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Robyn Hood #2
Fight For Freedom
The ballads lie. Robin Hood, the Bold and Brave Outlaw of Sherwood Forest, is cowardly, spineless, and a girl.
Robyn left her band of Merry Men after losing an archery contest against Little John and runs to the last place her men would expect: the courts of Prince John. Robyn successfully masks her identity until Little John and Will Scarlet locate her with Marian’s help. Unfortunately the Merry Men are found out, and the Sheriff of Nottingham makes plans to hang them. Robyn must save her men and find a way out of the locked Nottingham Castle, or she will lose her trusted partners to the noose.
The Merry Men aren’t the only friends Robyn is fighting for. Marian—Robyn’s childhood friend—will be unwillingly married to the persistent and violent Sir Guy of Gisborne if Robyn can’t stop the wedding.
Can Robyn save her men, her closest friend, and finally pay King Richard’s ransom?
Robyn Hood: Fight For Freedom is the sequel to Robyn Hood: A Girl's Tale.
Robyn left her band of Merry Men after losing an archery contest against Little John and runs to the last place her men would expect: the courts of Prince John. Robyn successfully masks her identity until Little John and Will Scarlet locate her with Marian’s help. Unfortunately the Merry Men are found out, and the Sheriff of Nottingham makes plans to hang them. Robyn must save her men and find a way out of the locked Nottingham Castle, or she will lose her trusted partners to the noose.
The Merry Men aren’t the only friends Robyn is fighting for. Marian—Robyn’s childhood friend—will be unwillingly married to the persistent and violent Sir Guy of Gisborne if Robyn can’t stop the wedding.
Can Robyn save her men, her closest friend, and finally pay King Richard’s ransom?
Robyn Hood: Fight For Freedom is the sequel to Robyn Hood: A Girl's Tale.
172 pages, Paperback
First published March 13, 2013
238 people are currently reading
591 people want to read
About the author
K.M. Shea
119 books4,794 followersMy 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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VISIT MY AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
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VISIT MY WEBSITE
https://kmshea.com/
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!
VISIT MY FACEBOOK GROUP
https://www.facebook.com/groups/27090...
VISIT MY AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
https://www.amazon.com/K-M-Shea/e/B00...
VISIT MY WEBSITE
https://kmshea.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
January 25, 2023
3.5 Stars
June 25, 2017
Delightful
What a fun adventure and so imaginative! I'm almost sad that there are only two books in this series. I will read this again.
What a fun adventure and so imaginative! I'm almost sad that there are only two books in this series. I will read this again.
March 3, 2023
Look, with the length of these books it becomes pretty easy to catch up with Shea's backlist (the most limiting factor in that process is my book money. I've run out of it for this month...) and it's also a joy to do so. This morning I wanted an easy read to wake up with and since I finished the first book in this duet on Wednesday and had finished a few other books in between I was totally allowed to grab this one.
If you enjoyed the first book in this duet you will enjoy this one too. Of course everything that happens is different, the author is actually quite good in preventing repeating the same scenes, but the vibe, pacing and characters are very much still the same. I still think the pacing fits the kind of story Shea is telling, where it feels like Robyn is telling her story, but I personally still think a lot of interesting parts of the story are rushed or happening off page.
That doesn't mean I didn't like reading this book. I especially really like Robyn interacting with her merry men. It can get quite silly at times, but it's also a great reminder that when we meet these characters and spend time with them they're are still practically children. They were living with their parents before they were exiled. So, sometimes they are childish and yet it really makes the story the fun story it is because it's so endearing and lighthearted.
I also loved how we got to see more of life at court in this book. Since Robyn is spending some time at court, dining with the sheriff and making friends with the nobles, we see that this conflict is not between the common people and the nobles. It's between prince John and the Sheriff and almost everyone else. I loved how there were moments we saw that there were good nobles supporting King Richard and Robyn Hood's cause. It made everything less black and white.
I can't wait to dive into the next Shea series!
If you enjoyed the first book in this duet you will enjoy this one too. Of course everything that happens is different, the author is actually quite good in preventing repeating the same scenes, but the vibe, pacing and characters are very much still the same. I still think the pacing fits the kind of story Shea is telling, where it feels like Robyn is telling her story, but I personally still think a lot of interesting parts of the story are rushed or happening off page.
That doesn't mean I didn't like reading this book. I especially really like Robyn interacting with her merry men. It can get quite silly at times, but it's also a great reminder that when we meet these characters and spend time with them they're are still practically children. They were living with their parents before they were exiled. So, sometimes they are childish and yet it really makes the story the fun story it is because it's so endearing and lighthearted.
I also loved how we got to see more of life at court in this book. Since Robyn is spending some time at court, dining with the sheriff and making friends with the nobles, we see that this conflict is not between the common people and the nobles. It's between prince John and the Sheriff and almost everyone else. I loved how there were moments we saw that there were good nobles supporting King Richard and Robyn Hood's cause. It made everything less black and white.
