Hood Spoiler Thread

[twyrch]

I looked up Elfwyn on a whim and sure enough... it is located in the southern part of the Ancient Powys Kingdom.

The book does seem to be fast paced. I'm ripping through the chapters at a pretty good pace. I'll have more insights when I finish it.

[dgan]

karenee, I completely agree with your take on that. I hope my 'review' did not come off too harsh. I absolutely loved SRL's choices in how he chose to tell this particular story. I merely wanted to point out that this is typical SRL legend and allure, but presented in an entirely different way.

Looking back, I guess Byzantium and Patrick each had lead characters that were ill-prepared for the responsibilities thrust upon them. Perhaps, then, this is not as unique as I make it out to be. However, in those books there were also contrasting characters. While this book has Tuck (I'm like Iwan...I can't pronounce it, much less spell it) his appearances are fewer and he is not always a light-hearted character either. I'm not saying the book has to be happy and witty to be enjoyable. I just find this darker, sadder theme from SRL to be intriguing.

In fact, I think he is setting us up to feel as hopeless as possible for Bran's shining moment...perhaps a spiritual moment, since we know he will not ultimately succeed militarily.

[karenee]

dgan, my impression from your review was that you enjoyed the book...and that you were trying to accurately portray some of the differences between this and SRL's other work. Don't worry about it.

[dgan]

*sighs of relief*

[luv1another]

oooo I finally finished the ARC :woohoo:

I loved it tho all the time I had the stupid cartoon of robinhood as a fox in my head :argh: that wrecks it at times when my mind wandered LOL

anyway I think I liked little John best tho he isnt in the story very much really, he is the faithful one he sticks with Bran even when others may not.
Bran reminds me of most peoples inner struggles sometimes he reminds me of myself the feeling of hopelessness and despair and then finding a path which I hadnt thought could be there. Bran is a rogue at times and bitter but he seems to have really good qualities that have been smothered by his bitterness like so many people I have come in contact with online.
I find I really like Bran he has that rogueness yet goodness it makes me think he can do better, like in the story I found myself going come on bran choose to do the right thing its in you kind of thing.

I love tucks character too... he is funny and reminds me of how people can come from backgrounds and be Christians now yet still have some of the character traits from their past and that we are not perfect just because we are Christian...... he adds comic relief at times and just lifts the story

Angharad is also another character I love...the patient kind mothery type character she shows love when others would have taken a whip to Bran LOL just the way she handles things is great she reminds me of the verse in the bible to be as gentle as doves but wise as serpents

merian I didnt much care for so far I think Bran your better off finding someone else... she is bossy and kinda almost catty... maybe thats just how I see her

I loved he book but then so far I have loved all SRL's books he has wonderful descriptive language and paints pictures in my mind

I cant wait to buy this book for my friends birthday

[Daae]

Augh, I just finished it and now I have to wait for the second one...but at least I can commiserate with my mom when she reads it. And (prejudice of the fact the I have been in love with Robin Hood legends since I was knee-high to a grasshopper aside) this is probably one of my favorite SRL books. I haven't gone through one of his books so fast since I read The Iron Lance. I loved Bran and the way SRL managed to keep some of that wry, teasing wit that Robin Hood always seems to have, even though the book had a darker feel to it than other versions of the story (and, of course, I would read the bit with the dead mice/birds/rats right before I ate dinner).

As for Merian, I kinda liked her. But maybe that's just because she reminded me of myself. As my family can attest to, I can be pigheadedly stubborn when the mood takes me, or my parents are trying to make me do something, or go somewhere, I really don't want to do/go.

[dgan]

Good comments. I like Merian's character as well, although that may put the two of us in the minority. I haven't heard to many positive comments about her yet.

I think the darker feel is more pronounced in this book than in any other of SRL's works. Even Grail, the dark mood was contrasted by a good helping of positive characters. I think SRL does a great job of setting the mood of the era that all seems hopeless and just how significant the odds are cast against Bran. I can't wait for the next books...I think this is just the tip of the iceberg and he is just setting us up for something spectacular.

At least I hope....

