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Realms of Caelia #4
The Arrow & the Sword: A Combined Retelling of King Arthur & Robin Hood
A lost lady, a sword encased in stone, and a knight seeking the truth.
Lady Gwynnivere would rather fight like a knight than embroider, much to her father’s chagrin. After years of training with her brother and their childhood friend, Gwynn is as fierce as they come. Yet danger from an unexpected foe encroaches, forcing her to flee for her life.
Sir Arthur and his fellow knights are tasked with Robin Hood’s capture. But when their mission goes vastly awry, Arthur’s only hope for justice is to retrieve Excalibur, end Prince John’s tyranny, and become the one true king.
Far more than despot princes, exorbitant taxes, and vigilante outlaws plague Avalon; long hidden secrets from the past threaten the realm. Can Arthur pull the sword from the stone to save Avalon? Will it be enough to save Gwynn?
Realms of Caelia is a series of interconnected combined fairy tale retellings. Each book weaves two traditional tales together into a unique story. They are best enjoyed in order. If you like sweet and clean romances, moments of hilarity, and magical fairy tales with happily ever after endings, then Realms of Caelia is for you!
Recommended reading 12+
Lady Gwynnivere would rather fight like a knight than embroider, much to her father’s chagrin. After years of training with her brother and their childhood friend, Gwynn is as fierce as they come. Yet danger from an unexpected foe encroaches, forcing her to flee for her life.
Sir Arthur and his fellow knights are tasked with Robin Hood’s capture. But when their mission goes vastly awry, Arthur’s only hope for justice is to retrieve Excalibur, end Prince John’s tyranny, and become the one true king.
Far more than despot princes, exorbitant taxes, and vigilante outlaws plague Avalon; long hidden secrets from the past threaten the realm. Can Arthur pull the sword from the stone to save Avalon? Will it be enough to save Gwynn?
Realms of Caelia is a series of interconnected combined fairy tale retellings. Each book weaves two traditional tales together into a unique story. They are best enjoyed in order. If you like sweet and clean romances, moments of hilarity, and magical fairy tales with happily ever after endings, then Realms of Caelia is for you!
Recommended reading 12+
- GenresFantasy
396 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2025
5 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 27, 2025
Realms of Caelia by Sara Farnsworth is my favorite new series. Each book combines two well-known fairy tales to create a story filled with magic, adventure, and romance. I was thrilled to receive an ARC of her latest book, The Arrow and the Sword. Instead of fairy tales, this book combines two well-known British legends, King Arthur and Robin Hood. It follows the popular trend of turning Robin Hood into a woman. I think I've read more books about female Robin Hoods at this point than male ones. What makes this book unique is that it combines the character of Robin Hood with Lady Guinevere, or Gwynn, as she is referred to here. As a child, I was a huge fan of Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders, which loosely combined the King Arthur legends with the magical girl genre and made Princess Gwenevere a strong leader. This book brought back many of the feelings I got from watching that show.
Lady Gwynn is a master archer who can't seem to stay out of trouble. As she is trying to come to terms with her romantic feelings toward a squire named Arthur, who is friends with her brother, Lancelot, the Sheriff of Nottingham disrupts her life by attempting to force her into marriage. When she overhears something she wasn't supposed to, she must flee for her life and go into hiding. In doing so, she gathers a band of ragtag peasants whose lives have been negatively impacted by the sheriff and the corrupt Prince John. As their vagabond population grows, they build a shelter and come up with a plan to rob rich, corrupt nobles for survival until a better king can be found by way of the magic sword, Excalibur, according to the wizard Merlin's legend.
At first, I wasn't sure about the warrior princess archetype that this book touted because it was so different from Sara Farnsworth's other books, but she won me over yet again with her strong writing. Gwynn is a believable character who is far from perfect. Although she is brave, skilled, and snarky, she is also reckless and tends to get into trouble despite the fact that she hates being a damsel in distress. She has a strong sense of guilt about her actions as Robin Hood, but her friends support her and stand by her no matter what. In fact, it is Will Scarlet who creates the Robin Hood legend, and she merely goes along with it. The only thing the book lacked was sufficient justification for Arthur to be the true king, which could have been easily resolved with a few extra chapters.
Compared to the rest of the Realms of Caelia series, this book is most similar to Lake of the Wild Swans, despite the protagonist characters being polar opposites in personality. Both stories have a creepy villain who wants to force a much younger girl to marry him, causing her to need help from her true love. Each heroine comes to terms with their feelings after it's too late to escape the villain's schemes. The main difference is that in this book, Gwynn can defend herself to an extent. She isn't strong enough to overpower the sheriff, which is more realistic than most modern princess stories, but that doesn't mean she can't rough him up a little. She is a plucky heroine who provides a good complement to the studious Arthur.
The Arrow and the Sword by Sara Farnsworth is an exciting adventure that blends King Arthur and Robin Hood legends, with a unique twist that turns Robin Hood into Lady Gwynnevere. Gwynn is a refreshingly realistic strong female character who must navigate her feelings for Arthur while fighting against the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham. Farnsworth's writing shines in this warrior princess tale, bringing to life a relatable heroine who is both brave and flawed. With its blend of magic, adventure, and romance, this book is a compelling addition to the Realms of Caelia series, and fans of the series will not be disappointed.
