Robin Hood Books

There are so many good things about this book! The introduction is superb! Here's a small sample by Rusty Burke, 'Robert E. Howard (1906-1936), in a writing career that spanned less than a dozen years, created many memorable fantasy adventure characters, such as Conan, Kull, and Solomon kane, who continue to thrill readers long after they first appeared in the legendary magazine, Weird Tales. The seemingly endlessly inventive author also created enormously popular characters in other genres, such as the wester tall tales of Breckenridge Elkins, the rollicking misadventrues of Sailor Costigan, and the Middle Easdtern exploits of El Borak and Kirby O'Donnell. But of all the many characters he created, none seem to have held for the Texas author a fascination to equal that of the people he called Picts, and their great king, Bran Mak Morn. Contents are: Foreward, Introduction, Men of the Shadows, King of the Night, A Song of the Race, Worms of the Earth, The Dark Man, The Last Race, Poem, Miscellane, The Little People, The Little People-Typescript, The Children of the Night, Bran Mak Morn, Bran Mak Morn manuscript, Synopsis, Worms of the Earth - Draft Version, Fragment, Poem - Previously Unpublished, Untitled, Appendices, REH and the Picts, A chronology, REH Bran Mak Morn and the Picts, Note on the original Howard Texts. Sketches byl Gary Gianni. Gary does a superb job on these sketches which are about every other page and coincides with the stories! How can I wear the harness of toil, And sweat at the daily round, While in my soul forever The drums of Pictdom sound? by REH on page 187 Miscellanea. Enjoy!

Also recommended: Whole Wide World by Novalyne Price who dated REH during the last few years of his life. This is a must have and also see the DVD The Whole Wide World starring Renee Zellweger and Vincent D'Onofrio as REH. Blood & Thunder, The Life & Art of REH by Mark Finn, The Last of The Trunk and The Never Ending Story by Paul Herman, Selected Letters of REH by Rob Roehm, Dark Horse comics, Roy Thomas Conan and Conan The Phenom, Two-Gun Bob, The Dark Barbarian and The Barbaric Triumph by Don Herron, Savage Sword of Conan, The Beast from the Abyss a story about Cats and my all time favorite.

A significant portion of this book was just a repeat of the story in Kull. I feel I was ripped off by the ads for this book.Again, a disjointed portrayal of a great writer by the authors

Another in the Del Rey Robert E. Howard collection, and like the Kull volume chock full of assorted material to go along with the stories. Here you find more than one poem, some articles, drafts, and even a copy of some of the actual typed pages of one story. Fragments of stories, fragments of plays. Even the geeky editorial correction notes.

There is a lot of Pict to be found here. One of the most interesting things is at the end, where Howard's writing and thinking about the Pict race is traced via correspondence with H. P. Lovecraft and others, and analysed by the article writers. A very worthy inclusion, indeed.

Also a reasonable number of illustrations to be found in this volume.

Bran Mak Morn the Last King : Foreword by Gary Gianni
Bran Mak Morn the Last King : Introduction by Rusty Burke
Bran Mak Morn the Last King : Men of the Shadows [Bran Mak Morn]
Bran Mak Morn the Last King : Kings of the Night [Bran Mak Morn; Kull]
Bran Mak Morn the Last King : A Song of the Race [Bran Mak Morn]
Bran Mak Morn the Last King : Worms of the Earth [Bran Mak Morn]
Bran Mak Morn the Last King : The Dark Man [Turlogh OBrien]
Bran Mak Morn the Last King : The Lost Race
Bran Mak Morn the Last King : Poem [The Drums of Pictdom]
Bran Mak Morn the Last King : Notes on Miscellanea by Rusty Burke
Bran Mak Morn the Last King : The Little People
Bran Mak Morn the Last King : The Little PeopleTypescript
Bran Mak Morn the Last King : The Children of the Night
Bran Mak Morn the Last King : Bran Mak Morn [Bran Mak Morn]
Bran Mak Morn the Last King : Bran Mak MornManuscript
Bran Mak Morn the Last King : Synopsis [Bran Mak Morn Synopsis]
Bran Mak Morn the Last King : Worms of the EarthDraft
Bran Mak Morn the Last King : Fragment
Bran Mak Morn the Last King : Poem
Bran Mak Morn the Last King : Untitled Howard Story
Bran Mak Morn the Last King : Robert E. Howard and the Picts: A Chronology
Bran Mak Morn the Last King : Robert E. Howard, Bran Mak Morn and the Picts · Rusty Burke and Patrice Louinet




