Romance Writers' Weekly Review of Greenwood |
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Reviewer : Brenda Gayle |
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Who would have ever thought the notorious Sheriff of Nottingham could have a vulnerable side? Sue Wilson shows us just that, in this new look at a classic tale of a medieval villain. For the last four years, the Sheriff of Nottingham has built a reputation for taxing people beyond their means, cruel punishments and quick hangings. On a journey through Sherwood, he and his men are attacked, supposedly leaving no survivors. Nottingham, wounded, manages to make his way to the hut of the local herb woman, Thea Aelredson. Thea supports Robin Hood and his quest to put together enough gold and silver to ransom King Richard from his captors. Thea has no love or respect for Nottingham but her healing skills won't allow her to let the man die untended. Nottingham's stubbornness and determination are about to create some drastic changes in Thea's life and plunge her into a world of noble intrigue. Sue Wilson's tale casts the Sheriff of Nottingham as the hero. The nightmares he must live with make him vulnerable and more human than the heroine believes possible. A relationship between the Sheriff and Thea slowly develops and a whole new facet of his personality slowly emerges. The changing ideas and emotions these two characters go through are shown in depth and are worked very nicely into the plot of Prince John's attempt to seize the English throne. Guy of Gisborne, the Sheriff's first in command, Mildthryth who becomes Thea's serving maid, and the Sheriff's cast off leman, Aelwynn, are all well developed secondary characters with their own agendas. Each plays an important part in furthering the story's plot, creating little twists to the action, while their own secrets slowly become known. Descriptions of scenery are vivid and carry you along through the action. Dialogue is rich with emotion, drawing the reader in and holding them captive with every word. Sue Wilson shows promise of becoming a top-notch writer, with this, her first entry into the writing world. She does a marvelous job of capturing the essence of the times. This is the kind of writing of which we need to see more. It would be a loss to medieval story telling if publishers ignore this tale.
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