Heirs of Locksley

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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“Well,” Marian said calmly. “Perhaps they found an adventure.”

“Marian, they were supposed to be nothing like me. They were supposed to be sensible and quiet and not at all prone to adventures.”

“Hmm,” she said, refusing to state any opinion about what Robin’s children were meant to be like. If they were wild, she’d blame Sherwood Forest before she blamed Robin. Something about that place got into one’s bones and made one rash.

WHAT'S THE HEIRS OF LOCKSLEY ABOUT?
It's about four years after the events of The Ghosts of Sherwood , King John is dead and the Locksley's are at the coronation of his son, King Henry III.

Robin pushes his son John into taking care of show more some of the courtly duties as his heir (also, he's the Locksley without any political baggage). His sisters accompany him to meet the new king, one thing leads to another, and Henry calls for an archery competition to see them at work.

The Locksleys being the Locksleys, trouble follows them—some comes at the competition, some comes later. Basically (like their father), the children go looking for fun, and adventure ensues—maybe it is Sherwood's fault.

"So what did you think would happen, coming here? Knowing who their father is?”

[Redacted] was trapped. He had the look of a hound who had cornered a boar all by himself and then didn’t know what to do with it. “Those . . . They’re just stories. You aren’t him, not really.”

“No, of course not. That man lived a long time ago,” Robin murmured. “I am much angrier right now than he ever was.”

You can just see the glint in his eye as he said that...(and the way he laughed about that line when

SO WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT THE HEIRS OF LOCKSLEY?
Like its predecessor, this is a quick read. A fun read—it feels like one more entry in a long-running series, not just the second. We've only got to spend roughly 250 pages with these three and they already feel like old friends.

Vaughn tapped into something here and I'm so glad she did. In the afterword, she writes:

What makes a good Robin Hood story?

Adventure. Charm. Good people we like looking out for each other— it’s not enough to have a story about Robin Hood. He needs all his friends around him, and they need to be witty and skilled and admirable. Archery, of course we need archery. Clint Barton and Katniss Everdeen insist that we still need archery even in this modern day. And Robin needs to help people. He needs to denounce corruption and tyranny. He rebels and resists.

From where I sit, that's exactly what Vaughn delivered. Most modern retellings (on-screen or in print) seem to miss the charm and witty parts in the gritty reboots—but Vaughn kept them.

I know it's a duology, but I'd buy more—either the further adventures of the heirs or if she wanted to go back and tell some of Robin's adventures. show less

Carrie Vaughn has written an engaging tale following up her Ghosts of Sherwood. The Locksley siblings are nearly adults and Mary, especially, since she is looking towards marriage but has yet to meet the intended bridegroom. The story tells an exciting adventure and the young Henry III was a nice character to meet.

I was disappointed in the final closing sentences. It was not adroitly conveyed ~ more like a door slamming shut. Considering this ending from the point of view of this genre's young audience, how strange that the editor(s) didn't convince the author to modify such harsh final sentences (if in fact they even recognized the clumsy dénouement).

This takes place four years after The Ghosts of Sherwood. When Robin and Marian’s three (nearly grown) children attend the coronation of young King Henry III, sixteen year old John sees not a king but a boy in need of friends.

This novella is satisfyingly full of the things one expects from a Robin Hood story -- archery contests, political plots, midnight escapades, camaraderie, and a dash of romance. I loved the siblings’ interactions, and the poignant awareness that becoming grown up will bring unavoidable changes to their relationships.

On one hand, Marian was furious that the children would be so foolish to go out in a strange place at night. On the other, perhaps the young king might like a bit of harmless mischief? How much show more trouble could they really get into with that very well-guarded young man in tow?
“Well,” Marian said calmly. “Perhaps they found an adventure.”
“Marian, they were supposed to be nothing like me. They were supposed to be sensible and quiet and not at all prone to adventures.”
“Hmm,” she said, refusing to state any opinion about what Robin’s children were meant to be like. If they were wild, she’d blame Sherwood Forest before she blamed Robin. Something about that place got into one’s bones and made one rash. show less

King John is dead and thirteen-year-old Henry III has ascended the British throne surrounded by advisors and sycophants. When the nobility is to be introduced to the new king, Robin of Locksley aka Robin Hood suggests to his children, especially his son, John, that they go in his stead as Henry might need a friend, someone close to his age who wants nothing from him. Henry is immediately fascinated by the three having heard all the legends about their father. When he admits wistfully that he has never climbed a tree, John decides to sneak him out of the palace for a night of mischief, a vey dangerous plan since the discovery of it could be construed as kidnapping. Worse, as they sit high up in a tree, they overhear what may be a murder show more and a possible plot against an adviser of the king.

The Heirs of Locksley is based on the legendary character of Robin Hood, or to be more precise, his children, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's very short, really a novella, and it's well written with a fair bit of action and palace intrigue to keep the story moving. The three Locksley children are very likeable as is Henry. I had not realized this was the second in a series but it worked fine as a standalone.

I do, however, have to say that the length of the story worked both as a plus and a minus here. It felt that many of the plot points lacked both purpose or closure. They added little to the story and just seemed to be included here to, for example, allow the introduction of another character. Perhaps they'll be addressed in a future book but, here, they felt out of place. That aside, however, I would recommend it to any young reader (10+) who is looking for a quick read with likeable characters, lots of action but little violence.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review show less

Short, enjoyable novella continuing the adventures of Robin of Locksley's children. King John has died, and his 13-year-old son is being crowned. Robin instructs his son John to make friends with Henry, which leads to danger and changes for all of them.

Recommended, but read The Ghosts of Sherwood first (it's equally short).

Really fun story about Robin's kids at King Henrys court. I loved the authors note were she stated that all the stories about Robin Hood are fan fiction, from the very first till now. If that's true then I need to read more fan fic because I just love the stories about Robin, his family and followers along with the setting.