4.5 out of 5

Beauty and savagery, sorrow and violence, such is the song of Bran Mak Morn. These are violent fantasy tales, but written with such literary flare you cannot put them down. Robert E. Howard captures the emotion of rage like no one else. As an exploration of rage and the things it can drive men to do, this is a superlative work. As compelling adventure stories, nothing is better.

I hadn't read any of these stories before, though I like Conan and Kane. Overall, I was a bit disappointed. The books seemed to have a lot of fillter, and the stories were only loosely connected. Some were definitely atmospheric, so it wasn't that the individual stories were disappointing. Just that I expected stories about a central character and got stories about a central idea -- the race of the Picts in a Howard's mythology.

Great looking book, unnfortunately it is not the edition we need fo my son's class

I read three versions of the Arthurian legends recently, and this one was the weakest. The language is somewhere between Malory's archaic form and modern prose, but does not succeed well at being either. The tales were also, in my opinion, less well told than in the others.

For your consideration, I read La Morte D'Arthur in an abridged version and Roger Lancelyn Green's "King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table" from the Puffin Classics series. I enjoyed Green's telling the best, as it was credibly compiled from a number of works (including Malory) and had some excellent atmospheric illustrations. Though it is a Puffin Classics edition, I did not find the usual condescension or "dumbing down" that often occurs in youth literature.

Get Green's version. It was just as cheap right here on Amazon, and well worth every penny.

This novel is about King Arthur and his knights - more specifically the tale of how Arthur became king and found excaliber and various stories about some of his knights, Merlin, and others. While not the traditional tale, a very good compilation of short stories about a variety of the characters. Would highly recommend.

While this book is intended for kids, adults will probably appreciate it as well...I know I did. If you've tried to wade through Mallory's Le Mort d'Arthur recently, you might agree that it can be relatively slow going and tedious reading at times. Pyle's version of the tales are excellent, and can be read much more easily (and in my opinion with more entertainment) than Mallory's book. I'd recommend this to anyone, young or old, who likes adventure stories and wants to start or continue learning about the Arthurian legends.

Howard Pyle delivers yet another splendid book which recaptures the enchantment and chivalry of the legend of Kind Arthur and his knights. Some have complained of the archaic english, but I love it. It only adds to the magic of Pyle's story. This book is filled with the adventures of noble knights, and it does an amazing job of keeping your interest. Somehow, even after many previous jousts and sword matches, Pyle makes each one more interesting than the last.

I also love the "moral of the story" section he does at the end of most major book divisions. He did not do that in the other Pyle book I have read (The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood), and I very much liked them. In such he made allegories of Excalibur and its sheath (to God's Truth and faith), and does likewise with many things, always wishing to teach to us some truth through his writings about Arthur and his knights. I also loved the oath of the knights of the Round Table:

"And this was the covenant of their Knighthood of the Round Table: That they would be gentle unto the weak; that they would be courageous unto the strong; that they would be terrible unto the wicked and the evil-doer that they would defend the helpless who should call upon them for aid; that all women should be held unto them sacred; that they would stand unto the defence of one another whensoever such defence should be required; that they would be merciful unto all men; that they would be gentle of deed, true in friendship, and faithful in love. This was their covenant, and unto it each knight sware upon the cross of his sword, and in witness thereof did kiss the hilt thereof."

This except, I think, well sums up this book, in which these oaths are held, and if they are not, retribution always follows swiftly. In the land of Camelot, good deeds before God are of highest value, and wicked deeds are always subject to disapproval and punishment.

