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Title: Scarlet (The King Raven Trilogy | Book 2) |
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Review of Scarlet (The King Raven Trilogy, Book 2)
After losing everything he owns, forester Will Scarlet embarks on a search for none other than King Raven, whose exploits have already become legendary. After fulfilling his quest--and proving himself a skilled and loyal companion--Will joins the heroic archer and his men.
Now, however, Will is in prison for a crime he did not commit. His sentence is death by hanging--unless he delivers King Raven and his band of cohorts.
That, of course, he will never do.
Wales is slowly falling under the control of the invading Normans, and King William the Red has given his ruthless barons control of the land. In desperation, the people turn to King Raven and his men for justice and survival in the face of the ever-growing onslaught.
From deep in the forest they form a daring plan for deliverance, knowing that failure means death for them all.
Scarlet continues Stephen R. Lawhead's riveting saga that began with the novel Hood, which relocated the legend of Robin Hood to the Welsh countryside and its dark forests. Steeped in Celtic mythology and the political intrigue of medival Britain, Lawhead's trilogy conjures up an ancient past and holds a mirror to contemporary realities. Prepare for an epic tale that dares to shatter everything you thought you knew about Robin Hood.
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Comments for Scarlet (The King Raven Trilogy | Book 2)
- Posted on 2008-10-09
4 1/2 Stars
This continues to be my favorite series in recent memory. This book is every bit as outstanding as the first installment, better in some areas and worse in others.
On the positive side you see even more the villainy of the Frankish overlords and are given all the more someone to hate. The romance between Will and Noin is also a nice addition to the story. Now I had a hard time at first getting into the way the story is told, mostly through the eyes of Will. That said, it wasn't very long before I went from struggling with it to loving the character and the book.
Now my one complaint though does come from the fact that so much of the story comes from Will's PoV. There are small asides from other perspectives, but almost all of them are enemy PoVs. I would have liked to spend some more time with Bran, or even some of the other villagers getting to know more the perspective and life of the Grellon themselves.
That slow start and small complain aside, the dialogue is still wonderful, character development continues to be nice, and the story is just so engaging. My only problem now is waiting for the next installment!
Score: 4
- Posted on 2008-10-01
Great followup to Hood
King Raven Trilogy: Book 2.
Great followup to Hood continues the tail of Rhi Bran di Hud (Robin Hood to our English ears). Lawhead keeps the action fast paced but not intensely tight, the suspenseful confrontations intense but as often resolved with humor and deception as with resort to violence.
The third book, Tuck, is due to close the series by 2009. I will anticipate it eagerly.
Score: 4 - Posted on 2008-09-24
Epic
after reading this book, you feel like everything you thought you knew about robin hood was just a fairy tale...and this was the history you wanted him to exist in!
Score: 4 - Posted on 2008-09-16
Even better than Hood
I thought that this was much better than "Hood". The narrative was pretty cool, as it was written as an auto-biography. I also liked how the origin of Robin Hood made its appearance from the mis-pronunciation of the Welsh. I can't wait for "Tuck".
Score: 5
- Posted on 2008-08-19
Another good tale by Lawhead
Scarlet, the second book in Stephen Lawhead's King Raven Trilogy focuses on Will Scatlocke ("Scarlet"), a disillusioned forester who goes searching for, finds, and joins King Raven's infamous band of thieves. During one of their exploits, Will is caught, sentenced to hang, and thrown into prison where he is asked to tell his story to a priest in hopes that he'll let slip some information that will help sheriff Guy of Gysborne find and defeat the robbers. Thus, most of the story is told in past tense from Will Scarlet's perspective.
Even though the pace is slower than in Hood and we're not much concerned that Will might actually hang, Lawhead still spins us a fine yarn -- the story is thoroughly entertaining. And, as usual, we are not just entertained, but enlightened as we get a real feel for the period -- the tyranny of the Freinc, the corruption of the church, the suffering and stubbornness of the Britons. This is what Stephen Lawhead does so well.
The characterization is mostly well done. The male characters are all three-dimensional, life-like, and immediately likeable. However, the female characters, most notably Merian and Will's love-interest, Noin, remain flat (I have noticed this lack of attention to female characters in some of Lawhead's previous books). These were strong women whose presence was important to the plot, but whose personalities and motivations were never explored.
For example, Bran kidnapped Merian at the end of Hood, and in this sequel she is at his side. Will relates a few observations about their relationship, but we are never sure exactly what that relationship is and whether or not Merian wants to be there or not. I'm sure that Lawhead's intention was to leave this vague, but I found it frustrating (especially since I wondered if Merian knew, or cared, that her family thought she was dead) and wished for a chapter or two from Bran and/or Merian's perspective. Likewise, I wasn't completely convinced about Will and Noin's relationship because I wasn't told anything from Noin's perspective.
Again, I listened to this installment in audiobook format. It was the same reader (Adam Verner) who did Hood and I have the same comments: he's got a pleasant and enthusiastic tone, but some of his accents and character voices made me chuckle. If you can listen past that, it's a good format. --FanLit.net
Score: 4
