King Raven Trilogy

Last updated
King Raven Trilogy
King Raven (Lawhead, 2011).jpg
Omnibus collection published in 2011

Hood
Scarlet
Tuck
Author Stephen R. Lawhead
Country United States
Language English
Genre Historical Fiction
Medieval fantasy
Publisher Thomas Nelson
Published2006 - 2009
Media typePrint (Hardcover and paperback)

The King Raven Trilogy is a series of historical novels by American writer Stephen R. Lawhead, based on the Robin Hood legend. Lawhead relocates Robin Hood from Sherwood Forest in Nottingham to Wales, and sets the story in the late eleventh century, after the Battle of Hastings and to coincide with the Norman invasion of Wales and the struggles the Cymry (Welsh) people against the Normans, and the political intrigue of medieval Britain. [1] The trilogy consists of three books named Hood, Scarlet, and Tuck. The King Raven series continued his themes of reimagining popular mythology into more authentic and gritty settings, which began with his Pendragon Cycle .

Contents

Novels

Hood

Hunted like an animal by Norman invaders, Bran ap Brychan, heir to the throne of Elfael, abandoned his father's kingdom and fled to the greenwood. There, in the primeval forest of the Welsh borders, danger surrounded him, for this woodland is a living, breathing entity with mysterious powers and secrets. Bran needed to find a way to make it his own if he was to survive. Through the suffering of his pride-torn soul and the land of his ancestors being destroyed, Bran realized the dangerous paths through which his ambition was drawn and he soon succumbed to his fate.

The book was dedicated to the Schloss Mittersill Community in Austria, which he and his wife were part of for a couple of years. [2]

Scarlet

After he lost everything he owned, forester Will Scarlet embarked on a search for King Raven, whose exploits had already become legendary. After he fulfilled his quest and proved himself a skilled and loyal companion, Will joined the heroic archer and his men.

Scarlet is captured and imprisoned, however, for being a follower of the rebel, Raven. He is sentenced to death by hanging unless he delivers King Raven and his band of cohorts to Raven's enemies. That, of course, he would never do. Simultaneously, Wales is slowly falling under the control of the invading Normans and King William the Red has given his ruthless barons control of the land. In desperation, the people turn to King Raven and his men for justice and survival in the face of the ever-growing onslaught.

In 2008, Scarlet won a Christy Award in the category of Visionary Fiction.

Tuck

The story of Rhi Bran y Hud is concluded as Abbot Hugo and the Norman invaders attempted to wipe out King Raven and his flock once and for all.

Their merciless attack, the first of many to come, heralded a dark and desperate day for the realm of Elfael. Bran and his few stalwarts desperately pray and search for encouragement and reinforcement from the people in order to survive. Bran and Friar Tuck, a most unconventional priest, ride north to rally the tribes of Wales to the battle, make new friends, and powerful enemies along the way.

Tuck, the final installment of the trilogy, was released on January 22, 2009.

Publication history

Reception

The Raven King Trilogy has enjoyed a largely positive response from readers, scoring an average of 3.96 out of 5 stars by GoodReads reviewers (Hood - 3.86/5 stars, 93% of people like; Scarlet - 3.97/5 stars, 96% of people like; Tuck - 4.05/5 stars, 96% of people like), [3] [4] [5] and an average of 4.4 out of 5 stars by reviewers on Amazon.com (Hood - 4.3/5 stars; Scarlet - 4.4/5 stars; Tuck - 4.5/5 stars). [6] [7] [8]

Scarlet was particularly well-received, winning a Christy Award in 2008 in the "Visionary" category. [9]

Related Research Articles

Stephen R. Lawhead is an American writer known for his works of fantasy, science fiction, and historical fiction, particularly Celtic historical fiction. He has written over 28 novels and numerous children's and non-fiction books.

<i>The Adventures of Robin Hood</i> 1938 film by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley

The Adventures of Robin Hood is a 1938 American Technicolor epic swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and stars Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, Claude Rains, Patric Knowles, Eugene Pallette, and Alan Hale. The film is particularly noted for its Academy Award-winning score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brân the Blessed</span> Giant and king in Welsh mythology (18-70)

Brân the Blessed is a giant and king of Britain in Welsh mythology. He appears in several of the Welsh Triads, but his most significant role is in the Second Branch of the Mabinogi, Branwen ferch Llŷr. He is a son of Llŷr and Penarddun, and the brother of Brânwen, Manawydan, Nisien and Efnysien. The name "Brân" in Welsh is usually translated as crow or raven.

<i>The Adventures of Robin Hood</i> (TV series) British television series 1955–1959

The Adventures of Robin Hood is a British television series comprising 143 half-hour, black and white episodes broadcast weekly between 1955 and 1959 on ITV. It starred Richard Greene as the outlaw Robin Hood, and Alan Wheatley as his nemesis, the Sheriff of Nottingham. The show followed the legendary character Robin Hood and his band of merry men in Sherwood Forest and the surrounding vicinity. While some episodes dramatised the traditional Robin Hood tales, most were original dramas created by the show's writers and producers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy of Gisbourne</span> English folklore character from Robin Hood

Sir Guy of Gisbourne is a character from the Robin Hood legends of English folklore. He first appears in "Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne", where he is an assassin who attempts to kill Robin Hood but is killed by him. In later depictions, he has become a romantic rival to Robin Hood for Maid Marian's love.

