I really enjoyed this retelling of the Robin Hood legend from Marian's point of view. The novel seems well-grounded historically while still giving us a fun and exciting story. The author, Elsa Watson, portrays Marian as a smart, strong, and progressive character, quite different from how she is usually portrayed.
Marian is an orphaned noblewoman who is married off at the age of 5 to an equally young nobleman. When he dies mysteriously before they've had a chance at consummation, the marriage is annulled and Marion goes home to await her fate - sure to be another arranged marriage. But Marian isn't going to give in so easily this time, so she goes in search of the legendary Robin Hood, in the hopes he can help her find out what Queen Eleanor plans for her, by stealing the royal mail from the messenger traveling through Sherwood Forest. And so begins a great romance and a series of great adventures.
Marian and Robin are both super likeable and interesting characters. It probably speaks to the author's sensibilities that the nobles are almost entirely unlikeable while the commoners are good, kind, and warm people. At any rate, this was an enjoyable read and I highly recommend it.
Maid Marian
No comments:
Post a Comment