Debbie Viguié and James R. Tuck's Mark of the Black Arrow will be published by Titan Books in August 2015.
Information about the authors:
Debbie Viguié is co-author of the New York Times bestselling “Wicked” series, the “Wolf Springs Chronicles”, and the “Crusade” books, all written with Nancy Holder.
Click here to visit Debbie Viguié's official website.
James R. Tuck is a professional tattoo artist and author of the Deacon Chalk, occult bounty hunter series of dark urban fantasy novels published by Kensington.
Click here to visit James R. Tuck's official website.
Information about Mark of the Black Arrow:
OF CONJURINGS AND KINGS
A vast darkness is spreading. If left unchecked, it will engulf the world, and so Richard the Lionheart must depart England on a holy mission. In his absence, the safety of the realm is entrusted to his brother, Prince John.
When the king departs, black sorcery begins to grip the land, threatening noble and peasant alike. Horrific creatures stalk the forests, yet the violence they commit pales when compared to the atrocities of men. A handful of rebels fight back, but are doomed to fail unless they can find a hero to lead them.
A REVIEW OF DEBBIE VIGUIÉ AND JAMES R. TUCK'S MARK OF THE BLACK ARROW
Have you ever thought of what it would be like to read a slightly different kind of an adventure story about Robin Hood in which Robin Hood fights against supernatural evil? If you have, now you'll have a chance to read that kind of a story, because Debbie Viguié and James R. Tuck give a fresh twist to the legend of Robin Hood by writing about supernatural evil that threatens to engulf the world.
Mark of the Black Arrow is the first part of Robin Hood: Demon's Bane series and will be followed by The Two Torcs (August 2016) and Sovereign's War (August 2017). It's a successful and well written retelling of the legend of Robin Hood with dark fantasy elements.
Mark of the Black Arrow was a nice surprise for me and I was impressed by its entertainment values. I thought that it would be almost impossible to write new and fresh adventure novels about Robin Hood and his men, but I was wrong, because this novel is proof of the fact that there still seems to be quite a lot to write about this legendary and well-known hero and his deeds. The authors have created a fast-paced story that brings thrilling darkness and freshness to the old legend of the hooded hero, but stays true to its roots.
Here's information about the story:
- In the prologue, Finna is trying to escape to Sherwood. She knows that there are creatures in the forest that would help her, because old magic hasn't disappeared from the world. Before she reaches the forest, she is caught and sentenced to burn as a witch. Before her death, she tells her lord that a great evil is coming to the land...
- After the prologue the focus shifts to Robin who is hunting food in the forest for a starving family. He meets his cousin, Will, who has been asked to bring him to the king's feast. In the castle, Marian is getting ready for the feast and wonders why the feast will be held.
- During the feast Robert of Lionheart announces that he will be travelling to Jerusalem on a holy mission to free the city of the darkness that is threatening to overtake it. He entrusts his brother, John, to care for the land and watch the throne.
- At the same time, dark rituals are performed by men who want to take control of the land. When Robert departs England and John becomes the acting king, supernatural evil begins to take hold of the land...
This is the beginning of one of the most entertaining fantasy adventure novels of the year.
The authors have managed to weave an interesting and gripping story, because they focus on what happens among different people and how their lives change when Prince John and his Sheriff begin to spread evil around them. Reading about the monks, Marian, Will, Robin, Prince John, the Sheriff and other characters is interesting, because their lives and fates are connected to each other.
Characterisation works well in this novel, because the main characters are interesting and the minor characters add depth and fascination to the story. It was fascinating to read about what the characters were like and what they did, because the authors revealed intriguing things about them and their family relationships.
Robin is a fascinating and well-created protagonist. The authors reveal how he becomes the man he is and how he interacts with his family and other people. He is being described as a man who doesn't respond well to being told what to do and can be stubborn. He has strong opinions about many things and he dares to do things that others wouldn't do. He also may say what's on his mind unless he can control himself. He's a man who has to mature and take responsibility for his own actions and for the actions of those who follow him, because it's his destiny to become a hero.
Marian is an interesting character, because she has a sharp mind and she is curious about things. She lives in the castle and is concerned about the strange happenings that take place soon after the departing of King Robert. She notices all kinds of disturbing changes and tries to find out what's happening.