I will make this short and succinct. It has been awhile since I read this but I distinctly remember thinking that it was the best Robin Hood tale that I had either seen or read. I would highly recommend that anyone even remotely interested in the Robin Hood legend should read this book. Errol Flynn's portrayal pales by comparison!

Happy Reading!

Parke Godwin's Sherwood is among the stack of books that I've owned seemingly forever, and I re-read every few years just for the joy of it. I'd argue that it's one of the best re-tellings of the Robin Hood tale (the other being The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley).

First, Godwin sets Robin Hood not during the usual "King Richard the Lionhearted" era but in a more interesting time: the Norman conquest and the years immediately following. Certainly, there's more inherent cultural friction between Saxons (including Robin, who's a thane of a small village), Normans (including the sheriff of Nottingham, Ralf), Danes and the occasional Welsh slave.

Second, Parke Godwin's books all have wonderful characterization, and he chooses to tell stories from non-obvious viewpoints (such as that of Guinevierre, after Arthur's death). In this one, the viewpoint characters shift around a bit, but the main stories are told by Robin (who discovers the concepts of justice and law), and sheriff Ralf (who has his own path to follow, from war to peacetime). Darnit, it *works.* Everyone makes reasonable and sensible decisions, even when they are (literally) at each other's throats. The love story is sweet but not cloying. Marian is no shrinking vine whose main role is to be prize on a pedestal; she's a strong woman (and marries Robin). (Maybe that's one of the reasons I like both this book and McKinley's.) And there's even an appealing cat.

It's told with humor, warmth, and the underlying assumption that everyone is doing the best he can with the information he has available at the time. Even the villains.

This is simply a great novel. Pick up a copy.

I'm a self admitted Robin Hood fan. For some reason I love everything to do with this legend and Delve into every aspect of it when I find a new story.
This is my favorite fictional version of the legend so far. The characters have very distinct personalities, taking the well known characters in new directions, and the background is very believable. You really feel you are there. Despite bad reviews saying it wasn't "accurate" enough, I say: "It's a STORY!", and a good story at that. Accuracy is not a focus point in fiction, and even with the changes Park Godwin has made to the timeline, the world itself is very accurate.
Overall my favorite character in the story has to be Marion though. Far from the sterotype of damsel in distress that she so often gets shoved into, in this version, she's very self reliant and strong. In the sequel, she even gets to chase off some Normans on her own. Have to love that.

This is a decent try at a gritty, morally complex work of historical fiction. Godwin has done his research; that he invents Saxon resistance in a specific place seems inconsequential to me, given that we don't know *everything* that went on during the period. He makes at least an attempt to portray mentality, which puts him ahead of most medieval historical fiction writers.

There are some issues, though. Godwin's writing, especially in the early part of the book, is often grammatically vague. His fight and action scenes are insufficiently structured, thus confusing. His constant identification of the Saxons with the land conveniently ignores the fact that the Saxons themselves came as invaders. The text sometimes tries too hard to be meaningful.

Characterization overall is competent. I found Robin, in his more ignorant, loudmouthed, horse-eating moments, annoying, and tended to prefer Ralf.

This is a reasonable book, I'd say, but no masterpiece.

This book has a lot of ups and downs. From the start, it is clear that the author has done a huge amount of research on the time period (the Norman invasion of England in 1066), which helps most of the time to lend a real air to the story. Unfortunately, this occassionaly got a bit awkward when I as a reader wasn't as familiar with the history and lost track of what was going on.

The first hundred-odd pages of the book are very difficult to get through, switching once in a while briefly to a first person segment so you could see inside a characters head, or sometimes covering a few years in a few pages, so it feels like you are reading a history textbook.

Once you get past those first hundred pages, though, things really get going. Unfortunately, most of the characters aren't as real as the rich setting they were placed in. The most sympathetic character, Little John, is the one whome we see the least, Ralf, the bad-guy, seems like the good guy, and Robin is just running around making spontaneous random decisions. Other than those and Father Beorn, the characters are pretty if not dull, at least static and predictable.

