Rogues & Kings
(Tales of Robin Hood)
By Charlene Newcomb
Deadly secrets. Hidden identities. A true enemy.
Silence is the only shield.
The year is 1216 and civil war rages in England. King John ravages the countryside against rebellious barons and a French invasion. Unbeknownst to him, his newest squire, Richard, is in fact the son of a man the king would hang without a second thought. A man the common folk call Robin Hood.
For years, Robin has lived as a knight in exile. But when his son is ensnared in the treachery of the royal court, Robin is forced out of the shadows, aided by his outlaw friends in the Hood.
There is no question for Richard where his loyalties lie but it’s more than his own life at risk. He has the trust of a dangerous king. Can he serve the Hood better from within John’s inner circle, or will schemes against the crown unravel?
Rob from the rich, give to the poor takes on a whole new meaning.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Oh look, another Robin Hood book (in which Sherwood Forest is largely abandoned in favour of King John’s court, proving that politics is actually more dangerous than banditry)
Rogues & Kings is a sweeping tale of courage and betrayal in a kingdom on the edge of ruin, of a boy coming of age in the midst of war, and of legends being born.
I went into Rogues and Kings expecting a fairly traditional Robin Hood story. You know the sort: Sherwood Forest, clever ambushes, arrows flying through the air, and the Sheriff of Nottingham having a very bad day.
Reader, the book promptly marched me straight into King John’s court instead.
And it turns out the royal court is significantly more dangerous than the forest, largely because everyone is wearing silk, smiling politely, and plotting something.
Most of the story follows Richard, a young squire trying to survive life among the king’s household. Unfortunately for him, being a squire involves a lot of training, a lot of watching your back, and a lot of dealing with other squires who are absolutely convinced they are destined for greatness.
Godfrey, for example, has clearly decided he is already halfway to legendary knighthood and is simply waiting for the paperwork to catch up. His main hobby seems to be reminding everyone else how much better he is than them. It’s the kind of confidence that makes you suspect gravity may eventually intervene.
Richard, meanwhile, is trying to prove himself in a court where reputation matters almost as much as skill. Which would already be complicated enough if not for one small problem.
He is pretending to be Richard le Grand, son of Sir John le Grand.
Sir John le Grand being, of course, Little John.
This arrangement exists for a very sensible reason: Richard’s real father is Robin Hood, and if King John were to discover that little detail the reaction would be… energetic. The sort of energetic that involves guards, shouting, and Richard very suddenly reconsidering his career choices.
Robin himself would actually prefer his son to be absolutely nowhere near the royal court. Richard, however, has decided that since he is already there he might as well make himself useful and spy for the Hood. Parents everywhere will recognise this moment — that magical stage where your child is absolutely convinced they know everything. Give it a few years and by twenty-one they’ll be even more certain… while you quietly wonder how you raised someone who now explains the world back to you.
Meanwhile Robin moves quietly around the edges of the story in disguise, appearing where he’s needed and disappearing again before anyone inconvenient recognises him. It’s a slightly older, more cautious Robin than the carefree outlaw of ballads — though he’s still surrounded by people who are very good at causing trouble.
Particularly Allan.
Allan clearly believes that if one is going to use a disguise, one should commit fully to the performance.This philosophy eventually results in him appearing as a bishop, which is already an ambitious life choice before you remember he is technically an outlaw, and a known one for that.
Allan throws himself into the role of Bishop Allan with impressive confidence — which is slightly worrying when people begin expecting the bishop to perform actual bishop-type duties, like giving the last rites. He’s very much one of those characters whose friends take one look at him and think, oh no… what is he up to now?
What I enjoyed most about the book is the constant tension of the setting. Court life means alliances, rivalries, and a great many people trying to work out who they can trust. Richard is trying to prove himself as a squire, avoid Godfrey’s ego, and quietly gather information — all while hoping nobody asks awkward questions about his family.
Because pretending to be the son of a respectable knight is manageable.
Pretending you are not the son of Robin Hood while serving King John is a slightly more delicate operation.
It makes for a story that mixes court intrigue, rivalry, and the occasional piece of extremely creative problem solving. And it’s great fun watching the pieces slowly move toward the moment when someone inevitably notices something is not quite right.
Squires, spies, disguises, court politics, and at least one extremely committed bishop impersonation — what can I say? I had a great time with this one.
***
This book is a fabulous frolic and is a brilliant new take on an old legend. This book is available on Amazon. And get this, it is free to read with #KindleUnlimited subscription.
Charlene Newcomb
Her award-winning Battle Scars trilogy is set in the 12th century during the reign of Richard the Lionheart. Her writing roots are in the Star Wars Expanded Universe (aka Legends) where she published 10 short stories in the Star Wars Adventure Journal, and published the original novel Echoes of the Storm.
Char returned to medieval times with Rogue and her latest novel Rogues & Kings, both in her Tales of Robin Hood series.
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