I can't wait to dive into the next Shea series!
June 20, 2022
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Like its predecessor, "Fight for Freedom" is a fun and action packed novella.
While I prefer the humor in "A Girl's Tale," to the humor this one, I much prefer the action in "Fight for Freedom" to the action scenes in the previous book. The fight scenes towards the end were especially exciting.
Another aspect I liked were all of the platonic relationships. The bond Robyn has with her merry men is great. I love the way merry men mother hen Robyn and the how selfless Robyn is towards them. You have to try this book out if you enjoy the found family trope!
While I did really like all the platonic relationships, I didn't exactly love the romantic ones. Robyn gets into a love triangle with two of her merry men and that love triangle plays a big role in "Fight for Freedom". Not only was the love triangle silly, it was also unnecessary, as it was already hinted at who she would end up with in the first book. I will say, though, that I did like who she ended up with and they did have some pretty cute scenes at the end. I do think this book could have done without any romance, though!
While the "Robyn Hood," novella duology isn't my favorite K.M. Shea series, it is a pretty fun one. If you enjoy K.M. Shea's style of writing or Robin Hood retellings, I think you should give it a shot!
Like its predecessor, "Fight for Freedom" is a fun and action packed novella.
While I prefer the humor in "A Girl's Tale," to the humor this one, I much prefer the action in "Fight for Freedom" to the action scenes in the previous book. The fight scenes towards the end were especially exciting.
Another aspect I liked were all of the platonic relationships. The bond Robyn has with her merry men is great. I love the way merry men mother hen Robyn and the how selfless Robyn is towards them. You have to try this book out if you enjoy the found family trope!
While I did really like all the platonic relationships, I didn't exactly love the romantic ones. Robyn gets into a love triangle with two of her merry men and that love triangle plays a big role in "Fight for Freedom". Not only was the love triangle silly, it was also unnecessary, as it was already hinted at who she would end up with in the first book. I will say, though, that I did like who she ended up with and they did have some pretty cute scenes at the end. I do think this book could have done without any romance, though!
While the "Robyn Hood," novella duology isn't my favorite K.M. Shea series, it is a pretty fun one. If you enjoy K.M. Shea's style of writing or Robin Hood retellings, I think you should give it a shot!
July 17, 2022
A fun YA action-adventure where Robyn Hood is a girl, but I liked the 1st book better
Book 2 of Robyn the girl MC and her band of Merry Men. I must admit, I liked the 1st book more. The 2nd one sees Robyn return to the forest after a hissy fit with Little John & Will Scarlet over… well, read it yourself to find out. Again, the book follows the elements of tale we know and love from the 1980s series closely, but sub the MC with a female who seems to accidentally reveal left right & center she’s a woman. Eyeroll. I half-liked the ending linking the story to Magna Carta; the half I didn’t like was the half that didn’t make sense to me. I would also have loved to read more on the romance development since the kernels of hints in the first book were promising, but YA action-adventure triumphed over romance here. A fun romp again, but less chuckles this time.
Recommended for lovers of YA medieval action-adventure & Robin Hood retellings that work even when you take the itty-bitty romance out.
Book 2 of Robyn the girl MC and her band of Merry Men. I must admit, I liked the 1st book more. The 2nd one sees Robyn return to the forest after a hissy fit with Little John & Will Scarlet over… well, read it yourself to find out. Again, the book follows the elements of tale we know and love from the 1980s series closely, but sub the MC with a female who seems to accidentally reveal left right & center she’s a woman. Eyeroll. I half-liked the ending linking the story to Magna Carta; the half I didn’t like was the half that didn’t make sense to me. I would also have loved to read more on the romance development since the kernels of hints in the first book were promising, but YA action-adventure triumphed over romance here. A fun romp again, but less chuckles this time.
Recommended for lovers of YA medieval action-adventure & Robin Hood retellings that work even when you take the itty-bitty romance out.
November 29, 2024
I got these books for free from K M Shea and I'm not one for retellings but this one was funny, clever and full of heart.
It has a twist on the original story making Robyn a girl, surrounded by merry men or more like boys who love her and respect her. I didn't think we would have a romance, but I should've known better hehe. I laughed out loud so much with Robyn and her merry men. It was short but sweet!
It has a twist on the original story making Robyn a girl, surrounded by merry men or more like boys who love her and respect her. I didn't think we would have a romance, but I should've known better hehe. I laughed out loud so much with Robyn and her merry men. It was short but sweet!
June 17, 2021
This was better than the first in the series in my opinion. There are still some kind of awkward pieces, but overall, many of the worst problems were fixed. As I mentioned in my review of the first book in the series, it feels like an early effort by the author, but everything she writes is wonderful.
