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Hawksmaid: The Untold Story of Robin Hood and Maid Marian
Before she was Maid Marian, she was Matty. . . . Matty has been raised to dance well, embroider exquisitely, and marry nobly. But when Matty's mother is murdered before her very eyes and her father, a nobleman, is reduced to poverty, Matty's life changes. As the daughter of Nottingham's most famous falconer, she finds a new destiny in the hawks her father keeps. She begins to understand their thoughts and even speak their language. The beautiful merlin Marigold becomes Matty's closest winged companion and her fiercest ally. It is a treacherous time in England. The sheriff of Nottingham is rising to power, and a true king has been kidnapped. Determined to fight, Matty's friend Fynn becomes Robin Hood. As Maid Marian, Matty joins Fynn and his Merry Men, famously robbing from the rich to give to the poor. You thought that you knew the legend, but this is the untold story. Bestselling author Kathryn Lasky soars to magnificent new heights here, giving us a bold tale of bravery and romance.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2010
33 people are currently reading
1548 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Lasky
266 books2,276 followersKathryn Lasky, also known as Kathryn Lasky Knight and E. L. Swann, is an award-winning American author of over one hundred books for children and adults. Best known for the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series, her work has been translated into 19 languages and includes historical fiction, fantasy, and nonfiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
June 15, 2010
First, there is something I have to get off my chest that really bugged me:
There were NO POTATOES in 12th century England! Got that? THERE WERE NO POTATOES IN MEDIEVAL EUROPE! None. Nada. Not a one. No, no, no. Robin Hood characters and potatoes never, ever met! There were no French fries, no crisps, no chips, no mashed potatoes, no sweet potatoes, no baked potatoes, and if you needed somewhere to hide when there was an attack on the castle going on, there would certainly not have been a bag of them in your root cellar for your mother to try and stuff you in. because there were NO POTATOES OUTSIDE OF SOUTH AMERICA UNTIL THE 16TH CENTURY!!!!
breeeeeeeeeeeeeathe
Ok, anyway, moving on.
So you know how a teacher – especially English teachers – can use the same grade as both a punishment and a reward? Example- you’ve got two students in an 11th grade English class, both having just written essays on the fatal flaws of Shakespeare’s tragic heroes, and both get C’s.
The girl who has had F’s and D’s all semester and poured a lot of work into this essay is all smiles and happy and the teacher even writes a compliment on her essay about her improvement.
The other girl has had all A’s that semester and rushes out of the classroom to go cry in the bathroom after reading the teacher’s cutting remark about her “resting on her laurels” underneath the big glaring red C.
My point is all books I give a single star to are not the same. There is a big difference between giving this book 1 star and giving that other Robin Hood book I read recently –The Youngest Templar – 1 star. I am secretly in love with Templar, but must profess extreme loathing due to bad characterization, historical white washing, too many dues ex machinas, and the waste of perfectly good potential. But it’s still really good, and funny, and entertaining, and there’s still hope the to-be-published third book in the trilogy will be better.
This book, however, puts forth a feeble attempt at an average Robin Hood adventure story, assuming that since Marian is presented here in every way, shape, and form of perfect, the reader will love her. >sigh< No, honey, all you’ve done now is create a Mary Sue, whom any fangirl worth her salt will instantly seek and destroy. Meanwhile, the rest of the outlaws (who never actually get outlawed – they just all declare themselves “outlaws” because it, like, sounds sooo cool) are presented as growing characters (the story spans over several years) and yet it always feels like they’re just hanging out at the Sherwood Mall. Urgh. And let’s not even get started on the bird talk.
So I’m not sure if this book is smiling happily or in the bathroom crying, but I did not like it and see no hope for improvement.
Quoth Dr. Horrible …It’s not a perfect metaphor.
There were NO POTATOES in 12th century England! Got that? THERE WERE NO POTATOES IN MEDIEVAL EUROPE! None. Nada. Not a one. No, no, no. Robin Hood characters and potatoes never, ever met! There were no French fries, no crisps, no chips, no mashed potatoes, no sweet potatoes, no baked potatoes, and if you needed somewhere to hide when there was an attack on the castle going on, there would certainly not have been a bag of them in your root cellar for your mother to try and stuff you in. because there were NO POTATOES OUTSIDE OF SOUTH AMERICA UNTIL THE 16TH CENTURY!!!!
breeeeeeeeeeeeeathe
Ok, anyway, moving on.
So you know how a teacher – especially English teachers – can use the same grade as both a punishment and a reward? Example- you’ve got two students in an 11th grade English class, both having just written essays on the fatal flaws of Shakespeare’s tragic heroes, and both get C’s.
The girl who has had F’s and D’s all semester and poured a lot of work into this essay is all smiles and happy and the teacher even writes a compliment on her essay about her improvement.
The other girl has had all A’s that semester and rushes out of the classroom to go cry in the bathroom after reading the teacher’s cutting remark about her “resting on her laurels” underneath the big glaring red C.
My point is all books I give a single star to are not the same. There is a big difference between giving this book 1 star and giving that other Robin Hood book I read recently –The Youngest Templar – 1 star. I am secretly in love with Templar, but must profess extreme loathing due to bad characterization, historical white washing, too many dues ex machinas, and the waste of perfectly good potential. But it’s still really good, and funny, and entertaining, and there’s still hope the to-be-published third book in the trilogy will be better.
This book, however, puts forth a feeble attempt at an average Robin Hood adventure story, assuming that since Marian is presented here in every way, shape, and form of perfect, the reader will love her. >sigh< No, honey, all you’ve done now is create a Mary Sue, whom any fangirl worth her salt will instantly seek and destroy. Meanwhile, the rest of the outlaws (who never actually get outlawed – they just all declare themselves “outlaws” because it, like, sounds sooo cool) are presented as growing characters (the story spans over several years) and yet it always feels like they’re just hanging out at the Sherwood Mall. Urgh. And let’s not even get started on the bird talk.
So I’m not sure if this book is smiling happily or in the bathroom crying, but I did not like it and see no hope for improvement.
Quoth Dr. Horrible …It’s not a perfect metaphor.
August 24, 2015
4.5/5
I've reread this book many times and I forgot to put in on Goodreads. This book says that it is for 10 and up but I think that it is still okay for young adults looking for a quick read.
This book is about Matty who is the daughter of one of the best falconers in their time which is in the 1100's. she was growing up to be a typical young lady until there castle and whole town was attacked by men following orders from Prince John. His older brother is line for king but was away so John is trying to take over as king. Matty's mother dies and she is left with her father and a few workers left from the ambush.
Her father teaches her everything he knows about falconry and soon she is very good and able to communicate with them like he had never be able to. While this is going on, Matty plays with her group of friends led by Robert Woodfynn or who they call Fynn. As they all grow up, the boys think that Matty shouldn't hang with them since she is a girl. The times are also getting more dangerous with a mystery "shadow man" and Prince John limiting where they can hunt using his men to patrol. She shows them that she is equal or better than them.
In the latter half of the book, Ms. Lasky shows the characters transformations. Along with getting older, Matty becomes Maid Marian and Fynn, Robin Hood. Using her hawks, the team try to save the country and get the true king, Prince Robert to rule once again.
This book did have a lot of action and it was still entertaining besides it being aimed for a lower age group. The mystery of how Robin Hood and the Merry Men should basically save the day and the suspense on the health of some major characters.
One of the things that I loved and disliked was the romance. It was cool seeing how Ms. Lasky perceived Robin Hood and Maid Marian falling in love and it was very cute. The one thing that I disliked was that it seemed rushed. All of a sudden, Fynn realized that he loved Matty and vice versa. I know that there had been some hints that they might be feeling more than just friendship but I feel there could have been something in between.
