A new reign of terror has brought fear and hatred to the land, while an ancient legend stirs in the heart of the wildwood ...The Norman conquest of England is complete - but for one young man the battle has only just begun. When Bran ap Brychan's father is murdered by Norman soldiers, he flees to London, seeking justice. The journey is long and hard - and the suffering of those he meets along the way fuels his anger. With his demands dismissed, Bran has no choice but to return home, but a worse fate still awaits him there. ...
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A new reign of terror has brought fear and hatred to the land, while an ancient legend stirs in the heart of the wildwood ...The Norman conquest of England is complete - but for one young man the battle has only just begun. When Bran ap Brychan's father is murdered by Norman soldiers, he flees to London, seeking justice. The journey is long and hard - and the suffering of those he meets along the way fuels his anger. With his demands dismissed, Bran has no choice but to return home, but a worse fate still awaits him there. His lands have been confiscated and his people subjugated by a brutal and corrupt regime. Should Bran flee for his life or protect his people by surrendering to his father's murderers? The answer, perhaps, is known only to the Raven King - a creature of myth and magic born of the darkest shadows in the forest. Stephen R. Lawhead's Hood brings to life the legend of Robin Hood as never before.
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Different cover, same year, Ships Media with Delivery Confirmation because of weight, Softcover, smooth spine, tight pages, $$ 1/11. 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 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.
To be very honest, I was not completely won over by this book until the author's notes at the very end. Up until that point there were several little details that irked me mildly and made me unsure of whether to continue the series. These details included the overzealous "branding" complete with logo and tagline for this first book of the King Raven trilogy, the passivity of Merian despite all the descriptions of her as "feisty," (if you don't actually DO anything feisty, then it isn't very descriptive, is it?), and the constant use of the words "disgusted," "repulsed," and others of that ilk that the male protagonists use to describe some old female characters. This last bit really did rub me the wrong way, no matter if the characters later realized the error of their judgment.
However annoying those factors may be, I was still feeling open minded enough by the end to be swayed by the author's excited explanation of his reasons for setting the Robin Hood story in Wales at the time of Norman expansion.
As a writer, Lawhead is very capable with a plain-spoken style. While "Hood" does sometimes feel like mere exposition for the later books, it is full of action and passion and injustice, as any good retelling of the Robin Hood legend should be. I will give the sequels a chance.
SAllison
Jul 12, 2007
Hood by Stephen Lawhead
A different view of the legend of Robin Hood. As is with Lawheads books it is gripping from the start and portraid a familiar story in a completely new and refreshing perspective