November 13, 2023
This is an awesome ending to the duology. I didn't overly enjoy the love triangle thing going on, but that was just because I don't like love triangles. I'm glad she ended up with the person she did, though (no spoiler).
Romance: CLEAN. No explicit scenes or curse words. I'm pretty sure there's some kissing.
Romance: CLEAN. No explicit scenes or curse words. I'm pretty sure there's some kissing.
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January 30, 2018Just as good as the first one!!
June 9, 2023
Oh my holy gosh darn goodness that was sooooo good 🤣 absolutely hilarious 😂
November 14, 2017
Awesome ending to an unlikely hero!
I enjoyed this series, it was short but fun to read!
We continue Robyn's journey of saving her loved ones and helping the people of Nottingham. We go through unexpected confessions and live through her adventures at convincing people that she is a boy but failing really!
It was a delightful read, funny all the way, very much like the first. Especially since almost every time her true gender was revealed was mainly because one of her Merry Men gave it away!
Packed with action and adventure, this is a must read! Such a fantastic series, worth picking up and finishing in a day or two!
I enjoyed this series, it was short but fun to read!
We continue Robyn's journey of saving her loved ones and helping the people of Nottingham. We go through unexpected confessions and live through her adventures at convincing people that she is a boy but failing really!
It was a delightful read, funny all the way, very much like the first. Especially since almost every time her true gender was revealed was mainly because one of her Merry Men gave it away!
Packed with action and adventure, this is a must read! Such a fantastic series, worth picking up and finishing in a day or two!
October 9, 2014
Yeah I was reading this one when I GAVE MYSELF HEAT EXHAUSTION. Stay hydrated people, STAY HYDRATED!!!! I drank lots of water and snuggled up with an ice pack and I was fine. and then passed out for a couple of hours. and then woke up and read the rest of this. It was funny! Not worth the misery of heat exhaustion, but funny! Do not expect historical accuracy, Mary Sue-ism (she is just so *loved* >.<), very amusing! (can cause heat stroke)
January 1, 2016
Not bad.
If you're looking for a female Robin Hood, try Lady of Legend by R. Arcejager, If you're looking for K. M. Shea, try the Timeless Fairy tales
If you're looking for a female Robin Hood, try Lady of Legend by R. Arcejager, If you're looking for K. M. Shea, try the Timeless Fairy tales
February 22, 2021
Mostly nice story, mild consent issues, takes the Lord’s name in vain
Overall, I would say the story is mostly enjoyable. There are consent issues about forced kisses and abusing social power as well as a romantic partner forcing a kiss on an actively escaping victim. Then, there is victim-blaming, emotional abuse, and physical abuse as well as minimizing the victim’s right to feel safe by accessories to the emotional abuse. These characters will not allow the scared victim to escape the victim-blaming romantic partner and hit her or accept her physical attack before leaving her with the person she is afraid of, who is angry with her over something she had no control over. The visceral and nauseating Ew-factor in these paragraphs is a reason for the lack of a star. The active abuse did not continue or get worse, and I left the other 4 stars.
The heroine takes the Lord’s name in vain without admitting it is not okay and proclaims to be loyal to God. She uses the sign of the cross as surprise/shock over wealth and not as a true act of thanks or worship, meaning that she deprived that gesture of it’s originally intended sacred meaning as well. It’s religiously offensive, but it appears to be done in ignorance. This is another reason for taking off a star. The book doesn’t seem to actively denigrate Christ as Lord on purpose while setting up a heroine that is loyal to Christ, so I left the other stars.
Further, there is some confusion about whether or not verbal and physical abuse from people you trust makes you more proficient at martial arts or weapons practice. Stress from people that you trust makes you worse at performing nearly any task instead of creating resilience to stress. This is a concerning theme in this book. Children who receive abuse at home have difficulty in school and do not leave quickly as they do not trust others in the world when they grow up. Stress inflicted by people you trust at home is domestic abuse and does not produce resilience that carries over into situations where you are receiving stress from strangers that you do not trust. Communal abuse in religious communities is a practice of cults to control people. Therefore, domestic abuse or community sanctioned abuse, does not somehow train you to concentrate better. Further, difficult stressors in bootcamp do not improve performance in soldiers, prevent death in battle, or stop PTSD from occurring in soldiers. Instead, abuse from people that you trust, as it is repeated over time, actually builds up to potentially create complex trauma that will lead to mental health issues and crisis when compounded with stress events from people that you do not trust in situations like battle. Verbal, emotional, and physical abuse damage relationships, undermines social support networks, and diminishes performance instead of protecting anyone. I have read the original Robin hood and I understand the bravado the author is attempting to mimic, but I found the justification of verbal, emotional, and physical abuse to be both unpersuasive and disappointing.
