Scarlet by Stephen R. Lawhead Published by: Thomas Nelson Publishers (2007) 443 pages Rating: 10/10 Buy it Now:    Also by Stephen R. Lawhead: City of Dreams Patrick, Son of Ireland The Endless Knot Hood

It's hard for me to give a fair review to Stephen Lawhead. I'll admit it. I'm automatically inclined to slap a "10" on every book he writes and just provide the links to buy them. Why is that? Because Lawhead satisfies my reader heart in so many ways. He tells such excellent stories, but it's more than that. It's also the way he tells those stories. It's literary in a way that few other writers seem to reach. It's amazing in more ways than one.

As an aside, it's worth noting that with the release of this, the second book in the King Raven trilogy, Thomas Nelson Publishers has released beautiful new editions of Lawhead's earliest fantasy series, The Dragon King Trilogy. While the writing in those three is clearly Lawhead just beginning to learn his trade, they're still great books, especially for younger readers. Definitely worth picking up if you don't already own them! (And since they re-released The Song of Albion with the last book, it makes me wonder which of his books will likely get re-released with the third book of this current trilogy!)

Scarlet is a continuation of the King Raven trilogy, which is a retelling of the legends of Robin Hood set within a Welsh context (see Lawhead's notes in the first book to understand that!). In many ways, it's like reading a wonderful story and then occasionally discovering that you know some of the people that are within it (oh, hey! That's Little John!). Will Scarlet, the title character, was one of the prominent members of Robin Hood's band in many early tales. And so he becomes here.

Driven from his home and losing everything to the diabolical "Forest Law," Will sets out to find and join King Raven (Hood) and his men. Finding them is one thing; however, proving himself to them is quite another. And as time passes, Will finds himself drawn further and further into plots that neither he nor even King Raven himself understand. The world is changing around them, and this band of outlaws suddenly find themselves in possession of an item that could sway the balance of power in a way they can't quite grasp.

Much of the tale is told from Will's point of view as he narrates the story to a young monk. Will is in prison, awaiting the hangman's noose, but his enemies hope that his wagging tongue will give away his friend, the Hood. At the same time, there are occasional chapters inserted within the narrative that switch to third-person omniscient, which is unusual for Lawhead. In fact, those chapters occasionally feel a bit off, with one or two sudden point-of-view changes that are also odd for Lawhead. I see the necessity of these other chapters, however. World events were taking place that were unknown to Will or the rest of the outlaws. The competitions between Kings and Popes (yes, there was more than one at this stage) are outside Will's realm of knowledge, but vital to understanding where the story ends up.

Alas, Lawhead informs us in the end that due to an illness, publication of the third and final book, Tuck, will be delayed until 2009. Fortunately, he's given us something really intriguing to re-read a time or two until then. Highly Recommended.