Greenwode

Written by J. Tullos Hennig
Review by Heather Domin

In 12th-century Britain, the Christian church does all it can to stamp out the remnants of paganism, but the roots of Celtic belief run deep. A forester’s son, Rob, is told by a seer that he will lead his people in a final conflict between the old religion and the new; when Rob and his sister, the wise-maiden Marion, befriend a young Norman named Gamelyn, the druid proclaims him their fated enemy. But Rob cannot accept this, for the feelings he and Gamelyn share go beyond the friendship of lord and liegeman – feelings which, like the old gods, are considered heresy worthy of death by Gamelyn’s church.

Greenwode is the first in a series re-imagining the Robin Hood story in a daring new way, steeped in historical romanticism with a hefty dose of fantasy and a magical sense of storytelling. The star-crossed love story embodies the conflicts and changes going on around them – old versus new, pagan versus Christian, Briton versus Norman, duty versus desire – struggles rooted in history but couched in legend. Greenwode is recommended not just for fans of LGBT romance, but all readers of historical fantasy and epic adventure.