Keeping in mind that verbal, emotional, and physical abuse are never okay and cannot be justified in any sort of relationship, and remembering that stealing someone’s consent and victim-blaming plays into rape culture, and recalling that people have a right to feel safe so leaving them with someone they are scared of is also abuse, and with the caveat that religions should be respected sincerely by characters espousing faith, and by understanding that people who are motivated by love instead of fear of physical punishment will be less likely to feel isolated from their social support network and therefore will have more resilience to stress that will help them perform better and also avoid a traumatic crisis in battle, will allow a reader to eschew the potentially problematic messages underlying the inappropriate actions and themes in the story.
There are no graphic sex scenes. There are instances of mild swearing. The overall plot is interesting and leads to mostly healthy outcomes. When read with discernment, this is an enjoyable book that offers potential discussion of the inappropriate behavior or themes, which a parent may need to address with younger readers before recommending the book.
Overall, I would say the story is mostly enjoyable. There are consent issues about forced kisses and abusing social power as well as a romantic partner forcing a kiss on an actively escaping victim. Then, there is victim-blaming, emotional abuse, and physical abuse as well as minimizing the victim’s right to feel safe by accessories to the emotional abuse. These characters will not allow the scared victim to escape the victim-blaming romantic partner and hit her or accept her physical attack before leaving her with the person she is afraid of, who is angry with her over something she had no control over. The visceral and nauseating Ew-factor in these paragraphs is a reason for the lack of a star. The active abuse did not continue or get worse, and I left the other 4 stars.
The heroine takes the Lord’s name in vain without admitting it is not okay and proclaims to be loyal to God. She uses the sign of the cross as surprise/shock over wealth and not as a true act of thanks or worship, meaning that she deprived that gesture of it’s originally intended sacred meaning as well. It’s religiously offensive, but it appears to be done in ignorance. This is another reason for taking off a star. The book doesn’t seem to actively denigrate Christ as Lord on purpose while setting up a heroine that is loyal to Christ, so I left the other stars.
Further, there is some confusion about whether or not verbal and physical abuse from people you trust makes you more proficient at martial arts or weapons practice. Stress from people that you trust makes you worse at performing nearly any task instead of creating resilience to stress. This is a concerning theme in this book. Children who receive abuse at home have difficulty in school and do not leave quickly as they do not trust others in the world when they grow up. Stress inflicted by people you trust at home is domestic abuse and does not produce resilience that carries over into situations where you are receiving stress from strangers that you do not trust. Communal abuse in religious communities is a practice of cults to control people. Therefore, domestic abuse or community sanctioned abuse, does not somehow train you to concentrate better. Further, difficult stressors in bootcamp do not improve performance in soldiers, prevent death in battle, or stop PTSD from occurring in soldiers. Instead, abuse from people that you trust, as it is repeated over time, actually builds up to potentially create complex trauma that will lead to mental health issues and crisis when compounded with stress events from people that you do not trust in situations like battle. Verbal, emotional, and physical abuse damage relationships, undermines social support networks, and diminishes performance instead of protecting anyone. I have read the original Robin hood and I understand the bravado the author is attempting to mimic, but I found the justification of verbal, emotional, and physical abuse to be both unpersuasive and disappointing.
Keeping in mind that verbal, emotional, and physical abuse are never okay and cannot be justified in any sort of relationship, and remembering that stealing someone’s consent and victim-blaming plays into rape culture, and recalling that people have a right to feel safe so leaving them with someone they are scared of is also abuse, and with the caveat that religions should be respected sincerely by characters espousing faith, and by understanding that people who are motivated by love instead of fear of physical punishment will be less likely to feel isolated from their social support network and therefore will have more resilience to stress that will help them perform better and also avoid a traumatic crisis in battle, will allow a reader to eschew the potentially problematic messages underlying the inappropriate actions and themes in the story.
There are no graphic sex scenes. There are instances of mild swearing. The overall plot is interesting and leads to mostly healthy outcomes. When read with discernment, this is an enjoyable book that offers potential discussion of the inappropriate behavior or themes, which a parent may need to address with younger readers before recommending the book.
June 11, 2021
actually 0.5 stars
it was still as bad as the first, but now the plot was even unclear. and wow, turned out the reason that Little John betrayed her was because he and Will loved her, what a believable excuse.
so a little summary here:
the first book ended with Robyn ran away like a kicked rat because she was betrayed. She went to Nottingham palace (still, without ruler, apparently, it was ruled by a Sheriff back then) and magically became a Lady only because of her clothes. she made some friends here but then she ran into Lady Marian, which ruined her disguised. but then, little john and scarlet got captured and almost got killed, but thanks to the bold and brave robin hood, they were saved and no one got hurt or killed. so she went back to the merry men after some emotional drama and forgiving little john and scarlet. and then she started to do some random shit like crashing into a wedding, forbidding marian from staying with them so she could always have a spy in noble class, lots of useless and bloodless fightings, capturing and humiliating the sheriff, saving the king, avoiding the king, lunch with priests, got kissed by the king, marrying scarlet, chased king john and then the end.