Will is an important character, because he's Robin's friend. He wears good clothes and takes care of his looks, but there's more to him than good looks and manners. I won't reveal what he does or what kind of person he truly is, but I'll mention that he plays an important part in the story.
One of the most intriguing minor characters is Robin's mother, Glynna, because she doesn't like her son. Her relationship with Robin is not an ordinary kind of a mother-son relationship, because she thinks that Robin is a changeling due to him being unlike any of her other children (what she saw during Robin's birth terrified her). She's interested in spells and uses them to protect her.
I enjoyed reading about Robin's respect for nature and his love for the forest. He has spent lots of time in the forest and loves it. For example, when he hunted animals, he took many things into consideration and didn't want to leave fawns without their mother.
This novel has a delicious dark fantasy flavour that is lacking from many other Robin Hood retellings. I was fascinated by the dark fantasy elements, because the authors blended historical and mythical fantasy with dark fantasy in an excellent way. The story is a fascinating combination of fantasy, myth, historical adventure, intrigue, brutality and dark happenings.
The descriptions of Sherwood Forest are beautiful and evocative. When you read about the forest and the myths related to its past and secrets, you can't help but be compelled by what you read. The authors manage to evoke a deeply mysterious atmosphere that surrounds the forest and its mysteries. I think that readers will especially enjoy reading about the forest and its secrets at the end of the story, because the authors reveal interesting things about the forest.
This novel contains harsh brutality and a few terrifying scenes in which the authors show that men can be beasts and are capable of doing brutal and vile deeds to others. Brutality and violence was intriguingly connected to Prince John and his Sheriff, because they were evil and caused suffering to other people. When they gained power, things began to change a lot all over the land and people were treated badly and killed. They were so ruthless that they used all kinds of methods to subjugate people.
Because I've always enjoyed reading the darker side of fantasy, I enjoyed reading about dark magic and sorcery. It was thrilling for me to read about how Prince John and the Sheriff used sorcery to further their own dark goals and searched for an artefact - a book with ancient Pagan origins - that was important to them.
There's a fascinatingly sinister and menacing atmosphere in this novel, because the coming of evil is handled well. The authors describe how evil poisons the land and how certain plants begin to decay and die as they react to the poison. The authors also write about how people notice changes around them and feel that something's wrong, but can't quite understand what's going on, except for a few individuals who are aware of old prophecies and know that powerful evil is coming.
I think that many readers will enjoy reading about what happens when people are pushed too far, because there are people who form a small group of rebels. The rebels begin to oppose Prince John and his cruelties. They know what they're doing is dangerous and they may end up getting killed, but they're devoted to their cause to stop the evil from spreading any further.
Although there's plenty of darkness in this novel, there's also humour which lightens the darker aspects of the story. Some of the dialogues are charmingly amusing and at times a bit sharp and stinging. The authors use humorous elements in the fashion of old adventure stories, but avoid overusing them.
I've noticed that on certain occasions storytelling in fantasy adventure novels is so entertaining that you'll find yourself temporarily transported to another place and time. That's what happens here, because when you begin to read the story, you'll find yourself immersed in it and ignore the passing of time.
The purpose of this novel is clearly to be entertaining and that's what it is. It's pure adventure entertainment from start to finish. It's an easily likeable and enjoyable novel with an emphasis on entertainment and adventure.
To be honest, it's been a while since I've read a fantasy adventure novel as gripping and entertaining as Mark of the Black Arrow. Once I had started to read this novel, I couldn't put it down until I had reached the final page, because the story hooked me. I look forward to reading The Two Torcs, which will be published in August 2016, because this novel was good entertainment (I think that readers who enjoy this novel can hardly wait to get their hands on the sequel).
There was something in this novel that slightly reminded me of Clifford Beal's historical fantasy novel, Gideon's Angel. I think that readers who have read Clifford Beal will love this story. I also think that those who are familiar with Michael J. Sullivan's Riyria novels and other similar kind of fantasy novels will enjoy reading it.
If you're interested in entertaining fantasy adventure stories that contain dark sorcery, mystery and intrigue, Debbie Viguié and James R. Tuck's Mark of the Black Arrow will most likely be of interest to you. It's a fluently written novel that will chill and thrill you in equal measure.
Good and thrilling fantasy entertainment!