Everything about this was amazing, but the characters in particular absolutely had me in a chokehold. They were so compelling, so layered, and even with multiple points of view I was 100% interested in every character’s plot line.

Thank you Avon and Harper Collins for providing this ARC for review consideration via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

What I loved:

• The writing: The author clearly knows how to write well. I really appreciated the vibrant imagery used, especially the detail given to nature. Having the focus be on Sherwood forest and its magical and otherworldly properties was really a great way to set the scene.
• On the topic of the writing, I also really enjoyed the times when the author would get into history and lore. She clearly thrives in a lush, fairytale-like style of storytelling, and it was at those points that the prose was the strongest. The moments when I felt like I was being regaled with a legendary tale over a campfire were some of my favourite parts of the book.
• Characterization: The side characters in particular really brought this story to life. I appreciate that they were given special attention and depth and that they weren’t simply accessories for the main character to vent her problems to.
• Concept: I’ve been craving a good Robin Hood retelling for the past year. The concept itself had me invested, and it’s still a unique enough story that the book world isn’t oversaturated yet.
• Inclusivity: We get a varied cast of queer, gender nonconforming and poc characters, which I’m always going to appreciate. I also like that the fae were queer in a normalized way, which we see a lot in faerie mythology and folklore.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

• The love interest: Right from the first introduction, the mmc was unfortunately reading as a very generic, broody, domineering guy. I know that’s some readers’ preference, but, to me, it’s long since passed its shelf-life, and I was hoping for something different in his personality.
• To add on to this, the insta-lust for Lox was wild considering the situation the fmc was in. Girl, stand up. You have bigger issues right now.
• When it came to the fmc, Marian, she was fine, but her actions became increasingly irrational the longer she knew the mmc. I feel that both main characters could have used some originality and personality.
• This is a bit superficial, but “Lox” as a name is invoking salmon, which is weird. Robin is a cute name, and it was RIGHT there.
• This last point was honestly surprising considering the source material, but I genuinely wanted more of a connection to the Robin Hood myth. I genuinely think you could remove the Sherwood Forest set dressing, and this would stand alone as just another fae romantasy book.