Have you ever wondered how Robin Hood became who he was? Or why Robin of Loxley was called Robin Hood? How about how Will Scarlet got his name? This book answers those questions and many more. This story starts when Robin Hood's father was a soldier under King Henry and continues through his time fighting for the crusade. It tells the tale of him defying the sheriff, his love for Marion, and slowly adds all of my favorite Robin Hood characters (although Tuck doesn't come in until the end). This also shows a side of Robin Hood that no other retelling has shown. In this one, Robin Hood is mischievous and likes to banter playfully with Marion and irritate the sheriff and his men. He is described as impish and boy-like with his pranks. I absolutely love this story and can't wait until the second part of the trilogy. Another plus to this book is there is a table in the beginning describing lineages of the different characters, pictures of the coat of arms, and at the end is a dictionary for period specific terminology.

Robin Hood has always been one of my favorite historical fiction characters. This was a great addition to the group.