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"Immensely satisfying" --Kate Elliott, author of King's Dragon Someone is murdering the Merry Men . . . It's been a mostly quiet life since Robin Hood put aside his pregnant wife Marian, turned his back on his Merry Men and his former life and retreated to a monastery to repent his sins . . . although no one knows what was so heinous he would leave behind Sherwood Forest and those he loved most. But when friends from their outlaw days start dying, Father Tuck, now the Abbott of St Mary's, suspects a curse and begs Marian to use her magic to break it. A grieving Marian must bargain for protection for her children before she sets out with a soldier who's lost his faith, a trickster Fey lord, and a sullen Robin Hood, angry at being drawn back into the real world. It's not long before Marian finds herself enmeshed in a maze of secrets and betrayals, tangled relationships and a vicious struggle for the Fey throne. And if she can't find and stop the spell-caster, no protection in Sherwood Forest will be enough to save her children. A wonderful re-imagining of Robin Hood and Maid Marian, perfect for fans of Katherine Arden, Naomi Novik and Christina Henry. "Beautiful inside and out, gorgeously written and filled with bittersweet magic. A lush, immersive read, perfect for readers of Juliet Marillier" --Stephanie Burgis, author of Masks and Shadows… (more)
User reviews
The mythology of Robin Hood is twisted in delightfully fresh ways in Moyer's Brightfall. Picking up about a decade after the disbanding of the Merry Men, the book finds Maid Marian as a mother of twins and a competent witch. (Let me emphasis the
This version of Robin Hood is a jolt, no denying that. I think Robin, I think fun, charismatic, jovial. But this Robin feels realistic, sadly so, and Marian is as jolted by what has happened to Robin as the reader is. She never stops mourning the change in the man she once loved.
When word comes to Marian that the Merry Men and their families are being murdered, she must act. She's forced to partner up with Robin, neither of them happy about the arrangement, as she searches for clues about the killer's identity. As Robin has become a supreme jerk, I was concerned that the book might rekindle the romance with Robin--not so! The book wonderfully subverts that trope, as it does so many during the course of the the plot. Also, I loved that a fox character brings brightness to the novel; I'm not sure if that was intended as a nod to Disney's animated Robin Hood, but I relished it nevertheless.
This is truly a fun mash-up of historical fantasy and murder mystery. The familiar is made new and different, and the story brings constant surprises. I read through this incredibly fast--about half the book in a single setting--and I was sorry to see it end. There's a cozy feel to this world that left me yearning to settle into a cottage next door to Marian's and watch the fae frolic about Sherwood Forest.
This is basically an adventure story immersed in magic,extraordinary powers and a bit more magic. It has so much potential but it is a bit long winded. When Marian encounters yet another site of dark (or not) magic the details are so extensive that they interfere with the flow and the rhythm of the story which is a pity because it is really a good storyline. But nobody wants to skip passages because they are not always relevant or even very interesting.
That said,the flow picks up at the very end but leaves the reader with some serious questions. I could be wrong,but I think a follow up is a possibility...
So,all in all,good storyline,interesting characters but way,way too much descriptions and details.
An absolutely lovely book full of adventure, magic, and thwarted love and ambition. We see how life has treated Robin, Marian, and the Merry Men over the years, and it has not always been kind. Wonderful writing brings the medieval period, with its living magic, to full flower.
I'm hoping this is the first book in a series, but it does well as a standalone too.