Lady Gwynn is a master archer who can't seem to stay out of trouble. As she is trying to come to terms with her romantic feelings toward a squire named Arthur, who is friends with her brother, Lancelot, the Sheriff of Nottingham disrupts her life by attempting to force her into marriage. When she overhears something she wasn't supposed to, she must flee for her life and go into hiding. In doing so, she gathers a band of ragtag peasants whose lives have been negatively impacted by the sheriff and the corrupt Prince John. As their vagabond population grows, they build a shelter and come up with a plan to rob rich, corrupt nobles for survival until a better king can be found by way of the magic sword, Excalibur, according to the wizard Merlin's legend.
At first, I wasn't sure about the warrior princess archetype that this book touted because it was so different from Sara Farnsworth's other books, but she won me over yet again with her strong writing. Gwynn is a believable character who is far from perfect. Although she is brave, skilled, and snarky, she is also reckless and tends to get into trouble despite the fact that she hates being a damsel in distress. She has a strong sense of guilt about her actions as Robin Hood, but her friends support her and stand by her no matter what. In fact, it is Will Scarlet who creates the Robin Hood legend, and she merely goes along with it. The only thing the book lacked was sufficient justification for Arthur to be the true king, which could have been easily resolved with a few extra chapters.
Compared to the rest of the Realms of Caelia series, this book is most similar to Lake of the Wild Swans, despite the protagonist characters being polar opposites in personality. Both stories have a creepy villain who wants to force a much younger girl to marry him, causing her to need help from her true love. Each heroine comes to terms with their feelings after it's too late to escape the villain's schemes. The main difference is that in this book, Gwynn can defend herself to an extent. She isn't strong enough to overpower the sheriff, which is more realistic than most modern princess stories, but that doesn't mean she can't rough him up a little. She is a plucky heroine who provides a good complement to the studious Arthur.
The Arrow and the Sword by Sara Farnsworth is an exciting adventure that blends King Arthur and Robin Hood legends, with a unique twist that turns Robin Hood into Lady Gwynnevere. Gwynn is a refreshingly realistic strong female character who must navigate her feelings for Arthur while fighting against the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham. Farnsworth's writing shines in this warrior princess tale, bringing to life a relatable heroine who is both brave and flawed. With its blend of magic, adventure, and romance, this book is a compelling addition to the Realms of Caelia series, and fans of the series will not be disappointed.
July 20, 2025
"She drew her bow. “So, you seek Robin Hood?” she asked dangerously. “Be careful what you ask for.”
What do you get when you take the two most epic legends EVER and combine them into one story?? THIS BOOK! And I loved every bit of it! I mean, I've always loved a good Robin Hood story, and this? This one is just sooooo good!
Gwynn is AWESOME! I seriously love her. She's brave, generous, kind, spunky, smart, and absolutely amazing with a bow and arrows! (I mean, obviously. But it never gets old!) Arthur is sweet, swoony, loyal, protective, and just, well, pretty much perfect!
It was seriously so much fun to read a book with all the classic Robin Hood and King Arthur characters we know and love together in the same story! You get Will, Little John, Marian, and all the Merry Men, plus Merlin, Lancelot and all the Knights of the round table! I loved the awesome camp in Sherwood Forest! And of course there's some incredible archery feats, the famous archery tournament, and a certain sword getting pulled from a stone! There are so many fun elements from both legends that went into this story, so it felt really nostalgic, but combining them made it more original. This book did feel just a touch slow or repetitive in a couple places, but overall was a really awesome read!
Easily read as a standalone! Content is clean- sweet romance with just kisses, no bad language, some mildly described violence with some very lightly described arrow and dagger wounds.
What do you get when you take the two most epic legends EVER and combine them into one story?? THIS BOOK! And I loved every bit of it! I mean, I've always loved a good Robin Hood story, and this? This one is just sooooo good!
Gwynn is AWESOME! I seriously love her. She's brave, generous, kind, spunky, smart, and absolutely amazing with a bow and arrows! (I mean, obviously. But it never gets old!) Arthur is sweet, swoony, loyal, protective, and just, well, pretty much perfect!
It was seriously so much fun to read a book with all the classic Robin Hood and King Arthur characters we know and love together in the same story! You get Will, Little John, Marian, and all the Merry Men, plus Merlin, Lancelot and all the Knights of the round table! I loved the awesome camp in Sherwood Forest! And of course there's some incredible archery feats, the famous archery tournament, and a certain sword getting pulled from a stone! There are so many fun elements from both legends that went into this story, so it felt really nostalgic, but combining them made it more original. This book did feel just a touch slow or repetitive in a couple places, but overall was a really awesome read!
Easily read as a standalone! Content is clean- sweet romance with just kisses, no bad language, some mildly described violence with some very lightly described arrow and dagger wounds.
August 11, 2025
Easily takes the top spot of my favorite in the series!
