Monday, February 5, 2018

The Forest Queen

The Forest Queen by Betsy Cornwell

This book will be released on August 7, 2018. I got my hands on an advanced reader's copy, it is uncorrected proof; there will undoubtedly be some changes to it before it is published on August 7, 2018.

Soooooooo, I'm also a sucker for the retelling of fairy tales. Let's just jump to the amazon summary, "From a New York Times bestselling author, a fresh, female-centered take on “Robin Hood” in which a young noblewoman, like the legendary hero, becomes an outlaw fighting for social justice. Perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer and Sarah J. Maas.
When sixteen-year-old Sylvie’s brother takes over management of their family’s vast estates, Sylvie feels powerless to stop his abuse of the local commoners. Her dearest friend asks her to run away to the woods with him, and soon a host of other villagers join them. Together, they form their own community and fight to right the wrongs perpetrated by the king and his noblemen. Perfect for fans of fairy tale retellings or anyone who loves a strong female lead, this gorgeously written take on the Robin Hood tale goes beyond the original's focus on economic justice to explore love, gender, the healing power of nature, and what it means to be a family." AMAZON LINK OF JUSTICE

I loved Mechanica and Venturess (yes, I read for the past few years, I just didn't blog about it, because REASONS), so I was pretty excited to picked up The Forest Queen. 

The Forest Queen is the retelling of Robin Hood, but it definitely brings a new aspect and depth to the story. The general gist of Robin Hood: Robin Hood lives in the woods with his merry men (notably Little John and Friar Tuck), he steals from the rich and gives the wealth to the poor. He's in love with Maid Marianne, and thwarts the Sheriff who unfairly taxes everyone.

This retelling features Robin Hood as a woman, Sylvie. Slyvie's brother, John, is a tyrant over her life, and takes over ruling Loughsley as their father falls ill. The moment John betrothed Sylvie away, Slyvie knows she has to escape. She asks her best friend, Bird, to follow through on a promise he made her long ago; to run away into the woods together. Slyvie and Bird gather supplies that night, and leave for uncertain future in the woods, but a future away from John.

That's enough summary.

So, throughout the book, there are some dark themes touched upon that unfortunately women are still dealing with, but they're done in a way that sheds some light to those struggles. I enjoyed the way Slyvie's character grows, as it's not all rainbows, sunshine, song, and dance, but it felt far more authentic. There was a very good balance to this book, but I hesitate to give it a recommended book review. I wonder if the subject matter presented, and the voices representing that subject matter, I really wonder if they give enough gravity to the situation. At times, I wished those situations were given a little more page time, but others were given just enough page time before the path moved forward (so to speak).

I don't know, deep philosophical thoughts. I did enjoy the book, and I think it'll linger with me. If there's a sequel, I would definitely be curious enough to read it.

Happy reading!

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