In this regard, the book is somewhat like a Tom Clancy book. The author has the characters in there as a necessity, but he loses sight of them somewhat in favor of the story, the action, the big picture. The reader really gets a feel for what's going on all across the country all the time, the overall motivations if not for individuals then for the decisions of an entire population, and a feel for how life was lived in eleventh century England.

The reason I didn't give this book a three was that it kept me interested and informed. After getting through those first hundred pages, the book really doesn't want to be put down. If you enjoy history, I recommend this one, but if you're in it for the swords and sworcery, I'd skip it over.

i was very disapointed with this book! i thought it would be as well written as the forest wife(one of my very favourite books) instead child of the may seemed forced and it rushed along at a dizzying pace. also i truly came to hate magda! she seemed so spoiled and fake. all and all this book isnt really worth buying except for young children who might like it. ages 4-6

Magda, the daughter of Little John and Emma, is the main character in this book. The book begins when John and Robert come to the Forestwife with baby Magda. Emma was killed by one of the sheriff's men and Little John couldn't take care of her. So Magda is raised by the Foreswife. 15 years later, Magda is tired of living in the Forest and wants to go out and seek adventures. She follows her father and Robert to help Isabel, who the sheriff has decided to marry to the man who killed Emma, if she doesn't pay a fee. This book is about Magda's adventures. The Forestwife was a better book. I think this book should have dealt more with Robert and Marian instead of them being minor characters.

This is the best sequel for a book I have yet to read. The connections were accurate, and the future was just what I had wanted. Hope there's a next one on her child!

This was a wonderful book that was in some ways even better than its towering prodeceser, if that were possible! The story is about Magda, the fifteen year old daughter of Little John and the late Emma, who was a close friend of Marian the forestwife, who has raised her so far. Magda however, is totally bored with chores and caring for sick people, and she longs to join her father and Robin Hood and his band of outlaws. She gets her wish, and she goes with her father and the outlaws to save some girl, but faces more challenges than she was prepared for when she finds herself facing in battle the man who ruthlessly murdered her mother. Part of why I liked this book was that it showed in true depth a father's love for his daughter, and that more of the action, in fact all of it, took place with the main character right in the thick of it, instead of just having it happen to other people "offscreen". This was a truly wonderfull book with beautiful writing and style and I would reccamend it to anyone who enjoys strong female heroes.

Have you ever heard people say that sequals are never as good as the first ones? Well, in this case, that is not true. This sequal to The Forestwife, is as good as the first and I highly recomend this book to those who haven't read it.

My 7 year old son LOVED this book as a read along. He also did well reading some of the passages, as he is a good reader, so it is a nice "you-and-me" book. Story is gentle and engaging for this age.

I read Robin's Country. It was written by Monica Furlong. This is an asome book to read. I read this book in three days because it was so hard to put down.
This story is about a kid nammed Dummy (well that's what his master called him). He was practically a slave to the family. One day he makes a plan to run away. Because his master accused him of dameging his knife. The master's wife let Dummy sleep inside for the first time. So he takes a basket fills it with food and runs into Sherwood Forest. It happens that he falls into the entrance of Robin's Hideaway. The first couple of the day he was sleeping. When he got up he was asked questions but could not answer. Dummy could not talk. After a while Marien starts to teach him how to shoot arows. He gets better and better with practice. Robin goes to an archery contest and wins the prize but he was in a disguse. When the Sheriff found out that Robin won he sent an army to destroy Robin. But when the army arrived they couldn't get in. So Prince John sends an army to help. After a part of the seige was over a monk entered the hideaway. It was King Richard back from the Crusades! Dummy is King Richards's grandson.
I would recommend this book to antone who likes Robin Hood or who likes archery and sword. This is a great book so please read it. Is a great twist on the Robin Hood legend.