I have always loved King Arthur and the knights of the round table but to have the story warped and melded so beautifully with Robin Hood…😘…perfection!!!
Plus to turn the tragic love triangle into a cute ‘my brother’s best friend’ trope brought out all the warm fuzzies out and I would easily recommend this to a wider audience. Plus I love how the role of Robin Hood was gender swapped. 🤗
The way the story evolved throughout was captivating as a reader but brought out the characters’ true personalities. We got to be there to see these characters grow throughout the years as the chapters progressed. We watched Arthur and Lancelot become knights and young men. We cheered on Gwynn as she rebelled against society and then again as she did what needed to be done to protect the vulnerable of Avalon. And the quickly moving timeline showed how the romance between Arthur and Gwynn evolved from childhood friends, to the first stirrings of affection, to true loves. This was truly a touching friends-to-lovers trope with a very sweet and satisfying ending.
This is book 4 of the series and it connects with the other books with the overall story plot but this is probably one that can be read as a standalone if you don’t mind potential spoilers for the first 3 books. I can’t wait to read the other kingdom’s stories, especially the frozen palace and beast.
A m/f fantasy romance with two fairytales blended into one high stakes adventure. Robin Hood meets the knights of the round table of King Arthur. Found family, fight for survival and justice, Merry Men, camaraderie, banter, magic and a happily ever after.
Multiple povs told in third person.
Main characters -
Lady Gwynnivere Robin Loxley aka Robin Hood.
Sir Lancelot Tedmund Loxley, Knight of Avalon.
Sir Arthur Kendrick Pendragon, Knight of Avalon.
Steam - clean/kissing
I have always loved King Arthur and the knights of the round table but to have the story warped and melded so beautifully with Robin Hood…😘…perfection!!!
Plus to turn the tragic love triangle into a cute ‘my brother’s best friend’ trope brought out all the warm fuzzies out and I would easily recommend this to a wider audience. Plus I love how the role of Robin Hood was gender swapped. 🤗
The way the story evolved throughout was captivating as a reader but brought out the characters’ true personalities. We got to be there to see these characters grow throughout the years as the chapters progressed. We watched Arthur and Lancelot become knights and young men. We cheered on Gwynn as she rebelled against society and then again as she did what needed to be done to protect the vulnerable of Avalon. And the quickly moving timeline showed how the romance between Arthur and Gwynn evolved from childhood friends, to the first stirrings of affection, to true loves. This was truly a touching friends-to-lovers trope with a very sweet and satisfying ending.
This is book 4 of the series and it connects with the other books with the overall story plot but this is probably one that can be read as a standalone if you don’t mind potential spoilers for the first 3 books. I can’t wait to read the other kingdom’s stories, especially the frozen palace and beast.
A m/f fantasy romance with two fairytales blended into one high stakes adventure. Robin Hood meets the knights of the round table of King Arthur. Found family, fight for survival and justice, Merry Men, camaraderie, banter, magic and a happily ever after.
Multiple povs told in third person.
Main characters -
Lady Gwynnivere Robin Loxley aka Robin Hood.
Sir Lancelot Tedmund Loxley, Knight of Avalon.
Sir Arthur Kendrick Pendragon, Knight of Avalon.
Steam - clean/kissing
July 31, 2025
I love this book so much! Sara Farnsworth's Realms of Caelia has quickly become one of my favourite series because of its intricately planned plots, well-combined fairy tales/legends, and strong, developed characters. The Arrow & the Sword combines two really popular and epic British legends that melded together really nicely. I love how Sara removed the whole Lancelot/Arthur/Gwynnivere by making Lancelot her brother instead, which made me enjoy this book so much more because it didn't have all those problems with fidelity that is all over the Arthurian legends. Arthur and Gwynn were such a perfect couple - she is snarky, rebellious, and prone to getting into trouble while Arthur is sturdy, dependable, studious, and respectful. They both complemented each other really well and their romance was believable and well-developed. I really like how Sara incorporated the Nottingham Caves into her book, which are actually real in the city of Nottingham. And then, of course, I really enjoyed getting to see all the previous characters - Alora's meeting with Robin Hood seen from Gwynn's perspective and all the royals who attended their wedding and coronation at the end of the book. I also love how all the secondary characters were different and had their own personalities and character flaws. I enjoyed watching Gwynn's father realise his mistakes and become a better person and father and I found myself instantly liking Lady Kay. Overall, this is a great book with two perfectly combined legends, a well-developed and well-paced plot, great main characters, and great side characters. I highly recommend this book!
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the author. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to leave a review and am voluntarily writing this review because I think that this book deserves to be advertised and recognised.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the author. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to leave a review and am voluntarily writing this review because I think that this book deserves to be advertised and recognised.
August 1, 2025
I loved this.
This was the perfect combination of tales for a retelling. The author fit them together seamlessly.
This book was full of loveable characters. Even though it wasn't super action-packed, it never felt slow. There was enough tension, banter, etc, to keep the story exciting. Gwynn was a fun female lead; she was caring with just enough spunk to make things interesting. Lancelot was a fun "big brother" character and his interactions with Gwynn and Arthur were fun. Arthur was as good and noble as expected! I loved the band of Merry Men. The found family trope in this book was delightful.
