Author: Stephen R. Lawhead
Series: King Raven #1
I just finished reading this one, and it was not what I expected, nor did I expect to enjoy it as much as I did.
Hood is the first in a trilogy that is a retelling of Robin Hood -- but rather than in Sherwood Forest, it's set in the dark forest of medieval Wales and chock full of British political intrigue. I've always been a fan of the Robin Hood story (come on, who didn't love the singing-animals Disney movie of it?), but I wasn't sure what to make of the Welsh names and mythology.
But any wariness I had was swept away in the story. I enjoyed recognizing the various reincarnations of the traditional Robin Hood characters (Bran as Robin, Iwan as the Welsh form of John, so Little John, and of course Merian), but I also got sucked into this as a story all its own. There are parallels to Robin Hood, definitely, but it isn't a direct retelling. It's more a "reimagining."
There were places where the writing felt a little forced, but the story makes up for it. It's a decidedly dense novel (took me several days to read it), but that's because it is packed with Welsh lore and adventure.
Hood probably isn't for just anyone, but if you're a fan of the Robin Hood story and/or medieval stories and/or adventure, you should give this one a try.
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