Review: Knight of Sherwood (Outlaw's Legacy, #2) by N.B. Dixon

Robin returns to England after four years fighting in the Holy Land. On arriving at Locksley, he discovers that Guy of Gisborne, his most hated enemy, has been made Sheriff of Nottingham. Forced to flee into Sherwood, Robin sets himself up as champion of the poor.

But Robin has a secret. His feelings for his friend Will Scathelock have deepened, but to acknowledge the truth would mean facing up to his past. Meanwhile, Lady Marian Fitzwalter, heiress to the vast Huntingdon estate, is determined to claim Robin for her own.

""Never underestimate a man with a big stick," Will told him."

I have soooo much love for this book. So. Much. Love. It is my absolute favourite book of the year and I just want to gush and read it again and make everyone read it and tell everyone who disagrees with me that they are utterly wrong and...

I just love this book.

I loved the first one in the series but this just ups the game for me. I have so many words, so many thoughts, I'm not sure where to start.

Okay. The setting.

I love historical novels, especially those set in Britain, and the legend of Robin Hood is a classic tale told, and re-told, for generations, and I love that this is an M/M version of that tale. What I love even more is that it's believably so. It's not written for titillation, it's exploring another way of viewing this classic hero, written sympathetically for the time in which it's set. 

The hardship of life in the 12th century is portrayed so well. The way the lives of the poor were dictated by the whims of the rich. Where women held no power, where the poor held no power, where life was so easily thrown away, even the lives of children. Life was hard. Food was scarce, taxes were numerous (and increasing), and loyalties could have you killed in a second.

NB Dixon depicts this time so well. She makes the reader fall for the characters, understand the deprivations they face and how difficult decisions were. She's very clever though, because she still manages to give us strong female characters, even in this time of oppression of women. 

The story of good versus evil is an old, old tale. What makes this story important to me as a reader is how much I care for the characters. Not just Robin and Will, but all the 'good' guys ... and equally, how much loathing I had for Guy and Prince John and others.  The good guys aren't all honourable in every way, they are human and make mistakes too. Even Robin. Sometimes especially Robin... pride comes before a fall...

This was apparent in how Dixon wrote King Richard the Lionheart. Hailed as a hero in literature, we see his true colours and his love of war. We see how the choice to follow him was the lesser of two evils to many. To Robin especially. This story is about humanity and love-for-humanity. It's about politics. It's about religion. It's about choices and decisions and effect and cause and...

It's about right and wrong.  The black, the white and the grey. 

God, it's about love and trust and caring for others. 

It's about a harshness of life that is scary.  

It's about manipulation and honour.

It's about the harsh reality of life. It's so, so, so, so, so good.

Of course, this story is also about Robin and Will. I love these two. I love the hardness of their love. The trueness of it. For me friendship is the strongest, most important pull in a relationship. A soul deep friendship is more of a turn on than any amount of on-page, descriptive sex. I have to say, if you're looking for pages of sexual fantasy between Robin and another man, well you're in the wrong place. This book has very little on-page sex, and not even that much off the page if I'm honest. I only feel I need to mention it because I know for some readers it is important - for me though, it is not needed. Robin and Will have the slowest of burns and the relationship is primarily of friendship (and love). 

Dixon nearly had me throwing my kindle at the wall at the end, no spoilers but I need the next book. The only problem with falling in love with a review book is knowing that I will have to wait for the next instalment (as opposed to buying and binging on a whole series in one go). 

This is the book I am going to recommend as my 2017 must-read, I loved and adored every single word. I know this book won't be for everyone (though I encourage all to try) but for me it is a complete and utter winner who's destined to be a forever favourite.

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.

Visit the Knight of Sherwood blog tour HERE!

Blog Tour + Giveaway: Heir of Locksley (Outlaw's Legacy #1) by N.B. Dixon

Fans of Robin Hood unite! N.B. Dixon and LoveBound Promotions are here to promote Heir of Locksley (Outlaw's Legacy #1)! See our review of the novel HERE

N.B. Dixon interviews the villain of the novel and is giving away 3 copies of Heir of Locksley! Good luck!!

Title: Heir of Locksley

Series: Outlaw’s Legacy, Book 1

Author: N.B. Dixon

Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Release Date: December 1st, 2016

Genre(s): Historical, M/M

Words: 108,000

View on Goodreads

About the Book

Blurb

Robin of Locksley is a rebel, more comfortable roaming Sherwood Forest with his longbow and courting the village girls than learning how to run a manor.

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.

Buy Links

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Smashwords

Character Interview with Guy of Gisborne

Author N.B. Dixon interviews Guy of Gisborne, the villain of Heir of Locksley and enemy to Robin Hood.

N.B.: So, tell me, how long have you known Robin of Locksley?

Guy: Our fathers own neighbouring estates, and Robin and I are the same age. We grew up together.

N.B.: It must have been nice for you to have a companion of your own age.

Guy (with a contemptuous snort): Robin loves to show off. He was never happier than when he made me look a fool. Nearly everyone worships the ground he walks on, including our tutor, Sir Richard.

N.B.: So you aren’t friends?

Guy: He may have thought so. He believes everyone loves him.

N.B.: It sounds to me as though you’re jealous of Robin.

Guy (hand dropping to where his sword would be): What do I have to be jealous of? The estate I will inherit is lawfully mine, which is more than can be said for him.

N.B.: Really? How so?

Guy: The Locksley lands were once part of the Gisborne estate. They were awarded to the Locksley family in return for their loyal service to the King. They should rightfully be mine.