This book had a bit of everything: family tension, found family, romance, political intrigue, suspense, forgiveness, character=growth, and self-acceptance.
I highly recommend this to anyone who, like me, loved stories about King Arthur or loves legends, fairytales and folklore!
Thank you to the author for allowing me on her arc team. All opinions expressed in this review are my own!
You can read below for one thing that annoyed me in the book - one very small thing, that did not really affect my overall enjoyment of the book! This is a book I might even read again in the future, I enjoyed it that much!
This was the perfect combination of tales for a retelling. The author fit them together seamlessly.
This book was full of loveable characters. Even though it wasn't super action-packed, it never felt slow. There was enough tension, banter, etc, to keep the story exciting. Gwynn was a fun female lead; she was caring with just enough spunk to make things interesting. Lancelot was a fun "big brother" character and his interactions with Gwynn and Arthur were fun. Arthur was as good and noble as expected! I loved the band of Merry Men. The found family trope in this book was delightful.
This book had a bit of everything: family tension, found family, romance, political intrigue, suspense, forgiveness, character=growth, and self-acceptance.
I highly recommend this to anyone who, like me, loved stories about King Arthur or loves legends, fairytales and folklore!
Thank you to the author for allowing me on her arc team. All opinions expressed in this review are my own!
You can read below for one thing that annoyed me in the book - one very small thing, that did not really affect my overall enjoyment of the book! This is a book I might even read again in the future, I enjoyed it that much!
July 30, 2025
It has been so exciting to see the continuation of this series! I love the combination of fairytale and legends, along with the overarching story that is unfolding.
Gwynn was so much fun! I loved her energy and her conviction. She was so invested in her weapons training and so passionate. As she grew, her care for her people in her land did too. I felt for her as she struggled with her father’s restrictions. I admired her courage and resilience, although she could be a bit impulsive and emotionally driven. It was really cool to see her take the place of Robin Hood and to stand up for her people. It also allowed her the opportunity to mature into her leadership skills and to see beyond her confined life. Her band of Merry Men were so much fun and I loved getting to know them as they rallied around her.
Arthur was so honorable! He was such a sweetheart and I loved how noble he was. He cared so much for his family and his friends, but especially Gwynn. I loved seeing their relationship grow. They had such a supportive and sweet friendship that grew into a different kind of love! I loved how Arthur stood firm and gathered together people through his genuine care.
It was really cool to see the threads of the other stories come through in this book! It was hinted at in the previous books and I loved seeing old friends in this story. Every time I come back to the Realms I have so much fun and I cannot wait to see more of this world.
I received an ARC.
Gwynn was so much fun! I loved her energy and her conviction. She was so invested in her weapons training and so passionate. As she grew, her care for her people in her land did too. I felt for her as she struggled with her father’s restrictions. I admired her courage and resilience, although she could be a bit impulsive and emotionally driven. It was really cool to see her take the place of Robin Hood and to stand up for her people. It also allowed her the opportunity to mature into her leadership skills and to see beyond her confined life. Her band of Merry Men were so much fun and I loved getting to know them as they rallied around her.
Arthur was so honorable! He was such a sweetheart and I loved how noble he was. He cared so much for his family and his friends, but especially Gwynn. I loved seeing their relationship grow. They had such a supportive and sweet friendship that grew into a different kind of love! I loved how Arthur stood firm and gathered together people through his genuine care.
It was really cool to see the threads of the other stories come through in this book! It was hinted at in the previous books and I loved seeing old friends in this story. Every time I come back to the Realms I have so much fun and I cannot wait to see more of this world.
I received an ARC.
July 29, 2025
The Arrow and the Sword is book 4 on the Realms of Caelia series, but it works as a standalone (with what I assume may be mild spoilers for the previous books). I haven't read the first 3 but they are definitely on my TBR now.
This is a combination retelling focusing on the legends of King Arthur and Robin Hood. Two of my favorites in one book... Yes please!
We follow Gwynnivere ("Don't. Call. Me. Gwynnivere!") Oops, I mean Gwynn, and her childhood best friend, Arthur, through an amazing journey of growth and self discovery.
Okay, so first of all, be still my swooning heart, I devoured this book! It was such an amazing read. I loved everything about it; the writing, the story being told, the wonderful characters.
Arthur and Gwynn were perfect! Even at 12 years old Arthur was so full of goodness and humility. Then there's beautiful and spunky Gwynn, her character had me giggling constantly. I especially loved the sibling dynamic between Lancelot and Gwynn.
The Arrow & the Sword was a beautiful story with love, delightful friendships, redemption, lots of fun action, justice over vengeance, strong and charming heroes/heroines, and delightfully detestable villains (I'm talking about you, Sir Tool Box.... you know who you are). As I read through I was very invested in this story and these characters and now I can't wait to check out Sara's other books.