I would definitely recommend this and it is still one of my favorite and most memorable children's book.
I've reread this book many times and I forgot to put in on Goodreads. This book says that it is for 10 and up but I think that it is still okay for young adults looking for a quick read.
This book is about Matty who is the daughter of one of the best falconers in their time which is in the 1100's. she was growing up to be a typical young lady until there castle and whole town was attacked by men following orders from Prince John. His older brother is line for king but was away so John is trying to take over as king. Matty's mother dies and she is left with her father and a few workers left from the ambush.
Her father teaches her everything he knows about falconry and soon she is very good and able to communicate with them like he had never be able to. While this is going on, Matty plays with her group of friends led by Robert Woodfynn or who they call Fynn. As they all grow up, the boys think that Matty shouldn't hang with them since she is a girl. The times are also getting more dangerous with a mystery "shadow man" and Prince John limiting where they can hunt using his men to patrol. She shows them that she is equal or better than them.
In the latter half of the book, Ms. Lasky shows the characters transformations. Along with getting older, Matty becomes Maid Marian and Fynn, Robin Hood. Using her hawks, the team try to save the country and get the true king, Prince Robert to rule once again.
This book did have a lot of action and it was still entertaining besides it being aimed for a lower age group. The mystery of how Robin Hood and the Merry Men should basically save the day and the suspense on the health of some major characters.
One of the things that I loved and disliked was the romance. It was cool seeing how Ms. Lasky perceived Robin Hood and Maid Marian falling in love and it was very cute. The one thing that I disliked was that it seemed rushed. All of a sudden, Fynn realized that he loved Matty and vice versa. I know that there had been some hints that they might be feeling more than just friendship but I feel there could have been something in between.
I would definitely recommend this and it is still one of my favorite and most memorable children's book.
January 30, 2010
I am a complete sucker for Robin Hood retellings. Ever since I read The Outlaws of Sherwood, by Robin McKinley, I can't get enough of them. This one was so good, different from all the rest but with enough of the familiar elements that I was satisfied. Matty is the daughter of an English noble, and when she is a child her home is invaded by the vile Guy of Gisborne. In the aftermath of the invasion, Matty finds herself bearing more responsibility than a child should, and she learns to hunt with her father's hawks. Soon her band of friends are not satisfied with innocent games in the woods--their home is changing under the influence of Prince John and his cronies. They decide to do something about it, and Matty becomes Maid Marian, a spy within the household of the Sheriff of Nottingham. Naturally, I loved the story itself, but what I really loved was the way that Kathryn Lasky wove so much falconry into the tale. It's a subject that I knew almost nothing about, and I didn't feel like the book was trying to cram facts into my head. I'm curious to see what kids think of this one.
April 20, 2019
An intriguing approach to the story of Maid Marian and Robin Hood. Of course, I liked this telling as Marian is smart, clever, and a doer. This character did not like it one bit when Robin received all the credit, and she made her feelings known! Atta girl!! Kathryn Lasky’s Hawksmaid, The Untold Story of Robin Hood and Maid Marian, a YA novel, has Maid Marian aka Marty take the role of a falconer. Her family’s birds with Marian’s guiding hand play a major role in this story as well as Marian does. Each chapter has a preamble about how to handle hawks or a merlin. Quite inventive, actually! Robin and the ‘Merry Men’ earn an outlaw reputation, but I think Marian is the brains behind it all. Light and fun to read! 4 stars.
January 17, 2010
I love Robin Hood. I love 12th century medevil books like this. I love the author, her writing and her other series. So how could I not like this book??
Absolutely perfect. A top ten lister.
Absolutely perfect. A top ten lister.
September 3, 2014
the very fact that this piece of dung exsists bothers me. this is a slap in the face to robin hood fans, falcons, and men the world over. first off, there were NO potatos in england in the middle ages! that was just terrible research on everyone's part. i can hardly believe the editers allowed it to go unchecked. secondly! it is not realistic for Matty to suddenly become so great at falconry, arechery, fencing and fighting. I'm not saying that girls aren't capable of these things. of course they are. but theses are talents that are built up over years and years of training. there is no plausable way for this little girl to become so damn good in as short a time as she did. on top of that, the fact that no one was truly making an effort to make her sit in silently in a corner and do needlework is appauling. this is the 1100s! they were supposed to think that woman were objects! so why is a lord teaching his duaghter about falcondry in the first place? why are all the "merry men" allowing her to boss them around? someone explain that to me. it doesn't make sense! Matty is the completely perfect mary jane hero and it pisses me off. She can do no wrong! she is the mastermind of all Robin Hood's success! SHE is oh so brillent and smart and strong and pretty and she can run around in the forest in men's clothes and no one catches on that this is a girl! what happened when she started developing breast huh?
and that brings me to her and Robin's relationship. he is a sexist dog! one second he's going on about how much better men are than women and saying completely asine things, and within the next few pages, he's flip flopping to being all apologizing and sorry, and how Matty's so great. and she forgives him everytime even if when its painfully obvious that the fool's never going to change in the long run. plus, their relationship never developed into anything more than a badly discribed puppy dog love. And Matty treats him and all his friends like dogs that she whips about to do her bidding and somehow, no one tries to put "the woman in her place" like men of the 1100s should have.
yes, it was wrong of them to treat woman like that, but that was the way they lived. she was trying to write a strong heroine, but she really just made a much to perfect idiot. All Robin's flip flopping and the fact that NO ONE bothered to really question the fact that a woman was "fighting" and hunting and being a great war mind is really annoying. Why din't her family lock her up or send her to a church or marry her off like they should have. that way she could have at least run away to sherwood and then she might have at least had a logical reason to learn to fight and hunt and defend herself.
the falcons were just stupid. She can talk to them? no. just no. the auther was trying to shove in her stupid obessession witrh birds into a story that didn't need them and it work. falondry wasn't even popular durning the time period! why didn't matty freak out? or wht didn't she blabber about it like the child she is and get burned as a witch?
the passing of time was impossible to follow and i could never really figure out how old anyone was, which just added to the impossibleness of the "love" of matty and robin. And The NAME CHANGING! pointless, confusing crap! yes, robin eventually takes on the "hood" title, but flynn to robin? not needed!
i could keep going on, but it's been a while since i had the displeasure to read this and i don't want to make a bunch of confusing mistakes.
i do not recommend this to anyone. not the middle schoolers it was intended for. not for people who like birds. and never, never, ever for anyone that loves Robin Hood and all that he stands for.
>:( >:( >:(
P.S. they never became outlaws! they just declared themselves outlaws! that is not how it works! they have to defy the sheriff n he makes them wolfheads! no one with half a brain would EVER say "hey im an outlaw now!" that's like walking up to the gallows, putting your noose around your neck, and kicking the stool out form under you!!!!1
and that brings me to her and Robin's relationship. he is a sexist dog! one second he's going on about how much better men are than women and saying completely asine things, and within the next few pages, he's flip flopping to being all apologizing and sorry, and how Matty's so great. and she forgives him everytime even if when its painfully obvious that the fool's never going to change in the long run. plus, their relationship never developed into anything more than a badly discribed puppy dog love. And Matty treats him and all his friends like dogs that she whips about to do her bidding and somehow, no one tries to put "the woman in her place" like men of the 1100s should have.
yes, it was wrong of them to treat woman like that, but that was the way they lived. she was trying to write a strong heroine, but she really just made a much to perfect idiot. All Robin's flip flopping and the fact that NO ONE bothered to really question the fact that a woman was "fighting" and hunting and being a great war mind is really annoying. Why din't her family lock her up or send her to a church or marry her off like they should have. that way she could have at least run away to sherwood and then she might have at least had a logical reason to learn to fight and hunt and defend herself.
the falcons were just stupid. She can talk to them? no. just no. the auther was trying to shove in her stupid obessession witrh birds into a story that didn't need them and it work. falondry wasn't even popular durning the time period! why didn't matty freak out? or wht didn't she blabber about it like the child she is and get burned as a witch?
the passing of time was impossible to follow and i could never really figure out how old anyone was, which just added to the impossibleness of the "love" of matty and robin. And The NAME CHANGING! pointless, confusing crap! yes, robin eventually takes on the "hood" title, but flynn to robin? not needed!
i could keep going on, but it's been a while since i had the displeasure to read this and i don't want to make a bunch of confusing mistakes.
i do not recommend this to anyone. not the middle schoolers it was intended for. not for people who like birds. and never, never, ever for anyone that loves Robin Hood and all that he stands for.
