When I was a child, the one thing I dreamed about was to somehow be dragged back in time to end up in the late 12th century, there to serve King Richard as his page. Sort of an impossible dream – especially given my gender—but there you are. During childhood, King Richard was my hero, his brother, King John, the anti-hero. And anyone fighting John was my guy, hence an early and lifelong fondness for Robin Hood.
I believe Ms Newcombe shares that fondness, how else to explain just how elegantly she has recreated the Robin Hood legend around the characters that first saw the light in the day in her excellent trilogy featuring King Richard, his loyal knights Henry and Stephan, and their adventures all the way to the Holy Land and back again. (Warmly recommended, dear peeps. Men of the Cross is a read that stays with you)
In Ms Newcombe’s Rogue, Robin Hood is actually Allan of the Hood. The Hood is the name of the gang of outlaws presently living in the Sherwood forest, most of them men who have King John to blame for their misfortune. Their leader, Allan, ends up in serious trouble when an ambush goes wrong and he is captured by the crowing Sheriff of Nottingham, Philip Marc. Fortunately for Allan, among the sheriff’s men is one Robert FitzWilliam, son of Robin, previous very loyal servant of King Richard and detested by King John.
Robert wants nothing to do with his father—he carries a chip the size of a boulder on his shoulder vis-à-vis Robin for abandoning Robert’s mother, Marion, when she was very young and pregnant. Not that Robin knew she was with child, but Robert has held on to the anger against his father for so long he cannot forgive, despite knowing his mother has been happy with Robin for the last twenty years. I liked how Ms Newcomb added this very human and relatable angle to her story: throughout Rogue, Robert battles with his feelings for his father—and mother. Further to this, deep inside Robert knows just how cruel and vindictive John can be—he has been the weapon John has used to destroy his enemies.
When confronted with Allan—and the fact that this lifelong friend of his father will hang unless Robert takes action—Robert’s conscience stirs awake. He detests these little whispers in his head, but he cannot ignore them, and soon enough our Robert is not only embroiled in the Hood’s machinations to free Allan, but also comes face to face with his father for the first time in over a decade. Ends somewhat. . . err . . .violently.
The backdrop to Rogue is the chaos of 1216. After reneging on the Magna Charta late in 1215, King John finds himself facing a major rebellion. The rebel barons go one step further and invite Louis of France to take the throne, so added to the barons, there is a French army on the rampage, and to really make this an all-inclusive experience, Alexander of Scotland decides to join in the fun, attacking John from the north. For the people of England, all of this spells misery and fear. The various armies trample across their lands, steal with impunity, and leave them destitute and in constant fear.
All of this trickles into Ms Newcomb’s story, a little scene here, a mention there, rooting the narrative in the past. Add to this all the casually inserted details regarding life in the early 13th century, the beautiful depictions of the landscape—Sherwood especially—and Ms Newcomb has crafted an immersive, extremely well-plotted story.
How things end for Allan and his gang I will not reveal. But I am happy (?) to note that King John is still alive by the end of Rogue, which I take as a promise for a future book in which the Hood and all the men associated with it finally—finally!—get to deliver a killing blow to the man who took so much from them.
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Tales of Robin Hood, Mayhap
The book is well-researched. The characters are either lovable or ones you love to hate. They are palpable, vivid, and well-developed in a way that makes you feel you are part of the story.Themes of friendship, loyalty, and following one’s heart run throughout the book. Do you have at least one loyal friend who would come when you ask to do anything for you? Allan does, and that one friend is Robin.The main character in the story is not Robin, but Sir Robert, a Knight and son of Robin. Robert is torn between duty and loyalty to his family and friends. Can he turn a blind eye when he falls in love with a young woman who has made it known that she is a supporter of the Hood?The words Tales of Robin Hood on the front of the book are deceiving, unless the author plans to write more books and make this a series. The reason it is deceiving is Robin is not an outlaw nor is he part of the Hood. If the author, however, is planning to make Tales of Robin Hood a series, then she has set a perfect scene for more tales to appear from Sherwood Forest.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2023
The book is well-researched. The characters are either lovable or ones you love to hate. They are palpable, vivid, and well-developed in a way that makes you feel you are part of the story.
Themes of friendship, loyalty, and following one’s heart run throughout the book. Do you have at least one loyal friend who would come when you ask to do anything for you? Allan does, and that one friend is Robin.
The main character in the story is not Robin, but Sir Robert, a Knight and son of Robin. Robert is torn between duty and loyalty to his family and friends. Can he turn a blind eye when he falls in love with a young woman who has made it known that she is a supporter of the Hood?
The words Tales of Robin Hood on the front of the book are deceiving, unless the author plans to write more books and make this a series. The reason it is deceiving is Robin is not an outlaw nor is he part of the Hood. If the author, however, is planning to make Tales of Robin Hood a series, then she has set a perfect scene for more tales to appear from Sherwood Forest.
Themes of friendship, loyalty, and following one’s heart run throughout the book. Do you have at least one loyal friend who would come when you ask to do anything for you? Allan does, and that one friend is Robin.
The main character in the story is not Robin, but Sir Robert, a Knight and son of Robin. Robert is torn between duty and loyalty to his family and friends. Can he turn a blind eye when he falls in love with a young woman who has made it known that she is a supporter of the Hood?
The words Tales of Robin Hood on the front of the book are deceiving, unless the author plans to write more books and make this a series. The reason it is deceiving is Robin is not an outlaw nor is he part of the Hood. If the author, however, is planning to make Tales of Robin Hood a series, then she has set a perfect scene for more tales to appear from Sherwood Forest.
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Top reviews from other countries
Alison Morton
Very enjoyable retelling of a famous legend, but from an imaginative angle
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 22, 2023Avid Reader
Robin Hood Adaptation with a Difference..
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 5, 2023