Content ---
-
--mild/moderate violence but nothing graphic
--no spice, kisses only
I received an advanced review copy of this book. This review is my honest opinion and thoughts
This is a combination retelling focusing on the legends of King Arthur and Robin Hood. Two of my favorites in one book... Yes please!
We follow Gwynnivere ("Don't. Call. Me. Gwynnivere!") Oops, I mean Gwynn, and her childhood best friend, Arthur, through an amazing journey of growth and self discovery.
Okay, so first of all, be still my swooning heart, I devoured this book! It was such an amazing read. I loved everything about it; the writing, the story being told, the wonderful characters.
Arthur and Gwynn were perfect! Even at 12 years old Arthur was so full of goodness and humility. Then there's beautiful and spunky Gwynn, her character had me giggling constantly. I especially loved the sibling dynamic between Lancelot and Gwynn.
The Arrow & the Sword was a beautiful story with love, delightful friendships, redemption, lots of fun action, justice over vengeance, strong and charming heroes/heroines, and delightfully detestable villains (I'm talking about you, Sir Tool Box.... you know who you are). As I read through I was very invested in this story and these characters and now I can't wait to check out Sara's other books.
Content ---
-
--mild/moderate violence but nothing graphic
--no spice, kisses only
I received an advanced review copy of this book. This review is my honest opinion and thoughts
August 25, 2025
The Arrow and the Sword by Sara Farnsworth
🤺 A lady who likes to fight
🤺 Childhood friends
🤺 Sword in the stone
🤺 Knights
🤺 Sweet romance, kisses (no spice)
Genre: Fantasy retelling
A retelling of Robin Hood and King Arthur. Sir Arthur and his fellow knights are tasked with Robin Hood’s capture...
Another enjoyable addition to this series! I look forward to each new book and this one did not disappoint! This one is a pretty straightforward retelling (other than Robin being female) with Robin Hood's story more prominent than Arthur's. Loved the sweet romance and the last few chapters were my favorite part. Can't wait for book 5! Highly recommend this whole series.
Book 4 in the Realms of Caelia series
Opening line: "King Richard stacked the last of his reports with a sigh."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🤺 A lady who likes to fight
🤺 Childhood friends
🤺 Sword in the stone
🤺 Knights
🤺 Sweet romance, kisses (no spice)
Genre: Fantasy retelling
A retelling of Robin Hood and King Arthur. Sir Arthur and his fellow knights are tasked with Robin Hood’s capture...
Another enjoyable addition to this series! I look forward to each new book and this one did not disappoint! This one is a pretty straightforward retelling (other than Robin being female) with Robin Hood's story more prominent than Arthur's. Loved the sweet romance and the last few chapters were my favorite part. Can't wait for book 5! Highly recommend this whole series.
Book 4 in the Realms of Caelia series
Opening line: "King Richard stacked the last of his reports with a sigh."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
August 18, 2025
Did I know I needed a King Arthur and Robin Hood retelling? No, no I didn't. However, when I found out this was exactly that, I was so excited to read it. Farnsworth has once again delivered a masterful tale entwining two that go seamlessly together, even if I originally did not realize how well they would do so!
Gwynn is a delightful strong character fighting for her independence in a time that women didn't always have it. She goes about it rather tastefully over all and I was very impressed by her character.
I absolutely adored Arthur. He is a total sweetheart and the boy next door in Gwynn's story so I couldn't help but cheer on their romance.
Overall, I love the strong characters and the range of them within Farnsworth's stories and look forward to what she gives us next!
Gwynn is a delightful strong character fighting for her independence in a time that women didn't always have it. She goes about it rather tastefully over all and I was very impressed by her character.
I absolutely adored Arthur. He is a total sweetheart and the boy next door in Gwynn's story so I couldn't help but cheer on their romance.
Overall, I love the strong characters and the range of them within Farnsworth's stories and look forward to what she gives us next!
August 2, 2025
Fairytale mashups are my jam y’all!!! There was so much about this I loved! The friendship between Arthur and his fellow knights as well as Gwynn and the refugees in Sherwood Forest. The beautiful story of integrity and redemption. And guys, Merlin is just the best! I adored Merlin. This book took The Sword and the Stone and Robin Hood, threw in some gender swapping and added a banter filled slow burn romance and made my heart SOOOOO happy!! Now I need to catch up on her other mashups! Excuse me while I rapidly expand my TBR pile!
I received an advance copy from the author and this glowing review is my own opinion 😊
I received an advance copy from the author and this glowing review is my own opinion 😊
August 1, 2025
Realms of Caelia by Sara Farnsworth is one of my favorite series and Sara did not disappoint with next book in the series The Arrow and the sword! My husband probably went crazy with how much I expressed my enthusiasm about this book, combining two of my favorite British lores; Robin Hood and King Arthur.
This book adds fun and exciting twists to the original lore and will keep the readers excited for more. I would recommend this book to those who love strong warrior princess archetypes and themes of suspense, forgiveness, and character growth, or for anyone who, like me, grew up on the tales of King Arthur and Robin Hood!
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the author.