This is an inspiring and well-written book. I love the way this book gives a new point of view to our old favorite outlaw Robin Hood. This is more to the caring side of the man and helps you to learn more about the most famous gang in literature. A young boy, Dummy, who can't talk, runs away from his cruel master due to the cruel and unusual punishment he has received. He runs to Sherwood Forest where he believes that he will be killed by either wolves and outlaws but it is his only hope to live. He soon becomes sick and he stumbles into a cave, part of Robin Hood's kingdom, which is hidden by a dense thicket. At first, Robin and, especially, Marian think that Dummy may be a spy for Prince John. Eventually he is accepted by the men in green. We also soon find out that his name is Richard. Marian is to be his teacher with the bow and arrow, for many believe she's the best archer. Robin become Dummy's friend and hero he hopes to become just like him. This book shows faith, honor, courage and friendship. All of which are greatly woven in. There is a surprise for all at the end, though it will make you think how it happened.

I think that Juniper and the book Wise Child and Robin's Country were really good books but if youv'e read Wise Child their has to be a sequel because the book is so great you have to know what happens next.

Dummy, a young boy who is unable to talk, runs away from his cruel master. Though he has heard there are wolves and outlaws in Sherwood Forest, it's the only place he can hide. Delirious with fever, he stumbles into a cave, part of Robin Hood's tiny "kingdom," hidden by a dense thicket and protected by Our Lady of the Forest. At first, Robin and, especially, Marian are afraid that Dummy might be a spy for the wicked Prince John, but soon he is accepted by the green-clad outlaws. It's Marian who teaches him to use a bow and arrow, because she's the best archer. Robin becomes Dummy's hero, and the boy hopes, one day, to be just like him. This is an inspiring story of faith, honor, courage and friendship. The descriptions of the greenwood are lovely, and the characters come alive. There are many exciting, often humorous, adventures. And there's a delightful surprise happy ending. Although "Robin's Country" is written primarily for young readers, I think anyone interested in Robin Hood would enjoy it. Some other good books based on the Robin Hood legend are Theresa Tomlinson's "The Forestwife" and "Child of the May" and Robin McKinley's "The Outlaws of Sherwood."

Generally, I don't like historical novels. My taste runs more to fast-paced murder mysteries. I like books I can read through quickly, and not have to linger over every word. Although I enjoyed seeing Kevin Costner as Robin Hood, I have never been that interested in the Robin Hood tale. So "The Archer King" was definitely not a book I expected to like. I read it only because two close friends raved about it so enthusiastically. To my great surprise, I LOVED this book! The writer is an exquisite story teller. The twists and turns of the plot kept me turning the pages. The main characters are drawn with complexity and depth. Lorele's writing style is so beautiful, I wanted to read every word. Although there was every reason for me not to like this book, "The Archer King" was one of the best and most enjoyable novels I've read in a very long time.

Although the authour has an engaging writing style, and this makes her book easy to read, it is more New-Age fantasy than serious retelling. If you are a serious Robin Hood scholar it may prove disappointing (except as one more example of a modern retelling). For instance, the book abounds with references to Wicca, which is a 20th century religion and not a 12th century one. Furthermore, the earliest confimed Tarot deck originated in the 15th century as a deck of playing cards painted for the Visconti family of Milan; it was not a divination tool that a 12th century peasant girl would have had. In all, the book seemed to be full of Wiccan stereotyping and to play up to the (disproven) theory of Wicca as an unbroken tradition (at the end of the book when Maerin joins a nunnery Lorele writes that Maerin passed her Wiccan learning on to the nuns in her charge, and that "this was one way that knowledge of the Wiccan Craft survived.") Yet for those who like alot of fantasy in their stories this may work for you. However, I recommend the "Robin of Sherwood" series (Goldcrest TV, early 80s) for a good Pagan portrayal of Robin Hood devoid of Wiccan stereotyping.

I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Lorele's book. This is one of those books that is hard to put down and when I finished I was left wanting more. For anyone looking to make another Robin Hood film this book would certainly translate well to the big screen. The descriptions of the banquets were delicious and a fun addition! I highly recommend this book.

