Hood is an interesting twist on the familiar tale of Robin Hood and his merry men. We still have our wronged nobleman turned heroic outlaw but the setting and it appears some of the characters will be quite different. Wales, not England, is the setting (the author has specific reasons for this choice). Maid Marian, Friar Tuck, Little John and Will Scarlet are definitely included—but although there will be no shortage of villains, the locale makes it unlikely that we will meet the Sheriff of Nottingham in this retelling.

I’m always interested in retellings of legends and I am curious to see how this trilogy develops. As a fan of Lawhead’s Pendragon Cycle, I have to confess I felt that Hood’s pace was too slow at times; I’m hoping that Scarlet moves along more quickly.

Hood is the first book in the King Raven trilogy; Scarlet is the second book and Tuck will be the third. For more information on the series or the author, please visit http://www.stephenlawhead.com/