>:( >:( >:(
P.S. they never became outlaws! they just declared themselves outlaws! that is not how it works! they have to defy the sheriff n he makes them wolfheads! no one with half a brain would EVER say "hey im an outlaw now!" that's like walking up to the gallows, putting your noose around your neck, and kicking the stool out form under you!!!!1
December 3, 2022
Books about girls can only be about either:
1. proving they can do anything because they're a girl
2. falling in love.
Usually both.
Also, can the girl ever just be a normal character who isn't a complete buzzkill and a Mary Sue at the same time? Why do any of the characters even like her?
“Stop! Stop!” Marion spoke loudly. “You are absolute fools. You’re going to go digging holes all through these woods. How completely stupid! And what will Prince John’s men or the sheriff’s men think when they come riding through and their horses begin stumbling in these holes?”
This is how it should be:
“I can get some shovels from the castle!” Marion said excitedly. “I'll make sure Prince John doesn't see, then we can go digging holes all through these woods. It will be lots of fun! I'm sure Prince John and the sheriff won't ask what we're doing if we avoid them.”
1. proving they can do anything because they're a girl
2. falling in love.
Usually both.
Also, can the girl ever just be a normal character who isn't a complete buzzkill and a Mary Sue at the same time? Why do any of the characters even like her?
“Stop! Stop!” Marion spoke loudly. “You are absolute fools. You’re going to go digging holes all through these woods. How completely stupid! And what will Prince John’s men or the sheriff’s men think when they come riding through and their horses begin stumbling in these holes?”
This is how it should be:
“I can get some shovels from the castle!” Marion said excitedly. “I'll make sure Prince John doesn't see, then we can go digging holes all through these woods. It will be lots of fun! I'm sure Prince John and the sheriff won't ask what we're doing if we avoid them.”
March 22, 2020
This book, in general, is vaguely embarrassing, but also not terrible. I remember enjoying it more as a kid, so I recommend that you read it at or before the age of ten. I'm not sure how to rate it, since it's better than other books I have given two stars, but worse than books I've given three stars, so take that with a grain of salt.
Matty is the daughter of an impoverished landowner, and a falconer. Fynn is her childhood friend, and Robin Hood. The book tracks them through a series of time skips, beginning when Matty is ten years old and finally ending in her late teens. There is a lot of falconry, which is fun, and a lot of somewhat poorly-described politics, which isn't. The main aspects of the book that make me wince are:
Matty is the daughter of an impoverished landowner, and a falconer. Fynn is her childhood friend, and Robin Hood. The book tracks them through a series of time skips, beginning when Matty is ten years old and finally ending in her late teens. There is a lot of falconry, which is fun, and a lot of somewhat poorly-described politics, which isn't. The main aspects of the book that make me wince are:
• The hawk-speak. Matty has an almost supernatural ability to speak to birds of prey in their own language, straight up communicating whole sentences through chirps and calls, and to see through their eyes. This isn't so bad for most of the book, though it does stretch credulity a little, but then when Matty is captured, she has an entire out-of-body experience and inhabits the mind of one of her hawks. This whole section, with its many hawk conversations, is just weird and makes me cringe.
• The lack of coherency regarding what's going on at all times. The band of teen friends decides to go into outlawry full-time, and they all just pick pseudonyms and decide they're now outlaws. Matty's mission to the sheriff's castle makes no sense. She didn't accomplish anything there besides getting in huge trouble and seeing Guy of Gisborne's ring. There are just the five of them, but there is also a huge band. They're stealing to help others survive, but they're also political activists arranging to ransom King Richard. It's all somewhat poorly arranged and not-quite believable.
• The last scene at the end. One of my biggest Robin Hood pet peeves is an unrealistic scene where King Richard honors someone in a blatantly impossible, never-ever-would-have-happened way. This particular scene is a twofer because first, he comes out into the woods to her sickbed to look for her. (How did he even know about her?? All his mom knows is that a magic hawk delivered the jewels! How long did it take him to get back from Germany??? Has Matty been unconscious for weeks? Why is THIS his first priority when first setting foot in England?) And second, he knights her. (??????????)
July 25, 2014
I thought this was a super-cute retelling of "Robin Hood." I enjoyed the reading the story from Maid Marian's perspective and the amount of detail Lasky includes from the old legends is lots of fun. If you're a fan of any version of Robin Hood or just enjoy fairy tale retellings in general, you'll like this one.
June 22, 2010
Wonderful book. I highly recomend it. At some points little confused. but then read last few sentences that I had accidentally skipped over... ta-da made sense again!! I think that this book had just the right amount of drama, romance, nature-as in the hawk info, and everything else.
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May 25, 2025
Nice retelling of the great Robin Hood...
Worth it ❤️
Worth it ❤️
April 9, 2011
I read the first... one? Two? books of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series and I swear they weren't this bad. Seriously, Lasky, what gives? I mean, just on a writing front this was... this was terrible. Really. The characters never spoke naturally, there were sentences that didn't make sense, and reading it was a frustrating experience just short of being a chore.
Oh, and that plot. ARRRRGH THAT PLOT. I don't even know. I don't even know. What even happened? I got that Matty could talk to her hawks within the first fourth or so of the story and then it was forgotten until it was convenient. Is that why? Really, it was nonsensical at best. I won't even mention the climax. I was shaking my head through all of it. All I can say is that authors should decide before they write whether they're writing historical reimagining or historical fantasy and then stick with it. You don't get to just switch back and forth at whim. You just don't. And even if you do, you can't do it that choppily! Transitions! Use them!
Character-wise, I just didn't care. 'Robin' was not in the least surprising. Neither was Matty/'Marian'. Every time either of them mentioned their being in love I rolled my eyes. No, really. EVERY TIME. There was no real chemistry shown. There was no real reason for them to be in love- they just had to be because they were Robin Hood and Maid Marian. And every now and then Robin was a sexist prick. He switched back every time, but that just made the prickishness more annoying in contrast. Oh, and there's the fact that I have NO IDEA how old any of them were! Were they thirteen? Sixteen? In their twenties? NO CLUE. NONE WHATSOEVER.
Also, sometimes I felt like Lasky was showing off. "DUHURHUR LOOK AT ALL MY RESEARCH" was just everywhere in this book. Congratulations, you know falconry terms. I'd care more if they were smoothly integrated, not awkwardly. The little italicized paragraphs at the beginning of each chapter were a cop-out on that front. AND THIS IS A BOOK, NOT A PISSING CONTEST. You know the terms, but your story is about the characters, not the words they use. Stop waving around your research as if it will save you from a crappy plot, writing, and characterization.
Long review short: Didn't like it. Gave it two stars instead of one because Matty had moments of being cool and when the falconry elements were well-integrated they made the book interesting. Felt like it was a draft in need of revision.