I loved this book! It tells the story of Robin Hood which alot of people are familiar with from a Pagan perspective. Maid Maerin is a Christian, on her way to becoming a nun and does not come into the story until about half-way through. This book talks about their love and struggle to come together in spite of beliefs and how Robin has to come to terms with the fact that everything he knows is destryed while he is fu=ighting in the Crusades. He becomes embittered with the Christian religion after seeing the deah and destruction wrought by a war in the name of God. One of the best fiction stories I've read in a while!!!

Wow! The Archer King is a very refreshing and enjoyable read. I came online to review the book and was a bit astonished at two of the complaints about the Pagan perspective.Having been initiated in 1979, eventually ordained and having studied deep Paganism for over twenty years, I found Reyna Lorele's research both authentic and and beautifully wound into the story. If there were to be any "positive criticism" it would be that it is a fairly "light"; albeit a very full, read. The reader is moved to think and picture the scenes, not trip over words and keep a dictionary nearby.It is the perfect book for just curling up and lending oneself to the world of fantasy; into a familiar story finally retold from a too long ignored perspective. It is one I have no doubt I shall pick up again in a few years, probably after Hollywood does and yet another version, just to remind myself of what might have have been...

As other reviewers have said, this is a remarkable work. Burl Barer has covered a tremendous amount of ground organizing and sifting all the various appearances of the Robin Hood of Modern Crime "in print, radio, film, and television" between the publication of The Saint Meets the Tiger in 1928 and this book's own publication in 1993. Merely sorting out all the different titles under which creator Leslie Charteris' Saint novels were published would be achievement enough, but Barer also gives us a chronology of all printed Saint stories, cast and story synopses of Saintly radio and television dramas, and even -- thorough to the point of ridiculousness -- verbatim production company press releases for six made-for-TV Saint movies in the late 1980s.

But this book is far more than bibliography, impressive thought the bibliography is. What I found far more interesting was Barer's portrait of Charteris himself, and what struck me as his somewhat ambiguous relationship with his creation Simon Templar. On the one hand, he was a spirited defender of Templar's biography, personality, and distinguishing characteristics, keeping a close eye on the way the Saint was portrayed in all his various media incarnations over many decades. As a writer myself, I particularly enjoyed reading his comments to various scriptwriters about the poor job they were doing on plot or characterization.

At the same time, however, Charteris was more than willing to let those other writers do the heavy-lifting of producing new Saint stories for his approval and to be published under his name. If a story, movie, or radio drama ended up being, frankly, not very good then, as Charteris said in reference to those 1989 TV movies, "The old joke about crying all the way to the bank is my only consolation" (p. 230).

There are some things this book is not, and one of them is a character study of the Saint. Although Templar's biography comes through in these pages, Barer does not devote to the novels the same attention he does to the radio plays or movies, which I regret. But that may be a reflection of my own tendency to think of the Saint primarily as a literary character who was then translated, often not very well, to other media. Barer takes a more holistic view, I think, in which the Saint as portrayed by Roger Moore, the extravagantly betrousered Ian Ogilvy, or the "Thomas Magnum by way of Matt Houston" Andrew Clarke (p. 222) is as definitive a part of the Saintly canon as are the novels.

I don't know if I would call this book "essential reading for the Saint fan," simply because it is possible to enjoy the stories without needing to know the information contained here. But for readers interested not only in the stories but in all the Saint's many manifestations and interpretations -- and most valuable, I would think -- a fascinating look at the author behind it all, then Burl Barer's book has stood the test of 15 years and is worth keeping handy today.

This book is indeed a good buy if you want to learn more about the character of The Saint and his creator Leslie Charteris. Most of the other reviewers already touched on the positive aspects of the book, but beware: It is not perfect!

The author had extensive access to Charteris' archives and at times comes across too much like the voice of The Saint's creator and takes his side too much. On the one hand, the Roger Moore TV series e.g. is not that bad; on the other hand - and quite frankly - the original Saint novels aren't always that good! A little bit of critical distance would have served the author much better.

