Will Scarlet likes to slip about unseen. It’s only natural. A thief, and a fine one at that, Will’s livelihood depends on it. But Will has well-kept secrets of another kind too. Will is actually a she, and the less people outside of Robin Hood’s band that know she is a girl the better. Walking unnoticed through taverns and sneaking soundlessly into prisons in Nottingham is easy enough for Scarlet, who honed her stealthy skills on the streets of London where she was forced to fend for herself for years before Robin took her in. More difficult for Robin, John and Much is getting Scarlet to open up about her past. When the infamous Thief Taker Guy Gisbourne is hired by the sheriff to sniff out Robin Hood, she’s forced to either face her demons or let her unflinching loyalty to Robin wave. But everyone knows that won’t happen. The past it will be then, with any pain and humiliation that may accompany it. Perhaps Scarlet’s better-forgotten memories deserve less suppression than she hitherto thought.
Scarlet
caught me off guard. I’m not a die-hard fan of Robin Hood by any means so I wasn’t sure what my reaction would be to this latest retelling. Admittedly after rather happily being approved on Netgalley I didn’t rush to pick it up. Again, I’m finding myself regretting my hesitation, because Scarlet was more than I could’ve hoped for.
Entertaining from the first page, I loved Scarlet for a myriad of reasons, the first for Scarlet herself. She is such a strong protagonist, a fact that is sure to polarize readers. But I absolutely adored her for the fierce, unapologetic way she conducts her life. The pain of her past is hers alone and only under extenuating circumstances will she disclose why she ran and why she robs the rich to feed the poor. I respected her pride and found her secrecy true to life. Besides the immediate connection I felt to her, Scarlet charmed me with her – ahem – more amoral skills. An excellent liar, a deadly knife thrower, and a vicious hand-to-hand fighter, Scarlet is one part fearless urban fantasy heroine and another part Megan Whelan Turner thief. Being a girl has no bearing on her integral place in the Hood, and I enjoyed the dynamic she brought to the band and her at times uneasy relationships with both John and Robin. So much is said in the pregnant pauses and meaningful glances between Scarlet and Robin – just how I like it. Add the characterization to the romance and the perfectly paced and spaced prison-breaks, roadside thieving, and character-driven scenes and Scarlet is a near flawless Robin Hood retelling. I hope AC Gaughen has something else up her sleeve because I can’t wait to read it.
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Will Scarlet likes to slip about unseen. It’s only natural. A thief, and a fine one at that, Will’s livelihood depends on it. But Will has well-kept secrets of another kind too. Will is actually a she, and the less people outside of Robin Hood’s band that know she is a girl the better. Walking unnoticed through taverns and sneaking soundlessly into prisons in Nottingham is easy enough for Scarlet, who honed her stealthy skills on the streets of London where she was forced to fend for herself for years before Robin took her in. More difficult for Robin, John and Much is getting Scarlet to open up about her past. When the infamous Thief Taker Guy Gisbourne is hired by the sheriff to sniff out Robin Hood, she’s forced to either face her demons or let her unflinching loyalty to Robin wave. But everyone knows that won’t happen. The past it will be then, with any pain and humiliation that may accompany it. Perhaps Scarlet’s better-forgotten memories deserve less suppression than she hitherto thought.
“another part Megan Whelan Turner thief”
Ahhh, magic words! I was going to wait for the paperback to come out before I buy a copy of this one but maybe I won’t be able to wait?
pregnant pauses and meaningful glances between Scarlet and Robin -> This phrase reminds me of the romance in The Scorpio Races.
Pssst!
You’d like it, Chach.
*ninjavanish*
LOL love the ninja moves, Angie! Will definitely keep this in mind.
Wait! She’s already gone… I guess Angie answered your question. No waiting!
Lol, I need to be careful when I throw in those words.
She did remind me of Gen, though, in all her awesome thief skills. The romance did have a nice slow burn to it as well as restraint, which is always good eh?
Oh man, I wish I’d seen this available on netgalley! Sounds right up my alley.
I had to request it a few times before I received a response. Then they only gave me 24 hours from the email to download it before the offer expired. It was so worth it though! I usually miss the really good stuff.
Just the mention of Megan Whalen Turner has my ears perked and I’m thinking TIME TO ORDER THIS FOR KINDLE. I’m so glad that Scarlet was good.
Yes! It’s a quick read and I bet you won’t be able to put it down. I sure couldn’t.
Sigh, so upset Netgalley denied me on this request. They wound me!
“one part fearless urban fantasy heroine and another part Megan Whelan Turner thief”… oh I must have it.
Lol, but aww, I’m sorry. As I mentioned above getting an approval was tricky for me.
This is the ONLY book I’ve ever been denied on NetGalley (I think I requested it too late). I don’t know if it’s being told I can’t have it early, but it’s caused me to covet this book something awful. The description of Scarlet as UF/MWT kills me, and I’m so tempted to drop everything I ‘should’ be reading to read this one instead.
I’ve only read one other review of this one so far and you guys have got me so pumped up to read this. Wendy Darling and I had a long discussion about our favorite Disney movies last night and Robin Hood is definitely higher on my list than it is on hers. I love most every adaptation of it and I am definitely up for a YA badass heroine as Scarlet. I can’t wait to read this. You’ve made Scarlet sounds so appealing to me. (plus, I crack up how Chachic goes crazy at the mere mention of MWT:))
Oh I LOVE Disney’s Robin Hood. It is definitely one of my favorite Disney movies as well. I hope that you like Scarlet. LOL, Chachic does go pretty crazy. I should be careful with my words.
Great review! I can’t wait to read this.