horrible options. The forced proximity trope on the horse was done excellently. I’m questioning why it matters that she’s keeping her parents identity a secret from her new friends?
I don’t think that their choice of the disguise role to put her in is written as “easy, loose, dumb, & submissive.” Why does that have to be the go-to?
At the halfway point I’m loving the momentum of the plot. Robin is finally shown on the page and his humor is hilarious. He reminds me of Captain Jack Sparrow.
I barely took notes between the midpoint and end. This had a very satisfying ending. The author makes writing look easy, which would be the biggest compliment I could receive if given to me. The story was so fluid and I loved almost every moment
Cassie Swindon 