Also, the book has an amazing 419 pages, though only 243 are proper text about the character in all its incarnations. The remaining 176 are appendices that primarily deal with extensive plot summaries of TV and radio shows. I am not a great fan of books that rely too heavily on synopsis to fill their pages.

Mind you, overall this *is* a book that can be recommended to anyone interested in this pulp hero, but please beware of the caveats.

Burl Barer really captures everything about the Saint in this book. It is a huge source of information, and everytime I read it I find out something new!

Even if you aren't a fan of the Saint, you should still buy this book. It's a remarkable, inside account of how a character is translated into books, comics, radio, tv and film. A must-have for anyone thinking of breaking into publishing, tv or film

Burl Barer's book on the history of The Saint is "the source" for Saint fans yearning for more information about The Saint. It is a must-have for Saint fans, and makes for an excellent read, even for those detectivish fans who don't really know much about Simon Templar or Leslie Charteris to start with...

This is one of the best books I've read. It is not at all like the movies done of it. It is a good, clean book. I would highly recommend it for kids or adults.

In your youth , this was the edition that send you to another time and place . N.C.Wyeth's art is without equal . Each plate pulls the reader deeper into the text. What more could one ask of a book ; a fun read, classic literature, and fine art. I am most thankful that it is again available for my grandkids .

It is a time of crisis in England. With the good King Henry dead and the rightful ruler, unknowing Richard, fighting in the Crusades, the evil Prince John seizes the throne. Interested only in making himself richer, and having no consideration for the poor and middle class people, he becomes a tyrant respected by the haughty rich (few), and hated by the commoners (many). Young Robin of Locksley, son of the Ranger of Locksley, has his lands taken from him by force after the Ranger dies. Robin, cast out with no home, joins an outlaw gang dedicated to helping the poor. How Robin - who laters becomes head of the gang - defends the gang, helps the poor, and wins a name for himself throughout England as "Robin Hood", makes this book the magical story it is.

My five-year old and I love the Wyeth illustrations and the stories which surround them. She is a big Robin Hood fan and we're always trying out 'new versions' (her words) of the classic tales. This is one of the winners, for accessible prose, short chapters and, of course, the beautiful paintings.

And yet ... this version has an incredibly surprising and annoying error of historical fact which bothers me to no end (hence the rating). In the preface, Creswick sets up the plot: it's 1190, and Prince Richard, waiting for his dad to die, goes off on crusade. The competition between John and RIchard is thus presented as 'which one will succeed to their father, King Henry II'? All well and good (and my daughter doesn't care), except that it's totally bogus history. Henry II died in 1187 and Richard had been king for several years before setting off on crusade. John's crime was (perhaps, although not proven historically) in seeking to overthrow a crowned king (not to compete with a brother for the succession). Some may consider this gripe to be small beer (and indeed, as I've said, my daughter doesn't care - although I always read 'king' for 'prince' RIchard when I read it), but it drives me crazy. Why mess around with fact? Either Creswick was too lazy to get it right, or decided that the past wasn't exciting enough and would thus improve on it. Either way it is pretty annoying. [Note: I am no fanatic for historical accuracy, and I am well aware that the Robin Hood stories as we know them are mostly fictional anyway - it's just that there is no good reason to depart from the historical record here]

I bought this book on the referral of a friend who had already read it.

The book is fairly short (70 something pages) so I decided to enjoy this book at a local coffee shop at a fairly relaxed pace so I would not speed through it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The biggest aspect I enjoyed was how much the characters in it were given life in such a short breathing space. It got right into the heart of the action and the characters evolved greatly throughout the book in a very short period of time, without the feeling of it being rushed.

I'd say the author had found an absolute perfect balance between character development over time.

In addition to that the story is exceptional with a great ending.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes vampires or just a short book to read in a short amount of free time.

In summary, 5/5 stars for this book on all levels. I want to read more from this author.

I really didn't like the cover art. Good thing that has little to do with the story. If you look really close you can tell it's a prom glass or something. I swear "Class of 200*" is on there.

