Review Detail

Geared towards a Young Adult audience, NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART is a fantasy novel following the granddaughter of Robin Hood and the girl she accidentally kidnaps as they go on an adventure. Clem and Mariel are the main characters of the book. Clem is a healer and Mariel is the leader of a ragtag band of bandits.

What I Loved:
The bonds between these characters were realistic and the author gave them time to build and form. From the main characters’ burgeoning romance to the bond between Mariel and her group. There was time given to allow the characters to talk and grow closer to each other. I appreciated the time given to these characters and bonds. They were fun to interact with and hear about, they would swing from serious conversations to humorous ones and it flowed smoothly.

The worldbuilding in this book was fantastic. The author gave appropriate amounts of attention to the backstories of the characters but also to the world that they were surrounded by. Descriptions of towns and forests were given with enough details to allow the reader to visualize them but not too many that the story felt dragged down by them. A queernormative fantasy world is always a win too!

The action! When there was action on the scene, it was amazing! I really enjoyed the descriptions of the fight and action scenes. The sword fights were fun to read! I’m a sucker for a good fight scene and Lex Croucher did an amazing job writing her scenes.

I also really enjoyed the commentary that went along with this book. It’s based loosely off Robin Hood, so there’s the conversations you would expect from a book in that setting (“steal from the rich and give to the poor”). But there was also a commentary on the new turn that the Merry Men have taken under different leadership. It was fun to see the way that the group would change as times change and Robin Hood became less involved in the group.

What Left Me Wanting More:
I found that the pacing of the book was sporadic and it didn’t always work in the book’s favor. Sometimes it worked perfectly and allowed for a good buildup and execution. Other times the story seemed to drag or race. It’s not always bad, but it’s not always engaging either. Some readers will find that they really like the pacing of the book, others might find that they don’t.

Final Verdict:
NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART hit the bullseye. The characters were well-developed and their bonds with one another felt authentic, both good and bad. The action scenes were exciting and the adventure was a lot of fun to read! Descriptions of the world and actions made it feel like the reader was being pulled along for the rider too! At times the pacing could be a bit off, but otherwise the book was a fun ride.

A thrilling story with sometimes inconsistent pacing, NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART is definitely a good read for anyone who enjoyed the original Robin Hood stories. Readers will be delighted by the new take on the Merry Men and the new characters that are introduced in this book.