This book adds fun and exciting twists to the original lore and will keep the readers excited for more. I would recommend this book to those who love strong warrior princess archetypes and themes of suspense, forgiveness, and character growth, or for anyone who, like me, grew up on the tales of King Arthur and Robin Hood!
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the author.
August 1, 2025
I absolutely loved reading this King Arthur and Robin Hood mashup. I loved seeing more of this world that I enjoyed in previous books. And I loved seeing so many wonderful new characters come to life.
The plot was engaging, funny, and entertaining. I couldn't put this book down from start to finish. Gwynnivere Robin Loxley is a strong heroine who somehow embodies both characters she represents perfectly.
Although a reader could understand most of the book without reading the rest, I would highly recommend reading in order.
I can't wait to see what will happen in the next book in this series.
I received an early copy from the author and this is my honest review.
The plot was engaging, funny, and entertaining. I couldn't put this book down from start to finish. Gwynnivere Robin Loxley is a strong heroine who somehow embodies both characters she represents perfectly.
Although a reader could understand most of the book without reading the rest, I would highly recommend reading in order.
I can't wait to see what will happen in the next book in this series.
I received an early copy from the author and this is my honest review.
July 27, 2025
A fairytale retelling of King Arthur mixed with Robin Hood. What a mix up. I really enjoyed this read! Arthur and Gwynn are the main characters with Lancelot as Gwynn’s long-suffering brother. Don’t use her full name, it’s ostentatious! 😂The use of magic in this story was an intriguing take on these fairytales. I love a good fairytale retelling and this one was great! I found myself rooting for a secondary romance, it was so sweet. Arthur and Gwynn had an intense love once they got started. It was slow burn due to distance but oh so good!
July 26, 2025
Robin Hood and King Arthur are not stories I would have thought to combine, but the author does a good job with it.
Arthur and Gywnn's relationship is really sweet.
While this book is part of a series, and we do meet and hear about characters from previous books, this story can also stand alone.
This is a clean read and the editing is good. I received an ARC from the author. I was not required to write a review but chose to do so and the opinions stated are my own.
Arthur and Gywnn's relationship is really sweet.
While this book is part of a series, and we do meet and hear about characters from previous books, this story can also stand alone.
This is a clean read and the editing is good. I received an ARC from the author. I was not required to write a review but chose to do so and the opinions stated are my own.
July 29, 2025
I love that, Sara can take two story's and blend them so perfectly. This one is a mix of Sword and the Stone and Robin Hood.
I absolutely love this book.
Author and Gwynn were perfect together. they were both very protective of each other. I love that Gwynn was just as strong and brave she wasn't a "Damsels in Distress"
I can't wait for the rest of this series. The book keeps getting better and better.
I absolutely love this book.
Author and Gwynn were perfect together. they were both very protective of each other. I love that Gwynn was just as strong and brave she wasn't a "Damsels in Distress"
I can't wait for the rest of this series. The book keeps getting better and better.
August 1, 2025
I received this book as an eARC.
The Arrow and the Sword by Sara Farnsworth combines the legends of Robin Hood and King Arthur.
This is a clean/no spice retelling. This book works pretty well as a standalone.
The book was well paced although the plot felt convenient at times.
Arthur was easily my favorite character with Will Scarlett as a close second. The villains are certainly easy to hate and are definitely evil.
I’d give this book 4/5 stars.
The Arrow and the Sword by Sara Farnsworth combines the legends of Robin Hood and King Arthur.
This is a clean/no spice retelling. This book works pretty well as a standalone.
The book was well paced although the plot felt convenient at times.
Arthur was easily my favorite character with Will Scarlett as a close second. The villains are certainly easy to hate and are definitely evil.
I’d give this book 4/5 stars.
August 2, 2025
What a delightful clean mix of Robin Hood and King Arthur! This was a PG version, with only kisses, and limited violence, which I appreciated. I loved how spunky Guinevere was, how honorable Arthur was, and I loved the relationship between Guinevere and Lancelot (it made me laugh)! The two stories were woven together in a way that both made sense and tied this book to the others in the series, which left me in a state of awe!
August 5, 2025
The author has done a wonderful job of weaving together two very disparate sagas into a cohesive and engaging coming-of-age romance. As a fan of both Robin Hood and King Arthur tales, I recommend this to anyone else who loves those tales, whether or not the reader is a young adult; I think you will enjoy this as much as I did!
I received an ARC from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received an ARC from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 20, 2025
What an excellent Robin Hood & King Arthur Mashup! It is soo good! Ask the characters are there along with small excerpts tying it into her other books! I love the character development, the plot is beautifully written, all the right characters and some of your favorites with twists. I love the Gwen & Lancelot are siblings! I am just falling in love with Sara’s books! They are a great no spicy books with lots of twists & adventure.
For those that would like to know there is death of a loved one page. It’s not anything gruesome or horrible. Just natural causes (brain is blanking on if it was illness or not).
For those that would like to know there is death of a loved one page. It’s not anything gruesome or horrible. Just natural causes (brain is blanking on if it was illness or not).
