Robins in the Night

by Dajo Jago, Erin Wynn (Editor)

Legends speak of a man named Robin Hood. They talk of his valiant deeds, of his courageous feats, of his noble exploits. They talk of how this man, this single man, stole from the rich and gave to the poor. They speak of his merry men, and of his bow and arrow, and his green tunic. They speak of him in hushed, reverent tones. They speak of him in loud, exuberant chants. They speak of him in story books. The legends are, as is to be expected, fundamentally wrong. Set in Knottwood, a small city in an alternate timeline Earth, this is the story of a transgender woman named Marian Stoke.

Genres: Fantasy, LGBT, Queer, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Retellings, Transgender

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 24, 2015

Reviews

[Dajo Jago · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter. My papery inky daughter. I love her so.

[Ross Williamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

so many snails...

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute spin on the Robin Hood legend featuring a trans woman and plenty of racial diversity. The writing style in this was fun and light and made this a joy to read, even in discussions of heavier topics like racism, transphobia, and justice in general. I would’ve liked to hear more about the setting (which, according to the back of the book, is alt-historical but seems to be a mix of different eras??), but the lack of info wasn’t a huge issue.

I can’t wait for the next book in this series (and whatever else the author writes).

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is fun. The author has an enjoyable style and a good sense of humor, and the story is great!
The writing isn't totally polished, but it's well written overall, and any mistakes/unpolished spots aren't too distracting. The characters are likeable and memorable.

[Veronica Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s probably really a two star book but I could see specks of what the author was trying for sprinkled in. I think the author just tried a bit too hard. Glad I read it though.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot was alright although I was slightly put off by the writing style which I felt was disjointed at times, but overall I enjoyed the book

[Tiamat100]

This is a fun, queer, adventure-filled read which I have re-read because I enjoyed it so much. A lovely, humorous spin on the Robin Hood legend.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

honestly, this is exactly the kind of book that I was looking for, the characters and the plot were gr8, and had all the makings of an excellent book. I wanted to add diversity to my reading, get into fantasy, and find some kick-ass female characters. and I feel that with this book I could have had it all.

which is to say I'm mightily disappointed that the writer couldn't get an editor. Or maybe they did have an editor who just was not very good at editing. I am so sorry to have to say it but it could have absolutely used a few more rounds of editing.

the pacing was confusing, where the characters were at and currently doing was all jumbled up, I had no idea what was happening and I had to backtrack and reread several passages. also


***SPOILERS*** the main character is Trans in medieval times, and I would have just simply really like to know if there were any fantasy related means of magical hormone therapy or something? Because she was described as being quite generous on top? And it would have been cool to see how that means of transition could have been explained...***end spoilers***

I just had to basically stop reading the book about halfway through, it was exhausting to fight to understand what was happening. I would have really liked to have finished it and find out what happened, as all of the characters we're really engaging and diverse and her writing style is extremely Charming. could someone tell me if this is worth picking up again and finishing comma as it does the writing develop into something more legible as it progresses?

[Abi (The Knights Who Say Book) · Rating 4 out of 5]

After being caught redhanded during her usual crime spree, Marian Stoke decides it's time to do A Good Thing to make up for it, such as stealing the executioner's ax to prevent a mostly innocent man from being killed the next day. But when her theft sets off dangerous and unforeseen consequences, Marian finds herself caught in a whirlwind of secretive thieves, an intoxicating new romance, and the evil schemes of the violent Prince, featuring plenty of snails.

This is a hard book to review, because its quality varied drastically throughout the book. On one hand, the world felt distinctly underdeveloped, there were a few grammar mistakes, the excitement wasn't very exciting, and for some reason there weren't page breaks when the narration switched to a different character. On the other hand, the writing style hit the perfect balance between smartass-sarcastic and endearing, it was genuinely funny, and there were a handful of passages that were pure genius to the point where I had to put the book down and reconsider exactly what I've been looking for in books this whole time. And that's not even touching on the fact that this book includes trans, gay, and POC characters in everything from major to background roles. So while I wish the world building was as unique as the writing style and that the characters were more fleshed out, Robins in the Night earns four stars, and I'm excited for whatever Dajo Jago writes next.

[Luke Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robins in the Night is by far one of the most entertaining novels I’ve read in a long time. The characters are all very human-- with the exception of the snails, who are very snail.

there are a lot of snails in this book.

I mean, everything about this works so well, but if I had to pick one thing that really stood out, it would be the humour. The author, Dajo Jago​, is perhaps best known for her posts on tumblr (if you’re on there and you're not currently following her-- Dajo42--, I’d recommend doing something about that), and her trademark sense of humour translates very well to this longer format.