Oh, and that plot. ARRRRGH THAT PLOT. I don't even know. I don't even know. What even happened? I got that Matty could talk to her hawks within the first fourth or so of the story and then it was forgotten until it was convenient. Is that why? Really, it was nonsensical at best. I won't even mention the climax. I was shaking my head through all of it. All I can say is that authors should decide before they write whether they're writing historical reimagining or historical fantasy and then stick with it. You don't get to just switch back and forth at whim. You just don't. And even if you do, you can't do it that choppily! Transitions! Use them!
Character-wise, I just didn't care. 'Robin' was not in the least surprising. Neither was Matty/'Marian'. Every time either of them mentioned their being in love I rolled my eyes. No, really. EVERY TIME. There was no real chemistry shown. There was no real reason for them to be in love- they just had to be because they were Robin Hood and Maid Marian. And every now and then Robin was a sexist prick. He switched back every time, but that just made the prickishness more annoying in contrast. Oh, and there's the fact that I have NO IDEA how old any of them were! Were they thirteen? Sixteen? In their twenties? NO CLUE. NONE WHATSOEVER.
Also, sometimes I felt like Lasky was showing off. "DUHURHUR LOOK AT ALL MY RESEARCH" was just everywhere in this book. Congratulations, you know falconry terms. I'd care more if they were smoothly integrated, not awkwardly. The little italicized paragraphs at the beginning of each chapter were a cop-out on that front. AND THIS IS A BOOK, NOT A PISSING CONTEST. You know the terms, but your story is about the characters, not the words they use. Stop waving around your research as if it will save you from a crappy plot, writing, and characterization.
Long review short: Didn't like it. Gave it two stars instead of one because Matty had moments of being cool and when the falconry elements were well-integrated they made the book interesting. Felt like it was a draft in need of revision.
December 29, 2013
I loved Kathryn Lasky's GUARDIANS OF GA'HOOLE series. This book, however, is a hot sweaty nonsensical mess of a novel. It carries itself as a historical fiction novel - but by the end of it, everything falls apart and is a failure of what is supposed to be a historical fantasy AU.
Maid Marian is some kind of hawk mastering master and surpasses even her father at a very young age. She is the most smart, clever, cunning, pretty, brave, fearless person ~ever~ and everyone loves her and if you don't love her, then you're evil! Look at how nice Marian is, she remembers a leper woman's name! She is the bestest member of the Merry Men and even though she resents being left out of the stories, she's totes okay with it because she's PERF.
Oh, and did I mention she can talk to the hawks? Like, legit conversations? Gag me with one of those anachronistic potatoes from the potato hole she couldn't fit in.
I really wanted to like this. That didn't happen. Maid Marian is unerringly perfect and therefore boring, and everyone else is disastrously underdeveloped. The hawk mastering scenes are detailed to the point of also being boring. A lot of subplots are brushed aside to show how awesome Marian/Matty is. I'd rather watch an animated film about Robin Hood and Maid Marian as foxes than read this again.
Maid Marian is some kind of hawk mastering master and surpasses even her father at a very young age. She is the most smart, clever, cunning, pretty, brave, fearless person ~ever~ and everyone loves her and if you don't love her, then you're evil! Look at how nice Marian is, she remembers a leper woman's name! She is the bestest member of the Merry Men and even though she resents being left out of the stories, she's totes okay with it because she's PERF.
Oh, and did I mention she can talk to the hawks? Like, legit conversations? Gag me with one of those anachronistic potatoes from the potato hole she couldn't fit in.
I really wanted to like this. That didn't happen. Maid Marian is unerringly perfect and therefore boring, and everyone else is disastrously underdeveloped. The hawk mastering scenes are detailed to the point of also being boring. A lot of subplots are brushed aside to show how awesome Marian/Matty is. I'd rather watch an animated film about Robin Hood and Maid Marian as foxes than read this again.
May 15, 2020
A children's fiction story of Maid Marion, this was not at all what I was hoping for it to be, in that while it contained action and plot, it also contained Christianity and praying every few chapters. I liked the writing in regards to the Hawks and raising birds in general, and how Matty was a strong girl throughout the story, surviving harsh environments, however I felt the story wasn't quite meant for me, and that younger audiences would definitely appreciate it more.
I appreciated the writing, and characters, however I doubt that I'll come back to this book again in the future. Another book that's been on my TBR shelf for years, I'm pleased at finally getting around to reading it, and getting it off the pile at last.
3 out of 5 stars.
I appreciated the writing, and characters, however I doubt that I'll come back to this book again in the future. Another book that's been on my TBR shelf for years, I'm pleased at finally getting around to reading it, and getting it off the pile at last.
3 out of 5 stars.
June 23, 2018
A child-like retelling of the legendary story of Robin Hood. A very cute read, with lots of falconry (which was very fascinating to me as I've been interested in becoming a falconer in the past), beautiful moments in the forest with Robin's young band of outlaws, gorgeous tree houses and overall I truly liked the story.
October 7, 2025
I loved this Robin Hood retelling. It is an easy read with short chapters, exciting plot, and characters with fun personalities. Perfect for any middle schooler or adult to enjoy! The fast pace plot and time jumps make you fly through the book. I loved that the author included all the beloved Robin Hood characters (except Alan-a-Dale was missing). She had Robin and the merry men be fun, silly and happy as they went about robbing the rich. I loved the lack of darkness from them. The romance between Robin and Marian was wholesome and sweet. I liked that there was a network of villains and not just one. Marian/Matty shined as the main character. I loved her growth and that she showed those boys what’s up. I thought the falconry was epic and I loved that part of the story. I learned so much about the art/sport of falconry. The hawks were key characters of the story. I liked the spiritual aspect of it too. There were many Christ symbols especially during the scenes with the lepers. This is a great book if you are in the mood for a light hearted, wholesome, easy read, Robin Hood retelling, with cool falcons that get trained!!