August 1, 2025
I got this as an arc, and so far it is my favorite retelling of King Arthur. It tells the story of Gwynnivere (Gwynn) and Arthur! I really loved that this version makes them go from best friends to lovers and that Gwynn and Lancelot are siblings so there is no love triangle (I never liked the forbidden romance between those from the original). Overall, it was amazing just like its predecessors and well deserving of these five stars. Now I am looking forward to Jadia and Orion’s.
August 11, 2025
I really loved reading this wonderful book! I loved the characters and the plot! The Arrow & the Sword is a really wonderful retelling of the stories of King Arthur & Robin Hood! I had a hard time putting this really wonderful book down! I will be reading the next book in this really wonderful series!
September 11, 2025
I loved this integration of King Arthur and Robin Hood! Gwynn was such a nice, snarky character and I absolutely loved her personality. And Arthur was just so sweet, so dependable, and so honorable. This was such a humorous read and the relationships were incredible! I absolutely cannot wait for the next book!
December 10, 2025
I love a reverse hero fairytale. This one was no exception. Full of adventure and a rebellious girl that hates the way society dictates what she can do. I love the way King Arthur and Robin Hood are blended.
August 13, 2025
I absolutely loved every second of this story. Robin Hood mashed with King Arthur was an adventure I didn’t know I needed. Sarah Farnsworth has outdone herself with this book in the Realms of Caelia series. It has easily become my favorite so far. I love how she ties the books together. There’s pieces scattered throughout each book that she elaborates or uses in others to tie them together. I can’t wait for the next one!
The MC characters are so sweet, and you will absolutely hate the villains. Sarah does an excellent job of creating villains you just hate, not love to hate, just straight hate. Prince John and the Sherif are horrible. Gwynn and Arthur are just the cutest. I love their childhood friendship and budding love. I also love the banter between both of them as well as with Gwynn’s brother, Lancelot. They will make you giggle on the regular. Gwynn is so strong, caring, and quick on her feet both with a bow and her thinking. Arthur is sweet, caring, and determined to find Gwynn and save her. They can be strong and help support each other. Both have a heart for the people and humble attitudes that make them exceptional leaders.
The plot is well done and well paced. Plenty of suspense, action, danger, secret hideouts, close calls, magic, and mystery. You will laugh, gasp, and speed read to find out what happens next. The twists on the original tales are so well done. I love how they tie in together.
Overall, can’t recommend this enough. I love this whole series. If you haven’t read any of them, you can read them out of order, but I recommend starting with the first and reading all the way through.
Read if you enjoy:
🏹 Robin Hood
🏹 King Arthur
🏹 Fairytale retellings
🏹 Strong, caring FMC
🏹 Sweet , caring knight in shining armor MMC
🏹 Secret hideouts
🏹 Found family
🏹 Daring rescues
🏹 Bow competitions
🏹 Childhood friends to lovers
🏹 Over protective father
🏹 Outlaws
🏹 Hidden identities
Violence: stabbing, attempted murder, sword fighting, wounds(nothing descriptive)
Spice: none, just sweet kisses
Strong Language: none
The MC characters are so sweet, and you will absolutely hate the villains. Sarah does an excellent job of creating villains you just hate, not love to hate, just straight hate. Prince John and the Sherif are horrible. Gwynn and Arthur are just the cutest. I love their childhood friendship and budding love. I also love the banter between both of them as well as with Gwynn’s brother, Lancelot. They will make you giggle on the regular. Gwynn is so strong, caring, and quick on her feet both with a bow and her thinking. Arthur is sweet, caring, and determined to find Gwynn and save her. They can be strong and help support each other. Both have a heart for the people and humble attitudes that make them exceptional leaders.
The plot is well done and well paced. Plenty of suspense, action, danger, secret hideouts, close calls, magic, and mystery. You will laugh, gasp, and speed read to find out what happens next. The twists on the original tales are so well done. I love how they tie in together.
Overall, can’t recommend this enough. I love this whole series. If you haven’t read any of them, you can read them out of order, but I recommend starting with the first and reading all the way through.
Read if you enjoy:
🏹 Robin Hood
🏹 King Arthur
🏹 Fairytale retellings
🏹 Strong, caring FMC
🏹 Sweet , caring knight in shining armor MMC
🏹 Secret hideouts
🏹 Found family
🏹 Daring rescues
🏹 Bow competitions
🏹 Childhood friends to lovers
🏹 Over protective father
🏹 Outlaws
🏹 Hidden identities
Violence: stabbing, attempted murder, sword fighting, wounds(nothing descriptive)
Spice: none, just sweet kisses
Strong Language: none
August 5, 2025
4.5⭐
I loved the combining of these two stories SO MUCH! I loved the characters and how they all mixed together!
I hated when I had to put this book down and eat food or go to bed! Such a good one!
I loved the combining of these two stories SO MUCH! I loved the characters and how they all mixed together!
I hated when I had to put this book down and eat food or go to bed! Such a good one!
September 16, 2025
The Arrow and the Sword is the fourth book in the Realms of Caelia series. I enjoyed all combined retellings, but this King Arthur and Robin Hood mashup is my favorite so far!
