Marian

by Judith Grimshaw

This is the hitherto untold story of Marian of Lee, daughter of Sir Richard and Lady Ann, set in the fourteenth century during the reign of Edward II in the locations traditionally associated with the Robin Hood legends in Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire. Our tale begins as Marian's world is turned upside down when the arrogant young outlaw, Robin Hood, seeks sanctuary at her father's castle. We follow Marian on an inevitable course which was predetermined by fate from the time of her birth and which entwines her life to his. But Marian's life is also destined to be caught up with another who haunts her family, seeking to possess both her and a mysterious dagger which was entrusted to Marian by her mother. Will Ralph Tysoe succeed in his quest and what of the legend of the mythical Victory Horse, reputed to bestow such great power, which links Marian's family to the malevolent Tysoe line, who will stop at nothing to recover what they believe is rightfully theirs?A tale of love and a tale of loss, of myth and legend which goes far deeper than Marian's relationship with Robin. Marian explores the difficulties that women faced during this most difficult and dangerous period of history. As the tale draws to a close, we see Marian increasingly under scrutiny – her belief in the old ways now viewed suspiciously with the rise of an increasingly established Church and the seeds of persecution of those believed to be witches…About the AuthorJudith Grimshaw was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, and is now living in Stevenage, Hertfordshire with husband, two children, black Labrador and occasionally sociable cat. This is Judith's debut novel born out of a long held passion for the special place where folklore ends and history begins…

287 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 23, 2013

Reviews

[Hazey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but felt it dragged a lot towards the end. I felt myself skimming pages just to finish it.

I have always loved the story between Robin and Marian, so I mostly enjoyed it. It just felt like the ending was rushed and not well thought out. Great for a freebie though1