Anyway, a speculative look at Robin Hood. Robin Hood is one of those storylines that some people deem holy, untouchable, despite the fact that there are fan sites devoted to Robin Hood fanfictions and several movies about Robin Hood. But this is the one change that is so very different. I went to one of the fan sites and read a Robin Hood meeds sci-fi, which was pretty much the same as the original. Another had vampires as well, but King John was the head of the vampire coven and the sheriff was his main henchman. So again, that's nothing new. This story was a good original take because of a few things: It was set in with vampires, it was not about stealing from the rich and giving to the poor (standard Robin Hood theme) and it really wasn't about Robin Hood [Note the title, a Will Scarlet Tale]. We have Will Scarlet coming to terms with his past, how he became "afflicted" with vampirism and how he lost his faith. How could God let him become one of the cursed after his good service? Well, this story is the answer of the vampire Will Scarlet. There are characters from the traditional Robin Hood in there, including the main character of the myth himself.

I guess writing a review on this might seem biased since i know the author. But I would just be agreeing with several reviews already written when I say that this is short, somewhat too short and the dialog to have been affected by this. However this did not blemish too much the "voice" that Heather Lee Fleming has. This is definitely the first step from this young author and it is by no means a meek one. It's a bold thing to approach and I was a bit shocked by how well it was received even after I read it myself.

I found it a fast read that ended quickly leaving me wondering if there would be more short stories concerning the other characters involved in the story (such as Robin Hood himself!). Even though I know the author, I cannot answer that question. We can only hope.

I purchased this book knowing very little about the author or the form of the book (Who can turn down a 5$ book!) So anyway I read it in about a day so it was no trouble, I'd probaly recommend anyone 15+ and pretty much anyone who likes a little smarter book about vampires with alot more depth. I was suprised how much flavor the characters where given with little room to breathe! I recommend this book to anyone who likes fan fiction or any kind of vampire fiction.

I give this book 2 thumbs up! WAY UP!

I was told about this short story by a friend and bought it out of curiosity. When I bought it I had no idea what it was about or that it was about Robin Hood and company so it was a nice surprise to start it blindly and find some familiar faces.

There were a couple of scenes that felt forced but other than that I really enjoyed the basic storyline and what she did with the characters, particularly the main villain. For the price, I'd say this is worth a read though I agree with the previous review, I really don't get why that picture was chosen for a cover.

Giant monsters are hard to verbally; they are intrinsically visual, but this book does a good job. I thought it was interesting that so many stories were by Australian writers. With Australia's unique fauna, maybe giant monsters are not so hard to believe. I liked most of the stories. I definitely recommend it for all monster fans.

The Collection of daikaiju (japanese inspired giant monsters) stories in this tome are terribly entertaining. Not all were stories I particularly enjoyed, but I saw what the writer was going for and could appreciate it.
Sure, there were one or two bad ones, but there is (to my knowledge) only one book devoted to this kind of story: Daikaiju!
If you are a fan of giant monsters, Godzilla, monsters in general, or qwirky writing, this may be for you. And come on, it's the only one of it's kind. Incedentally, the editor mentions a possible sequel to this book, a second collection of Daikaiju stories. I eagerly await that.

I confess, when I picked up this collection, I was expecting a whole bunch of stories of giant monsters trampling over humanity's engineering triumphs. You know, typical giant monster movie fare.

What we got was an eclectic collection of stories and poems, which look more at the people and how having giant monsters in their world affect their lives. Some stories are tragic, others are humorous, and still others deliver something else entirely. All in all, an interesting and all encompassing collection of stories covering all aspects of this genre. There's even one of the traditional giant monster running loose (CALIBOS), one featuring duelling behemoths (Kungmin Hurangi: The People's Tiger), and even a couple set in the preindustrial age (Unlawful Priest of Todesfall; The Greater Death of Saito Saku). The other stories offer up less traditional tales, but are still fun to read. Even "The Quiet Agrarian" will have its fans even if it wasn't for me.

So, in short, if you're a fan of giant monster movies, particularly of the Japanese variety, I highly recommend this book, as there aren't many like this on the book shelves.