<i>The Grey King</i> 1975 fantasy novel by Susan Cooper

The Grey King is a contemporary fantasy novel by Susan Cooper, published almost simultaneously by Chatto & Windus and Atheneum in 1975. It is the fourth of five books in her Arthurian fantasy series The Dark is Rising.

<i>Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood</i> 1922 film by Allan Dwan

Robin Hood is a 1922 silent adventure film starring Douglas Fairbanks and Wallace Beery. It was the first motion picture ever to have a Hollywood premiere, held at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre on October 18, 1922. The movie's full title, under which it was copyrighted, is Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood. It was one of the most expensive films of the 1920s, with a budget estimated at one million dollars. The film was a smash hit and generally received favorable reviews.

<i>Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood</i> 1991 video game

Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood is a graphic adventure game designed by Christy Marx and published by Sierra On-Line in 1991. It is the second and final part of the Conquests series, which begins with Conquests of Camelot: The Search for the Grail. It features VGA graphics and Sierra's standard icon-driven interface first seen in King's Quest V.

<i>Robin and Marian</i> 1976 film by Richard Lester

Robin and Marian is a 1976 romantic adventure film from Columbia Pictures, shot in Panavision and Technicolor, that was directed by Richard Lester and written by James Goldman after the legend of Robin Hood. The film stars Sean Connery as Robin Hood, Audrey Hepburn as Lady Marian, Nicol Williamson as Little John, Robert Shaw as the Sheriff of Nottingham, Richard Harris as Richard the Lionheart, and Denholm Elliott as Will Scarlet. It also features comedian Ronnie Barker in a rare film role as Friar Tuck. Robin and Marian was filmed in Zamora, as well as Artajona, Urbasa, Quinto Real and Orgi, all small medieval villages in Navarre, Spain. It marked Hepburn's return to the screen after an eight-year absence.

Angharad is a feminine given name in the Welsh language, having a long association with Welsh royalty, history and myth. It translates into English as much loved one. In Welsh mythology, Angharad Golden-Hand is the lover of Peredur in the myth cycle The Mabinogion.

<i>Robin Hood</i> (1991 British film) 1991 British film

Robin Hood is a 1991 British adventure film directed by John Irvin, executive produced by John McTiernan, and starring Patrick Bergin, Uma Thurman, Jürgen Prochnow, Jeroen Krabbé, and Edward Fox. Although originally intended for a theatrical release in the United States and South America, the film instead premiered on television, on the Fox network in those territories a month before the release of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. It was released in cinemas in several countries in Europe and elsewhere, including Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robin Hood in popular culture</span> Pop culture interpretations of Robin Hood

The folkloric hero Robin Hood has appeared many times, in many different variations, in popular modern works.

William II of England has been depicted in various cultural media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elfael</span> Welsh medieval cantref

Elfael was one of a number of Welsh cantrefi occupying the region between the River Wye and river Severn, known as Rhwng Gwy a Hafren, in the early Middle Ages. It was divided into two commotes, Is Mynydd and Uwch Mynydd, separated by the chain of hills above Aberedw. In the late medieval period, it was a marcher lordship. However, after the Laws in Wales Act 1535, it was one of the territorial units which went to make up the county of Radnorshire in 1536.

<i>The Outlaws of Sherwood</i>

The Outlaws of Sherwood is a retelling of the legend of Robin Hood by Robin McKinley. In McKinley's afterword, she says, "The retellings through the centuries have echoed concurrent preoccupations." The story includes both the traditional Robin Hood characters — Little John, Much, Friar Tuck, Marian and Alan-a-dale — and characters of McKinley's own invention. Notably, three of the most important characters are women, all of whom escape marriage to prospective spouses chosen by their fathers.

Tamera Lynn Gattis Alexander is an American author of Christian fiction, who specializes in the inspirational romance genre. She is best known for her award-winning first series, the Fountain Creek Chronicles (2006–07).

Robin Hood is a comic opera by Reginald De Koven (music), Harry B. Smith (lyrics) and Clement Scott. The story is based on the Robin Hood legend, during the reign of King Richard I. The opera was composed in Chicago, Illinois during the winter of 1888-1889.

<i>Lady of the Forest</i> Book by Jennifer Roberson

Lady of the Forest: A Novel of Sherwood is a 1992 historical fiction novel by American author Jennifer Roberson. A re-telling of the Robin Hood legend from the perspective of twelve characters associated with the legend, the story centers around English noblewoman Lady Marian FitzWalter's encounters with Lord Robert of Locksley and his scheming rival the Sheriff of Nottingham amid the backdrop of Prince John's schemes – he aims to increase his own wealth and power at the expense of post-Conquest England and his brother, King Richard.

References

  1. "Description of the book "Scarlet"". Archived from the original on 2011-06-28. Retrieved 2011-06-27.
  2. Lawhead, Stephen R. Hood . Thomas Nelson. ISBN   1595540881.
  3. "Hood (King Raven #1)". GoodReads.com. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  4. "Scarlet (King Raven #2)". GoodReads.com. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  5. "Tuck (King Raven #3)". GoodReads.com. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  6. "Hood (The Raven King, book 1)". Amazon.com. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  7. "Scarlet (The Raven King, book 2)". Amazon.com. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  8. "Tuck (The Raven King, book 3)". Amazon.com. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  9. "2001-2010 Christy Awards Winners & Finalists" (PDF). The Christy Awards. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 January 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2012.