The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield - this Polish edition is gorgeous!
Happy release day to ‘Sleep Robin Hood’ by M.C. Frank!
My review:
‘This is the land of traitors and betrayal. Where fear, hunger and threats reign instead of the king. This is the land of no hope’.
Robin Hood and his not-so-merry companion return in the third installment of The Outlaws series by M.C. Frank. As long as the evil Sheriff rules the land, there’s no peace for them even in their beloved Sherwood forest. There are friends to rescue and enemies to defeat, but who can survive when the long-hidden secrets get revealed?
If I were to describe this book with one word, it would be INTENSE. It’s not very long, but it’s certainly abounding in action: there’s an archery competition, a dramatic escape from the Sheriff’s dungeon, there are sword fights, blood, tears, betrayal, and much more. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, you keep worrying about the characters, wanting to know what happens next, but on the other hand - being scared to read the next chapter.
The intensity doesn’t apply just to adventures Robin, Ru and their friends are going through, but - what I personally loved the most - to their inner struggles as well, to memories haunting their minds, the feelings motivating them, but also holding them back. A big part of the book contains of Robin and Ru’s inner dialogues, which I absolutely don’t mind, because it adds an incredible depth to those characters and makes me love them even more. I love how strong they both are, despite their brokenness, and how they care for the others more than for themselves. They remind me of the verse from 2 Corinthians: ‘We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed’.
I said it many times before, but I’m gonna say it again: M.C. Frank is an amazing writer. The way she writes about emotions moves me deeply and makes me forget the characters she created aren’t real. If you ever wondered if writing can be called art, just read one of her books.
‘Sleep Robin Hood’ is a beautifully written, engaging and moving story about justice, forgiveness, love and betrayal. I can’t wait for the next book from this series to come out, but I already recommend them all wholeheartedly!