Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Beneath winter's chill lies the deepest of magics -- and the struggle for a crown.

Robyn Hood has been reunited with his sister Marion and his lover Gamelyn. Together with the rest of the Sherwood outlaws, they seek to raise the Ceugant—the magical trine of the Old Religion—against the tyranny of Church and Crown. Yet their forest kingdom roils with conflict. Most of the outlaws refuse to forgive Gamelyn, recently known as Guy of Gisbourne, defrocked Templar and Robyn's fiercest enemy. Marion's welcome remains unquestioned, yet old shackles and new fears hamper her true promise.

When a lone traveller is waylaid on the road, a common occurrence quickly proves uncommon. Knight and Maiden, Archer and Men, all are conscripted to aid a Queen's—and ultimately a King's—ransom. And there are those who seek the power of Robyn Hood and his Shire Wode for their own ends.

First edition published by DSP Publications, October 2015.

Book Review

As this series has progressed, it has developed more and more of its own history and rules. The world J Tullos Hennig is building has become, at least in my mind, more of an alternate history with events and consequences all of its own. While some things like the church and the country’s political rulers are pretty similar to what we know of history, others are very different. Magic is very real here, and the spiritual lore around the Lord of the Forest plays an increasingly important role in the fight against an overbearing Catholic church and the suppression of the people via taxes and inequitable law enforcement. This third book has fascinated and impressed me even more than the first two, and I am more invested in the story than ever.

Robyn is, initially, in a good place. He has set up camp in the Wode with his “band of merry men”, his sister is back and free of the shackles of the convent, and Gamelyn has returned to him and is slowly healing from the injuries that almost killed him. But the fight against those who want to suppress them soon heats up, and Robyn more than has his hands full. He is fighting for the old ways with all he has, but it is a true uphill battle. The mystery around his link with the Lord of the Forest is still very much there, and a lot of what goes on inside Robyn happens on a spiritual level.

Gamelyn may be back in the Wode, away from the Templars and with Robyn’s men in body, but his mind is still battling the things the church taught him. And he is now a trained assassin, so he is dangerous. Nightmares plague him to the point where he finds it difficult to remember what’s real and what isn’t. He is truly torn between his perceived obligation to the church and the very real link he still shares with Robyn even after all the time they’ve been apart. When they are separated yet again, it is agony for both of them – and me! I hate that they have to go through even more suffering. But it appears that the church is not quite done with Gamelyn, and the decision he has to make about his true allegiance remains unanswered.

If you like epic fantasy where “good” and “evil” aren’t always easily defined, if you enjoy the drama of different spiritual convictions fighting for supremacy,  and if you're looking for an intense, multilayered, and fascinating read, then I can fully recommend this book and the whole series. I think it is gets better with each volume and am looking forward, as always, for the next one.

 

 

 

 

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Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novel, 737 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	22-November-2019
Price	$6.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Winterwode-Books-Wode-Book-3-ebook/dp/B081X3P9M1