Robin and the King

Banished from his beloved fatherland and taken by William the Conqueror as his personal slave, Robin Hood travels across the Channel to Normandy, where he once again demonstrates his ultimate loyalty to King Richard

Sherwood Forest no longer rings with the daring exploits of Edward "Robin Hood" Denby; now middle-aged, Robin lives contentedly with his beloved Marian and their two children. He's even become friends with the Sheriff of Nottingham, who has married his cousin. In this sequel to Sherwood , Robin gets into trouble again when he argues in court against a plan to convert part of Sherwood into a royal hunting preserve for William I, who rules England from Normandy. Banished for his insolence, Robin becomes a body servant to the king and his second son, the brave, licentious Rossel. He changes the course of English history by convincing William to alter the line of succession, a development that Godwin's spellbinding storytelling makes totally believable. Not just a first-rate adventure, this is also a fascinating account of everyday life in the 11th century, whose customs, beliefs, superstitions and fears are vividly evoked. Witchcraft, intrigue and betrayal lead to a shocking denouement. Deft characterizations, superb battle scenes and more than a little wit make this a worthy addition to Robin Hood lore.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Sequel to Sherwood (1991), the versatile Godwin's revisionist historical that recasts Robin Hood as Thane Edward of Denby, a Saxon resister to the invading Normans led by William the Conqueror. This time out, Robin gets all stirred up about peasants' rights and unwisely authors a document recommending limits to the divine rights of kings. Unsurprisingly, he earns the enmity of William's Chancellor, the capable, vicious upstart Ranulf of Bayeux, and annoys William himself. Banished from England and taken in chains to Normandy, Robin saves William's life along the way, and soon become friends with the likable but intemperate Rossel, the future William II. After various feats, Robin is pardoned by a dying William and returns to England--but he has reckoned without the unremitting hostility of Ranulf. Having fallen out with Rossel (peasants' lib again), Robin is accused of witchcraft by Ranulf, found guilty, excommunicated, and condemned to death--and only some last-minute heroics preserve his holding for his son and heir, Edward. Godwin enthusiastically pounds away at the 11th century, but the upshot is a grim, dull, fitful drama, from which any semblance to the legendary Robin Hood and his merrie deeds has long since departed. -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Eight years after his pardon from the king for his deeds in Sherwood Forest, Edward Denby--otherwise known as Robin Hood--once again finds himself on the wrong side of the law as his conscience drives him to oppose royal tyranny. Godwin relocates his hero to an earlier age, during the reign of William the Conqueror, but the heart of the legend remains unsullied. The author of Beloved Exile ( LJ 4/15/84) once again proves that he is adept at re-creating enduring legends in this stand-alone sequel to Sherwood ( LJ 7/91). Most libraries will want this title.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.