Content: violence, death, describes disease victims
SPOILERS and book notes:
A.D. 1187
WHEN ROBIN HOOD WAS FYNN and WHEN MAID MARIAN WAS MATTY
Matty is 10yo. Her father sided with king Richard lionheart. So king John alongside the sheriff and Guy of Gisborne have cut the lines to the gate of their castle and are attacking them. Her father was the best falconer in all of England. Prince John wants his hawks! Particularly one called Moss. (Moss had been soothing Matty with low sounds when she found out her mom was murdered) ““I could deliver my hawk, but Prince John will never master her. A hawk will never serve a tyrant! Moss is faithful to me. I am the one who raised her. A hawk is faithful to the one who has reared it with love and temperance!” Matty set the falcons free before the sheriff destroy them! “Hawking is not about the flight or the kill but about the bond between the falconer and the bird.” A hawk will never serve a tyrant. Fynn already is stealing eggs and chickens and giving them to the poorest houses. He sat vigil at Matty’s bed until she recovered. All the birds came back! Moss the peregrine falcon, Morgana the kestrel, Ulysses the goshawk, and Lyra the short-winged hawk. “Fynn started to bring some of his friends to visit while Matty recovered. She liked Fynn’s friends and found their company lively. There was Rich Much, the miller’s son; Hubert Bigge, whose father was dead but whose mother was a brewer; and a handsome boy called Will Scarloke, son of the blacksmith.” They like to hunt and fish and adventure in the forest. The first lesson of falconry is Imping: mending the broken feathers of injured hawks. You gather the molted feathers and graft them back in where the broken one was. “Ulysses is an expert in flying in tight spaces. A goshawk can follow prey through a maze of shrubs and thick brush, but he must have his tail for steering.” Mattys dad sir William taught her all this. And to play chess, read, write. Not ladylike things. They now depend on the hawks for food since the raid of the sheriff and guy. You use each hawk differently. The peregrine you launch off your arm when you see prey. The goshawk waits above you and you can’t move and then it launches when it sees a prey. Matty can talk to the falcons with her noises. Guy killed both the mom and a prized Merlin hawk. Bc he kills what he can’t have. “Falconry is an art and not merely a discipline. If a hawk has been properly taught, a bond will form between the teacher and the bird—and then and only then will the hawk do your bidding and more.” Fynn stole pickled pigs feet for Matty. He replaced it with deer guts that he took down illegally from the kings forest. Rich Much was good at a sling shot and will good at pick pocketing. Matty was as good with a hawk as Fynn was with a bow. I loved the scene of Matty and the boys making lures for fish out of the most creative things. (They used hubbies red hair, moss down, etc) “This was what she loved about being in the forest with her friends. They were all different but equal, and they shared everything, even hair!” They are making five tree houses in the forest to be able to spy on the royal foresters. Each tree house is unique to blend in with the tree. They have clothes inside the tree house to put on to disguise the person in it. It was matty’s idea and they built four when the boys decided it was too dangerous for Matty to spy on the shadow man bc she is a girl, so they won’t build the fifth one! So she starts builds it all by herself. Robin comes and apologizes!! He has the most blue eyes and his camouflage costume has a green hood. They have the best banter! ““Well, I haven’t apologized for my beastly behavior.” Matty was taken aback. She cocked her head and looked at him steadily. “Yes, you were a beast.” “Indeed, beastly, as I said.” “Well, I accept your apology for your utter beastliness.” “You had to say ‘utter,’ of course.” “Well…just beastliness then.” Fynn inhaled sharply. “Look, are we going to stand here and just toss the word beastly back and forth or what?” Robin is so good at tracking too! AWWW! THEIR BANTER!!!!! I LOCE how they call each other by their full names all the time lol. ““Falconry, Robert Woodfynn, is an art as well as a method of gathering food.” “So is hunting, Matilda Fitzwalter.” “No, not really. It has no subtlety.” “Don’t use big words. Just because you can read and write better than any of us doesn’t give you the right to use big words.” “All right. Archery is a crude form of hunting. You don’t have to feed a bow, care for it, and learn its ways.” “That just proves how little you know about wood, Mistress Matilda.” “Don’t call me Mistress Matilda. I don’t like it.” “Oh, don’t get your breeches in a twist.” “What?” Matty exclaimed. “Since when do girls wear breeches? I thought you knew better than that, Robin Woodfynn!” “Well, your whatevers,” he replied, blushing to the root of every hair on his head.” AW! So many adorable things! The subtle things. He tucks her hair back! He compliments her after teasing her. She found a Merlin! The most noble hawk! I love the connection she has with the hawks and what conversations she has with them. She has personalities for them too. Named her marigold and trained her. Now she is 13 and Fynn 14. He looks like a man but still acts like a boy shooting thistles at the back of her neck during church lol. Fynn is good at disguises! Dresses like an old woman!! I love how kind Matty is to the leopard woman. They spied the corrupt nun hiding five rubies for Prince John that belonged to the church. They took the rubies and hid them in 5 diseased trees in the forest. Now they are all outlaws: ““I solemnly do swear upon this oath of blood never to reveal my knowledge of the rubies to any human being. The riches we have found will be used only in service to our lawful king, Richard, and to defeat the tyranny that prevails in this land but never for our personal gain.” Book Two: WHEN FYNN BECAME ROBIN HOOD and WHEN MATTY BECAME MAID MARIAN
What the outlaws do to help their family: Fynn caught food for his family, Will juggled in market and helped his dad in the forge, Hubie helped his mom brew and deliver ale and Rich helped at his families mill. Rich’s mom is expecting a baby and is starving! So Matty is going in to Sherriffs Nottingham castle to work as a maid to find out where his gold is. Fynn is so protective of her and doesn’t want her to go! But all the boys and Fynn agree to care for her birds while she is away. (They are now 16yo) she hugs him and it is so cute! She created an alias Maid Marian! Fynn wanted a new name too lol. So now we have Robin Hood, Little John, Rich Much, Will Scarlet, and Maid Marian! Marian sends messages to the boys with Merigold that she smuggled in the castle. The boys now have a place in Sherwood Forest they meet in Nottingham. A hollowed out tree. Marian meets friar tuck at the castle! And the wicked abbess that hid the jewels is the sherriffs sister is there and Guy! Will is getting into the castle with the mummers bc he can juggle. The ladies love him. Marians dad died (Robin held her as she cried) so she became a permanit resident at the blasted oak now turned treehouse. Now it’s Robin Hood and his merry men! They not only rob, but humiliate those they rob. For the boys, the robberies were adventures. They delighted in adding a flourishing touch in the form of a practical joke that deflated the self-importance of their victims. And friar tuck their most trusted confidant. Only the original five live in the blasted oak and Marian brought a rug and homey touches that Robin complains is too girlie haha. I love the analogy to chess happening in the book. They are disguised as shepherds to get her mom’s ring back! “If you didn’t have a mustache,” he whispered, “I might kiss you!” “Don’t be a fool! It’s not a time for jokes.” “You mean that mustache is real?” WOW Marian had her hawks attack the soldiers!! So cool! King Richard is held for ransom. Their plan: get the rubies from their hiding places using her hawks to retrieve them. And use her star of Jerusalem jewel too. Go to the continent together and get the king! The boys won’t leave her out! “Her eyes met Robin’s, and she saw not just his trust but something more. An overwhelming joy swept through her entire being. He loves me and I love him. I love him! She almost reeled. I would die for him, but I will not stay back for him…and he no longer wants me to.” The abbess captured and caged Marian and hooded her and torture her for the location of the rubies! Look at this sick burn from Marian to the abbess!! ““I would rather burn in hell than share one moment in any heaven that would welcome you.” And then the abbess makes her take care of the lepers. But Robin and his mom take care of lepers all the time. So she refuses to be afraid of the disease and served these people. “In the days that came, she washed the woman, fed her, and helped the others. Fear, Marian decided, was a worse sickness than leprosy.” Her merigold showed up and she gave her a lock of her hair to Robin to let him know she lived! To come rescue her!!! “Robin buried his face in his hands. They had set out to rescue a king with rubies and a sapphire, and now something far more precious to him than any jewels or any king had vanished. The men looked at one another as they saw their leader, weary with worry, shake his head and wipe tears from his eyes.” Marian refuses to eat the bird brains the abbess feeds her bc she knows Robin will come! Even though she is wasting away!! She almost died but became one in spirit with marigold! Now she is in her Merlin body! ! I love this!! She sees in three demons like a hawk. She is fused with moss as they deliver the kings ransom to the queen. I love it! Robin is saving her by dressing like a leper. ““Thou art dead to the living, but alive again to God.” Suddenly the leper’s black shroud swirled into the air. “By the bishop’s buttocks, I’m dead!” roared Robin Hood, flashing his sword.” He gathered his barely breathing woman in his arms and took her to the blasted oak! “Live, Marian! Live! Please live! I love you. You can’t die.” Someone was kneeling by her. He had been there for days, possibly weeks, crying, begging her not to die.” Then she wakes up. She tells Robin how to care for her so she lives! ““And this will make you well, Marian?” “Oh yes, Robin. And I shall love you forever and ever.” They were now beyond words and could only peer so deeply into each other’s eyes that, for them, all the world disappeared.” The king comes to Marian in the blasted oak to thank her. “Right mindful of your prowess on the field, I, Richard, king of England, dub thee Lady Marian of the forests of Sherwood and Barnsdale, a knight of the realm.” Then she wrote a hawking book with this dedication: ““To Moss, Marigold, Ulysses, Lyra, Morgana, my greatest teachers, and to Robin, my greatest love.” King Richard dies years later and John does become king but he was so horrible that he was confronted by a group of barons with a document that later became known as the Great Charter, or Magna Carta, that forced him to respect certain rights and legal procedures. The Magna Carta is considered one of the most important documents in the history of democracy and certainly influenced the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights that were written more than five hundred years later.
