Friday Fiction Fix: "Hood"

Beginning next week, posting during November will be reduced. Posts will go up on Fridays, but watch out for pop-up posts during the week, word wars, and other NaNoWriMo fun. 

The Short:

Hood

King Raven #1

By: Stephen R. Lawhead

5/5 Stars

What: A young prince finds that he is his people’s only hope of freedom—but will his brash, strongheaded ways cause him to fail?

Recommended to those who like: Fantasy, Robin Hood, Loosely Christian

The Long:

Bran ap Brychan is the reluctant prince of a piece of Welsh countryside. He wants nothing to do with the kingship or his father, but he seems to be doomed to be drawn into the conflict brewing between the Welsh lords and the invading Normans. However, when the conflict comes to a head, he’s forced to step up and become the leader he was born to be.

I remember trying to read this book a few years ago, but I didn’t finish it before the library wanted it back. (Silly libraries—wanting books returned to them). I’m not sure whether it was some maturity I’ve gained in the past few years, the gloomy weather, or the fact that I just wanted to sit down and read a book from start to finish in a couple days that compelled me to finish it this time around.

I enjoyed it, too. The weather has suddenly turned cold here in the Midwest and this was the perfect book to read. It’s relatively realistic fiction for fantasy, but it’s eerie and a bit gritty, perfect for some gloomy, rainy weather. However, that does make this book better suited for teens and older audiences.

The pace is a little slower than many books and takes several Tolkien-esque detours, so if you’re looking for a book that’s fast-paced and action-packed, I would steer you away from this one. (One detour in the middle of the book caused people on Goodreads a certain amount of consternation and star-reduction). The castle politics and larger political scene can also be a bit mind-boggling at times. This is on par with much of Lawhead’s other works, such as Taliesin, so if you’ve read those you have an idea of what to expect.

Also on par with Lawhead’s other work is the somewhat ambiguous Christian nature of the story. I’m expecting him to come out with a bit of a clearer message with the next installment, like he has in his other stories. This story planted a seed of Christian thought, but it hasn’t quite sprouted yet.

The Bottom Line: This grim fantasy story is well-suited for teens and up who are looking for a more ponderous read. 

What's your favorite fall read?

Are you NaNo'ing this year? Find me on the NaNo site under the name R. Lutz!