K. M. Shea's books went from funny to downright ridiculous here. what's the goal of the story anyway, yes, she beat the Sheriff, but she set him lose again (what's the fucking point?!), and yes, she saved the king and adored him like an idiotic fangirl, but she ignored him like a disease while a freaking KING chased her around like an animal on mating season. Like i said, WHAT'S THE FUCKING POINT?! it seemed that she went around doing random 'goodness' things like crashing into a wedding or invite monks into lunch. God, reading this made me feel stupid. curse my inability to DNF books and my curiosity to know what happen next.
it was like all K. M. Shea's book were made on this fragile and sensitive universe where none of her character can ever get hurt or die. so BORING, and they call this a young-adult book. it was more fitting for a 6-years old girl. yes, sometimes it can be fun, but my patience for her weak, good-hearted ninny characters is thinning.
robyn showed zero indication that she was in love with Will Scarlet but she ended up marrying him anyway. her show of love was only shown in a very few and short paragraph, very convincing. i don't understand why all K. M. Shea's character really self-conscious about their caste and have zero-ambition. it appeared that there was nothing that driven her except doing more goodness and more goodness. i wonder if all of her characters were secretly a nun.
the most impossible part of this series is that all the merry men acts like they were robyn's obidient dog. men will never submit to be bossed around by women that willingly, especially not 100 of them. u know what, i'll just end this stupid review. not worth it repeating the same thing again
it was still as bad as the first, but now the plot was even unclear. and wow, turned out the reason that Little John betrayed her was because he and Will loved her, what a believable excuse.
so a little summary here:
the first book ended with Robyn ran away like a kicked rat because she was betrayed. She went to Nottingham palace (still, without ruler, apparently, it was ruled by a Sheriff back then) and magically became a Lady only because of her clothes. she made some friends here but then she ran into Lady Marian, which ruined her disguised. but then, little john and scarlet got captured and almost got killed, but thanks to the bold and brave robin hood, they were saved and no one got hurt or killed. so she went back to the merry men after some emotional drama and forgiving little john and scarlet. and then she started to do some random shit like crashing into a wedding, forbidding marian from staying with them so she could always have a spy in noble class, lots of useless and bloodless fightings, capturing and humiliating the sheriff, saving the king, avoiding the king, lunch with priests, got kissed by the king, marrying scarlet, chased king john and then the end.
K. M. Shea's books went from funny to downright ridiculous here. what's the goal of the story anyway, yes, she beat the Sheriff, but she set him lose again (what's the fucking point?!), and yes, she saved the king and adored him like an idiotic fangirl, but she ignored him like a disease while a freaking KING chased her around like an animal on mating season. Like i said, WHAT'S THE FUCKING POINT?! it seemed that she went around doing random 'goodness' things like crashing into a wedding or invite monks into lunch. God, reading this made me feel stupid. curse my inability to DNF books and my curiosity to know what happen next.
it was like all K. M. Shea's book were made on this fragile and sensitive universe where none of her character can ever get hurt or die. so BORING, and they call this a young-adult book. it was more fitting for a 6-years old girl. yes, sometimes it can be fun, but my patience for her weak, good-hearted ninny characters is thinning.
robyn showed zero indication that she was in love with Will Scarlet but she ended up marrying him anyway. her show of love was only shown in a very few and short paragraph, very convincing. i don't understand why all K. M. Shea's character really self-conscious about their caste and have zero-ambition. it appeared that there was nothing that driven her except doing more goodness and more goodness. i wonder if all of her characters were secretly a nun.
the most impossible part of this series is that all the merry men acts like they were robyn's obidient dog. men will never submit to be bossed around by women that willingly, especially not 100 of them. u know what, i'll just end this stupid review. not worth it repeating the same thing again
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2024
Seems like this one is shorter than the first- I certainly got through it faster. Still did not like it.
In this second and final Robin Hood we find Robin has abandoned the Merry Men (the situation when later explained is lame) and for some incomprehensible reason has decided to go to Nottingham and stay at the castle as Prince John is in town for a visit and a bunch of nobles are there for the festivities.
No one has her prove she is who she claims to be and she’s immediately shown to a room whereupon she wanders the guest wings stealing gowns and jewelry and even snags a bunch of thread and needles from the castle seamstress so she can alter a bunch of gowns in one night so their former owners cannot recognize them? Sure, why not.
Of course the Merry Men go off in search of her with Will Scarlet and Little John crash the party, get themselves locked up to be hung in the morning and it’s up to Robin to get them out of this mess.
Yeah, Marian is still hot-headed, Robin still wants to just escape and the Merry Men are rather clueless about everything concerning their bold leader except they all keep freaking out if she should even get a scratch.