Content: violence, death, describes disease victims
SPOILERS and book notes:
A.D. 1187
WHEN ROBIN HOOD WAS FYNN and WHEN MAID MARIAN WAS MATTY
Matty is 10yo. Her father sided with king Richard lionheart. So king John alongside the sheriff and Guy of Gisborne have cut the lines to the gate of their castle and are attacking them. Her father was the best falconer in all of England. Prince John wants his hawks! Particularly one called Moss. (Moss had been soothing Matty with low sounds when she found out her mom was murdered) ““I could deliver my hawk, but Prince John will never master her. A hawk will never serve a tyrant! Moss is faithful to me. I am the one who raised her. A hawk is faithful to the one who has reared it with love and temperance!” Matty set the falcons free before the sheriff destroy them! “Hawking is not about the flight or the kill but about the bond between the falconer and the bird.” A hawk will never serve a tyrant. Fynn already is stealing eggs and chickens and giving them to the poorest houses. He sat vigil at Matty’s bed until she recovered. All the birds came back! Moss the peregrine falcon, Morgana the kestrel, Ulysses the goshawk, and Lyra the short-winged hawk. “Fynn started to bring some of his friends to visit while Matty recovered. She liked Fynn’s friends and found their company lively. There was Rich Much, the miller’s son; Hubert Bigge, whose father was dead but whose mother was a brewer; and a handsome boy called Will Scarloke, son of the blacksmith.” They like to hunt and fish and adventure in the forest. The first lesson of falconry is Imping: mending the broken feathers of injured hawks. You gather the molted feathers and graft them back in where the broken one was. “Ulysses is an expert in flying in tight spaces. A goshawk can follow prey through a maze of shrubs and thick brush, but he must have his tail for steering.” Mattys dad sir William taught her all this. And to play chess, read, write. Not ladylike things. They now depend on the hawks for food since the raid of the sheriff and guy. You use each hawk differently. The peregrine you launch off your arm when you see prey. The goshawk waits above you and you can’t move and then it launches when it sees a prey. Matty can talk to the falcons with her noises. Guy killed both the mom and a prized Merlin hawk. Bc he kills what he can’t have. “Falconry is an art and not merely a discipline. If a hawk has been properly taught, a bond will form between the teacher and the bird—and then and only then will the hawk do your bidding and more.” Fynn stole pickled pigs feet for Matty. He replaced it with deer guts that he took down illegally from the kings forest. Rich Much was good at a sling shot and will good at pick pocketing. Matty was as good with a hawk as Fynn was with a bow. I loved the scene of Matty and the boys making lures for fish out of the most creative things. (They used hubbies red hair, moss down, etc) “This was what she loved about being in the forest with her friends. They were all different but equal, and they shared everything, even hair!” They are making five tree houses in the forest to be able to spy on the royal foresters. Each tree house is unique to blend in with the tree. They have clothes inside the tree house to put on to disguise the person in it. It was matty’s idea and they built four when the boys decided it was too dangerous for Matty to spy on the shadow man bc she is a girl, so they won’t build the fifth one! So she starts builds it all by herself. Robin comes and apologizes!! He has the most blue eyes and his camouflage costume has a green hood. They have the best banter! ““Well, I haven’t apologized for my beastly behavior.” Matty was taken aback. She cocked her head and looked at him steadily. “Yes, you were a beast.” “Indeed, beastly, as I said.” “Well, I accept your apology for your utter beastliness.” “You had to say ‘utter,’ of course.” “Well…just beastliness then.” Fynn inhaled sharply. “Look, are we going to stand here and just toss the word beastly back and forth or what?” Robin is so good at tracking too! AWWW! THEIR BANTER!!!!! I LOCE how they call each other by their full names all the time lol. ““Falconry, Robert Woodfynn, is an art as well as a method of gathering food.” “So is hunting, Matilda Fitzwalter.” “No, not really. It has no subtlety.” “Don’t use big words. Just because you can read and write better than any of us doesn’t give you the right to use big words.” “All right. Archery is a crude form of hunting. You don’t have to feed a bow, care for it, and learn its ways.” “That just proves how little you know about wood, Mistress Matilda.” “Don’t call me Mistress Matilda. I don’t like it.” “Oh, don’t get your breeches in a twist.” “What?” Matty exclaimed. “Since when do girls wear breeches? I thought you knew better than that, Robin Woodfynn!” “Well, your whatevers,” he replied, blushing to the root of every hair on his head.” AW! So many adorable things! The subtle things. He tucks her hair back! He compliments her after teasing her. She found a Merlin! The most noble hawk! I love the connection she has with the hawks and what conversations she has with them. She has personalities for them too. Named her marigold and trained her. Now she is 13 and Fynn 14. He looks like a man but still acts like a boy shooting thistles at the back of her neck during church lol. Fynn is good at disguises! Dresses like an old woman!! I love how kind Matty is to the leopard woman. They spied the corrupt nun hiding five rubies for Prince John that belonged to the church. They took the rubies and hid them in 5 diseased trees in the forest. Now they are all outlaws: ““I solemnly do swear upon this oath of blood never to reveal my knowledge of the rubies to any human being. The riches we have found will be used only in service to our lawful king, Richard, and to defeat the tyranny that prevails in this land but never for our personal gain.” Book Two: WHEN FYNN BECAME ROBIN HOOD and WHEN MATTY BECAME MAID MARIAN
What the outlaws do to help their family: Fynn caught food for his family, Will juggled in market and helped his dad in the forge, Hubie helped his mom brew and deliver ale and Rich helped at his families mill. Rich’s mom is expecting a baby and is starving! So Matty is going in to Sherriffs Nottingham castle to work as a maid to find out where his gold is. Fynn is so protective of her and doesn’t want her to go! But all the boys and Fynn agree to care for her birds while she is away. (They are now 16yo) she hugs him and it is so cute! She created an alias Maid Marian! Fynn wanted a new name too lol. So now we have Robin Hood, Little John, Rich Much, Will Scarlet, and Maid Marian! Marian sends messages to the boys with Merigold that she smuggled in the castle. The boys now have a place in Sherwood Forest they meet in Nottingham. A hollowed out tree. Marian meets friar tuck at the castle! And the wicked abbess that hid the jewels is the sherriffs sister is there and Guy! Will is getting into the castle with the mummers bc he can juggle. The ladies love him. Marians dad died (Robin held her as she cried) so she became a permanit resident at the blasted oak now turned treehouse. Now it’s Robin Hood and his merry men! They not only rob, but humiliate those they rob. For the boys, the robberies were adventures. They delighted in adding a flourishing touch in the form of a practical joke that deflated the self-importance of their victims. And friar tuck their most trusted confidant. Only the original five live in the blasted oak and Marian brought a rug and homey touches that Robin complains is too girlie haha. I love the analogy to chess happening in the book. They are disguised as shepherds to get her mom’s ring back! “If you didn’t have a mustache,” he whispered, “I might kiss you!” “Don’t be a fool! It’s not a time for jokes.” “You mean that mustache is real?” WOW Marian had her hawks attack the soldiers!! So cool! King Richard is held for ransom. Their plan: get the rubies from their hiding places using her hawks to retrieve them. And use her star of Jerusalem jewel too. Go to the continent together and get the king! The boys won’t leave her out! “Her eyes met Robin’s, and she saw not just his trust but something more. An overwhelming joy swept through her entire being. He loves me and I love him. I love him! She almost reeled. I would die for him, but I will not stay back for him…and he no longer wants me to.” The abbess captured and caged Marian and hooded her and torture her for the location of the rubies! Look at this sick burn from Marian to the abbess!! ““I would rather burn in hell than share one moment in any heaven that would welcome you.” And then the abbess makes her take care of the lepers. But Robin and his mom take care of lepers all the time. So she refuses to be afraid of the disease and served these people. “In the days that came, she washed the woman, fed her, and helped the others. Fear, Marian decided, was a worse sickness than leprosy.” Her merigold showed up