[cree8ivone]

...wading in... -------LOTS OF SPOILERS-------

"Hood" is wonderful in that it has many of the adventurous elements found in the SoA series. Though it does lose some its luster, because we kind of know where the story is going. This 'lack of mystery' doesn't bother me one bit however. I enjoy seeing how SRL writes his way out of the paper bag and shows us new things right in the middle of a common story. So far the "King Raven Trilogy" is shaping up very nicely for me.

3rd Person vs 1st Person

Karenee quote:
"While I noticed the head-jumping in the books, it didn't bother me. Bran isn't really a sympathetic character, and has much growing to do. SRL portrays his youth very well, and it fits the story perfectly. I think it would have lost too much had it been limited to Bran's impressions, and he would have had to mature much faster to carry the book on his own...thus forcing a completely different story than SRL wrote. None of the other characters are important enough or involved enough (yet) to carry it alone, either. Frankly, I think SRL's choice is perfect for this book."

I agree whole-heartedly with Karenee here. There was way too much story happening in other parts of the world to try and see only what one character saw. While 1st Person perspectives are extremely cool and may play a major reason why I like the Albion and Pendragon series so much, there are some stories that need the larger perspective a narrative brings.

The Darker Tone

dgan quote:
"I think the darker feel is more pronounced in this book than in any other of SRL's works. Even Grail, the dark mood was contrasted by a good helping of positive characters. I think SRL does a great job of setting the mood of the era that all seems hopeless and just how significant the odds are cast against Bran."

I talked with Tegid about this not too long ago. SRL's "Hood" is based in a time period that had a lot of suppression from the conquering French and even some from the church. That this fictional story is so grounded in the cultural reality of the day makes it that much more appealing. Not to mention that SRL writes in the Celtic style where there is no freedom without sacrifice; no pleasure without pain; no peace without struggle. This theme is played out in this first book's dark beginning, but it is also played out in the characters.

Charismatic Characters?

luv1another quote:
"I loved it tho all the time I had the stupid cartoon of robinhood as a fox in my head..."

Like luv1another wrote, I too had trouble at first getting my head around the character. Only I wasn't imagining a fox as Robin Hood but one Daffy Duck... (and Porky Pig as Friar Tuck - 'dodge, parry, spin, thrust').

Unlike the cartoons, the only jovial character in "Hood" is Aethelfrith (Tuck). But in keeping with the myth and the era, Tuck knows how to handle a quarterstaff. How many people do you know who are 'happy-go-lucky' all the time and who are good at any type of fighting? The suppression gets to him sometimes, but he brings sanity and levity, and is a very necessary part of the story.

Bran's mother dies. His father humiliates him and doesn't seem to ever really accept him. Then his father is murdered. He loses the throne, his inheritance (money and caer), and nearly his life. He does not have a lot to be happy about. But in line with his selfish belligerent nature, Bran seems to rebel against the hopelessness with mirth as evidenced by his interaction with Merian in the beginning of the story. This small glimpse of the lovable rogue from the myths and movies allows SRL to pique the reader's interest and still tell the darker parts of the tale. It also leaves the door to change cracked open.

Merian's character does not get fully developed until later in the book (probably because there was just too much narrative to get through). When it does, we see that SRL handles the complexity and depth of her seemlingly wandering emotions with the same craftmanship that he has shown on his many multi-facted characters. Like Bran needs to change into a selfless leader, Merian needs to have some of her spoiled personality whittled away. (I think that is why I liked the 'kidnapping'.) She is feisty and it is her strength. She's going to need that strength.

I was slightly disappointed with Iwan's (Little John) development. He seemed to fall too easily into the roll of loyal friend. That is probably because there is not enough back story for me to see his transition. But this a minor issue which will probably be addressed by SRL in the next two volumes.

All in all, SRL's typically well developed characters fill the story from the Count to the Baron to the wonderful female Merlin-esque character of Angharad.

"Hood" by any other name?

I would also have eventually figured out this was a Robin Hood story when the familiar names started popping up. But I don't think the book could have been called anything else. SRL had to tell people what he was writing about, maybe giving away some of the mystery, or the reader's might have bristled at the deception. Would you have liked to get 100 pages into the book and then realized that this was a Robin Hood story? Only it's not written in the right timeframe? The public backlash from that, I think would be greater than us talking about how long it took us to figure out whether the book suffers from having the "Hood" title and prepress.

