Title: The Traitor of Sherwood Forest
Author: Amy S. Kaufman
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3 out of 5
Jane Crowe is an ordinary peasant girl who never dreamed she would work for the infamous Lord of the Greenwood. But when she’s forced out of her home, she has no choice but to turn to Robin Hood for help—and he makes her an irresistible offer. He needs a pair of eyes in the King’s Houses, and quiet, unassuming Jane—who has spent her whole life going unnoticed—will be the perfect spy.
At first, Jane’s work for Robin seems straightforward. She whispers to him about the nobles at King’s Houses and all their secrets, including the new Sheriff of Nottingham, who would like nothing more than to see Robin Hood’s head on a spike. But the more Jane is drawn into Robin’s world, the more she’s drawn to Robin himself—a man as charismatic as he is cunning, capable of plucking at her heart as easily as he notches an arrow. As Robin’s tricks grow increasingly dangerous, and shockingly violent, Jane starts to suspect that her hero cares more about his own legacy than helping the common people—and that despite his declarations of affection, he sees her as just another object to be stolen.
When Robin’s schemes implicate Jane in a brutal murder, she must decide: is she prize to be won, a pawn to be used and discarded—or is she an equal player in the game between nobles and thieves?
I liked the voice of this, I just wasn’t a huge fan of the story itself. This is just a ME problem, not a problem with the writing, which was solid and vivid. I wanted to smack Jane for being stupid several times (okay, a lot), although with her background, it wasn’t a surprise she was so sheltered. This isn’t a sunshine and roses retelling of a Disney tale, but much more realistic.
Amy S. Kaufman is a former English professor. The Traitor of Sherwood Forest is her debut novel.
(Galley courtesy of Penguin Group in exchange for an honest review.)
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