The thing is, I don’t have a particularly consistent laugh. Sometimes it’ll be normal-- or near enough-- but other times it’ll be a sort of high-pitched, breathless squeak. As a result of this, I got a few funny looks over lunchtime while I finished reading this in a local(ish) cafe. I blame the fourth epilogue for that. It may actually be the best epilogue I’ve ever read.

So, to sum up: buy this novel. It’s hilarious, it’s chock full of representation, and it’s ultimately a well put together story. The formatting kinda threw me a little at first, but if you’re used to reading your words on a screen of one kind or another they’ll probably be nothing out of the ordinary to you.

[Morgan Dhu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anyone approaching Robins in the Night by Dajo Jago with the expectations of reading a standard medieval fantasy will quickly find it necessary to revise their expectations. This is not a standard fantasy, and it's not just because the protagonist is a transwoman of colour. (But how wonderful it is to read a novel where the protagonist is a transwoman of colour.)

Robins in the Night is a post-modern, post-colonial fable that takes the Robin Hood mythos as a starting point for an examination of classism, sexism, racism, heterosexism, gender identity and the revolution of the commons. The setting is somewhat ahistorical - castles with dungeons and houses with indoor plumbing - and without strong indications of place - there's a town, a forest, another town that people are born in or visit or pass through, and an island or two which are foreign places that people come from or go to. The style, language and sensibility are very modern. And it is a lot of fun.

There are some awkward passages, some places where the narrative falters, or overreaches, but for the most part, it is a satisfying and often delightful story, told with humour and full of adventure, women with tons of agency, and the romance of two revolutionary women falling in love.

[elisabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am giving this book 2 stars because although I did not like it, I don't think the book is an objectively bad book. The diversity was cool, the writing style had promise that a good editor could have worked with and the writer clearly published this without the support of a big publisher. Sadly, this meant that Robins in the Night read like a cross between a tumblr text post and a wanna-be Neil Gaiman novel, neither of which are a compliment for a novel. I mean, I didn't dislike this book, but I could have forgiven the bad writing and questionable grammar had it not been wholly unoriginal. I felt like Jago relied on the diversity to make her plot interesting, which just...isn't enough.

[Taylar · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. The concept was very interesting to me, and the setting and scenic descriptions were wonderful and engaging. However, most of the dialogue was over-the-top and completely unbelievable, and so were the characters.

There were parts of the book that felt real, emotional, and heartfelt. But these moments were dampened by characters acting unnaturally, or off-character, usually in a transparent move to further complicate the plot (as an example, even the best thief in the world can't seem to keep a secret when she's confronted).

I think the author has some real talent, and I loved the diverse cast of characters. I would love to see some more subtlety in the dialogue and nuance in the characters' actions.

[ariesmagic]

I set this book as "currently-reading" several months ago. I've read up to 20% or so.. but I can't do it. I genuinely can't. It's just hard to take seriously or dedicate my limited amount of time to. The concept is BRILLIANT, don't get me wrong but the writing style is so sarcastic.. It reads sort of like it needs to be read out loud. By the author, Dajo, only. Because literally no one else would get it right. But I can't read it because it's like the book is a giant inside joke I'm not ever going to fully comprehend. Anyway, I did pay for it, so I might try it out again in the future. Maybe.

[Sharon · Rating 1 out of 5]

An intriguing premise and I appreciated the trans representation being front and center, but ultimately suffered severely from lack of rigorous editing (there were a lot of "first novel" issues like sudden [multiple] POV shifts mid-scene and the pacing felt off at times). The attempts to engage race were clumsy at best and problematic at worst.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up, so fiercely, on the Rowan Hood novels and this book takes my girl Robin Hood enchantment into my adult, queer life. It reminds me of the books I loved as a child but has more things I can relate to now. There's a lot of writing and editing flaws in this book, but the story made me absolutely not care.

[Alayna · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book makes absolutely no sense. I feel like a traitor for saying that, given the LGBTQ+ themes, but...it just really didn't. The narrator is almost _too_ objective; I never seemed to connect with any of the characters or the action or...anything, really.

Also, WHAT was WITH the SNAILS?!

[Xen Xen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fun premise. Fun characters. wlw and trangender representation, which is great. The writing quality is pretty bad. It read like average fanfiction. I would have given it 3 stars if I'd read on ff.net or AO3.

[Roth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet lesbian romance, a compelling and original take on the robin hood mythos, and an adorkable black trans lady protagonist. A thoroughly enjoyable read!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, especially for a début novel. An interesting concept explored and full of representation. Nice one, Dajo!

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

The plot promised to be so good but when reading it was just clichés and predictability :( I would love to have seen some characters more fleshed out. The snails were amazing though!

[Sif · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poor editing. Concept for story ok but jumped around too much.

[Joe ST · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a wonderfully queer little story, with the small world and the ludicrous prince and the hatchet on the roof. and the SNAILS what the heck are they doing even?