The band is robbing travelers to help ransom King Richard and more familiar elements from the legends are interspersed throughout. If I was a teen I’d probably have loved it, but it’s all just too sanitized for me- okay, there are couple of scenes I would have maybe blushes over as a kid, but nah, any “romance” is really stretched and forced. As for both the Merry Men who are wanting Robin’s hand-in-marriage… well that just gets dropped at her feet with no warning and yet neither has really shown anything building up before this nor do they really show much after the reveal. The “chemistry” between the soon-to-be couple is not there at all, and then suddenly there is a time jump at the end where they’ve been married for years and have 3 kids that was utterly useless. The capture of this person could have gone just fine, there was no need to skip ahead like that when a segue would have landed better.
Yes, your kid will probably eat this up and hold it tight to her heart, but I need greater depth than these shallow characters if you want me to invest myself in the story. Which is a shame because I normally love Shea’s writing style and world-building, but that still leaves me plenty of books to enjoy in her works.
In this second and final Robin Hood we find Robin has abandoned the Merry Men (the situation when later explained is lame) and for some incomprehensible reason has decided to go to Nottingham and stay at the castle as Prince John is in town for a visit and a bunch of nobles are there for the festivities.
No one has her prove she is who she claims to be and she’s immediately shown to a room whereupon she wanders the guest wings stealing gowns and jewelry and even snags a bunch of thread and needles from the castle seamstress so she can alter a bunch of gowns in one night so their former owners cannot recognize them? Sure, why not.
Of course the Merry Men go off in search of her with Will Scarlet and Little John crash the party, get themselves locked up to be hung in the morning and it’s up to Robin to get them out of this mess.
Yeah, Marian is still hot-headed, Robin still wants to just escape and the Merry Men are rather clueless about everything concerning their bold leader except they all keep freaking out if she should even get a scratch.
The band is robbing travelers to help ransom King Richard and more familiar elements from the legends are interspersed throughout. If I was a teen I’d probably have loved it, but it’s all just too sanitized for me- okay, there are couple of scenes I would have maybe blushes over as a kid, but nah, any “romance” is really stretched and forced. As for both the Merry Men who are wanting Robin’s hand-in-marriage… well that just gets dropped at her feet with no warning and yet neither has really shown anything building up before this nor do they really show much after the reveal. The “chemistry” between the soon-to-be couple is not there at all, and then suddenly there is a time jump at the end where they’ve been married for years and have 3 kids that was utterly useless. The capture of this person could have gone just fine, there was no need to skip ahead like that when a segue would have landed better.
Yes, your kid will probably eat this up and hold it tight to her heart, but I need greater depth than these shallow characters if you want me to invest myself in the story. Which is a shame because I normally love Shea’s writing style and world-building, but that still leaves me plenty of books to enjoy in her works.
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March 19, 2024This is clearly an earlier work by this author, and, as such, I didn't find it as engaging as her more recent novels.
I didn't love the fact that any time someone needed to find out Robyn was a girl (for plot reasons), someone would push her into a river (not to mention the amount of times the Merry Men outright told people, or were completely indiscreet with their actions).
I would have loved the romance to have been more developed, and I'm not a big fan of love triangles (although, if you are, you will probably enjoy the romance more than I did).
The narrative read more as a series of vignettes, than a cohesive story, and there isn't much time spent, in this novel, on Robyn's stealing from the rich to give to the poor (this is mostly done off page). I did enjoy the change of scene to the castle, but it seemed a little odd that no one would put two and two together about Robyn's identity.
That being said, if you're a fan of Robyn Hood, and you enjoyed the first book, this might be something you love!
I didn't love the fact that any time someone needed to find out Robyn was a girl (for plot reasons), someone would push her into a river (not to mention the amount of times the Merry Men outright told people, or were completely indiscreet with their actions).
I would have loved the romance to have been more developed, and I'm not a big fan of love triangles (although, if you are, you will probably enjoy the romance more than I did).
The narrative read more as a series of vignettes, than a cohesive story, and there isn't much time spent, in this novel, on Robyn's stealing from the rich to give to the poor (this is mostly done off page). I did enjoy the change of scene to the castle, but it seemed a little odd that no one would put two and two together about Robyn's identity.
That being said, if you're a fan of Robyn Hood, and you enjoyed the first book, this might be something you love!
June 20, 2020
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.
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.
October 19, 2022
Disappointing
Robyn flees Sherwood Forest after her run in with Little John over leadership of the Merry Men. She heads straight into Nottingham itself and finds herself settled into the Sheriff's castle, along with all the Lords and Ladies who have gathered to see Prince John, as Lady Mary Gamwell. All she has to do is avoid Maid Marion who is also installed at Nottingham Castle as a guest.
Stealing frocks from the other ladies and coin from the Lords she is managing to blend pretty well but kicking herself for using Will Scarlets real surname.
