Scarlet (Scarlet, #1)

by A. C. Gaughen

The people of Nottinghamshire know Will Scarlet as Robin Hood shadow, a slip of a boy who throws daggers with deadly accuracy and is an accomplished thief with an unerring eye for treasure. A select few know Will was recruited by Robin two years earlier, but no one really knows who the real Scarlet is except Gisbourne, the ruthless thief-taker just hired by the sheriff to capture Robin and his band.

• ISBN10: 0802734243
• ISBN13: 9780802734242
• Publish Date: 26 February 2013 (first published 14 February 2012)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 20 April 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Walker & Co
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 292
• Language: English

Reviews

[celinenyx]

There are countless movie and book adaptions of the Robin Hood myth, and now we got another: Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen. In this one Will Scarlet is actually a girl. Only her band mates and a few select people know the truth; that she's just Scarlet.

Of course, the evil sheriff is after the poor people of Nottingham. But things get even more complicated when thief-taker Gisbourne enters the scene, someone from Scarlet's past that she would rather forget.

I am an utter Robin Hood newbie. Seriously, the only thing about the myth that I know is that he was a guy that stole from the rich and gave to the poor, and that he had some friends that helped him steal stuff. So I got into Scarlet with no expectations other than it being an engaging read. I was very satisfied with how the novel turned out to be.

I have no idea if this book will also satisfy the hard-core Robin Hood fans of the world. The story wasn't that very strong plot-wise. It's pretty straight-forward with barely any twists you don't see coming. It was entertaining enough; there was a little mystery about Scarlet's past that was interesting and wasn't revealed until the end of the novel.

The main way of creating tension wasn't the plot but the characters. From the legendary Robin Hood "Rob" himself to the one-handed Much, and not to forget Little John. I loved them all, and how they stick together as a band. As any group of people that spend a lot of time together they bicker and banter but their camaraderie was heart-warming. I also enjoyed seeing the damaged but brave Scarlet between the guys, who don't know whether to protect her or treat her as any other.

Romance is a big part of Scarlet. At first I wasn't so sure if I liked it the way it was going. Throughout the story I started to love all the characters, and about halfway I was hooked. Love is a strange concept for Scarlet, and it shows through the awkward moments she finds herself in. She is a rather angsty character who thinks she doesn't deserve any people caring for her. Any time something happens she can't deal with, she runs. Deep down, she's a great person, and I loved her through all of her flaws.

Lastly, I would like to make a note on the writing itself. It's narrated first person through Scarlet's eyes, which helps to portray her feelings. This also means that the whole book is narrated with Scarlet's voice, who likes to refer to faces as "mugs" and to throats as "pipes" and other not so sophisticated epithets. It's slightly hard to get into at first, but it has a certain charm to it. I wouldn't want it any other way.

I think Scarlet is a great adaptation of the classic Robin Hood tale, and one that will be enjoyed by older teens and adults alike.

[Suz @ Bookish Revelations]

Scarlet is an amazingly well written, action packed, captivating debut novel from author, A.C. Gaughen. It's a cleverly written modernized spin on a beloved classic legend handed down for centuries. Sometimes dark and gritty, yet full of so much hope and compassion Scarlet will leave readers breathless with anticipation. It's chalked full of wonder and love and redemption and the social injustices of what's right and wrong. Gaughen puts readers right into the story with her beautiful scenery and brilliant descritptions.

The character development is magnificent. Scarlet is an incredibly fearless young herione that readers will fall in love with. She's strong, loyal and determined, but also comes with a mysterious past filled with secrets of her own. In this classic modern day re-telling of a fairytale classic, she is simply a breath of fresh air. She's agile and quick-witted as she helps the people of Nottingham out-manuver their corrupt sheriff. There's a bit of an edge to this darker re-telling than most, that poses the question of whether Robin Hood's sidekick was actually a girl, instead of a quick-witted male. History books have nothing on this wonderful re-telling of a classic legend.

