When the Shackley House falls, Will flees for his life and arrives, injured and lost, deep in Sherwood Forest. Long since the hideout of unscrupulous highway men and thieves, it appears there won’t be anything to stop doom from falling on Will’s head. Except that among the band who find him, The Merry Men, there’s a thief named Much who senses something about Will and against his better judgement, decides to speak up for him. Keeping his identity a secret, Will promises the Merry Men a chance at the treasure that’s rumored to lie inside Shackely Castle, hoping they can help him get back inside so that he can avenge his uncle’s murder. Will soon discovers, however, that he’s not the only one keeping secrets and that revenge isn’t easy, especially when the lines between right and wrong and friend and foe blur together.
Will in Scarlet, Matthew Cody’s exploration of the origins of the Robin Hood legend is a delightful romp through Medieval England. Cody artfully crafts a castle, forest, and village that come vividly to life when populated by his engaging, well-rounded, and likable band of characters, from Will and Much, who take turns narrating the story, to the rest of the Merry Men, villains, and other assorted folks we meet along the way. The pacing is quick, the danger is palpable, and above all the authenticity is entirely engaging. As he journeys from a spoiled gentry child to a mature, fair-minded young man, the life lessons Will learns (“we all of us were once something different than we are now… We’ve all got pasts… it’s what you are now that counts. And what you do.” [241] “Aren’t we all a little lost, Will? But isn’t that why we’re all together?” [245]) speak volumes in word and deed, both on and off, the page.
- Posted by Cori