I've seen Stephen R. Lawhead's books for years in bookstores and wanted to check them out. The ones I was seeing, though, were King Arthur-based stories. After spending a summer playing in the pit orchestra for a community production of Camelot, I'm still pretty much done with King Arthur.On the other hand, I love Robin Hood stories. My most recent favorite was the BBC America Robin Hood series. Since that's over, it was a perfect time for me to pick up Stephen's first book in the King Raven trilogy.
Plot Summary: It's less than a generation after William the Conqueror and his Norman armies invaded England in 1066. William's son, William Rufus, is establishing his authority over the British isles, in part by giving loyal noblemen authority to move into present-day Wales.
One of the Briton (aka Welsh) families being pushed out of power in Wales is King Brychan ap Tewdwr and Prince Bran ap Brychan. Brychan is king of Elfael, one of the border kingdoms between western England and the rest of Wales. It is also located just on the edges of a huge forest known as "The March."
When King Brychan is killed by the Normans, Prince Bran flees into the March, although not quickly enough to avoid being injured by the same soldiers. It is during his recovery time in the woods that Bran begins to change from a spoiled noble prince into a leader fighting for the rights of the people in Elfael against Norman oppression.
When King Brychan is killed by the Normans, Prince Bran flees into the March, although not quickly enough to avoid being injured by the same soldiers. It is during his recovery time in the woods that Bran begins to change from a spoiled noble prince into a leader fighting for the rights of the people in Elfael against Norman oppression.
My Reaction: Several of the familiar themes of the Robin Hood legacy appear in this book, including Maid Marian, Tuck, Little John and taking from the rich to give to the poor. It still took me quite awhile to get used to the shift of the traditional Robin Hood story from the 1300s in middle-England to a much earlier Welsh period.
For anyone else reading this book and looking for the Robin Hood legend, I'd suggest starting with the author's essay in the back called "Robin Hood in Wales?" That's where Stephen explains the research he did into the Robin Hood stories, which started showing up in popular culture even before the 1300s. Based on his research, setting the story in Wales made lots of sense -- and as a reader, this was pretty convincing. I just wish I'd had that explanation up front so the disconnect wasn't distracting me while I was reading the story.
So, it wasn't the clear-cut re-telling of the same Robin Hood story I'd been expecting, but I really enjoyed this adventure. I'm not that familiar with Welsh history (although I know some of it is similar to the Scottish stories I do know). It was worth struggling with some of the unfamiliar names and phrases, though, to meet Bran and watch him transform into a hero. It was also good to have a somewhat familiar storyline, but not know exactly what was coming up next.
For anyone else reading this book and looking for the Robin Hood legend, I'd suggest starting with the author's essay in the back called "Robin Hood in Wales?" That's where Stephen explains the research he did into the Robin Hood stories, which started showing up in popular culture even before the 1300s. Based on his research, setting the story in Wales made lots of sense -- and as a reader, this was pretty convincing. I just wish I'd had that explanation up front so the disconnect wasn't distracting me while I was reading the story.
So, it wasn't the clear-cut re-telling of the same Robin Hood story I'd been expecting, but I really enjoyed this adventure. I'm not that familiar with Welsh history (although I know some of it is similar to the Scottish stories I do know). It was worth struggling with some of the unfamiliar names and phrases, though, to meet Bran and watch him transform into a hero. It was also good to have a somewhat familiar storyline, but not know exactly what was coming up next.
Bottom Line: I'm excited to pick up the second book in this trilogy, but am still getting used to the early Welsh setting.
