Meagan Spooner, Sherwood

This retelling of the Robin Hood legend focuses on the character of Maid Marian. When her fiancé Robin of Locksley dies on crusade, Marian sees it as her duty to protect the people of Locksley from the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham and his lieutenant, Sir Guy of Gisborne. When her maid Elena’s brother, Will Scarlet, is arrested for poaching, Marian is determined to save him, both for Elena’s sake and for Robin’s. But when she dresses in men’s clothing for her first rescue attempt, she is mistaken for Robin himself. The mistake gives Marian a daring idea: as a woman, she is almost powerless in society and cannot fight back against the corrupt laws that oppress her people. But as “Robin Hood,” she can actually make a difference. As her deception becomes more and more elaborate, she finds herself in increasing danger, especially from the enigmatic Gisborne. She also makes some hard choices as she learns how far she’ll go to protect her secret.

My all-time favorite version of the Robin Hood story is Robin McKinley’s The Outlaws of Sherwood. It’s just always felt true to me in a way that, say, the Errol Flynn movie (much as I enjoy it) doesn’t. To my surprise and delight, Sherwood gave me that same sense of truth from a very different perspective. This version of Marian is strong and independent, but while her heart is in the right place, she tends to act without thinking — a trait that usually irritates me, but it makes total sense for her character. And I love that she grows in this area throughout the novel, as she realizes that her impetuous actions sometimes have unforeseen consequences. Similarly, I love how this book gives some nuance to the Robin Hood legend: are his actions in robbing the rich to give to the poor always justified? Could he have worked within the law instead of deliberately flouting it? Finally, there’s a romance in this book that completely sneaked up on me, and I adored it. In short, I really loved this book; the moment I finished my library copy, I immediately bought one for myself! Highly recommended, especially if (like me) you also enjoyed Hunted.