Review of Scarlet (The Robyn Hood Adventures Book 2) by Niamh Murphy

As I wrote in my review for Outlaw, the first Robyn Hood book, I would have loved these stories and their kickass heroines as a teenager.

In Scarlet, Robyn and Littlejohn come upon an intriguing nun, who turns out to be on the run. The greedy Bishop of Hereford is after her, and helping her will put Robyn and her band of outlaws in danger more than once.

Scarlet is chock-full with pursuits through the woods, sword fights, and all sorts of mischief. It’s an adventure story first and foremost so if you were hoping to see more romance between Robyn and Marian, you’ll probably be disappointed. There are a few kisses and declarations of love but that’s really not where the story is. Scarlet is about friendship and doing the right thing even when it’s hard.

I like that Robyn isn’t a killer. She’ll slow her opponents down and hurt them a little if she can’t avoid it but that’s where it stops. She’s also driven, capable of self-criticism and growth. I don’t remember exactly how old she is, but she’s barely out of teenagedom. She’s learning and she wants to change the world. Marian may look more delicate but she’s just as badass and just as stubborn. Littlejohn is both strong and gentle. As for Will, the nun, she is full of surprises, not all bad.

While I enjoyed reading this story, I didn’t feel as engaged as I would have liked, it didn’t completely fulfill the promise of Outlaw. Maybe the pandemic is to blame, I don’t know. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that things pick up a little in the next installment.

ARC provided to LeZReviewBooks for an honest review.