N.B.: Can’t you be content with what you have?

Guy: I will never be content until the Locksley lands are mine and Robin gets what he deserves.

About N.B. Dixon

Author Bio

N.B. Dixon is an author of historical fiction. Her love for the Robin Hood legend began in a neglected corner of the school library and has continued ever since. She is a self-confessed bookworm and also a musician.

She began work on the *Outlaw's Legacy* Series in 2013, and was accepted by Beaten Track Publishing in 2016. *Outlaw's Legacy* is a historical series based around the Robin Hood legend. The author describes it as Exciting Historical Adventure with GLBT romance.

Connect with N.B.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway

Three lucky winners will receive an e-copy of Heir of Locksley, the first in the Outlaw's Legacy series by N.B. Dixon, a highly original retelling of the Robin Hood legend. To be in with a chance, simply enter via the Rafflecopter below. The contest closes at midnight EST on May 6 and is open to entrants worldwide.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Stops

April 24

Exclusive Excerpt at Bloggers from Down Under
Guest Post at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

April 25

Exclusive Excerpt at Books, Dreams, Life
Guest Post at Love Bytes Reviews
Exclusive Excerpt at Shh, I Am Reading

April 26

Book Review by BFD Book Blog
Exclusive Excerpt at Bayou Book Junkie

April 27

Author Interview with Stories that Make You Smile
Character Interview at Drops of Ink

April 28

Exclusive Excerpt at MM Good Book Reviews
Author Interview with MM Book Escape

April 29

Guest Post at Making It Happen
Character Interview at Boy Meets Boy Reviews

April 30

Guest Post at Howling for Books

Tour Hosted by LoveBound Promotions

Review: We Met in Dreams by Rowan McAllister

In Victorian London, during a prolonged and pernicious fog, fantasy and reality are about to collide—at least in one man’s troubled mind.

A childhood fever left Arthur Middleton, Viscount Campden, seeing and hearing things no one else does, afraid of the world outside, and unable to function as a true peer of the realm. To protect him from himself—and to protect others from him—he spends his days heavily medicated and locked in his rooms, and his nights in darkness and solitude, tormented by visions, until a stranger appears.

This apparition is different. Fox says he’s a thief and not an entirely good sort of man, yet he returns night after night to ease Arthur’s loneliness without asking for anything in return. Fox might be the key that sets Arthur free, or he might deliver the final blow to Arthur’s tenuous grasp on sanity. Either way, real or imaginary, Arthur needs him too much to care.

Fox is only one of the many secrets and specters haunting Campden House, and Arthur will have to face them all in order to live the life of his dreams.

Suffering from hallucinations since childhood, Arthur Middleton, Viscount Campden, has lived locked up in his rooms for a decade. It’s for his safety, so he doesn’t mind too much. That is until the latest apparition to visit him turns out to be a fascinating character.

The man introduces himself as Fox and insists that he’s a real man. Arthur doesn’t believe him, but every visit from Fox makes his yearning for a life beyond his rooms, and for Fox, grow.

This is my first read by Rowan McAllister, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I got was a wonderfully written book. The prose was evocative without becoming purple, and sucked me right into the story.

It would be hard not to feel for Arthur. His life is a cycle of laudanum, sleeping, reading, self-loathing, and hallucinations. But what’s also obvious from the beginning is Arthur’s resilience. He refuses to let his illness beat him.

Arthur and Fox’s first meeting was a mix of cute and funny. Fox is a gentleman thief, imitating Robin Hood. The book is told from Arthur’s POV, so readers’ only see Fox through Arthur’s eyes. Even so, it’s clear from the beginning that Fox sees Arthur as an equal, not an invalid.

The two are attracted to each other from their first meeting, but it takes them a long time to act on it. They become friends before they become lovers. Fox sneaks into Arthur’s room a few nights a week, and the two spend their time talking, and playing the piano and chess.

I couldn’t help but grin each time Fox showed up in Arthur’s room. Arthur would be filled with so much joy, and Fox clearly couldn’t keep himself away. Fox became Arthur’s personal cheerleader.

Once the two finally give in to the attraction between them, they don’t hold back from each other, either physically or emotionally.

The big stumbling block in the relationship is, of course, Arthur’s illness. Frankly, I didn’t get a clear understanding of exactly what caused Arthur’s periodic hallucinations or how they were cured. There’s an odd paranormal angle too.

The characters in the book didn’t understand either, which made sense given the book is set in the mid-1800s. So I wasn’t as bothered by the ambiguity as I might have been.

However, I thought too much happened in the last 20%. Considering everything that Arthur and Fox had already gone through, it was overkill to put them through even more. The story could have worked just as well without the extra drama at the end.

But that didn’t detract from how much I enjoyed this book. Arthur does get better, and he and Fox do finally get their happy ever after. It’s a HEA that takes into account that they’re two gay men in Victorian England, but it’s a happy ending nonetheless.

If you’re looking for a historical MM with a fair bit of angst but an incredibly sweet romance, I’d recommend ‘We Met in Dreams’!

Find on Dreamspinner Press or Goodreads!

Don't miss the We Met in Dreams blog tour stop here

Review: The Heir of Locksley (Outlaw's Legacy #1) by N.B. Dixon

Robin of Locksley is a rebel, more comfortable roaming Sherwood Forest with his longbow and courting the village girls than learning how to run a manor.

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.

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.
For more information see Goodreads.