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Robin Hood: The Legend Begins Anew For centuries, the legend of Robin Hood and his band of thieves has captivated the imagination. Now the familiar tale takes on new life, fresh meaning, and an unexpected setting. Hunted like an animal by Norman invaders, Bran ap Brychan, heir to the throne of Elfael, has abandoned his father's kingdom and fled to the greenwood. There, in a primeval forest of the Welsh borders, danger surrounds him-for this woodland is a living, breathing entity with show more mysterious powers and secrets, and Bran must find a way to make it his own if he is to survive. Steeped in Celtic mythology and the political intrigue of medieval Britain, Stephen R. Lawhead conjures up an ancient past and holds a mirror to contemporary realities. Prepare yourself for an epic tale that dares to shatter everything you thought you knew about Robin Hood. show lessTags
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After two years of picking this book up off of bookstore shelves, declaring that I really, really wanted this, and then unexplainably replacing the book on the shelf, I broke down and ordered it from Amazon. Upon receiving this lovely book, I promptly devoured it in two days.
I almost gave it up in the first eighty pages. I'll speak the truth. It just didn't catch my attention like I'd hoped it would. However, upon hitting page ninety, I forgot to look up until it was nearly midnight and I'd turned to page 250. It was that absorbing and wonderful.
It's a lovely book, and much like Lawhead's Albion Trilogy, it gave me lovely visuals of deep, dark woods where much is of the unknown.
The themes are obvious: human greed with enough never show more being enough. It also puts into question the debacle of history's kings, namely William II of England in this novel, all spouting on Divine Right. How is it Divine Right when there is so much human cruelty and bloodshed that goes with the territory? How does God approve of that when before the notion of Divine Right the people of Wales worked the lands and tithed properly and kept away from much of the trouble in the neighboring country of England?
That in itself is what I got out of the book. You may just see it as a dashing tale full of action and suspense. It's a good book, a wonderful, stupendous, phenomonal book, and I'd suggest it to anyone who wants their love of history and fantasy especially to meld together in one great story. show less
I almost gave it up in the first eighty pages. I'll speak the truth. It just didn't catch my attention like I'd hoped it would. However, upon hitting page ninety, I forgot to look up until it was nearly midnight and I'd turned to page 250. It was that absorbing and wonderful.
It's a lovely book, and much like Lawhead's Albion Trilogy, it gave me lovely visuals of deep, dark woods where much is of the unknown.
The themes are obvious: human greed with enough never show more being enough. It also puts into question the debacle of history's kings, namely William II of England in this novel, all spouting on Divine Right. How is it Divine Right when there is so much human cruelty and bloodshed that goes with the territory? How does God approve of that when before the notion of Divine Right the people of Wales worked the lands and tithed properly and kept away from much of the trouble in the neighboring country of England?
That in itself is what I got out of the book. You may just see it as a dashing tale full of action and suspense. It's a good book, a wonderful, stupendous, phenomonal book, and I'd suggest it to anyone who wants their love of history and fantasy especially to meld together in one great story. show less
Finally, a Lawhead book that lives up to his reputation. In Hood, the first book in the King Raven trilogy, Robin Hood is reimagined as Bran, a prince of one of the Welsh districts whose father was just killed by the Normans. He has been driven from his castle and the adventure begins. Lawhead mixes character filled with Religious complexity seeking to question how do we skirt the line between following our faith and the law. Where do we obey and where do we have to stand our ground and disobey the law? Tough questions with no easy answers, which is why I'm grateful Lawhead displays Bran with good and bad traits out in the open.
We all know the familiar legend of Robin Hood who hangs out in Sherwood forest and steals from the rich to give to the poor. But what if the legends of Robin Hood were really based on a Welsh king who was deposed from his throne by the Norman conquest in the early 1100's? That's the premise behind Hood, and the author's ability to capture the time period and its myth and lore make this adaptation outstanding.
