His family gone and his home destroyed, Rob was left for dead and that should have been his fate. Except fate decided it wasn't his time. So he takes to the Wode, taking up the mantle of the Horned Lord, and doing his best to defend the few of his people left and the surrounding villages from the corrupt government and the church. Thinking Rob was lost, Gamelyn complied with forced exile by his brother and joined the Knights Templar. But now he has returned on a very specific mission, and he won't let much stand in his way. Even when the two find each other again, their past may not be enough to break down the walls of pain that have built up between them. Except there is one thing that might be able to bring them back together--Marion is alive...

I can't even begin to express how much I absolutely love this series. Not only do we get a thrilling and well-written take on the Robin Hood legends, but things seem so real, so well-researched, and just amazingly presented. The familiarity of the story, the fantasy elements, and the relationships just make for an incredible combination. The characters are so gritty and real--there are no soft edges here. I found it very difficult to put this one down; each little twist in the story just drew me in even further.

I am extremely excited to know that there is more to the story... ( )

This second book of the retelling of the legend of Robin Hood is as fascinating and thought-provoking as the first. It is actually far more than a retelling or a reinterpretation, and that becomes more obvious as this series progresses. J Tullos Hennig has taken the basics of the stories as we know them and has built a whole new world around that foundation, including magic and a complete spiritual lore. This series presents the battle of the Pagans versus the encroaching Catholic church in a new light, one that sounds very plausible to me. I was as fascinated and impressed with the story and the world in this second instalment as I was in the first.

Rob of Loxley has gone through hell. His home has been destroyed, the ones he loved struck down, and he himself has been left for dead. But with the help of the old druid master, he survives and emerges stronger than ever before. He now leads a band of outcasts, and any pretense of accepting the new system or religion is gone. He is out for vengeance and shows no mercy.

Gamelyn Boundys, Rob's childhood friend of noble descent, has turned his back on “the lore of the forest” and is trying to fit within the confines of the church – away from England as he joins the Crusades. But he can’t find peace either and goes through his own version of hell. When he returns, he is a Templar assassin and becomes a pawn in the church’s game against the Heathen outlaw named Robyn Hood.

These two men have gone from childhood friends, then lovers, to deadly enemies – or so it seems. But old bonds are still alive, even if under the surface, and Marion still being alive despite having been captured and brainwashed by the church, jolts everyone awake. The plot thickens as the game deepens, and the relationship that seemed so simple between the three when they were younger turns out to be far more complicated than they could have ever imagined.

If you like epic fantasy set in a world that is close enough to our own to make things truly interesting, if you enjoy a dramatic action adventure with more than a few twists and enough political intrigue to move you to the edge of your seat, and if you're looking for a spellbinding read, then I can fully recommend this book. I think it is an amazing achievement and can’t wait for the release of the third volume, hopefully this October!



NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Publications for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
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