An innocent flirtation with a peasant girl soon lands Robin in trouble, and worse, he finds himself inexplicably attracted to Will Scathelock, his best friend since childhood. Robin must decide whether to follow the rules of society or his own conscience.
Meanwhile, his neighbour, Guy of Gisborne, is anxious to get his hands on the Locksley estate and he will do anything to make it happen—even murder.
Some stories stand the test of time, retold again and again in many forms, Robin Hood is one of these. There is something endearing about the man who stole from the rich and gave to the poor, a tale tale rooted in history and myth. There is evidence Robin Hood, or Robin of Locksley, is real, but no definitive proof, yet, like King Arthur, his story is enduring. Who is the man behind the legend? What inspired so many tales about him? He is fascinating. Perhaps my favourite thing though, is the way each author puts their own twist to the tale. Whether it be the story development, the "merrymen", or the personality of our hero.
N.B. Dixon has done a sterling job of recreating this hero of folklore in The Heir of Locksley. I suppose, if I'm honest, the opening scene of young Robin splitting an arrow in two did remind me of Prince of Thieves, but it wasn't a retelling of that tale at all. Not even a little bit. (Even if I do want a re-watch now, if for nothing more than Alan Rickman's Sheriff of Nottingham).
This story starts with young Robin and tells us his story from his early teens onwards to adulthood. We see just how his character, and that of other MC's, develop over the years. How he comes to be the adult he does. I LOVED this story. It was rich with history and attention to detail. It created a vivid picture of 12th/13th century England; the villages and Lords and forest and rules. How the crown operated and the cut-throat way of living of the time.The hierarchy of society. I like that the author took time to set this story so it will develop over a series.
However.
If you are looking for romance, particularly the romance between Will and Robin, then you are going to have to be in it for the long haul. The hints are there in this story, but the development is yet to come. It's exciting. The attention was on the story, on the character development, of what happens to make Robin him who he is. I read for the romance but I would absolutely take a long burning romance over a quick wham bam thank you ma'am any day of the week. My anticipation for what is going to happen is so high; there is something to be said for not being instantly gratified - and it's especially easy to take when it is surrounded by a compelling story.
Reading this has left me with a yearning for historical novels set in this time. I have read and loved books such as Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth and I now have a hankering to read more. I'm especially pleased to read one in the M/M genre and I really cannot wait for the next in this series.
For more information see Goodreads.
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