Our hero doesn't start out as such--Bran ap Brychan is a son of royalty who hates his father and isn't interested in the responsiblities of being king. Even the cruel death of his father at the hand of the Normans doesn't convince him that he should stay and fight for his people. Bran's gradual--almost too gradual at times-- show more transformation into what we know as Robin Hood is a pleasure to read. It's one of those stories where suddenly you recognize a familiar character and think, "Ah, this must be Friar Tuck". Yes, most all of the familiar Robin Hood characters are here, including Maid Marian, but in this different setting and time period they might not be quite the people we are used to, which is was all part of the enjoyment to me. Lawhead creates vivid characters, for example through the musings of the "villians" we see how the doctrine of "divine right" is used to justify their brutal conquests--but not always without some misgivings. For me this was the almost perfect blend of heart racing suspense, intriguing characters, and thought provoking prose. It also ends somewhat abrubtly with a doozy of cliffhanger, and of course we now have to wait for the second book of the trilogy to come out. It can't get here soon enough. show less
Our hero doesn't start out as such--Bran ap Brychan is a son of royalty who hates his father and isn't interested in the responsiblities of being king. Even the cruel death of his father at the hand of the Normans doesn't convince him that he should stay and fight for his people. Bran's gradual--almost too gradual at times-- show more transformation into what we know as Robin Hood is a pleasure to read. It's one of those stories where suddenly you recognize a familiar character and think, "Ah, this must be Friar Tuck". Yes, most all of the familiar Robin Hood characters are here, including Maid Marian, but in this different setting and time period they might not be quite the people we are used to, which is was all part of the enjoyment to me. Lawhead creates vivid characters, for example through the musings of the "villians" we see how the doctrine of "divine right" is used to justify their brutal conquests--but not always without some misgivings. For me this was the almost perfect blend of heart racing suspense, intriguing characters, and thought provoking prose. It also ends somewhat abrubtly with a doozy of cliffhanger, and of course we now have to wait for the second book of the trilogy to come out. It can't get here soon enough. show less
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
Hood is the first novel in Stephen Lawhead's latest series, the King Raven Trilogy, which is a historical fantasy based on the Robin Hood legend. Lawhead places his story in Wales after the conquest of Britain by the Normans and during the reign of William the Red. (If that sounds a bit odd, Mr. Lawhead gives several convincing reasons for this at the end of the book -- you might want to read that first.)
The Normans are encroaching into Wales, confiscating land, and generally mistreating the Welsh. Bran, a prince of one of the Welsh districts whose father was just killed by the Normans, has been driven from his castle. His people think him dead and have no hope for regaining their former way of show more life. Not that Bran, an irresponsible womanizing rogue, would have been considered a potential savior anyway, but after the Normans injure him severely, Bran is rescued and nursed back to health by a strange spiritual leader who recognizes his potential. Bran comes a long way (without losing his personality), but things are still unsettled at the end of the book.
Stephen Lawhead's writing and story-telling abilities have steadily improved over the years. I found his Pendragon series tough to stick with (although that was partly due to having read too much Arthurian legend, perhaps), but the Albion series was quite good. This latest book, however, shows that Mr. Lawhead has been steadily honing his story-telling skills to perfection. The writing was perfectly clear and lively, the descriptions aptly set the scenes, the plot was quick and entertaining, and the dialogue was rich and realistic. Lawhead is well-known for performing extensive research before he writes, and it shows in this novel. I really felt like I was back in 11th century Wales!
I've always enjoyed Lawhead's complex characters. In Hood, Bran is the "reluctant hero," but somehow he doesn't come across as a stereotype -- perhaps because we clearly see his flaws as he flies into rages, remorselessly kills people who get in his way, and forgets to pine over the woman he said he loves. Some of the most intriguing characters are the several religious leaders who represent the Catholic Church. Some are devout, some are corrupt, and Lawhead deftly uses their points of view to show us that being religious does not make a person good. There are good religious people, and there are bad people who use religious institutions to bring glory (and riches) to themselves instead of to God. Furthermore, through the points of view of the religious people, we see that there are many gray moral areas. For example, God loves truth, but is it right to tell a lie when the truth would cause innocent people to be harmed? God loves justice and mercy, so should we obey or disobey an unjust ruler? Lawhead never asks us these questions directly, and he certainly never answers them for us, but they are there for the discerning reader to contemplate.
I listened to Hood in audiobook format. Despite some unconvincing accents and a few mispronunciations, the reading was good. The reader was enthusiastic, well-paced, and had a generally pleasant voice. This was a good format for this novel, and I recommend it.
Read more Stephen Lawhead book reviews at Fantasy literature. show less
Hood is the first novel in Stephen Lawhead's latest series, the King Raven Trilogy, which is a historical fantasy based on the Robin Hood legend. Lawhead places his story in Wales after the conquest of Britain by the Normans and during the reign of William the Red. (If that sounds a bit odd, Mr. Lawhead gives several convincing reasons for this at the end of the book -- you might want to read that first.)
The Normans are encroaching into Wales, confiscating land, and generally mistreating the Welsh. Bran, a prince of one of the Welsh districts whose father was just killed by the Normans, has been driven from his castle. His people think him dead and have no hope for regaining their former way of show more life. Not that Bran, an irresponsible womanizing rogue, would have been considered a potential savior anyway, but after the Normans injure him severely, Bran is rescued and nursed back to health by a strange spiritual leader who recognizes his potential. Bran comes a long way (without losing his personality), but things are still unsettled at the end of the book.
