Review Detail

NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART was a delightful YA fantasy that stretches the world of Robin Hood. Clemence is a healer working with the talented Rosie in a small town under the protection of the Merry Men. When the Merry Men show up to capture Rosie, Clem is surprised and offers to take her place. Though they knock her out and have her tied up, Clem soon finds herself engaged in everything this small troop has going on. Led by Mariel Hartley-Hood, the granddaughter of Robin and daughter of the current commander, they have a lot of heart and skill - so when her father is captured by the Sheriff after a terrible ambush, Mariel and her group set out to save him.

Clem finds herself not really a prisoner and helps to heal them along the way wherever she can. This game they are playing can be deadly and dangerous and not all of them will make it out alive.

What I loved: I was completely caught up in the story right from the start, and while there are some dark and very sad scenes (major character death later in the story), there is also a lot of levity, hope, and heart. I adored the characters, particularly Clem and Mariel, but also the rest of the their troop (Josey, Morgan, Kip, and Baxter). The story is told from the third person limited perspectives of Clem and sometimes Mariel, which works very well throughout.

Clem is a beacon of hope, keeping things light and positive despite the tragedy around them. She experiments with healing and seeks to help everyone - what got her into trouble in the first place. She had a terrible tragedy in the past that has given her a form of PTSD that she seeks to understand during the course of the story. Mariel also has had a complicated life with her parents using her and the Merry Men as pawns in some way. She admires her father deeply, but she is only just beginning to see him for who he is and understand what that means. She has a bit of a personal crisis and coming-of-age as she decides who she wants to be and what that means about her father (and her mother, who is mostly absent).

They have great chemistry that only grows as the story continues, despite the complications of their circumstances. Josey is a character whose book I would love to read- she seems impossibly skilled at everything and quite clever. I loved the scenes with her in them and learning about who she is along the way. The others in the group were equally as endearing, teens caught in something bigger but still being true to themselves and their deep friendships/found family.

Themes around power, right/wrong and defining morality, complicated family, grief/loss, love, and change were all really strong throughout. I found this to be quite endearing, entertaining, and emotional, and I loved the journey - I would definitely want to read more from this world and characters.

Final verdict: NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART is a consuming YA fantasy with plenty of humor, heart, and fantastic characters. Highly recommend picking this one up!