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"Clayton
Emery’s retelling of the Robin Hood legend is dark, primal, and –
despite the strong element of old, pagan forest magic –
realistic. The forest and its denizens are as much characters in
the tale as Robin, Little John, and Marian. Unlike many episodic
versions of the tale, there is a strong connective narrative that
weaves together the old tales into a satisfyingly cohesive new
story. Mr. Emery is not a slave to the traditional tales; he is
confident enough to add new elements and rework them into a compelling
new narrative. I enjoyed Mr. Emery’s Robin Hood and the Beasts of Sherwood immensely (and as a Robin Hood aficionado, I have read numerous versions) and look forward with great anticipation to Robin Hood and The Bells of London
– in old-fashioned book format! Kudos to Clayton Emery for
rescuing Robin and his merry band from the dry dust heap of literary
history!"
Patricia K. Kelly Head of Reference Lynnfield Public Library, MA |
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An Unusual Novel
"I couldn’t put it down... In a category all its own, part fantasy, part
history, and part mystery, Clayton Emery avoids the standard tropes
and creates something entirely new to add to the Robin Hood legend,
a far cry from Howard Pyle’s rendition or the Errol Flynn
movies..."
John Ottinger III, Grasping for the Wind |
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"Robin Hood and the Beasts of Sherwood is a delightful romp and
adventure in still-ancient Sherwood Forest. Emery has woven together
many elements, not just from the early Robin Hood tales and their later
variants, but also elements of magic and a wonderful rendering of the
forest creatures' worlds from their perspectives. There are also
stories within stories of Robin Hood in the Holy Land during a Crusade.
"Robin Hood's world is created here through the lens of modern attitudes and for the most part, the combination succeeds.
"There is a sense of
'60's communal family life with several of the band married and with
children, living in cottages but holding the group's goods in common.
Tasks are also less rigidly separated by sex. Men do a fair amount of
parenting and women are not averse to being crack archers in both
contests of skill and actual fighting.
"Greater issues than
simply a plot line are suggested. Robin Hood may often be reminiscent
of Peter Pan in Never Never Land but he is troubled by the extensive
authority over this group that its members have accorded him.
"The Sheriff of Nottingham also seemed less the
traditional enemy and Sir Guy more a blackguard than might be necessary
but the overall high quality of the other elements more than outweighs
these minor complaints.
"This is Robin Hood for grownups who have never quite relinquished their childhood." Lorna Mittelman of Rochester, New York on Amazon.com
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"The
enduring legend of Robin Hood, the nobleman who took to Sherwood Forest
and then robbed from the rich and gave to the poor, gets a thorough
revitalization in the hands of Clayton Emery.
"In the new paperback original... Emery doesn't change the cast of characters much. Maid Marian is here, and Will Scarlett, Little John and the Sheriff of Nottingham. But he strips away the romantic patina that has obscured the harshness of such a life in 12th-century England and adds the element of magic and its attendant folklore. "What emerges is the story of a small, brave band struggling against the harsh elements in the forest in which they live (weather; the lack of contact with society) and fighting against the scurrilous nobility that has driven them there. "Emery has not eliminated the humor around the legend, but has altered it to match the roughness of the band's existence. "The book is punctuated with effective descriptions of the animal and insect life of the forest, real and imagined." Bob Hahn, The Cincinnati Post
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Author Robs from Fantasy and Gives to the Reader
"The heroes in the classical tale Robin Hood are back for us to enjoy... "Emery also has created some new characters. Bold Jane Downey is a 'hellcat' who beat up her abusive husband before leaving to join the Robin Hood band. "Emery has also borrowed from other literary works. Shakespeare's Puck, from A Midsummer Night's Dream performs puckish tricks, but helps Robin Hood at times. "Emery's novel begins essentially where the tale familiar to us ends... "Emery in his book creates an image of 12th Century England much different from the one we remember in the Errol Flynn classic... "Emery's men of Sherwood are pursued, gored, and stabbed. They bleed. They die. Two main characters, recognizable from the original story, are seriously wounded halfway through the book. We are left in doubt until the very ene as to whether they survive... "The other plot line is when he breaks away from the 'known' and transcends into the fantasy of his own imagination... "Emery's literary style... is boldly descriptive. We can close our eyes and imagine, 'Moss and guano made the steps slippery. Ammonia stank...' "The plotline is spellbinding from beginning to end." Ron Dube, The Sunday Telegraph