and she gave her a lock of her hair to Robin to let him know she lived! To come rescue her!!! “Robin buried his face in his hands. They had set out to rescue a king with rubies and a sapphire, and now something far more precious to him than any jewels or any king had vanished. The men looked at one another as they saw their leader, weary with worry, shake his head and wipe tears from his eyes.” Marian refuses to eat the bird brains the abbess feeds her bc she knows Robin will come! Even though she is wasting away!! She almost died but became one in spirit with marigold! Now she is in her Merlin body! ! I love this!! She sees in three demons like a hawk. She is fused with moss as they deliver the kings ransom to the queen. I love it! Robin is saving her by dressing like a leper. ““Thou art dead to the living, but alive again to God.” Suddenly the leper’s black shroud swirled into the air. “By the bishop’s buttocks, I’m dead!” roared Robin Hood, flashing his sword.” He gathered his barely breathing woman in his arms and took her to the blasted oak! “Live, Marian! Live! Please live! I love you. You can’t die.” Someone was kneeling by her. He had been there for days, possibly weeks, crying, begging her not to die.” Then she wakes up. She tells Robin how to care for her so she lives! ““And this will make you well, Marian?” “Oh yes, Robin. And I shall love you forever and ever.” They were now beyond words and could only peer so deeply into each other’s eyes that, for them, all the world disappeared.” The king comes to Marian in the blasted oak to thank her. “Right mindful of your prowess on the field, I, Richard, king of England, dub thee Lady Marian of the forests of Sherwood and Barnsdale, a knight of the realm.” Then she wrote a hawking book with this dedication: ““To Moss, Marigold, Ulysses, Lyra, Morgana, my greatest teachers, and to Robin, my greatest love.” King Richard dies years later and John does become king but he was so horrible that he was confronted by a group of barons with a document that later became known as the Great Charter, or Magna Carta, that forced him to respect certain rights and legal procedures. The Magna Carta is considered one of the most important documents in the history of democracy and certainly influenced the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights that were written more than five hundred years later.
May 7, 2011
This book is so bad that it isn't even funny! I don't know how this book got published. I've read stories by my unpublished writer friends which are far better than this.
I stumbled upon this book in the library, and checked it out because it looked intriguing. It's a juvenile book by an author that I'm familiar with, so I assumed it would be decent, and it was. But the story was absolutely horrible. My complaints could carry on as long as the book itself, but I shall narrow them down.
The untold story of Robin Hood and Maid Marian obviously is going to have some romance in it. But the romance was awful! There are very few moments where their attraction shows, and when it does, there is no chemistry whatsoever. The dialogue is quite stilted. At the end, we have no reason to believe that they should get married, or that their love is real at all. Their attraction never passes the adolescent puppy-love stage, and barely reaches that, come to think of it.
The beginning of the book was interesting enough, but soon it was just plain weird. It was difficult for me to keep up with what was happening, because the story seemed to go in several directions at once. Plot devices would appear one moment and be forgotten about the next. Nothing particularly exciting happened, and when something vital finally occurred, it was written in such a way that I had to re-read the paragraph to figure out what had happened. At first I thought I just must be dense, but after reading other goodreads reviews, it looks like I'm not the only one who had trouble keeping up with the story.
The main character, Matty/Maid Marian, was an irritating "Mary-Sue" type heroine. She was good at everything and became a falconry expert practically overnight, even though it would take an ordinary person a long time to develop the new skill. Fynn/Robin Hood would make comments about "you can't do such-and-such because you're a girl", and she always had to one-up him. Sure, he shouldn't be demeaning; men and women should be equals. I know how it feels to get left out just because you're a girl. But the story isn't trying to teach equality. Instead, we were supposed to learn that Matty was BETTER than Fynn. He was the poor clueless male who had to be guided along. She had almost all of the good ideas, and pretty much orchestrated everything.
I shall refrain from giving spoilers, but the end was extremely odd. Random, unexpected things happened all at once, leaving me confused. It's still fuzzy in my mind. The story was dragged to an unsatisfying conclusion, making me wonder why I wasted my time reading the book.
I stumbled upon this book in the library, and checked it out because it looked intriguing. It's a juvenile book by an author that I'm familiar with, so I assumed it would be decent, and it was. But the story was absolutely horrible. My complaints could carry on as long as the book itself, but I shall narrow them down.
The untold story of Robin Hood and Maid Marian obviously is going to have some romance in it. But the romance was awful! There are very few moments where their attraction shows, and when it does, there is no chemistry whatsoever. The dialogue is quite stilted. At the end, we have no reason to believe that they should get married, or that their love is real at all. Their attraction never passes the adolescent puppy-love stage, and barely reaches that, come to think of it.
The beginning of the book was interesting enough, but soon it was just plain weird. It was difficult for me to keep up with what was happening, because the story seemed to go in several directions at once. Plot devices would appear one moment and be forgotten about the next. Nothing particularly exciting happened, and when something vital finally occurred, it was written in such a way that I had to re-read the paragraph to figure out what had happened. At first I thought I just must be dense, but after reading other goodreads reviews, it looks like I'm not the only one who had trouble keeping up with the story.
The main character, Matty/Maid Marian, was an irritating "Mary-Sue" type heroine. She was good at everything and became a falconry expert practically overnight, even though it would take an ordinary person a long time to develop the new skill. Fynn/Robin Hood would make comments about "you can't do such-and-such because you're a girl", and she always had to one-up him. Sure, he shouldn't be demeaning; men and women should be equals. I know how it feels to get left out just because you're a girl. But the story isn't trying to teach equality. Instead, we were supposed to learn that Matty was BETTER than Fynn. He was the poor clueless male who had to be guided along. She had almost all of the good ideas, and pretty much orchestrated everything.
I shall refrain from giving spoilers, but the end was extremely odd. Random, unexpected things happened all at once, leaving me confused. It's still fuzzy in my mind. The story was dragged to an unsatisfying conclusion, making me wonder why I wasted my time reading the book.
July 30, 2011
I founded this book in the library and borrowed it because it looked interesting and I was curious on how the ending would appear. As I was reading it, I wasn't very thrilled with the results. It wasn't bad but it wasn't the best. It could have been written better and it needed a more advancing romance between the characters Matty/Marian and Fynn/Robin. The beginning wasn't all bad but it was very plain and simple.
As I kept on reading, I was pretty amused with Matty. She had a stubborn attitude when Fynn/Robin wouldn't let her do things because she was a girl. I find that when Fynn doesn't let her in all of the events, it's insulting because he doesn't believe she is as good as guys. She, of course, proves him wrong with her boldness and strong ideas. The main thing I don't understand of Matty, is the fact that she talks with her hawks. In the end, when she is inside one of her hawks body, it left me totally confused and totally frustrated. I didn't understand well how she could become one of her hawks while she was dying.
Fynn/Robin was a daring, mischievous robber. Throughout the story, it hints in some places that he likes her but it isn't very clear on that. I also find him to be very slow and dependent on Matty on ideas for schemes. In the end when she was dying, I was expecting something interesting to happen. A kiss most likey. Instead, we get Matty asking for a few things and promising that she'll love him forever. That doesn't really connect to my mind that their love is real. More like a puppy love. The idea of their love not advancing, didn't interest me as much.
