The Red Fletch (Heroes of Sherwood)
Alys’s beloved brother, Hob, is joining Robin of Locksley to retake the Holy Lands. Meanwhile, she’s being sent to serve Maid Marian in Nottingham Town. Before leaving, Alys strikes a deal with Robin: return her brother alive and she’ll dissuade Marian from the visiting suitors during his absence. In 1192, Robin returns alone and publicly challenges the sheriff who’s about to hang Little John for thievery. After a daring escape, Robin and Little John are declared outlaws, and the sheriff assigns Alys a new job: infiltrate the Merry Men and help capture Robin. If she succeeds, he’ll send for her brother’s return. With her kind and ambitious cousin serving the sheriff, she trusts what she’s doing is right. After all, Robin is the one who broke his word and returned without her brother.
The familiar Robin Hood tale comes alive with a feminist twist. Alys encounters Wilmot Scarlet, Little John, Friar Tuck, and others. She walks the line between castle life and outlaw living. Her experiences as farmer’s daughter to handmaiden to bandit give readers a multifaced view of the period. Of course, details about archery are the most vivid.
Alys’s motivations arise from familial bonds (particularly with her brother), working on arrows with her father, and her own personal freedom. As an asexual character, she longs for a life without the pressures of marriage. As she infiltrates the Merry Men and experiences a life in the wild, Alys wrestles with the sheriff’s versus Robin’s conflicting viewpoints in meaningful ways. Who draws the lines between lawful and unlawful?
The Red Fletch is a compelling tale told through the eyes of a female archer as she grapples with choices that affect the lives around her. It’s also simply a fun adventure!
