The Outlaws of Sherwood

The Outlaws of Sherwood, Robin McKinley's take on the legend of Robin Hood, was a fun bit of escapist reading that I stretched out over Thanksgiving. Unlike her other books, there's no magic or fantastical element here. Which makes sense. Robin Hood isn't a fairy tale so much as a folk hero, and as such he's much more grounded in reality. McKinley attempts something akin to historical fiction here (while acknowledging that some things that are key to the legend aren't exactly historically accurate).

I think she mostly succeeds, and I think where she didn't meet my expectations it's my expectations that were wrong. She really does spin an interesting tale, taking into account real concerns and hurdles. She increases the number of female characters, and gives them all interesting stories. (And love interests, because even though this isn't a fairy tale it kind of is).

Mostly I liked this book right up until the end, which just didn't work for me. I'm not even sure what I'd like to be different about it except to make the entire book different. The ending was entirely realistic. As such, it was a bit of a letdown. Robin Hood is supposed to sail off into legend and myth, not face actual consequences.

So it's not my favorite of McKinley's books. I still enjoyed most of it, and I'll continue to seek out the rest of her work. This was a good pick for a book to stretch out in over a holiday.

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