Scarlet - A.C. Gaughen
Synopsis: Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance.
Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in. It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for. (From Goodreads)
I love Robin Hood. Have since I saw the Robin Hood cartoon movie. And honestly, I spent the first fifty pages of this book trying to imagine these characters as human, and not the Disney fox version. I was super excited for a new retelling and so I picked up this book the minute I could and then read it straight through. It was amazing! I absolutely adore A.C. Gaughen's version.
I was a little worried about halfway through that she was going to mangle some of the classic details of the Robin Hood tale. I mean, I'm all for re-tellings, re-imaginings - but I also believe that the bigger aspects of classic stories - their basic structures and important characters - should remain in tact. But my worries were for nothing. The melding of this new imagining with the classic story was flawless and shocking at the same time. I think I was kicking my feet with glee when I figured out the way she was making the classic aspects into twists.
Even better, A.C. Gaughen managed to infuse girl-power into a largely male tale. Not only that, but she made girl-power a part of history. Because no matter how I hear the Robin Hood tale now, there will always be this incredibly strong and powerful girl by his side. In her Author's Note, Gaughen talks about how she's sure that girls were a part of history, but they have been written out. It's perfectly plausible that there was a girl working with Robin.
And Robin - sigh. He's always been a beautiful, strong, man in my imagination (even despite the Mel Gibbson, Men in Tights version) - but ohhhh man. I love this Robin. And I adored Little John in this version. He's flawed, but he seems like so much fun. Gaughen captured the spirit of this band so well - their dynamics - the way they worked together and occasionally ruffled each other's feathers.
If you like Robin Hood, I definitely recommend this book. Gaughen nailed this re-telling perfectly. I'm impressed, awed, and in love.
Scarlet - A.C. Gaughen
Synopsis: Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance.
Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in. It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for. (From Goodreads)
I love Robin Hood. Have since I saw the Robin Hood cartoon movie. And honestly, I spent the first fifty pages of this book trying to imagine these characters as human, and not the Disney fox version. I was super excited for a new retelling and so I picked up this book the minute I could and then read it straight through. It was amazing! I absolutely adore A.C. Gaughen's version.
I was a little worried about halfway through that she was going to mangle some of the classic details of the Robin Hood tale. I mean, I'm all for re-tellings, re-imaginings - but I also believe that the bigger aspects of classic stories - their basic structures and important characters - should remain in tact. But my worries were for nothing. The melding of this new imagining with the classic story was flawless and shocking at the same time. I think I was kicking my feet with glee when I figured out the way she was making the classic aspects into twists.
Even better, A.C. Gaughen managed to infuse girl-power into a largely male tale. Not only that, but she made girl-power a part of history. Because no matter how I hear the Robin Hood tale now, there will always be this incredibly strong and powerful girl by his side. In her Author's Note, Gaughen talks about how she's sure that girls were a part of history, but they have been written out. It's perfectly plausible that there was a girl working with Robin.
And Robin - sigh. He's always been a beautiful, strong, man in my imagination (even despite the Mel Gibbson, Men in Tights version) - but ohhhh man. I love this Robin. And I adored Little John in this version. He's flawed, but he seems like so much fun. Gaughen captured the spirit of this band so well - their dynamics - the way they worked together and occasionally ruffled each other's feathers.
If you like Robin Hood, I definitely recommend this book. Gaughen nailed this re-telling perfectly. I'm impressed, awed, and in love.
