Hood of Secrets

Fairy Tale Royals #5

by Emily Deady

Can't wait for Robin and Ian's story?

Be sure to read the novella, Lady or Maid, to get their backstory!

Genres: Retellings, Fairy Tales, Fairy Tale Retellings, Fantasy

Kindle Edition

First published November 17, 2021

About the author

Emily Deady was as an avid reader who hated writing. But one day she realized that most authors loved cats and tea, her two favorite things. So, she stopped fighting the inevitable and she began to write. She loves a good romance, her real life hero who patiently listens to all her plotlines, and hitting the trails for light hike in sunny San Diego.

Reviews

[PumpkinPi · Rating 5 out of 5]

You all. This book. It may have taken five years to get here, but it was absolutely worth the wait, because this book is *so good*. The stakes are higher than ever, the external and interior conflicts are deliciously tense, the long-held hurts and complex history between Robin and Ian are so well developed and play out with such real emotional turmoil.


We've met Robin and Ian before in Lady or Maid, but now they're adults, with years of growth for both the better and worse; both of them have been shaped by their beliefs and the actions of those around them, especially King Frederick's. They both have growing, learning, and reexamining to do, and they *do* put in that work over the course of the book. 


But this is also a celebration of family, blood and found alike. All of the threads begun in the previous books weave together here into an incredible... I would say tapestry, but that's Ashlin's thing. But truly, this is art.


The elements of the classic Robin Hood legends fit seamlessly into Robin and Ian's quest to survive and overcome Gareth's machinations: banditry and an archery competition, the forest hideaway, and the band of "merry men" with some of the most well-known roles represented, either clearly or in a way that'll all of a sudden, three-quarters of the way through, make you blink and laugh and shake your head at how you didn't catch that one earlier.


And somehow, Emily brings her trademark humor into the story with laugh-out-loud moments over and over again, without taking away from the emotional intensity of the story she's telling. I loved this book, and am already looking forward to rereading it.

[Catherine Dunphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness! First off, this book was most definitely worth the wait!
The love story of Ian and Robin is beautiful! There couldn't have been a more perfect ending to this series ❤️ while I am sad it is over, I know that I will definitely, (most definitely) be returning to these and rereading over and over again! These books have become some of my absolute favorites and I look forward to reading more stories by Emily Deady.
I highly recommend this series if you enjoy clean, wholesome romance, fairytale retelling, with some fantasy on top of it all. Absolutely amazing!

[Esmare · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED IT!!!!! Like laughing out loud, shrieking in terror, and generally getting so absorbed into it that it's a wonder my family didn't come check on me a few times with the noises coming from my room. Yeah, if I really like a book then I don't READ it, I LIVE it. Which means the characters become like friends to me, so now I'm waiting for more books in the same world with some of the same characters (even if they are side characters) so that I can go on more adventures with my friends.

I probably spent about 15mins trying to explain the world and the rest of the series to try and explain all the different fairytales that were wrapped up in Hood of Secrets to my mom, and how they connected because it seems weird and chaotic (which it at times was due to the situation in the world) to just say it was like 5 fairytales wrapped up in one, it works when you read the book because there are threads of the other siblings' stories woven all throughout this book.

I definitely think it was worth the wait.

I had the chance to read an advanced copy of this book, and this is my own honest opinion, I like these books so much that I reread all of them in about a week or two before reading this one. Would love to one day add them all to my paperback library.

[Hannah Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Robin Hood adaptation was fantastic!! I would recommend reading the previous 4 books first, but even without doing so I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was exciting, adventurous, romantic, and made me want to take up archery!

Robin and Ian reconnect after 10 years apart. Ian falls in with Robin’s group to try to stop the evil King Gareth from taking Ian’s father’s crown.

Highlights:
All the archery (especially the tournament)
The progression of comfort in two people riding one horse
The Majis singing

I love Robin for being clever and inventive. I love her compassion and leadership.

I love Ian for being protective. I love how supportive and encouraging he is.
This was an ARC, all opinions are my own.

[Ami Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This clean, fascinating retelling of Robin Hood also had characters from The Goose Girl, Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid, and others… all from previous books in this series. The story finished out this series, and brought the whole thing to a grand finale! I loved how spunky Robin was, and how both main characters grew in integrity and in resolve as the story progressed! I received an ARC copy and this is my review.

[A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5* This was a highly satisfying series conclusion - I enjoyed how the characters were all involved, the loose ends tucked in and the story lines wrapped up. I enjoyed exploring the characters motivations, feeling the depth of their sincerity, and seeing the happy endings play out. There were beautiful messages of individuality and unity.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

[Grumpy74rwgmail.Com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing story that’s filled with adventure, treachery, suspense and a love that survives it all. Robin has been helping so many people due to crop failures, loss of homes and whatever disasters that have occurred. Ian has been dealing with being the next in line for the throne and all that the position requires. Don’t miss out on all the excitement of this story.

[Kc · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely a book worth waiting for, and it was nice to be back in the world of this series. The characters are well written and the story is wonderful. It was nice that all the characters from previous books were there and had important parts in the story. It was a very satisfying ending.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contains: kisses and fighting

I loved how well this incorporated the Robin Hood story. It has been quite a few years since I read the rest of the series so I had forgotten most of what happened before. I probably should have reread them.

[Chrissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth the wait.

The perfect end to an amazing series. Fantasy, magic, love, fairy tales, clean romance.

Would definitely recommend and will definitely read again (and again).