Stephen Lawhead's writing and story-telling abilities have steadily improved over the years. I found his Pendragon series tough to stick with (although that was partly due to having read too much Arthurian legend, perhaps), but the Albion series was quite good. This latest book, however, shows that Mr. Lawhead has been steadily honing his story-telling skills to perfection. The writing was perfectly clear and lively, the descriptions aptly set the scenes, the plot was quick and entertaining, and the dialogue was rich and realistic. Lawhead is well-known for performing extensive research before he writes, and it shows in this novel. I really felt like I was back in 11th century Wales!
I've always enjoyed Lawhead's complex characters. In Hood, Bran is the "reluctant hero," but somehow he doesn't come across as a stereotype -- perhaps because we clearly see his flaws as he flies into rages, remorselessly kills people who get in his way, and forgets to pine over the woman he said he loves. Some of the most intriguing characters are the several religious leaders who represent the Catholic Church. Some are devout, some are corrupt, and Lawhead deftly uses their points of view to show us that being religious does not make a person good. There are good religious people, and there are bad people who use religious institutions to bring glory (and riches) to themselves instead of to God. Furthermore, through the points of view of the religious people, we see that there are many gray moral areas. For example, God loves truth, but is it right to tell a lie when the truth would cause innocent people to be harmed? God loves justice and mercy, so should we obey or disobey an unjust ruler? Lawhead never asks us these questions directly, and he certainly never answers them for us, but they are there for the discerning reader to contemplate.
I listened to Hood in audiobook format. Despite some unconvincing accents and a few mispronunciations, the reading was good. The reader was enthusiastic, well-paced, and had a generally pleasant voice. This was a good format for this novel, and I recommend it.
Read more Stephen Lawhead book reviews at Fantasy literature. show less
I don't know what it is, but I have never been able to enjoy Stephen Lawhead's books. And I really want to. He writes fantasy and historical fiction, two of my favorite genres. I'm fairly certain he professes to be a Christian. He is a commercially successful author whose works are enjoyed by readers with tastes similar to mine. Why can't I like his novels?
I tried. I really tried. I read 87 pages of Hood before the writing got me. I noticed a woodenness to Lawhead's style years ago and was turned off enough to not pursue any more of his books. But I always wondered if I was a bit hasty in that judgment. I've been on a Robin Hood kick lately, so I thought I would use that momentum to give Lawhead another try. With a cool cover and show more interesting premise (Robin Hood, Welshified), it would surely be an improvement on former titles. Unfortunately, no.
What really decided me was the contrast between Hood and the last book I finished, Robin McKinley's superb and utterly believable Outlaws of Sherwood. By comparison, Lawhead's characters are boring and his narrative tells rather than shows. And I couldn't get over the feeling that my precious reading time could be much better spent. I'm glad others can enjoy Lawhead's novels, but apparently they aren't for me. show less
I tried. I really tried. I read 87 pages of Hood before the writing got me. I noticed a woodenness to Lawhead's style years ago and was turned off enough to not pursue any more of his books. But I always wondered if I was a bit hasty in that judgment. I've been on a Robin Hood kick lately, so I thought I would use that momentum to give Lawhead another try. With a cool cover and show more interesting premise (Robin Hood, Welshified), it would surely be an improvement on former titles. Unfortunately, no.
What really decided me was the contrast between Hood and the last book I finished, Robin McKinley's superb and utterly believable Outlaws of Sherwood. By comparison, Lawhead's characters are boring and his narrative tells rather than shows. And I couldn't get over the feeling that my precious reading time could be much better spent. I'm glad others can enjoy Lawhead's novels, but apparently they aren't for me. show less
Stephen Lawhead gives a convincing argument for placing Robin Hood in Welsh country, as opposed to the much more familiar Sherwood Forest. I've been drawn to Welsh history ever since I watched Sir Derek Jacobi play a medieval monk in the Cadfael mystery series, so Robin Hood's relocation to that time and place was a lot of fun for me.
In this story, Robin Hood actually goes by the name Bran. He's the reckless and self-serving son of an angry Welsh King, whose lands are about to be invaded by murderous, yet extremely religious Norman conquerors. With his father soon dead, Bran, Iwan (Little John), and many of their people flee to the forest for safety. As more Welsh kingdoms fall to the Normans, Bran struggles to find his destiny, show more especially as his own plans don't always coincide with the well-being of his people.
Did I find the story suspenseful? Let me answer that with another question: Was I blissfully exhausted after realizing I'd stayed up till 4am to finish the novel last night? The answer is a resounding "yes!" After really getting to know each of the major characters I was happily drawn into the drama.
