A Girl's Tale

Robyn Hood #1

by K.M. Shea

ASIN moved from less recent edition here

The ballads lie. Robin Hood, the Bold and Brave Outlaw of Sherwood Forest, is cowardly, spineless, and a girl.

Robyn unwittingly starts the Robin Hood farce when she is mistaken for a male while saving her friend, Marian, from two foresters. Forced into hiding, Robyn unwillingly collects "Merry Men" while grudgingly robbing from the rich fools that wander through Sherwood. What starts as small scale robbery blows up into complex heists when Little John and Will Scarlet join her team, and the idiotic Prince John and his legion of soldiers comes to town. However, Robyn can't stop the theft—not when King Richard is being held ransom.

Cowardly Robyn’s best chance to raise money for King Richard’s release is to rob his brother, Prince John. Will she survive the heist, or swing in the gallows?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Retellings, Fairy Tale Retellings, Historical Fiction, Fairy Tales, Clean Romance

139 pages, ebook

First published February 16, 2013

About the author

My pen name is K. M. Shea, but my readers—I prefer to call them Champions—call me Kitty.

I love to write funny, clean stories with strong characters. Books like that are among my favorite to read so naturally I love writing stories like that as well. My philosophy is that life is tough, so books should be something that makes you relax and laugh!

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https://kmshea.com/

Reviews

[Lanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

God...... This is.... This is shit.

Warning. Will contain spoilers and probably a lot of swear words.

While "Robyn Hood: a girls take" is a really neat idea in theory, the whole thing, all 140 pages of it, just fell flat. It is a poor excuse of a book. I've read fanfiction better then this. Seriously! maybe I should have had a clue, since I got it for free off of amazon... But still! I guess I just expected a little more then this. It felt like a really rough 1st draft.

The characters were all painfully flat & incredibly stupid. The grammar is some of THE WORST i have ever seen outside of fanfiction. The historical part off it.... Well, aside from a vague idea that it's set during the reign of "good" king Richard the Lion Heart there wasn't much in the way of accuracy or mood. The narrative was lousy to. I don't need the characters dropping "these" & "thous" but I'd like some effor here! The details are crap to. >:( I don't think I could tell you what any of the characters look like.

Ihave a lot of issues with this book, so hers my standard list of things I hate.

1. Let's start with that historical stuff I mentioned a minute ago. I honestly don't think our author, k.m Shea, has done ANY research of this time period or even some simply research on Nottingham & its surrounding villages, other then a few Robin Hood movies & books. Most likely that Robin Hood cartoon from the 70s. You know, the one with the fox & dancing bear. They actually call prince John "pj" twice. They never name any villages or towns other than Nottingham & the 1 village were Robin & muchs families live. (Sometimes I was even confused about where they were? It wasn't always clear. Were they in the village? The city of Nottingham? Or the castle itself?) there is little thought to actual noble behavior or the huge rift between the social classes. Like when Robin dresses up to look like a peasant & carries a sword. :( they even mention that peasants can't have sword... So they make up a cover story. She's supposed to be a noble that's dressing down to avoid the attention of robbers. Never mind then fact that it was illegal for people to dress above or below their status. & a noble like the fucking sheriff of Nottingham is not going to shoot with peasants. He'd have a damned champion do it for him. Also... "Good" King Richard & "evil" prince John. This thing has been beaten to death. It's over done and sadly romantic. To glorify Richard and demonize john.... It's been done. Then main thing is that they were both pretty damn horrible leaders. Both were violent men with a thirst for blood & hunger for battle. King Richard was a fantastic military mind who only a few months on English soil his entire ten year reign. Prince John was ruling England for him so he got blamed for most the shit. It's why people like the lion heart so much. He wasn't there to take a heat. He was off screaming "God wills it" & slaughting Muslims in the holy land. John liked war & battles to, but he wasn't as good a leader as his brother, so he always gets the bad wrap. Both of were terrible... But in their own ways, I'm sure they really did try their best to be good kings. In today's day & age to do the whole "good" King, "bad" prince thing.... It feels kinda lazy you know?