A better question to ask is:

If the title and all of the names were changed, would you have thought this was a wonderful beginning to a Celtic trilogy or would you have been able to pick up on the similarities to the Robin Hood story? And if you saw the similarities, would you then be upset that SRL 'borrowed' the Robin Hood story for his Celtic book?

Ahhh, but this is why I love this Forum. This is a great place to sit around and discuss an author and his work. There are also alot of quality individuals as well.


In Christ,

[Child of Immanuel]

I did want some feedback (not blaming you guys, my wrong choice of thread), so I will repost this here:

Good book! There's a simplicity of style that appeals.

Themes... hmm. I notice SRL's heroes frequently make unpopular "unheroic" decisions, such as Arthur's taking the grain from the people, Bran's use of Merian as a hostage and his taking the wages from his own people.

Can't wait for book two!

[dgan]

childofimmanuel said:

I did want some feedback (not blaming you guys, my wrong choice of thread), so I will repost this here:

Good book! There's a simplicity of style that appeals.

Themes... hmm. I notice SRL's heroes frequently make unpopular "unheroic" decisions, such as Arthur's taking the grain from the people, Bran's use of Merian as a hostage and his taking the wages from his own people.

Can't wait for book two!

Hmm...I think that is looking at those as through the lens of today's times. When you consider that taking hostages on the battlefield (aside from the purpose of ransom) is a relatively post-Napoleon concept, Arthur's "total war" acts were not a new military tactic. The only reason there was discussion about it among his advisers and battle chiefs is because the enemy was also their kinsman. We had the same dilemma during the American Civil War, which is why Sherman's March was such a controversial move.

As far as the kidnapping of Merian, I agree that does not exactly appear to be the most chivalrous of acts. Although, when you consider that Bran knows what kind of man she was in the company of, he may think of it as saving her from a danger she didn't know existed. Perhaps in later books, she will see it that way as well. Although, that is probably looking at it too optimistically. More likely, his brashness and selfishness will turn out to be a blessing in disguise...not something he planned.

Also, what is essentially stealing his kinsman's wages is what he considers a necessity to saving their society. He would rather (and assumes his people would rather) die struggling to restore their way of life then to live comfortably under the usurper's rule. And that is a strong tie back to the days of the Celts, which I think is the direction SRL is going with this. Robin Hood wasn't just stealing from the rich to feed the poor, but trying to salvage and restore his heritage.

All speculation, of course. I could be way off.

[Dred]

Something to keep in mind as to Bran's actions include his statement to Merian about what the soldiers were going to do when they were riding down on them. He told her that they would have killed them. That to me is at least some attempt to direct her to the idea that the Baron wasn't a nice guy.

[DanTheMan]

I've been reading Patrick and I do find similarities between the characters. It is a challenge to me to read about main characters that aren't the nicest of guys. It's challenging to put aside my desire to have the main character be the "hero" of the story. I'm starting to appreciate SRL new style (Patrick, Hood, Byzantium).

[cree8ivone]

childofimmanuel said:

I did want some feedback (not blaming you guys, my wrong choice of thread), so I will repost this here:

Good book! There's a simplicity of style that appeals.

Themes... hmm. I notice SRL's heroes frequently make unpopular "unheroic" decisions, such as Arthur's taking the grain from the people, Bran's use of Merian as a hostage and his taking the wages from his own people.

Can't wait for book two!

I don't think he took the wages of his own people in the robbing of the strongbox scene. That money was destined for the workers who had arrived with the earlier wagons. Those workers were not from Elfael and were (more than likely) Ffreinc from Baron de Braose. They were engineers and craftsmen plying their trade of castle (and town) buliding.

[DanTheMan]

Bran is still working through some things. I look forward to him learning about what is right and standing up for it. I expect the 2nd book to be even better,

[dgan]

dantheman said:

Bran is still working through some things. I look forward to him learning about what is right and standing up for it. I expect the 2nd book to be even better,

Agreed. And with any luck, that learning will come through some fantastic Otherwordly experience!

*sits back in anticipation* This is going to be a long wait....