A review by kikiandarrowsfishshelf
Merry Men, by Robert Rodi
2.0
I want to really like this. I did. I should note that I ead it as separate comic issues (1-4).
The story is LGBT retelling of Robin Hood, though it does borrow from the television. There is, for instance, a Saracen (and Robin of Sherwood did it first). I love the fact that it includes bios of famous LGTB people from the Middle Ages.
But as I am reading the whole thing, I keep thinking [b:Heathen Volume 1|29606984|Heathen Volume 1 (Heathen, #1)|Natasha Alterici|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1458768066l/29606984._SY75_.jpg|49946795] does it ever so much better.
In part, this is because when women are introduced they are not used in a positive way. Scarlet makes the men jealous, and when the reader finally meets a wife of one of the men and she has a legitimate grievence, it gets lost in her desire for evil revenge. (It is also not surprising that Marian and Tuck are not used at all).
Honesty, its like Robin Hood and his Merry Men in a high school jealous fit. Which would be fine, but the important message of tolerance and acceptance is bit heavy handed, and when Scarlet gives her "be true to yourself speech," it comes across as forced and a bit, well silly considering the setting and plot of the book.
Additionally, who shots a longbow from a galloping horse?
The story is LGBT retelling of Robin Hood, though it does borrow from the television. There is, for instance, a Saracen (and Robin of Sherwood did it first). I love the fact that it includes bios of famous LGTB people from the Middle Ages.
But as I am reading the whole thing, I keep thinking [b:Heathen Volume 1|29606984|Heathen Volume 1 (Heathen, #1)|Natasha Alterici|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1458768066l/29606984._SY75_.jpg|49946795] does it ever so much better.
In part, this is because when women are introduced they are not used in a positive way. Scarlet makes the men jealous, and when the reader finally meets a wife of one of the men and she has a legitimate grievence, it gets lost in her desire for evil revenge. (It is also not surprising that Marian and Tuck are not used at all).
Honesty, its like Robin Hood and his Merry Men in a high school jealous fit. Which would be fine, but the important message of tolerance and acceptance is bit heavy handed, and when Scarlet gives her "be true to yourself speech," it comes across as forced and a bit, well silly considering the setting and plot of the book.
Additionally, who shots a longbow from a galloping horse?