2. Sexism. I think the book was trying for a "girls can be heroes to" sort of vibe. & while I can totally respect girls being able to fight & guys being willing to be lead by a girl, this was just insane. See, this novel is set during the 1190s. Right smack dab in the middle of the dark ages. A time where women were treated like shit. Girls cooked, cleaned, had babies as soon as they were considered "old enough, (if she can bleed she can breed) & sat in corners sewing. Women, especially noblewoman, were expected to be sweet & silent well behaved dainty little things. & while they MIGHT have known how to shoot, they most certainly would not have been taught how to use a sword. (& Marian certainly wouldn't have been able to chase Robin around a meadow with one without tiring out or impaling herself.) The entire mindset was basically "I is man, I knows best! Stupid woman make sandwich & sons while me go kill things.) sorry everyone, but that's how they rolled. Don't get me wrong, I love when I find a GOOD female character in a Robin Hood book who can Stand along side the men. But the whole thing has to be plausible! I just can't believe that all these guys would be so cool about swearing their lives away to a girl who has done NOTHING to earn their respect. While I HATE sexism, I still sort of expect it, especially in a historical setting.

3. The classics. Many of the scenes in "Robyn Hood: a Girl's tale" were pulled straight from the ballads. Such as the archery competition, meeting little John, meeting friar tuck, even the robberies. I love the classic tales. They are the building block of this beautiful legend. But, again, with how far the creative arts have come, this is kinda lazy. We can do more than wasting several pages about going across a river with friar tuck, cant we?

4. The author clearly knew nothing about medicine. She wounds her characters teens skims over thier hearings. Most likely because she has no idea how any of it worked.

5. She's afraid to kill her characters. I'm not saying that this is a bad thing. Just that it's a very violent time period. & this is meant to be a young adult novel. Teens can handle a few characters deaths you know! God, it was worse than twilight.

6. Wanted posters. What's the point! Hardly anyone could read! & they didn't even need them. Pretty much anybody living in the would could've been considered an outlaw. & if you're an outlaw, anybody can hunt you down and kill you. No questions asked. This is never addressed. Plus they've lived in the forest for a year & never once come across another outlaw? Scary violent ones who have a real reason to be there? Not plausible.

Now! Onwards to the characters. These are the my main reason for hating this book oh so much. If they'd been good, I might have stomached the other things, & it could have gotten more stars. Nope. All awful. So they deserve a list of their own.

1. Crafty the horse. Completely pointless. He made no sense. Mean for half the book then suddenly turns into the perfect steed after a big fight scene. He does not act like a real horse. & I should know. I work in a barn with show horses. Beautiful smart horses. I'm talking high end quarter horse, paint horse, & a chocolate palomino. Super fancy. 1 is named Mikey & probably the closest thing I will ever come to seeing a warhorse. & while he can be a bit of a jerk, I can promise you all, he's never made it a mission to go around kicking things at people & purposely head butting them. Not smart enough for that, & Crafty shouldn't be either. It's cute, but pathetically juvenile. Don't make an animal character unless you've actually spent time around that animal!

2. The merry men. I'll just lump them all together, even the ones with names like much, stutely, & scarlet. (John is awful so he gets his own category.) they are all just so stupid! There is no way any of them should have been that accepting of Robin being the leader. It's just not right for the setting. & they all just fall over to tell Robin just how great she is, how loyal they'll be to her. The amount of boot licking in this book is unbelievably painful. & most of these merry men joined the gang for no reason other than wild rumors that there was a guy helping the poor. They weren't actually outlaws until they started robbing nobles & could be recognized! What sort of fucked up moron joins a criminal gang & declares themselves an outlaw when they still have other options!?!? Much & scarlet are probably they only ones who should have been there. & they way they act... Acting as if Robin is this great strong leader (she's not, but I'll get to that later.) but the second she gets a little scratch they all turn in to complete idiots whining and fretting & passing her about like a doll. "Are you ok Robin" over & over again. She's not made of fucking glass, you dumb boys! Stop treating her like a thing, she's fine!

3. Maid Marian, robins best friend. 1st off, why the fuck haven't her parents locked her in a tower?!? What kind of self respecting nobles, who are important enough to have a fucking CASTLE Not controlling their daughter!?!? Why does she not have an escort of guards with her at all times? Why can she use a sword? Why is she allowed to take whatever the hell she wants out of the castle, including live animals, & no one ever stops her? Don't tell me she sneaked out, cause it's impossible to sneak a freaking evil horse out of a castle without someone noticing. Do they not have guards? & why is she even friends with robin? None of it makes any sense. My only answer is It's convient for the plot. & that is a piss poor excuse. Also, this whole outlaw thing started because of her dangerous, unexplainable fantasies about noble outlaws robbing the corrupted rich. Why would she want her to put her best friend in such danger to harm her own class?

4. The sheriff. A flat cardboard cutout who only exists as a plot device. He doesn't even have a name. & aside from some vague explanations about how he "taxes the poor to starvation" he doesn't do much else. He gets down on the archery field to compete with Robin, right. & cuts her bow string so she'll loose. Wtf. This is so stupid! I mean he already has the knife. & lots of guards & stuff right? He clearly knows that this is Robin Hood, the dreaded outlaw who's been Robin his nobles. Why didn't he just stab her in the throy? It'd have taken care of his problem. Even if the merry men had attacked he should have had plenty of men to take them Down, yes? My answer to this... There'd be no story if he had. So there for he couldn't do that smart & characteristically evil act now could he?

5. Little John. He's as bad as the rest of the men, following Robin blindly for no reason what so ever other than the fact that she IS Robin Hood. (The rumors say she's great! That should be enough right?) good, it's even obviously that he flirts with her, All the guys do, even if it isn't expressly mentioned. & then the dude does a complete 180 & tricks her into this bogus ass shooting contest & takes her place as leader. Wtf? Totally random & out of his flat character. I mean... God, yeah, just what the fuck? & right at the very end to, with no explanation! Maybe this is can be a cautionary tale for future Robin Hoods. Don't let random ass strangers in your gangs!

6. & finally, my grand finally! Robyn hood herself! Here we go!

She is a fucking Mary Sue. She is beyond flat & boring & stupid! She is the best archer in all of England. Everyone says so. (A Standard for all Robin hoods, of course, it's what he's famous for, but still. It only furthers her status as giant ass Mary Sue.) she can't ride well for over half the book, but as soon as the plot calls for it, suddenly she can deal with a full blown war mount after she'd fallen in a fucking river. in no time at all she's can hold her own in a sword fight, even with a noble who's probably had years of training. Everyone either loves or hates her & anyone who hates her is automatically a bad guy. People love to tell her just how great & awesome & heroic she is. Even after she had only done like two things as an outlaw. Shot the guy harassing Marian & saved much. I don't think is quite good enough to spur such rumors so fast maybe Marian was fueling them, because most of the shit that goes down is because of her egging Robin on. She's dumb to yet everyone thinks she's the greatest thing since fire. & I mean really dumb. Dumb enough to go to the fair that clearly a trap. To say she doesn't like robbing guys with guards, then 1 paragraph later robs a noble with four of them. Dumb enough to ride around a forest screaming for her friends & probably telling all the bad dudes where she is. Dumb enough to sleep on a tree branch. To not tell her mom & dad that she wasn't dead. To keep letting random people in her gang even though they could have been spies or bounty hunters. (That would have been interesting.) & of course, dumb enough to NOT move camp after it had been attacked! She is a terrible leader to. Always saying she's a coward. But she doesn't want to be coddled. Make up your mind girl! She hurls herself into danger without thinking about the results, what it might cost for her men. A good leader what's to be separate from their followers, at least to an extent. She could have stood back at least part of the time yes? She's as dumb as the kings in the "lord of the rings " movies, always fighting on the front lines. Sure it looks gallant, & can really motivate an army, but it's just not smart. What happens to Robin hoods merry men if Robin Hood is killed by the one noble who finally fights back, huh? & again, her reputations growth is unbelievable. Are these lords going round telling everyone that they got robbed, won't that makes them look weak in the eyes of the common folks? & how can anyone be sure it's Robin Hood leaving them food on their doorsteps if she knocks & runs away? Because she saved much? Really? & that had been the only thing she'd done 4 almost 2 months, so shouldn't all the talk had died down during the lapse in crime? Plot holes my dear friends. These are called plot holes.

Overall, she's just a terrible main character.

I would not recommend this book for anyone. But if you do read it, keep in mind all that I've written here. Go in expecting shit, cause that's all you'll get here. Sad but true. Hopefully my next book I read won't be so bad.

If anything, at least the review was fun to right. I really work hard on each & every one. Even the ones where I fangirl over how good I think it is, I still try & write a completely honest review & look at all the goods & bads of each novel. Sadly, this has none.

Like or comment please if you want! I love seeing what my goodreads friends have to say. :D

[Kade Gulluscio · Rating 2 out of 5]

I..... Well... I don't even know. I wanted to love this. And I absolutely hate leaving less than good reviews. I know authors put in a LOT of work in their books. So let's see...

I love that we had a gender reversal on this book. I mean, how many books are out there where Robin Hood is a female. Not many I"m sure. The general idea of the book is great.
however, the character development and world-building definitely fell flat in this one.
The characters weren't as likeable as they should be either. It seemed like they were... juvenile at times... constantly made really .... stupid decisions too.

Maybe other books by this author are better, but this one... this one was rough.

[MK ( MaKayla) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really really enjoyed this ! The authors depictions of Much , Will Scarlett ,and Little John were absolutely perfect . Much, was my favorite because he made me laugh aloud so much . I'm surprised by how much I actually liked it because let's face it retellings are always a lofty task ,one that is too often a disappointment to me ,and others ,but I'm very picky . It's not so much the story they tell but the way they portarty my favorite characters . I liked the other characters ,but Robyn ..not so much unfortunately . Everyone adored her but she thought she had to overcompensate with angry gruff behavior because she was a girl . So at times especially when the guys were trying to help her she grated at my nerves .

Also great news for my people that are looking for CLEAN BOOKS this is 100% MK approved ,in the clean department , there is violence of course ...but this is Robin Hood so no surprise there .

My only complaints were ;
( This is constructive criticism I mean this in the kindest way possible )

1.) The writing needed a little polishing . There were parts where it felt rough ,but overall it was well done .
2. Oh boy oh boy ...the hinted at love triangle . I knew it was coming because one of the characters says in the middle of the book that all the men are in love with Robyn or Marian . Their constant fawning kind of got to me . They weren't confessing their love or anything ,but my goodness if Robyn so much as scratched herself then everyone was pushing and shoving to dress the wound for her . Sweetie you need to chill . Why'd you have to do them like that ? They deserve better .😑

[*❆ Kαɾҽɳ ❆* · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all kinds of Robin Hood retellings! But I have never read where Robin Hood was a girl!

I adored this story, is was great and funny all way through! The action pace was perfect and the writing style is wonderful

It is told through the words of Robyn Smith, who becomes known as the famous outlaw Robin Hood by accident!
She isn't strong, or brave, in fact she is quite fragile and cowardly most of the time, but one thing the legends are true in is, she is the leader of the Merry Men and she is the best archer in Nottingham

After shooting at a forester, who tried to harm her best friend Mariam, and then saving her childhood friend Much was being hanged, Robyn and Much are forced to live as outlaws. However, their exile soon becomes a family of bandits who pledged loyalty to Robyn and help the poor by stealing from the rich and giving them all they steal.

However, King Richard has been captured and it is unlikely that Prince John will ransom him out from capture, so it is up to Robyn and her Merry Men to help their beloved king, however in order to get enough money, they must rob from the highest and richest member Prince John

This plot was executed successfully, and the humour throughout the book had me smiling and laughing all the way!

[Coyora Dokusho · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very amusing! Don't expect any historical accuracy and you'll like it more.

Two things: I still find the characters to be Mary Sues, THEY ARE SIMPLY TOO WIDELY LOVED!!! Second thing, the author does this thing where she lampshades her own foreshadowing. Foreshadowing likes less light! I dunno I'm delirious, I made myself really sick last night with heat stroke/dehydration and I think I'm still feeling it.

I SLEEP NOW!!! (after drinking lots of water)

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Robyn Hood #1

⭐️⭐️ 2.75

I love Robin Hood retellings but this one fell flat for me.
I loved the idea of Robin being a girl but there were still hints of sexism and the merry men desperate to protect the girl and care for her in comparison to the other band mates.

The dialogue was sometimes fun but soon got repetitive and predictable.

I would recommend Scarlet by A C Gaughen instead.

[Lilly Fountain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this book 👍

[Ella J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This was a fun little novella! I was in the mood to read a light and easy book and "Robyn Hood: A Girl's Tale" fit that.

My favorite thing about "A Girl's Tale," besides K.M. Shea's trademark wit, is the way the author retold the tale of Robin Hood. Robin Hood being female made total sense and added to the myth, instead of taking away from it.
Speaking of Robin Hood, or Robyn Smith, her real name, I liked her. I liked that while she is very smart and skilled, she wasn't larger than life. At the end of the day Robyn is just a girl trying to do the right thing.

Another thing I liked was the dynamics between Robyn, her merry men, and Maid Marian. If you love the found family trope like I do, you will appreciate all the great platonic relationships!

I only have one major critique- the action scenes could have been a bit better. Some of the action scenes were repetitive and ran together. Their were really only two or 3 actions scenes that stand out in my head and I honestly can't remember any of the others. That says something, considering how short "A Girl's Tale is"!
I think the all the smaller action scenes that didn't affect the plot could have been left out and the bigger action scenes that did affect the plot could have been longer and more detailed.


Though I didn't absolutely love "A Girl's Tale" I did find it interesting and fun.

[Brie]

DNF 48%

Between the constant sentences in parentheses (super annoying) and the stupid decisions Robyn and her men made (could of avoided all kinds of drama if they'd actually used their brains)...it was all too irritating trying to finish this (definitely a book directed more for the younger crowd)

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was SUCH a fun read! I'm not as familiar with the Robin Hood tale by Howard Pyle or other ballads -more used to Disney's, Once Upon a Time, or other movies through the years. Even still, it was a fun adventure!

Robyn Smith is a prime example of wrong place, wrong time. Through defending a friend, she must runaway and hideaway to save her life. A serious of misunderstandings and a handful of men who pledge their loyalty later, we have a reluctant, frightened Robin Hood of the Sherwood Forest robbing the rich to help overtaxed peasants. Throughout the tale, we meet familiar characters from the classic story: Much the miller's son, Little John, and Will Scarlet. Maid Marian is a riot, if not a smidge of crazy, and the rest of the gang complete the Merry Men, who truly are quite merry (and sometime ridiculous, but well meaning). There were multiple places where I cackled or laughed out loud, many other spots where I "aww"ed over the loving, mothering-hen antics of the Merry Men to Robyn, and various areas where I cheered on the band of bandits. I felt that their thieving was sometimes too successful, and there wasn't quite enough conflict, but it was still a good, clean, fun read. The ending left me hanging -haha- and so I was quite glad to have the sequel.

I'm a huge fan of K.M. Shea, and am so thrilled to have joined her, and sarcastic girl-Robyn, mother hen-Much, jokester-but-protector-Will Stutely, stoic-and-loyal-Little John, sly-but-companionable-Will Scarlet, and the many other Merry Men who we get to know and love throughout the novel in this retelling.

[Lilly Fountain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sooo cute I loved it

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review to come

[Sophie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quando non riesci a trovare nulla di positivo da dire sul conto di un libro, capisci di aver sbagliato completamente la scelta del titolo, immagino.
Ho cominciato a leggere “Robyn Hood: A Girl’s Tale” nella speranza di trovarmi alle prese con una parodia divertente, o quantomeno con un romanzo d'avventura per ragazzi incentrato su una rielaborazione della leggenda di Robin Hood secondo una chiave un po’ ironica… e invece sono stata costretta a fare i conti con una sciatta e improbabile rivisitazione dal taglio pseudo-umoristico, priva di qualsiasi traccia di personalità, attinenza storica o mordente.

I personaggi risultano pressoché indistinguibili gli uni dagli altri (con la sola eccezione di Marion, dipinta come una pazza furiosa sempre pronta a inseguire la gente con la spada o a lanciarsi in una corsa sfrenata a cavallo attraverso Sherwood….); l’ambientazione è inverosimile e stereotipata oltre ogni umana capacità di descrizione; la protagonista si atteggia a paladina della giustizia alla prima occasione, mentre in realtà non muove un dito per l’intera durata del romanzo, limitandosi a balzellare qua e là in guida maschile mentre intorno a lei accadono le cose più disparate.

Non si capisce perché la figlia di un semplice contadino dovrebbe essere il più formidabile arciere che l’Inghilterra abbia mai conosciuto, senza essersi allenata a tirare con l’arco un singolo giorno della sua vita.
Non si capisce perché, nel pieno del dodicesimo secolo, un gruppo di giovinastri scapestrati potrebbe aver sentito il bisogno di giurare lealtà a una donna sconosciuta, o perché Will Scarlett, Little John e gli altri non abbiano mai neppure pensato di mettere in discussione l’autorità di Robyn, una comunissima adolescente dei loro tempi del tutto incapace di tenerli in riga o di guidarli in battaglia.

In realtà non sono riuscita a capire un sacco di cose, quando ho provato a ripensare a questo romanzo con un po’ di cognizione di causa… ma soprattutto non credo di aver capito perché l’autrice non sia presa la briga di migliorare un po’ i dialoghi (terribili!), o di inserire quantomeno l’ombra di un colpo di scena o di un evento che non fosse già incluso nelle ballate tradizionali.
Non che un guizzo di originalità sarebbe stato sufficiente a risollevare le sorti di questa storia… ma male non avrebbe neanche fatto, poco ma sicuro!

[Blair Hodgkinson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have little positive to say about this book. The idea of a female Robin Hood could have been developed in a hundred interesting ways, but the author missed them all. A dedicated editor might have been able to salvage something from this effort, but that too seems to have been an opportunity missed. Best avoided.

[MLL · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a brilliant author. I love almost everything I have read from her including over a dozen books and as many short stories. This must have been one of her first tries though because it is so badly written.
It starts out OK with a really funny scene. But after that it goes straight down hill and keeps on going. It is choppy and not well planned or executed. The outlaws Robyn and Much are camping in the forest. They eat only the Kings deer, never anything else. They don't forage for berries, mushrooms or anything else. They don't even catch fish, or hunt or trap grouse, rabbits or anything else. And when they need clothes or other supplies they either go visit their village or Marian delivers piles of packages to the meadow in the forest where they live. Its a wonder the Sheriff's men don't find them since they aren't really hidden or stealthy at all. They can't even feed or clothe themselves in good weather how could they hide or support a band throughout the year.
This isn't a bad story idea but it is so far below the quality of Shea's other works I can't imagine how it got published. I think even elementary age readers would see the holes in this story. Sorry but I can't read any more.

[Meg · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought I would love this book...because I enjoyed one of the author's other books (Beauty and the Beast) and I have always been fascinated with the Robin Hood story...but sadly, this book was BAD.

It was poorly written, the story was a disaster...and the characters were unlikeable...

Robin Hood is retold...except somehow Robin is really a girl..and she managed to convince a bunch of men to follow her lead and allow her to organize them into a thieving bunch.

So...poorly written, the story is unbelievable and groanable...really, no one recognizes her? No one realized that Robin is ROBYN? And...you are not rooting for anyone to survive.

Sadly, this book convinced me NOT to purchase another book by this author.

Read? Just don't. You can find better stuff to read.

[Erudessa Aranduriel]

Another highly enjoyable book from K.M. Shea. This one wasn't as well written as the others' of her's I have read. It felt like it was written by a beginner. I loved it though and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.

[Lenni Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not one of the usual fairy tale books I read from K.M. Shea. There's a cliffhanger and no romance. I wouldn't have read it, probably, if I hadn't gotten it for free. That said, it was still a great book and I'd read it again because it was very fun.

[jodie louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! This author is quickly becoming one of my favorites!
4.5 Stars to Robyn and her band of highly amusing merry men!!

[Brooke McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this to my girls too they loved I­t

[Kell Natalia · Rating 1 out of 5]

probably worst book i read this year... actually 0.5 stars

everything, the plot, the actions, the conflicts, the characters, are too good to be true, kind of impossible, too simple, too stupid, and the conflicts are all boring, like how come they rob a prince that easily?! what kind of cowardly royal guards did they breed? and how come they never got caught ?! if i were the sherrif, i would definitely held hostage some of the merry men's family, some of their identities were known?!!! and did they ever heard of ESPIONNAGE?! what the fuck-.- the plot of this book was for a person with one brain cell-.- and why the hell did i read it

and what kind of forced ending is that?! before i read the ending, i was about to give it 1.5 stars but this just ruin it. a sudden coup d'etat?! what the heck? no signs of it, suddenly robyn was sick and then little john betrayed her? this book was a joke

the only half star here was because some of the characters interactions were funny and amusing but even at the end, they betrayed her... wow. and the more i think about it, the more i realize how stupid they are and this book is...

i confuse the places a lot in here like, i thought they were all live in Nottingham? what's the village name where everyone live then? why only mention the Sherrif? shouldn't a place as big as Nottingham have a ruler or a duke or whatever lord bullshit that rule over it?

I also hate the fact that in every K. M. Shea book, she was too afraid to harm her characters, soooo annoying. no one died, the protagonists are all too kind and even won't allowed the villain or annoying people to be killed, and they survive lots of impossible feats. like in the pasts, even before world war 1, people who are wounded would 90% die because of infections, but all of the merry men survived the raid, like what the heck, even WILL SCARLET WHO GOT SHOT. it should've been impossible for him to survive that kind of wound. they haven't discovered microorganisms yet, much less a freakin disinfectant...

and like i said, the story is too simplified. she put everyone in this round and strict 'good and evil' bubbles. no gray characters, everyone acts based on their bubble categories and even the evil is not that evil... more like dumb...

i know this is a retelling, but i don't think it would be possible. no men, and especially no 50 of them, would gladly follow a GIRL around, much less dot over her like they're all some kind of a gang of babysitter and not do anything bad to her (you know what i mean, it's impossible in reality if a girl surrounded by 50 mean to came out as pure as before), especially in the year that the story robin hood is supposed to happen. she better off making a completely different story altogether in an alternate matriarch universe, but i guess that's the whole idea? and what's funny is that not all of them are outlaws, like SCARLET and farriar, he was a noble man and a religious man. how could he willingly join an outlaw? like, dude? and Robyn is stupid as well, she accepted and trust everyone blindly without caring about their backgrounds or something, sure she wont be betrayed by any of them... sigh... this kind of numb my mind

and everyone was so dumb. dumb for forcing robyn to go to the archery fair that's obviously a trap (robyn), dumb for not finding a giant group of 50 in the middle of forest (the sherrif), dumb for hiring a weak and cowardly guards (the nobles), dumb for traveling with a bulk of money when it was obvious there was bandit parading around (the nobles) dumb for trusting everyone blindly (robyn and merry men), dumb for willingly being an outlaw (the merry men), dumb for always do what others told (robyn again) dumb dumb dumb...

and how could a freakin horse saved someone who's drowning in a frigid water?! and a mom not to recognize her own daughter?! where was robyn's face when they talked? i could go on and on and on but it was hardly worth it

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can say without any hesitation that KM Shea is my absolute favorite author. I read everything she publishes. I guess what I am trying to say here before I get into my actual review is that this review will have some bias from my preconceived opinion of anything written by KM Shea.

KM Shea as an author has grown leaps and bounds in her writing quality with the years of experience and practice she has had. With that said, this book is some of KM Shea's earliest published work that is available on Amazon. This shows when you compare the quality of this book with the books that she writes now.

This was a fun and quick read. I contains the humor and quirkiness that I have come to associate with KM Shea books. I loved the characters and the fun twist on a classic tale that we get in this book.

There were definitely problems that I had with this book but overall I enjoyed the read. The book is lacking a little in plot and sometimes character actions and reactions were so unexpected that they just seemed out of character or abrupt.

There were more little things that bugged me as I read this book. But what I absolutely loved about reading this was how I was able to have a peek into the past for how my favorite author has grown. I was able to see very clearly the time and effort she has put into her writing and the amazing growth that she has had. I love KM Shea!

I am definitely going to read the next book in this series and I would recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed a book by KM Shea in the past and would like a fun quick read.

Romance content: almost nonexistent. some implied possible future romance drama, quick hugs

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I already said it yesterday: I'm slowly making my way through K.M. Shea's entire backlist. I already had a copy of this book on my Kindle, I think it was free around Christmas, but I cleared an entire square in my book case for K.M. Shea's books so I had to have paperback copies of these novels too. And since I needed something quick, short and light hearted this afternoon this book was perfect.

This is without a doubt not Shea's best and most impressive work. And that's mostly because of the pace of the story. It feels a little like Robyn is sitting next to me and is telling me her story. Speeding up at times and slowing down at other times and not always speeding up or slowing down when I'd want her to slow down or speed up.

What I did love about this book though is how accidental Robyn becomes the famous Robin Hood having Sherwood and all its nobles terrified. All she's trying to do is protecting her friend. She's not particularly brave. She's not particularly strong. She's just incredibly loyal and willing to do what has to be done when her friends are wronged or hurt.

I also loved how the author took the time to show us the fun times the merry men have in the woods together. We don't just see them stealing gold and distributing the gold to people who need it. We also see them fooling around, playing drinking games and having playful fights. It helps to see that the merry men is not only about justice, it's also about friendship.

I'm looking forward to diving into the sequel!

[Shawna Z · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my Robin Hood

I just couldn't get into this Robin Hood retelling. Robyn just came across flat, like there was no real persona to her at all. She repeatedly tells us what a coward she is and that's really as deep as it goes into who she is or what she feels. And it isn't just Robyn- as a reader we only get to skim the surface of everyone except Maid Marian and even then she's portrayed as some demanding, angry and shrill harridan who is thoughtless over how she treats her horses.

The only likable person is Much, and he's more an annoying brother than Robyn's childhood friend. I'm not even certain why that even needed to be there unless it is to hint Robyn wouldn't have saved Much if she hadn't had a history with him or to excuse why Robyn had to qualms living in the woods alone with Much without the question of impropriety.

Robyn isn't likable, the blind devotion of her men make no sense, the men spend more time screaming and shrieking than she does. Even the moment when they rob Prince John or Robyn when goes blindly off to rescue her captured men earlier there is nothing really to leave the reader with concern over what may happen or a press to keep reading.

[Ilona Nurmela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this humorous and fun Robin Hood retelling with an accidental “Robyn, hood!”

What a fun romp of a Robin Hood retelling. Got a few chuckles out of me. When Lady Marian is accosted by Sheriff’s men, Robyn, her BFF girlfriend comes to the rescue. What if Robyn was an 18yo girl who never wanted to be an outlaw or have a band of Merry Men, but who ended up becoming a legend thanks to Marian’s ideas that someone should revolt against Prince John & his tax-extortion? I loved the banter, the characters, the storyline, the humour. The book follows the elements of the tale we know coosely but twists everything to fit around a girl MC. The way the robbing itself starts is priceless and how the men scream like little girls every time Robyn is injured was sweet & rather entertaining. Marian was a bit annoying, but a proper catalyst. And I fully expect a MF romance in book 2 - as between whom - read it and find out!😉

Reminded me of Robin of Sherwood 80s tv series - add Monty Python humour & a girl MC. Priceless.

Recommended for lovers of YA clean& sweet coming of age stories; medieval action-adventure and Robin Hood retellings in particular.

[Kerstin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is for both the first and second “Robyn Hood” books as I read them close together.

Dislikes: There was some language. And a little bit of tacky humor. Occasionally the plot didn’t hold my interest.

Likes: Robyn friendships with her Merry Men were great. I loved the trust and loyalty of the Merry Men and their protectiveness of Robyn. I enjoyed the love story between Robyn and her man. There were some funny moments and fun adventures mixed in the story as a whole. It was a pretty good plot that I enjoyed most of the time.

I would call this book a “clean” read except for the things I mentioned in the dislikes paragraph. There is no sex, which I appreciate. There is mild sexual references to a woman’s body as Robyn is a girl pretending to be a man. The battle parts are not graphic, which I appreciate.

I appreciated that Robyn was pretending to be a boy to protect those she cared about. Not because she hated being a woman or was a man-hater.

[Amanda Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Preferred the Timeless Tales series

A bit similar in theme to King Arthur and Her Knights of the Round Table in that a classical male leading role is suddenly being held by a young female. Robin Hood is now Robyn Hood, still with a band of merry men, but she's been outlawed for protecting Much and was herself a common or garden villager instead of a dispossessed Lord Robin of Locksley. Maid Marion is no demure damsel but more of a potty mouthed hellcat!

I'm not so keen on the writing style which is rather more simple than the Fairytale world books. Maybe it's aimed at the YA audience which it would fit.. I don't know if that is intentional though or if its perhaps just one of her earlier books and she's still finding her style.. lol.. I really ought to check before downloading..

It's entertaining enough for me to continue with the next book I would just prefer a richer connection with the characters and more depth to the storyline.

[C.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

One thing I do love about K.M. Shea is her ability to turn many a familiar story into a laugh riot. While some of the characters could be downright stupid at times, it never hurt my enjoyment of the story. After recently reading a terrible Robin Hood book from another author, I picked this one up in hopes that my love of the story would be rekindled, and hopefully not butchered again. While this book isn't your ordinary Robin Hood tale, I absolutely loved it. Between this book and the movie playing in the same room at the time I was reading, I laughed so hard I cried.
Robyn has a wonderfully sarcastic voice, and you can't help but love her and her boys, silliness, stupidity and all. If you haven't read a K.M. Shea book yet, do yourself a favor and pick one up. You won't regret it.

[OT · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is a nice story, a Robin Hood tale with a twist - Robin is actually Robyn, a girl which is not brave or anything.

I enjoyed reading the book, and finished it quite fast but it wasn't because I was fascinated or hooked to the book, far from it. It was OK book, easy read and relatively short so it went fast, but it wasn't very interesting and the characters were quite flat.
When I got to the last page, I didn't want to continue to the next book, I just don't care what will happen to Robyn and her friends.

Another point, I am not sure if it was the way the characters talked but the book had many places with grammar, format errors or typos.

It was a good way to past the time, nothing more.

[Lucy Anne Holland · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a fun, light-hearted read. I enjoy Robin Hood retellings and I liked Shea’s twist to this one. It was also quite amusing and as with Shea’s other books, it was a clean read. However, it did not grasp my interest (DNF 62%). KM Shea is an excellent writer, but for me, this one didn’t quite hit the mark. I think, perhaps, it would be a fantastic read for younger girls around the age of 12.
The plot starts out rather fast-paced but slows in the middle and there are a few unrealistic points; for example, the fact that everyone believed that Robyn was a man. Although the writing was at times witty, there were numerous typos and it wasn’t quite as developed as Shea’s other works.
Altogether, this book was okay, especially for a free e-book. However, I will not be reading book #2.