The Heirs of Locksley

by Carrie Vaughn

The latest civil war in England has come and gone, King John is dead, and the nobility of England gathers to see the coronation of his son, thirteen year old King Henry III.

The new king is at the center of political rivalries and power struggles, but John of Locksley - son of the legendary Robin Hood and Lady Marian - only sees a lonely boy in need of friends. John and his sisters, Mary and Eleanor, succeed in befriending Henry, while also inadvertently uncovering a political plot, saving a man's life, and carrying out daring escapes.

• ISBN10: 1250756626
• ISBN13: 9781250756626
• Publish Date: 1 September 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 25 June 2022
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 128
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Heirs of Locksley is the second book in the Robin Hood Stories by Carrie Vaughn. Released 4th Aug 2020 by Macmillan on their Tor Forge imprint, it's 128 pages and available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a rollicking tale set 5 years after The Ghosts of Sherwood. Though it follows the same characters, it works perfectly well as a standalone adventure and there are no major plot spoilers, so the books can be read in any order. It's not clear whether the series will be ongoing; the plotting and narrative are episodic, but the books are so fun that I sincerely hope the author has more in store.

Although I'm emphatically not young (or, some would argue, an adult), these struck me as very well written YA fanfic. The pacing and narrative tension are tightly controlled and the book is short, so the writing is quite spare. The language is totally clean and apart from some antagonists' attempted violence, it's an enjoyable and uncomplicated ride.

This would make a fine choice for library (school or public) acquisition, gift, or family read together. The young Locksley siblings show grit, intelligence, resourcefulness, and loyalty, and I enjoyed the story very much. Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of The Heirs of Locksley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Robin Hood Stories by Carrie Vaughn continues in The Heirs of Locksley. This is the tale of Robin Hood and Maid Marian's children – as well as the children of several other famous characters from that fantastical tale.

King Henry III is about to be crowned king – despite his young age. He's going to need the newly made friends in order to survive what is to follow. John is the son of the famous Robin Hood and Lady Marian, and he and his sisters are about to uncover quite the adventure. All in the name of taking care of their friend, the future king, of course.

“We will hold an archery contest. A simple affair, all in fun, on the tournament grounds. Tomorrow. We will see you there.”

The Heirs of Locksley is another diverting read following the children of such beloved characters. It's been fascinating to see them grow up – to see how they would fit in a world that we all just know as history.

Mary, John, and Eleanor are simultaneously nothing and everything like I imagined they would be. Or rather, how I would have imagined them, had the thought ever occurred to me. Thankfully, the idea came to Carrie Vaughn, and thus this series was born.

I love the concept of these three children trying to introduce King Henry to a life of fun and adventure. With the natural consequences, of course, since these kids don't know the concept of starting simple.

Overall, I enjoyed every minute of this read, and wouldn't have minded seeing a bit more of it. On that note, I'm not entirely sure if this is going to stay as a duology, or if it'll become a larger series with time. Either way, I'll be curious to find out.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks