Book Review: Hood: an Outlaws novella by M.C. Frank

This retelling of the beginning of the legend of Robin Hood moves quickly and is engaging.

Hood: an Outlaws novella
by M.C. Frank

File Size: 1781 KB
Print Length: 71 pages
Publication Date: January 7, 2020
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07ZZJ4JC5
Genre: Fairy Tale Retelling, Historical Fantasy, Medieval
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0.

Meet Robin Hood's band of outlaws. Their story starts with Christmas, a lost love, a hungry town and a robbery.
In this Outlaws novella, Robin Loxley is a tortured young man mourning the loss of his title, his lands and his first love. Tonight, with the help of his close friends, he will get a new name that will live in history, a cat that could care less that Robin happens to be the most brilliant archer in medieval England, and a chance to prove himself by rescuing a lady from a fire.
But this is no ordinary lady...
And that is no ordinary fire...
HOOD is a prequel novella to the beloved bestselling Outlaws series by M.C. Frank.

Review:
Robin is now an outlaw with a small group of followers: John, the big warrior, Tuck, the excommunicated monk, Will, the brother of his heart, and Alis, the lady who learned to fight to survive. The group has rallied around Robin even though he is still trying to figure out how to lead and what to do. His friends have aliases to protect their true identities when in the villages. Now they are toying with giving Robin his own alias.

Each of the characters apparently has a sad history that has landed them together. This novella focuses on Robin’s history through flash-backs to some of the heart-breaking traumas in his past. This occurs while the group faces a bleak Christmas Eve. They are aware that the Sheriff’s men have raided the surrounding villages taking a toll in not only taxes but holiday feasts. Are Robin and his friends willing to risk their lives to retake the bounty and return it to the people?

I enjoy retellings and found this to be a quick, engaging read. I enjoyed the extra development of the characters as well as the action scenes. While staying consistent with the legend that we know, the author provides intrigue and humor in arriving at the famous name. I recommend this to readers who enjoy retellings.

Source: Author pdf March 2020. This qualifies for 2020 Author goal.

#NetGalley Book Review: The Girl in Red by Christina Henry

This is realistic post apocalyptic.

The Girl in Red
by Christina Henry

File Size: 1626 KB
Print Length: 302 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1785659774
Publisher: Berkley (June 18, 2019)
ASIN: B07KNRN1VL
Genre: Fairy Tale Retelling, Post-Apocalyptic, Sci Fi
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

From the national bestselling author of Alice comes a postapocalyptic take on the perennial classic "Little Red Riding Hood"...about a woman who isn't as defenseless as she seems.
It's not safe for anyone alone in the woods. There are predators that come out at night: critters and coyotes, snakes and wolves. But the woman in the red jacket has no choice. Not since the Crisis came, decimated the population, and sent those who survived fleeing into quarantine camps that serve as breeding grounds for death, destruction, and disease. She is just a woman trying not to get killed in a world that doesn't look anything like the one she grew up in, the one that was perfectly sane and normal and boring until three months ago.
There are worse threats in the woods than the things that stalk their prey at night. Sometimes, there are men. Men with dark desires, weak wills, and evil intents. Men in uniform with classified information, deadly secrets, and unforgiving orders. And sometimes, just sometimes, there's something worse than all of the horrible people and vicious beasts combined.
Red doesn't like to think of herself as a killer, but she isn't about to let herself get eaten up just because she is a woman alone in the woods....

Review:
Red is a young woman who survived the ‘Crisis’. A terrible coughing virus has destroyed society as it used to be. Red had hoped that her family – parents and brother - could get to her grandmother’s house. But now she is on her own in a red jacket trying to avoid the predators, the marauders and the government (maybe?) troops.

Red is pragmatic and knows to scavenge for items needed to survive. That includes blankets for warmth, canned goods for food and an axe for protection. Red is determined but she will face terrible odds, not just in lawless people but in a deadly monster that she would never have believed in if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes.

I initially thought this might be a fairy tale retelling, but the similarities are limited. After all, in this story the wolves may have to be afraid of Little Red. I choose not to describe more of the details to avoid spoilers. I liked that this post-apocalyptic tale has a lot of realistic elements. The author also deals nicely with several timely issues like racism and sexual orientation. Red is a wonderful character of intelligence and strength in a desperate situation. The ending leaves some questions, but the story is really about a frightening journey which shares sorrow and hope. I recommend this to fans of the post-apocalyptic genre.

Source: 2019 NetGalley. This qualifies for 2019NetGalley goal.

Audible Book Review: Curiouser and Curiouser: Steampunk Alice in Wonderland by Melanie Karsak

I liked the “Alice” references in this fun steampunk retelling.
Curiouser and Curiouser: Steampunk Alice in Wonderland
Steampunk Fairy Tales
By: Melanie Karsak
Narrated by: Lesley Parkin

Length: 5 hrs and 24 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 09-13-17
Language: English
Publisher: Clockpunk Press
Genre: Fairy Tale Retelling, Sci Fi, Steampunk
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.25.

Publisher's Summary
To save the Hatter, Alice must work with the one man she despises so much that she might still love him.
Alice thought she'd turned over a new leaf. No more working for Jabberwocky. No more making deals with the ruthless Queen of Hearts. No more hanging around The Mushroom with tinkers, tarts, scoundrels, and thieves in London's criminal underbelly. But she'd been bonkers to dream.
Hatter's reckless behavior leads Alice back to the one person she never wanted to see again, Caterpillar. Pulled into Caterpillar's mad schemes, Alice must steal a very big diamond from a very royal lady. The heist is no problem for this Bandersnatch. But protecting her heart from the man she once loved? Impossible.
Sometimes love is mad.
©2017 Clockpunk Press (P)2017 Clockpunk Press

Review:
Alice and her sweet sister were orphans struggling in a London workhouse when they were ‘rescued’ by Jabberwocky. He took them to his wealthy home where Bess cares for his elderly mother and he gave Alice, aka Bandersnatch, tasks that used her nimble fingers. Alice wasn’t thrilled with the work but she would do what she had to in order to care for her frail sister.

Another child who came to work for Jabberwocky was William aka Caterpillar. Alice and William work many jobs together and eventually something goes wrong. Alice and William were to take over the ‘business’ when Jabberwocky dies. Even though it means leaving William behind, Alice takes the chance to walk away from the life of crime.

Alice and Bess are living simply while Alice works in an honest position for a Lord. Bess is being wooed by the Mad Hatter, Henry, but Henry has a serious gambling problem. His actions result in Alice being called back to help William on a dangerous heist. In addition to working with William, which threatens her heart, Alice has to face the Red Queen which threatens her life.

The story is told in present situation with alternating flashbacks to fill in the backstory. I especially enjoyed the characters and phrases recognized from Alice in Wonderland. There is even a Rabbit and a Cheshire Cat. I liked the craft of the Mad Hatter and enjoyed the steampunk elements. The story is a bit dark but balanced by fun characters and struggling romance. I plan to pick up more of the retellings by Melanie Karsak. I recommend this imaginative story to fans of fairy tale retellings and steampunk.

Audio Notes: Lesley Parkin does a nice job with the narration. She gives the characters their own voices and even captures the arrogant ugliness of the Red Queen. The narration gives good energy and enhanced the story for me.

Source: 2019 Credit Purchase. This qualifies for 2019Audiobook and Alphabet goals.