When Will and Little John are caught at the masquerade ball held in honour of Prince John she's not got long to attempt a rescue as the Sheriff declares they will be hung the very next morning.
Can she save her right and left hand men? Can she ever pick between them when they declare their love? And will she ever be cleared and able to return to a normal life free of the title "outlaw"?
Robyn flees Sherwood Forest after her run in with Little John over leadership of the Merry Men. She heads straight into Nottingham itself and finds herself settled into the Sheriff's castle, along with all the Lords and Ladies who have gathered to see Prince John, as Lady Mary Gamwell. All she has to do is avoid Maid Marion who is also installed at Nottingham Castle as a guest.
Stealing frocks from the other ladies and coin from the Lords she is managing to blend pretty well but kicking herself for using Will Scarlets real surname.
When Will and Little John are caught at the masquerade ball held in honour of Prince John she's not got long to attempt a rescue as the Sheriff declares they will be hung the very next morning.
Can she save her right and left hand men? Can she ever pick between them when they declare their love? And will she ever be cleared and able to return to a normal life free of the title "outlaw"?
July 5, 2017
I just want to say first off - I love the horse. Seriously. That critter was pure gold in this book, and the source of a large number of the LOL moments in the story.
Robyn was a good character, but frankly, her and the author going on about how much of a coward she is doesn't ring true. Because she isn't. I'd just call her sensible. If she were a coward, she would be the weak little thing curled up in a ball and crying. After all, courage is not the absence of fear, but rather how you react to it.
I have to say that the romantic relationship didn't ring true, nor how the most idiotic pack of Merry men in the history of Robin Hood retellings didn't manage to get themselves all killed. There were a lot of embarrassingly bad eye-roll moments with that lot.
Having read such a critical review, please don't be fooled. I really did enjoy the book. I'm just a major critic some nights.
Robyn was a good character, but frankly, her and the author going on about how much of a coward she is doesn't ring true. Because she isn't. I'd just call her sensible. If she were a coward, she would be the weak little thing curled up in a ball and crying. After all, courage is not the absence of fear, but rather how you react to it.
I have to say that the romantic relationship didn't ring true, nor how the most idiotic pack of Merry men in the history of Robin Hood retellings didn't manage to get themselves all killed. There were a lot of embarrassingly bad eye-roll moments with that lot.
Having read such a critical review, please don't be fooled. I really did enjoy the book. I'm just a major critic some nights.
October 27, 2021
This was such a fun read! I loved this book!
This was such an improvement upon the first book that was pretty unfocused. I felt like there was a plot throughout the book.
I think it's so cool to see that even just between this book and the first Robyn Hood book I could see noticeable improvement in KM Shea's writing. One of the main reason's I read this duology was to see how much her writing has improved over the years and it was so much fun to look at as I read these books.
I could not stop reading this. It was so fun! I found myself laughing and just enjoying every minute of this quick read.
I am going to continue to read all books by KM Shea and I would recommend this quick fun read to anyone who has enjoyed a book by her in the past.
Romance Content: super sweet, kisses and hugs
This was such an improvement upon the first book that was pretty unfocused. I felt like there was a plot throughout the book.
I think it's so cool to see that even just between this book and the first Robyn Hood book I could see noticeable improvement in KM Shea's writing. One of the main reason's I read this duology was to see how much her writing has improved over the years and it was so much fun to look at as I read these books.
I could not stop reading this. It was so fun! I found myself laughing and just enjoying every minute of this quick read.
I am going to continue to read all books by KM Shea and I would recommend this quick fun read to anyone who has enjoyed a book by her in the past.
Romance Content: super sweet, kisses and hugs
February 29, 2020
Fantastic Fight For Freedom
I love this unique version of Robin Hood. The idea of Robyn being a woman is awesome! This series was fun and exciting. It had everything a great tale should have. The characters were wonderful. They were incredibly well written. Each one was different and unique. I love the way they fit together to be a true band of friends and heroes. The way that each of them interacted with one another through their dialogue and actions made the characters leap off the page. I especially love the character of Maid Marian. She kept me laughing and wondering what she would do next. All in all, this tale of Robyn Hood was a joy to read.
I love this unique version of Robin Hood. The idea of Robyn being a woman is awesome! This series was fun and exciting. It had everything a great tale should have. The characters were wonderful. They were incredibly well written. Each one was different and unique. I love the way they fit together to be a true band of friends and heroes. The way that each of them interacted with one another through their dialogue and actions made the characters leap off the page. I especially love the character of Maid Marian. She kept me laughing and wondering what she would do next. All in all, this tale of Robyn Hood was a joy to read.
January 13, 2020
Reveiw of Robin Hood: Right for Freedom.
