Chapters (76)
- Title Page
- Copyright Notice
- Dedication
- PROLOGUE
- PART I
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- PART II
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- PART III
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- INTERLUDE
- PART IV
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- INTERLUDE
- PART V
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- PART VI
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- INTERLUDE
- PART VII
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- PART VIII
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- EPILOGUE
- AUTHOR’S NOTE
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- Newsletter Sign-up
The hooded figure sprang up close and pulled his cowl back, his young face smiling, disheveled blond hair sticking to his forehead. It was the boy with the knives, the one who killed Sheriff de Lacy, the one they released from the prisons.
“God’s teeth, man.” The blond winked. “I’m fucking Robin Hood.”
AUTHOR’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction, inspired in equal parts by history and folklore.
It is faithful to neither.
There’s no historical consensus on whether “Robin Hood” was even a real person, much less who that person was. Even in the earliest versions of the constantly evolving legend, many acknowledged anachronisms abound. While this book explores the tale in a realistic context, many elements subscribe more to our modern romanticized version of medieval England. I have made many efforts to respect historical accounts of dates, figures, world events, even chronologically accurate phases of the moon—but I am not a historian. I have knowingly deviated from record with a few historical figures, shortened certain timelines, and omitted other elements entirely. Moreover, the sensibilities and vocabulary of many of the characters are decidedly modern—let’s face it, today’s curse words just pack a better punch.
So why does this book exist? As some people might ask, did we “really need” another Robin Hood story? Haven’t we had enough of them already?
Well, if you want the full version of how and why this particular novel came to be—evolving from its first incarnation as a stage play in 2011—please visit my website, nathanmakaryk.com.
But here’s the short version: I think every telling of Robin Hood so far has missed the mark in the same way. And if you’ve read this far, it’s hopefully pretty obvious what exactly it was I hated about most Robin Hood stories. Suffice it to say that I wanted a version that explores the real dynamics at play rather than polarized ideologies. I wanted to do away with good vs. evil, and find out what happens when you pit good vs. good vs. good.
And in order to best explore that theme, I actually needed a story the reader would already recognize. Robin Hood has been rebooted and retold so many times that the characters have become part of our cultural knowledge. Everyone can picture a Robin Hood and a Little John in their heads, and I wanted you to bring those merry preconceptions along for the ride. I wanted you to show me what you expected from a Robin Hood story, so I could hold your hand as we tore it to pieces—and decided which parts are still worth respecting, which parts needed a deeper explanation, and which parts deserved outright mockery. I hope you enjoyed it! If not, well then I’m just one more guy who had his hand at these characters. But if you did, there’s much more to come in the next book.…