The plot moved along a little slowly for part of the novel, but what was sacrificed was made up in character development. I was happy with it. And besides, there was plenty of action throughout to keep the overall story riveting. I also truly love Lawhead's descriptions in this story, especially of the landscape, the lifestyle, and the action scenes. At some points his writing seemed exquisite to me. Love love love!
I loved "Hood" and I highly recommend it. Definitely worth 5 out of 5 stars. And I can't wait to read book two in the series: "Scarlet." show less
In this story, Robin Hood actually goes by the name Bran. He's the reckless and self-serving son of an angry Welsh King, whose lands are about to be invaded by murderous, yet extremely religious Norman conquerors. With his father soon dead, Bran, Iwan (Little John), and many of their people flee to the forest for safety. As more Welsh kingdoms fall to the Normans, Bran struggles to find his destiny, show more especially as his own plans don't always coincide with the well-being of his people.
Did I find the story suspenseful? Let me answer that with another question: Was I blissfully exhausted after realizing I'd stayed up till 4am to finish the novel last night? The answer is a resounding "yes!" After really getting to know each of the major characters I was happily drawn into the drama.
The plot moved along a little slowly for part of the novel, but what was sacrificed was made up in character development. I was happy with it. And besides, there was plenty of action throughout to keep the overall story riveting. I also truly love Lawhead's descriptions in this story, especially of the landscape, the lifestyle, and the action scenes. At some points his writing seemed exquisite to me. Love love love!
I loved "Hood" and I highly recommend it. Definitely worth 5 out of 5 stars. And I can't wait to read book two in the series: "Scarlet." show less
A little slow, but a very absorbing re-telling of the Robin Hood legend, re-locating everybody's favourite wealth-redistributor from 12th century Sherwood Forest to 11th century Wales, where Robin becomes Bran, heir to a small Welsh kingdom which has been usurped by the conquering Normans. Hood definitely reads like the first in a series - by the end of the book only a handful of the key characters - Robin, Little John, Marian, Guy of Gisbourne, Friar Tuck - are in play. But Lawhead uses this long set up to ground the legend in a viscerally real political reality, with a network of delicate alliances between various Welsh and Norman factions. I also love his more mystical side of the story , which comes here in the shape of Angharad the show more wily hudolion, or sorceress.
All the same, I wasn't pawing at the ground ready for King Raven Book Two...Then I made the mistake of looking it up on LibraryThing and discovering it's devoted to my beloved Will Scarlett, so that's another series bulking out my To Be Read pile, damn you, Lawhead... show less
All the same, I wasn't pawing at the ground ready for King Raven Book Two...Then I made the mistake of looking it up on LibraryThing and discovering it's devoted to my beloved Will Scarlett, so that's another series bulking out my To Be Read pile, damn you, Lawhead... show less
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Novelist Stephen R. Lawhead was born in July 2, 1950 in Kearney, Nebraska. He graduated from Kearney State College. He wrote his first novel, In the Hall of the Dragon King (1982) to try to support his family. This launched his literary career. Many of Lawhead's works are based on Celtic history and Arthurian legend. He has also written children's show more books, adapting many of them from stories he told his children. Lawhead's various series include Bright Empires, The Pendragon Cycle, and the King Raven Trilogy. The second book in the King Raven Trilogy, Scarlet, won a Christy Award in the category of Visionary Fiction. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- Canonical title
- Hood
- Original title
- Hood
- Original publication date
- 2006
- People/Characters
- Bran ap Brychan, Prince of Elfael; Aethelfrith, Tuck; Queen Rhian; Merian; Iwan; Count Falkes de Braose (show all 9); Baron Neufmarche; Angharad; Bishop Asaph
- Important places
- Wales, UK; Elfael
- Dedication
- This book is dedicated to the Schloss Mittersill Community with heartfelt thanks and gratitude for their understanding, encouragement and support.
- First words
- Prologue: The pig was young and wary, a yearling boar timidly testing the wind for strange scents as it ventured out into the honey-coloured light of a fast-fading day.
Chapter I: "Bran!" The shout rattled through the stone-flagged yard. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"And if it please you, heavenly Father," he whispered privately as the prayers of the monks swirled around him on clouds of incense, "may I live to see the day a true king takes the throne in Elfael once more."
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 813.54
- Canonical LCC
- PS3562.A865
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- Fiction and Literature, Fantasy, Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, General Fiction
- DDC/MDS
- 813.54 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American fiction in English 1900-1999 1945-1999
- LCC
- PS3562 .A865 — Language and Literature American literature American literature Individual authors 1961-
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