One of the things that I enjoyed immensely regarding this novel, is how Scarlet focused on the task of helping the people of Nottingham, more than she did the feelings of affection brewing from both Robin and John. Gaughen showed great care in keeping to the history of the legend, but also giving her own personal spin which makes even more fascinating, as well. This time, love and the affections of a potential significant other didn't seem to get in the way of the main goal of the protagonist. Scarlet has a moral conscience all her own and she deals with guilty feelings and battles with doubts of ever being redeemed. This is where some of the darkness seems to filter in and cover the light.

Wildly gripping, Scarlet is full of so much daring action and adventure, pocketfulls of hidden secrets, and underlying hints of budding romance that is enough to fulfill any reader. The story that Gaughen sets out to tell, entails beautiful imagery and heart-pounding heroism that is incredibly thrilling. It is a lively tale that is filled with dark and alluring characters, social injustices that come in more forms than one, and and wonderfully developed characters hidden conflicts of their own and intriguing depth. Fans of wonderful fairytale re-tellings such as the seven dancing princesses, Snow White, or the beautiful writing style of Jessica Day George, Heather Dixon, or Wendy Delsol will absolutely fall in love with A.C. Gaughen's debut, Scarlet.

Everybody's heard the story of Robin Hood. Steals from the rich, gives to the poor. Its been done many, many times with slightly different takes. However, its never been told like this before. You know that guy Will Scarlet? Yeah, well "he" happens to be a "she" which makes for a pretty freakin awesome story!


Characters really make the story for me and these characters were amazing. They're all loyal, honorable and noble and would do anything for each other.


Scarlet is one kick-butt girl...literally. I would be absolutely terrified if I ever made her angry. She's a rough and tough girl a la Alanna from Tamora Pierce's Tortall Series and I absolutely loved her. I loved her independence, determination and spirit. Scarlet is living in a time when all women were good for was birthin babies and this is NOT what she wants. Therefore, she feels the need to prove herself and doesn't want to show her girl side because she thinks the men won't take her seriously.


Although I loved her determination to prove herself, these were sometimes the instances that she bugged me. She didn't realize that the band liked her for who she was, woman or not. The band was a brotherhood that would do anything for each other, Scarlet included. However, she always tries to put on a face and prove herself and her independence, when deep down, she really cares about the band and is very honorable and incredibly loyal. I would want her to have my back any day. But she's a girl with secrets...big secrets. These secrets actually make her who she is today. I can't say to much without giving stuff away, but her past truly was heart-breaking and I felt all the emotions right along with her.


Robin....*swoon*. This guy is hot by default. He's honorable, loyal, caring, and did I mention HOT? Robin is the leader of the group, but not the dictator. He listens to others in his group and they all come up with plans together. However, perhaps one of his most honorable aspects is that he sees the good in people, especially Scarlet. Rob just wants to show her how good she is, even when she can't see it herself (which is quite often).


The band was a brotherhood that would do anything for each other which is extremely honorable (yeah, I know I've used that word a hundred times, but whatever works, right?). They've all seen death and destruction in their lives, they've even done it themselves, and they do what they do to atone for what they've done.


And Gisbourne?! This guy is CRAZY! I'm not even sure what words I can use to describe him. Cruel? Vile? Just plain freakin crazy? Like seriously dude? Your gonna go through all that trouble for that reason? I know your pride was hurt but come on!! (Read the book to find out what I'm talking bout :P)

Warning now: the writing is kind of weird. As in, its not proper English. But what do you expect? They're thieves! So personally, it didn't bother me. It became second nature after a while and added to the story to make it more authentic.

I absolutely love Gaughen's interesting new take on an old tale. It was creative and brilliant. Her version of this story made me fall even more in love with the tale of Robin Hood. While definitely staying true to the heart of the story, she gave it her own dash of spice. It was both beautifully romantic and action packed at the same time. She made my emotions run high right along with the characters, which is something I truly treasure in a book.


This book is filled with action, romance, secrets, and kick-butt but loyal and honorable characters that are all special in their own way. Not to mention a pretty crazy bad villain. This book takes an old tale and gives it a new twist that makes it even better than the original in my book. Fans of the old tale, historical fiction, and tough female characters will truly enjoy this, though I'll recommend it to anyone that will listen :)


P.S. I LOVE that cover!

Review originally posted on Oh, For the love of Books!