The story made me laugh and is very similar to the original story of Robin Hood. The only thing I disliked was how quickly it was over. I really love how Robyn was portrayed and Will Stutlely and Much as mother hens. I also appreciated the way Little John, Will Scarlet and other merry men are portrayed. I especially liked the sheriff's apprentice, I have always felt it the sheriff is as he is portrayed in the original story he is quite useless as a villain.
The story made me laugh and is very similar to the original story of Robin Hood. The only thing I disliked was how quickly it was over. I really love how Robyn was portrayed and Will Stutlely and Much as mother hens. I also appreciated the way Little John, Will Scarlet and other merry men are portrayed. I especially liked the sheriff's apprentice, I have always felt it the sheriff is as he is portrayed in the original story he is quite useless as a villain.
April 29, 2020
“‘Robin Hood is not afraid of you. He’s never gone into hiding, he never ran away from you, he’s been dogging your every step,’ I whispered into his ear. ‘Robin Hood has never let you out of his sight King John. And I never will,’”
Great continuation of a great story! Usually I find sequels at least slightly disappointing, never as good as the first- however, this was brilliantly done.
It was so great to journey with my favorite characters to the end.
“Robyn, you have robbed a prince and saved a King, and you speak of impossibilities?”
Great continuation of a great story! Usually I find sequels at least slightly disappointing, never as good as the first- however, this was brilliantly done.
It was so great to journey with my favorite characters to the end.
“Robyn, you have robbed a prince and saved a King, and you speak of impossibilities?”
January 22, 2025
There was so much that I enjoyed about this book, and I always enjoy K.M.Shea's writing. The easy banter and playful feel of the story was great, and the characters had fun and easy relationships.
However, I feel very confused and dissatisfied with the way it ended. The first 75-80% of the book were normally paced, following a regular story, and staying engaging. However, once the money needed was raised, suddenly King Richard was there, with no explanation or anything. It felt like the climax of the story was missing and the conclusion was rushed and forced.
However, I feel very confused and dissatisfied with the way it ended. The first 75-80% of the book were normally paced, following a regular story, and staying engaging. However, once the money needed was raised, suddenly King Richard was there, with no explanation or anything. It felt like the climax of the story was missing and the conclusion was rushed and forced.
October 25, 2018
Shea is golden!
I love Shea’s witty and fun characters. The adventures they have move the stories along at a fast pace. It’s always sad when another story ends, even though it was very satisfying to read it! The only criticism I have is that the editing needs to be better. It can sometimes be distracting, but the errors aren’t that often to make me put it down. I look forward to reading more of her books, I’ve read everything except her gaming series and enjoyed them all!
I love Shea’s witty and fun characters. The adventures they have move the stories along at a fast pace. It’s always sad when another story ends, even though it was very satisfying to read it! The only criticism I have is that the editing needs to be better. It can sometimes be distracting, but the errors aren’t that often to make me put it down. I look forward to reading more of her books, I’ve read everything except her gaming series and enjoyed them all!
November 22, 2020
A fast paced and fun sequel
Robyn leaves her men thinking they dont want her and ends up in prince johns court. Discovered by Marian, she has to rescue her men, who got captured looking for her. All this leads up to a big fight with the sherriff and a revelation from her men that is shocking.
I love the history mixed with fiction and the characters we get to see again. Plus the new additions. Such a fun take on Robin Hood!
Robyn leaves her men thinking they dont want her and ends up in prince johns court. Discovered by Marian, she has to rescue her men, who got captured looking for her. All this leads up to a big fight with the sherriff and a revelation from her men that is shocking.
I love the history mixed with fiction and the characters we get to see again. Plus the new additions. Such a fun take on Robin Hood!
August 14, 2019
Tobyn Hood:Fight For Freedom
I really enjoyed the twist of Robin Hood being a girl. The end result of all the problems that is naturally going to become real as the girl Robyn becomes involved in the whole outlaw scenario. It was very different from all the other tales about Robin Hood.
I really enjoyed the twist of Robin Hood being a girl. The end result of all the problems that is naturally going to become real as the girl Robyn becomes involved in the whole outlaw scenario. It was very different from all the other tales about Robin Hood.
May 20, 2020
For king and country
This is such a great spin on Robin Hood. I liked this book better than the first just because the romance finally emerged . I loved the fun banter and camaraderie. Especially liked the part were the "abbots" had lunch with the Merry Men. Fun light hearted read.
This is such a great spin on Robin Hood. I liked this book better than the first just because the romance finally emerged . I loved the fun banter and camaraderie. Especially liked the part were the "abbots" had lunch with the Merry Men. Fun light hearted read.
November 19, 2017
Love this!
I stayed up entirely too late reading both of K. M. Shea's Robyn Hood books. I absolutely adore the characters and the relationships between them. Wonderfully written and extremely engaging!
I stayed up entirely too late reading both of K. M. Shea's Robyn Hood books. I absolutely adore the characters and the relationships between them. Wonderfully written and extremely engaging!
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