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"Robin Hood and the Beasts of Sherwood is an exciting revisioning of the legend of the greenwood outlaw and his band. Clayton Emery displays a sound knowledge of the original medieval ballads and the subsequent alterations that the legend has undergone over the past six centuries, yet this novel is no simple retelling of the old stories. Emery deftly weaves together core elements of the tradition with novel characters and plotlines. "The story is steeped in the earthy and sometimes brutal realities of medieval life. Sherwood, moreover, teems with wildlife, which Emery describes with a naturalist's attention to detail. Counterpoised to this realism are magical elements that reflect the sort of mythic approach to the legend that first became popular among 19th century folklorists, and later characterized the British cult TV series Robin of Sherwood in the 1980s. "Most notable among the new characters in the novel are the women of Sherwood, who include a former prioress, an elderly midwife, a witch, a bold fighting 'yeoman', and several mothers with young children. These women are not passive maidens in distress, waiting to be rescued; they use their own physical strength, courage, and intelligence to protect themselves, their forest home, and their community from danger. "The villains of the piece are also noteworthy. Robin and his valiant band must contend not only with their traditional enemies, the Sheriff's men and Guy of Gisborne, but with eerie forces beyond their under- standing, which threaten the outlaws' very existence in Sherwood. "As the story unfolds, Robin himself must face his own spiritual doubts about his way of life, while assessing the political and personal consequences of his equivocal relationship with King Richard. How far dare Robin go, without endangering those he leads? "With its compelling blend of realism, mysticism, and adventure, The Beasts of Sherwood is a welcome addition to the contemporary canon of Robin Hood fiction." |
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"While not very historical, this story has a lot of verve. Lots of gore and grue - and some very realistic children. Good plotting, and a very nice interplay between magic and ordinary life." Highly Original
"A highly original and lively interpretation of the Robin Hood legend. The author adds some likeable new characters such as the outlaws' children and spirited female outlaw Bold Jane. Magic is real in this story, and used by both friends and foes." Amusing and Lively "It's an amusing and lively re-telling of the Robin Hood story, with some new characters and some new looks at the old familiar names. I loved the bit where Robin's people are practicing their ambush-the-traveling-merchant skills; clearly they had to practice some time, but that never seems to have made it into the original ballads!" |
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"I have
read the book any number of times, at least ten and more likely fifteen. I have long awaited the
sequels. Please keep up the excellence in story telling that you
started in TALES. I loved every part of it. The animals'
stories, the tales around the firepit, and the story itself; all of it
was wonderful and well-woven, giving either a new perspective on a
scene to come or one just past. The climax battle in the commons
in and around the cave was amazing. It's just too bad that the
Cedwyn's 'tiger' couldn't have been there too! That would've been
absolutely insane! Guy would've needed a dozen more men.
Great story all told, and I look forward to new ones to come."
Sean Lourim, University of Toronto by email
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"Come to Sherwood. But beware!
Not only may your purse be lightened by outlaws, but the animals
too may threaten your life. This is an absolutely wonderful tale
of Robin Hood, a book for the general reader as well as the serious
Robin Hood scholar. In Emery's novel we are privy to the thoughts
of the animals of Sherwood as well as the Merry Men (and Women).
The battle scenes are particularly violent (after all, it is
set in the Middle Ages) and there is a dose of fairy magic for
the fantastically inclined reader. But most of all, this Robin
Hood has all the swashbuckling zest of an Errol Flynn movie.
The 'swinging from the trees' episode is particularly
funny. This is the best new Robin Hood tale to be published in
quite some time."
Edward Pettit from Jenkintown, PA on Amazon.com
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The Robin & Marian Mysteries |
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