Sherwood [Hardcover]

If you've read lots of books about Robin Hood before, then this book will be especially good for you, although others will like it too. One of the problem with Robin Hood books is that they get repetitive, and one of the great things about this book is that the authors take what they already know about the outlaw, and then uses that to write their own stories about what could have happened. They take the basis for Robin Hood, and the ideals that they believe he represents to make completely original, suspenseful and often funny stories about him. I especially liked Mary Frances Zambreno's and Anna Kirwan stories, just because they were good on their own, without even being part of a book about Robin Hood. but my favorite was Adam Stemple's story, where he takes Robin Hood into the future with hilarious versions of the Sheriff and Guy of Guisborne. The illustrations throughout the book are also great.

"Sherwood" is a collection of eight short stories all based around the legends of Robin Hood. Edited by long-time Hood aficionado Jane Yolen, most of the stories centre on original or minor characters that are in some way related to Robin and his Merry Men. Judging by the "About the Authors" segment at the back of the book, all the contributors have had previous writing experience in both the fantasy and the medievalist period, with works such as I Am Mordred, The Young Merlin Trilogy and A Plague of Sorcerers to their name. As such, each one certainly seems qualified to add to the ever-growing mass of Robin Hood-related stories, and the result is an attractive, interesting, varied collection of tales.

Jane Yolen herself explores Robin's mysterious birth in "Our Lady of the Greenwood" (a mystical account that wouldn't have been out of place in the 1980s "Robin of Sherwood") whilst Maxine Trottier provides a lovely account of Marian and Robin's first meeting, interestingly portraying Marian as the forest-loving runaway, as well as several bittersweet passages that are written with the future knowledge of this couple's legacy. In a similar vein, Anna Kirwan explodes Robin and Marian in their adolescence, just on the verge of courtship in "Under the Bending Yew," adding some extra color by using Old English dialogue.

Nancy Springer's "Know Your True Enemy" involves a young boy named Rafe in the service of Robin who is forced to care for the Sheriff's son when he gets captured by outlaws in Sherwood Forest, though the quality slips a little in "The Children's War" by Timons Esaias, a story that also involves a boy living amongst the outlaws, who invents a new weapons with a pie-cart and crossbows and then...leaves with his family. It feels like the first part of a much larger story.

But things pick up again in "Straight and True" by Robert Harris, an amusing anecdote told from Friar Tuck's point of view, in which Robin manages to outwit a rival band of thieves in the forest, as well as Mary Frances Zambreno's "At Fountain Abbey," in which Robin's grandson escapes from his dastardly uncle, discovers his heritage in a woodland abbey, and learns that the blood of his grandfather certainly runs through his veins. This, along with "Marian" are probably the best stories here.

Finally, Adam Stemple does something completely different in "Robin Hood v. 1.5.3" in which a contemporary Sheriff and Guy of Gisborne (Guy Gibson) try to understand and then defeat a rampant computer virus that's meddling with the world's banking system, distributing the contents of the wealthiest people's bank accounts amidst charities and welfare organizations. It's a humorous look at how a modern-day Robin Hood might act, and how the authorities might attempt to stop him.

Between each story are quotes from the old Robin Hood ballads that shed light on the themes and inspiration of each tale, as well as attractive pictures by Dennis Nolan which are mainly portraits of the main characters. All in all, this is a pleasant, diverting anthology that will go down well with fans of Robin Hood folklore.

I first picked this book up at the age of twelve and fell in love. Seven years later I just finished reading it again and I found that several years and many versions of Robin Hood later, I love this book now as much as I loved it when I was twelve. I especially recommend the last short story in the book. The book is composed of various original Robin Hood short stories by different authors. Although the stories are original and don't all stick to the "traditional" Robin Hood stories, I still really enjoyed them, in fact I may have enjoyed them more because while they weren't the original legends, they seemed to capture the essence of the Robin Hood legend in a whole new set of stories that were brand new to me...and still just as good even when they weren't brand new to me anymore. A must read for all Robin Hood fans looking for something new, but still true to the old feel of their favorite hero.