This is my review of this book in my opinion. I wish that the author, Kathryn Lasky, would have done a better job in the love of the characters. I also wish that she could have made the story clearer for it has made me very confused.
As I kept on reading, I was pretty amused with Matty. She had a stubborn attitude when Fynn/Robin wouldn't let her do things because she was a girl. I find that when Fynn doesn't let her in all of the events, it's insulting because he doesn't believe she is as good as guys. She, of course, proves him wrong with her boldness and strong ideas. The main thing I don't understand of Matty, is the fact that she talks with her hawks. In the end, when she is inside one of her hawks body, it left me totally confused and totally frustrated. I didn't understand well how she could become one of her hawks while she was dying.
Fynn/Robin was a daring, mischievous robber. Throughout the story, it hints in some places that he likes her but it isn't very clear on that. I also find him to be very slow and dependent on Matty on ideas for schemes. In the end when she was dying, I was expecting something interesting to happen. A kiss most likey. Instead, we get Matty asking for a few things and promising that she'll love him forever. That doesn't really connect to my mind that their love is real. More like a puppy love. The idea of their love not advancing, didn't interest me as much.
This is my review of this book in my opinion. I wish that the author, Kathryn Lasky, would have done a better job in the love of the characters. I also wish that she could have made the story clearer for it has made me very confused.
February 16, 2017
First of all, anyone looking at this book expecting a mastermind work with the historically accuracy of a school textbook can just leave now. That is not what this book is and not what it is meant to be.
Now let me tell you what it is.
I found this book in middle school and read in a half dozen times in the two weeks I had it from the library. The book completely revolutionized my idea on Robin Hood, which before had been only a mildly interesting character in my mind.
Four years later, having deepened my reading and at this point considering a serious writing career, stumbled across this book and picked it up for some sentimental light reading. And while there are the little nit-picky things that I pick up on, any reader has them, I still am in love with this story.
Matty starts as a sweet young girl and throughout the story grows into a strong and independent young woman. She, Fynn and the boys all touch my heart. The story sweeps you along, never at any point have I found the story slow or dull. The author does take quite a few fictional liberties, but those willing to dismiss this will find in this story a sweet, timeless fairytale.
(And for parents trying to decide whether to let their child reading this book I think it's worth adding that this book prompted me to read some of the older Robin Hood legends and still affects how I approach Robin Hood to this day. It also prompted me to do some serious research into falconry, which still holds my fascination.)
All this to say 10/10, would recommend.
Now let me tell you what it is.
I found this book in middle school and read in a half dozen times in the two weeks I had it from the library. The book completely revolutionized my idea on Robin Hood, which before had been only a mildly interesting character in my mind.
Four years later, having deepened my reading and at this point considering a serious writing career, stumbled across this book and picked it up for some sentimental light reading. And while there are the little nit-picky things that I pick up on, any reader has them, I still am in love with this story.
Matty starts as a sweet young girl and throughout the story grows into a strong and independent young woman. She, Fynn and the boys all touch my heart. The story sweeps you along, never at any point have I found the story slow or dull. The author does take quite a few fictional liberties, but those willing to dismiss this will find in this story a sweet, timeless fairytale.
(And for parents trying to decide whether to let their child reading this book I think it's worth adding that this book prompted me to read some of the older Robin Hood legends and still affects how I approach Robin Hood to this day. It also prompted me to do some serious research into falconry, which still holds my fascination.)
All this to say 10/10, would recommend.
July 10, 2015
I loved this book! I tried to read it once before but it had to go back to the library before I got past chapter two. Then I put it on hold but it went off hold before I got there. So now that I finally got it I finished it in one day. It was amazing! As I got closer to the end and things weren't looking as good I was a little worried that it would end horribly and that I would not be satisfied with the book after waiting so long to get it but now that I have just finished it I am totally satisfied. There are some book s that I read that I like but that I would be okay not owning, and then there are those books that I read and instantly fall in love with and can't be satisfied until I've added it to my home library. This is one of those that is going straight to mt wish list. Again I loved this!
January 24, 2010
I read this book for two reasons. The first reason is that Adam begged me to read one of his young adult books, and the second reason is that I am a Robin Hood fan. I tried to abandon this book more than once. Adam told me to hang in there. Wow, that is an interesting reversal! I don't think that it is possible for me to care any less about birds and falconry. To say that the first one-third of the book is mostly about falconry would be a gross understatement. Adam was right once I got past that part, the story picked up. It is a cute version of the Robin Hood characters as tweens through teens. It had some excitement. I also enjoyed that Matty (maid Marion) was a strong, brave, and smart adventurer.
September 25, 2010
I found this book by chance in the new books section of the Children’s Room (in Brookline). I’ve loved Kathryn Lasky’s historical fiction and this book was no exception. I read it as I was transitioning from Brookline back to Negril. Fortunately my yoga teacher from Brookline was visiting and could return it to the library. Such service!
This is a different take on the tale of Robin Hood and Maid Marion which includes the art of falconry. It’s historical fiction set in the 1100s with a dose of fantasy thrown in. Fun, fanciful, engrossing.
This is a different take on the tale of Robin Hood and Maid Marion which includes the art of falconry. It’s historical fiction set in the 1100s with a dose of fantasy thrown in. Fun, fanciful, engrossing.
October 9, 2010
I like to read different versions of folktales and fairy tales, but this story of Maid Marian and Robin Hood was just painful. Marian is intertwined with the hawks that her father raises, and eventually mind-melds with one as she is being held prisoner. I believe this bird/girl hybrid leads Robin and his band of teen boys to her rescue, but I couldn't be sure. By the end I was just skimming. Very painful.
July 25, 2014
Nice little take on Robin Hood Story w/Maid Marian as the one who came up w/it all.
Made me think of Sharon Kay Penman's book, "Dragoon's Lair!"
Enjoyed the most what she had to say about the use and art of Falconry.
Something I would like to do.
Interesting about what each bird is able to do and their strengths and weaknesses.
Was confused about the potato hole thing too and why kill the mother and not the father.
Made me think of Sharon Kay Penman's book, "Dragoon's Lair!"
Enjoyed the most what she had to say about the use and art of Falconry.
Something I would like to do.
Interesting about what each bird is able to do and their strengths and weaknesses.
Was confused about the potato hole thing too and why kill the mother and not the father.
June 29, 2010
The childhood of Robin Hood and his future gang, focusing on the girl who would become Maid Marian. Not only is she the true brains behind Robin Hood, she is also a falconer who can communicate almost telepathically with her hawks. Good for those who enjoyed Guardians of Ga'Hoole.
October 22, 2010
The "historical"-fiction/fantasy hawking side was pretty nice! The plot was great! The retelling-of-Robin-Hood and feminist Matty/Marian was awkward and didn't fit all that well.
Oh, and as pointed out in another review, there were no potatoes in 12th century England.
Oh, and as pointed out in another review, there were no potatoes in 12th century England.
February 7, 2011
A beautifully crafted retelling of Robin Hood, from Maid Marian's perspective. I love the way that the author creates such a strong bond between the young falconress and her beloved hawks. A must read for all fantasy lovers!!!!!!!!
March 4, 2011
I would have loved reading this when I was in the 8-12 age range, but it is lacking in the universals that make it cross age boundaries. Still, a cute, wholesome read for young ladies who like a bit of adventure.
October 29, 2015
I loved this book and am going to have to read it again it was so good. I love how the author changed the story of Robin Hood, but told it in a way I'd never heard before. Magic even gets put in, but it doesn't make it unbelievable. This book is great!
February 16, 2023
Hawksmaid- The Untold Story of Robin Hood and Maid Marian by Kathryn Lasky
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