This was a four-star book most of the way, but eventually the little annoyances piled up high enough to knock one star out of place.

1) Many of the chapter titles are contemporary song lyrics, sometimes with unfunny puns, that rarely match the tone of the story, including "Oo-de-lally" and "A Pox on the Phony King of England" from Disney's Robin Hood for, respectively, a tense nighttime escape and the introduction of a vengeful queen (who doesn't actually question Richard's claim to the English throne); "The Boys are Back Inn Town" when seeking lodgings in an unfamiliar caravansarai; "Electric Feel" for ~romance~; "Take Met Out" ("...to the Ball Game"?) for a chapter in which Yusef/Yusuf ibn Ayyub ibn Shadi/Saladin contemplates Richard's military moves; and even, lord help us, "Wonder Wall" during the climactic approach to Jerusalem which, we are informed, does not actually have walls. Why the heck didn't the editor say this was a bad idea? These titles catapulted me out of whatever mood/momentum I had, and since the chapters are often short, especially as the action ratchets up at the end, it happened a lot.

2) The overly simplistic good guys vs. bad guys of the traditional stories. If we're going to remix anything in this series, can't it include old-timey morals? I was also a little bit irked that our chief villain was Queen Isabella, a woman (cool) with basically no nuance in her character (not so cool).

3) I'm not asking for a comprehensive summary of the Third Crusade (there is a timeline in the back), but the occasional chapter in which it's revealed that there was a complete reversal of fortune in the war that had no effect whatsoever on the main story was kind of...weird.

4) For the love of all that his holy, why must every. single. one. of our "merry band of misfits" (phrase used repeatedly) be paired off romantically? Is it not possible that two of them might like each other as friends but not as potential life partners?

As with A Clash of Steel, you need to approach Travelers Along the Way being quite generous with the source material. As in Nottingham, there are no archery tournaments (and again, the idea is mocked), though unlike that book, Travelers Along the Way more than dishes up the action and adventure you're probably seeking if you're reading a retelling of Robin Hood--so I doubt you'll be disappointed in that quarter. But there's no equivalent of the Sheriff of Nottingham and few of the merry band of misfits align with characters from Robin Hood. I think Teni is Little John, since she's big and fights at a bridge, but there's an actual knight named John who's also big; and Teni's horse is named "Red", so I mentally substituted Red for Will Scarlett and found that amusing; but Viva, John, and Majid don't clearly line up with anyone. I was particularly sad not to see an equivalent to Friar Tuck, but I guess if we had an aspiring priest we'd lose out on being able to pair every. single. one. of the merry band of misfits off romantically.

Okay, last complaints, I promise: First, I desperately wanted a map; second, why the heck is Rahma's cloak on the front of the book red? Her whole thing is that she's Rahma of the Green Hood!

Quick summary:

Rahma followed her older sister, Zeena, to the Crusades from somewhere between the Tigras and the Euphrates, possibly near Baghdad; the latter wanted to avoid the inevitable fate of marriage, the former wanted keep her safe from danger and, well herself. Zeena has a fiery temper and tendency to pick fights; Rahma is cunning and clever; they bicker a lot, but they do love each other.

As Travelers Along the Way opens, they've been ordered to save themselves from a siege gone south--but Zeena is determined to follow the fight to Jerusalem. As the sisters make their way, they meet up with their merry band of misfits: Teni, a Mongolian woman warrior who found the open road more interesting than a diplomatic mission to Rum/Byzantium; Viva, an alchemist obsessed with recreating Greek Fire and the last surviving member of her Jewish family, introduced in a scene painfully ripped off from A Knight's Tale; Majid, an old childhood friend (and therefore, of course, new flame) of Rahma's, now a spy in Queen Isabella's court for his disreputable but influential family; and John, a would-be Templar who's so interested in healing others that he reads and admires the work of ancient and foreign scholars.

The six certainly get up to some fun hijinks: stealing the queen's prize horse, robbing first a bunch of Templars and then the queen's caravan, rescuing boyfriendo from execution, escaping the queen's fortress, and negotiating lasting peace in the Middle East. You probably know how that last one really worked out...

Rahma's story is first-person, but we also get third-person asides from Queen Isabella, who's constantly enraged that she's being denied Queendom of Jerusalem on the political chessboard and equally infuriated that a thief has stolen her abused horse (which doesn't quite seem the equivalent) and robbed her of both wealth and secret treasure (now I'd understand the wrath); and from Richard and Yusef (seriously, we're just calling the great Saladin "Yusef"?) reflecting on massive battles and political machinations that all just seem so rushed and remote.

Rahma speaks often of how the war has negatively impacted the people of the land, but the war doesn't really make much of an impact on her journey. No one she meets talks of having lost a loved one, a few refugees are given a passing glance, locals still seem to have what they need to make their living without having been looted, there are no ruined stretches of land filled with the trash of armies on the move... These Crusades feel almost as distant as they did back in England's Sherwood Forest.

But again, as with A Clash of Steel, there is still enough fun to be had with Travelers Along the Way to make this a worthwhile read. I loved the variety to be found in the merry band of misfits, which could have felt forced but didn't, and most of their adventures are cleverly thought out (though Rahma's last escape was total deus ex machina, I was so annoyed by the chapter titles at that point that the annoyance rolled together).

Ugh, I need to stop being negative. This was fun. Fun, fun, fun. Just don't come expecting any nuance. ( )

I know there are a lot of people who don't really enjoy the retellings of the popular fairy tales but I absolutely love it! To see these characters that all of us grew up loving and hearing about as children be brought back to life and with each author adding their own little twists and turns is amazing! It says Robin Hood Remix but Aminah Mae Safi has given us much more than that! Richard the Lionheart and Saladin and many more! The characters are fantastic but my favorite would have to be Rahma al-Hud! She's witty and strong but she is also willing to do whatever it takes to keep her loved ones safe! The final twist was great! And the way the author lad the story out everything comes together beautifully! Absolutely a wonderful story! I will definitely be watching out for more of Aminah Mae Safi books!

Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for sharing this wonderful story with me! ( )

Great characters, fast plot, enjoyable read. Includes A Timeline of the Third Crusade. ( )

“My kind is your kind..I’m on the side of..the people.”
A unique & charming reversal of the lore of Robin Hood is told through a female hero from the Muslim side of the Crusades. Robin Hood as Rahma al-Hud may be young, but she is fierce and shares universal wisdoms along the way and she has her own motley crew of sidekicks to help her out.
Safi’s writing is precise and clever, she gets to the heart of her characters and keeps the adventures flowing. (She also has some chapter titles that simply capture the vibe in an up to date way!) Definitely recommended for my YA readers!
*I received an arc from the publisher through Netgalley for an honest review ( )

While reading this "remixed" version of Robin Hood–starring Rahma al-Hud, a female Muslim soldier during the Third Crusade who, more than either side's victory, wants peace for the common people of the Holy Land—I kept opening tabs to go on Wikipedia spirals every time I read something and thought "whoa, did that actually happen?!". This exciting story was very firmly based in real historical events (somewhat unlike the original Robin Hood stories!) and with this novel as my gateway I learned a lot about them—really, my favorite way to learn.

I had a couple of issues with the character relationships (I found the sudden, ride-or-die camaraderie unrealistic to the point of goofiness at times, and thought our hero was made a little too obtuse—like, ubelievably so—obviously just for the purpose of narrative drama) but loved the team, the adventure, and of course, the heists. ( )