Tuck (The King Raven Trilogy)
by Stephen R. Lawhead
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Book Summary Information
Author: Stephen R. LawheadEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-02-17
ISBN: 1595540873
Number of pages: 464
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Book Reviews of Tuck (The King Raven Trilogy)
Book Review: 4 1/2 Stars . . .Needed More Bite
Summary: 4 Stars
Lawhead blends history, politics, action, and character, with mostly satisfying results. He's done this in many of his books, from "Byzantium" and "Patrick" to "The Iron Lance" and "Taliesin." With the Raven King Trilogy, he has added his own Welsh wrinkle to the traditional Robin Hood tale.
"Hood" set up the trilogy well, giving us some of Robin Hood's background, and bringing in the English politics and religious scheming that threatened the commoners of the day. "Scarlet" was a deeper character study, told from Will Scarlet's viewpoint, and highlighting his archery prowess. "Tuck" gives us more of the tale, using Friar Tuck as our stalwart storyteller.
The merry band of men is threatened early on, and they decide it's time to make a stand. To do so, they'll need to rally the locals to their side. They choose to free an imprisoned king, in hopes that he will fire up the natives for battle, and for me this was some of the most enjoyable reading in the trilogy. The manner in which Hood and his men try to free the prisoner is cleverly conceived and told--though not all goes quite as planned. Another nicely done element is the interaction between Merian and her brother Garran, particularly as her brother has joined himself in marriage to the Neufmarche household.
The story moves at a nice pace toward a showdown between the English king and Hood's men, but in some ways that showdown never unfolds. Yes, there are some good action sequences, and the sound of the arrows never seemed so real, but the story in general lacks the bite of any real danger. Maybe in wanting to deliver a satisfying conclusion, there was the temptation to make all things end well without too much lose, but this robs it of the power that many of Lawhead's other books have displayed. Who can forget some of the tragedy in "Byzantium" or "The Iron Lance," for example? And yet, it's those things that make such books stick in my mind because of the ultimate hope through that darkness.
Overall, the trilogy was a lot of fun to read, with some great twists on the original tale. I enjoyed the addition of Alan-a-Dale as the traveling minstrel who passes on the stories to his children and grandchildren, thus keeping the legend alive. I love to see authors have the courage to rewrite history, while giving it a great nod of respect. Lawhead has always been a master at that.
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