I loved the unique twists and how the author combined the stories and the characters, leaving enough elements to recognize the originals but definitely making this book its own unique story - which I personally liked far better than at least the original Legend of King Arthur. So much infidelity, intrigue, drama and tragedy…
This version sure is way more up my alley and I really loved the characters! I can’t even say which character I liked the most because both main and side characters were pretty awesome. I was absolutely invested in their story and of course in the sweet romance.
The Arrow and the Sword is connected to the previous books in the series and might contain mild spoilers, but can be read as a standalone.
It’s a funny and sweet adventure that I recommend to lovers of clean romance and especially to readers who loved the legends of King Arthur and Robin Hood but wish for a happy ending.
* Thank you to the author for letting me read an advanced copy of this book. I leave this review voluntarily and the expressed opinions are my own.
I loved the unique twists and how the author combined the stories and the characters, leaving enough elements to recognize the originals but definitely making this book its own unique story - which I personally liked far better than at least the original Legend of King Arthur. So much infidelity, intrigue, drama and tragedy…
This version sure is way more up my alley and I really loved the characters! I can’t even say which character I liked the most because both main and side characters were pretty awesome. I was absolutely invested in their story and of course in the sweet romance.
The Arrow and the Sword is connected to the previous books in the series and might contain mild spoilers, but can be read as a standalone.
It’s a funny and sweet adventure that I recommend to lovers of clean romance and especially to readers who loved the legends of King Arthur and Robin Hood but wish for a happy ending.
* Thank you to the author for letting me read an advanced copy of this book. I leave this review voluntarily and the expressed opinions are my own.
October 28, 2025
Overview:
Language 🤐: Clean
Romance ❤️🔥: Kisses only (Non Descriptive)
Violence ⚔️: Lots of fights nothing overly graphic in my opinion
⚠️Over Protective father to borderline abuse, Sexual Assault, Death of patent During Childbirth, Parent dying from illness⚠️
Tropes/Micro tropes
- Dual POV
- Childhood Friends
- Gender Swapped Robin Hood
- Brothers Best Friend
- Rescue Each other
- Hidden Identity
- Redemption and Healing
My Thoughts:
This book was just so so good! It's been a few months since I've read it and I can't believe I haven't gushed about this book yet! IT WAS SO SO GOOD! It was such a unique combination of retellings that I would have never put together but oh my goodness it was so good!
Gwendolyn is a fire cracker who so wants to be a night but because of her fathers over protectiveness since the lost of her mother she is with held form doing anything of the sort besides just becoming a proper lady, but this does not stop Arthur her brother best friend and also her friend from teaching her about the things they are learning as the train to become knights!
All these characters are just so so wonderful! This was the first book I've read from Sara and even though it was a 4th in the series I didn't feel lost, we do meet other characters that I can tell are form her other books that overlap a bit but I didn't need to read the other books in order to fully enjoy this story. I am now planning on reading the rest of this wonderful series because this book was so so good!
It was so fun to see how the elements of both these well known stories were used and changed in order to bring these wonderful stories together! The longing and love and loyalty these characters have for one another. I didn't just love Gwynn and Arthur but I loved the whole cast of wonderful characters who we got to meet.
The growth and redemption and love in this story! It's so good!
If you love fairytale retellings, with yearning, longing, tension, impossible odds to beat, daring escape and rescues this one is for you!
Thanks so much to the Author for the ARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own!
Language 🤐: Clean
Romance ❤️🔥: Kisses only (Non Descriptive)
Violence ⚔️: Lots of fights nothing overly graphic in my opinion
⚠️Over Protective father to borderline abuse, Sexual Assault, Death of patent During Childbirth, Parent dying from illness⚠️
Tropes/Micro tropes
- Dual POV
- Childhood Friends
- Gender Swapped Robin Hood
- Brothers Best Friend
- Rescue Each other
- Hidden Identity
- Redemption and Healing
My Thoughts:
This book was just so so good! It's been a few months since I've read it and I can't believe I haven't gushed about this book yet! IT WAS SO SO GOOD! It was such a unique combination of retellings that I would have never put together but oh my goodness it was so good!
Gwendolyn is a fire cracker who so wants to be a night but because of her fathers over protectiveness since the lost of her mother she is with held form doing anything of the sort besides just becoming a proper lady, but this does not stop Arthur her brother best friend and also her friend from teaching her about the things they are learning as the train to become knights!
All these characters are just so so wonderful! This was the first book I've read from Sara and even though it was a 4th in the series I didn't feel lost, we do meet other characters that I can tell are form her other books that overlap a bit but I didn't need to read the other books in order to fully enjoy this story. I am now planning on reading the rest of this wonderful series because this book was so so good!
It was so fun to see how the elements of both these well known stories were used and changed in order to bring these wonderful stories together! The longing and love and loyalty these characters have for one another. I didn't just love Gwynn and Arthur but I loved the whole cast of wonderful characters who we got to meet.
The growth and redemption and love in this story! It's so good!
If you love fairytale retellings, with yearning, longing, tension, impossible odds to beat, daring escape and rescues this one is for you!
Thanks so much to the Author for the ARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own!
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