Hood (King Raven Trilogy, Book 1)

It's a dense read, but I like the approach of taking the Robin Hood tale and giving it the Welsh treatment as far as its timeline and weaving in of their lore. This story acts as a prequel of sorts, where the MC's father loses his territory to a sanctioned invasion by the English king. From there, Bran tries to stop the inevitable chain of events and, as a result, is forced to flee. This reads like a historical fiction novel with fantasy elements. I'm a sucker for Robin Hood retellings / reimaginations, so I plan to dive into the next installment soon.

Hood (King Raven Trilogy, Book 1) proves that Stephen Lawhead is still the master when it comes to history, fantasy, theology and again in this case all three. His Arthurian series is the best in that genre' ever done and now we have Robin Hood. No, not the Robin Hood in my father or grandfather's day. This is not the fantastic Errol Flynn going through the trees like Tarzan or even the more realistic Sean Connery portrayal. I would suggest that the reader might want to read the author's notes at the end first. That is if they expect this to be another of the same old-Same old taking place in Sherwood Forest with a Sheriff of Nottingham, a King John and King Richard. This story takes place earlier and the author explains why and it is set in Wales. The author does not doubt that there was a Robin Hood, even the noted English historian G. M. Trevelyan gave credence for the tale, though he calls it "half myth". Lawhead has a different take and as he did with King Arthur, he makes you believe. Several authors like Irene Radford, in her Merlin's Descendents series, have given us a Robin of Locksley as the real Robin Hood. Few of them have passed muster like the first stories we read as kids. You'll like this interpretation better. The time and setting in Wales is put forward with logic and you will believe that Bran ap Brychan is the basis for the Robin Hood legend, however he will not appear so at first. The young Bran is a prince who does not get along with his father and is considered a playboy. When his father's kingdom is taken over by the hated Normans he is nearly killed. This first book in the series is more about the maturing of a gifted young man and the people who surround him. Yes, there is a Little John and a Friar Tuck though they have other names before these are given. And of course a Maid Marian (Marien). However, there is no King John, Richard or sheriff as that would not fit the time and place. I do admit you will have to suspend your former beliefs about this legend, but you may certainly still cherish them as do I. This is a rip roaring good story with action and suspense and the reader, like myself, will be looking forward to the next in the series.

I was anticipating this book ever since I heard it went to auction with several publishers. I wasn't disappointed. Lawhead does such a supreme job of painting pictures for the reader that you are instantly swept up into the story. Some of his descriptions are scenes that I would turn away from in a movie, but that showed me just what a master he is at bringing readers into his fictional world. Like most people, before reading Hood I wondered why Wales and why not Sherwood Forest? Part of the answer became clear while I reading: the Normans were classic bad guys and the historical setting was fitting. The exact reasons were explained by the author in the back of the book. I also love Jeff Johnson and was pleased to discover that they joined up again (along with Brian Dunning) to produce music to go along with this book (details are in the back of the book.) If you're a Lawhead fan, you won't want to miss this one. Cindy Thomson, author of Brigid of Ireland

Stephen Lawhead is doing for Robin Hood what he did for King Arthur in The Pendragon Cycle. You have heard the legends, you have watched the movies, now you can see a realistic portrayal. It seems that Lawhead is at his best when talking about the Britons of Wales and in this book he takes Robin Hood and puts him in Wales in the 11th century. It works! In an afterward Stephen Lawhead explains his reasoning for this, but I just like that he is able tell a familiar story in a totally unique and different way. The story pulls you in right away, though it takes it a while to resemble the Robin Hood legends you have heard. The characters are real and even the villains are shown as real people and you even see them questioning their actions. I received the book about a week ago, devoured it, and it left me wanting more. Thankfully, this is the first book in a trilogy. What else can I say. This is Lawhead at his best. It is remeniscent of the Pendragon Cycle in that it is re-defining legends we already have heard, but it bases them in a real world that comes alive. It is remeniscent of "The Silver Hand" as the main character works from a hidden base, a place he lives with a group of followers. And, like the best of Lawhead, the spirituality doesn't beat you over the head but rather becomes a part of the fabric of the world you are reading about. I highly recommend this book.

Having read fifty or sixty nonfiction books already this year, I began to crave some lighter, easier reading. And, in a case of great timing, an Advance Reader Copy of Stephen Lawhead's Hood arrived in the mail just a few days ago. Lawhead, known for writing fantasy and historical fiction, has set his sights on the greatest of the English heroes, Robin Hood. But rather than simply retelling the oft-told story, he has re imagined Robin Hood and has attempted to arrive at the source for this great story. This is a "completely re-imagined epic of the man known as Robin Hood--told in a far more earthy, eerie and elemental way than ever before." In a lengthy appendix to the book, the author explains his belief that the story of Robin Hood may well have originated in Wales and provides ample proof that this just may be the case. And so it is that the story of Hood is set not in Sherwood Forest, as we might expect, but in the dense, primeval forests of Wales. The son of a minor Welsh king, Bran ap Brychan finds his world torn apart when his father and his father's army are massacred, leaving the young prince to ascend the throne. But, fearing for his life, Bran is forced to flee. He eventually wanders into the forest and establishes himself as king of those who have fled before him into the safety of the woods. He is a disturbed and flawed hero, but one who begins to grow into his legend as a hero who fought on behalf of the poor, displaced and persecuted. The usual cast of characters, Marian, Little John and Friar Tuck are all worked into the story, though once again, not in the way we've come to expect. The villains, also different from what we've seen in book and film, are well-crafted and not so evil that they are unbelievable. This novel, which is due for publication in September of this year, is very well-written and tells a very intriguing story. It is difficult to do justice to as well-known and enjoyable story as Robin Hood, but Lawhead does so successfully. To tell the truth, I can't think of the last time I enjoyed a novel as much as this one (though I'll have to admit that this may speak more to the quality and quantity of fiction I read than the quality of this particular book!). Still, I found Hood to be a fun, exciting take on a great story. And what's more, this is only the first novel in a series of three, so there will be much more to enjoy in the future. While I am glad to recommend Hood I feel it necessary to point out that the book should probably be considered PG. There is a very small amount of rough language (words such as "[...]" and a handful of French equivalents), a few hints toward sexual activity, though certainly nothing graphic or voyeuristic, and a fair bit of violence, though nothing too graphic. And, of course, Robin Hood could not be told without at least a few people being impaled with arrows. Still, this is probably not a version of Robin Hood one would want to read with the family. But again, I enjoyed it tremen