Lady Thief: A Scarlet Novel (Scarlet, #2)

by A. C. Gaughen

Scarlet's true identity has been revealed, but her future is uncertain. Her forced marriage to Lord Gisbourne threatens Robin and Scarlet's love, and as the royal court descends upon Nottingham for the appointment of a new Sheriff, the people of Nottingham hope that Prince John will appoint their beloved Robin Hood. But Prince John has different plans for Nottingham that revolve around a fateful secret from Scarlet's past even she isn't yet aware of. Forced to participate at court alongside her ruthless husband, Scarlet must bide her time and act the part of a noblewoman-a worthy sacrifice if it means helping Robin's cause and a chance at a future with the man she loves. With a fresh line of intrigue and as much passion as ever, the next chapter in Scarlet's tale will have readers talking once again.

• ISBN10: 0802736149
• ISBN13: 9780802736147
• Publish Date: 11 February 2014
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 9 July 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Walker & Co
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 312
• Language: English

Reviews

[anastasia]

Full Review on my blog!

I loved it almost as much as the first, but not as much.

Lady Thief was a fast paced, emotion filled adventure that left me completely breathless. I don’t think I have ever read a sequel that was just so much more amazing than the first. And Scarlet was so amazing that it was hard to top, but this one does it.

So Scarlet and Robin are back. Only problem, is Gisbourne and this time he’s got the Prince with him. Now with the seat for sheriff of Nottingham on the line, along with the future of every one in the county, our heroes are going to have to see just how much they are willing to sacrifice.

Discovering more about Scarlet and the tension over the tournament was interesting, but when we were nearing the end something heart-shattering happened. I still can’t believe it. What a heartbreaking ending! Just when you think that these characters will catch a break and have a moment of happiness the world comes and takes it all from them.

There was action, drama, deceit, passion, love and hate and a whole bunch of other stuff and I loved it! Not to mention the huge plot twist. There was that same great writing that got me hooked with Scarlet and I can not wait to read the end of this series. I’m hoping for a happily ever after. I highly recommend it!

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[Amber]

Despite really disliking this trilogy so far, I’m quite enjoying reviewing it. It is helping me get everything off my chest. And while I’m not exactly cool, calm, and collected, it is still a lot of fun to tell everyone exactly how awful this trilogy is. I reviewed Scarlet a few days ago and I wasn’t exactly positive with that review, but my review for Lady Thief is going to be incredibly more negative because this book is a piece of crap.

A. C. Gaughen seems to have a thing for romanticised abuse. I didn’t like it in Scarlet and I absolutely despised it in this book.

Firstly, Rob is still a bit of an arsehole and is completely overbearing when it comes to Scarlet. But that’s topped by the fact that Gaughen decided it would be a cool idea to use that well known trope of “boyfriend beats girlfriend after experiencing trauma”. After Rob’s torture in the first book – which we saw very little of, by the way – he starts to have intense nightmares which result in him beating Scarlet while still half asleep, and in two instances he almost kills her. She walks around with a bloodied and beaten face, and she still goes back to stay with Rob even though she knows what will happen. I am not about this message. Not about it at all. It would be one thing if Gaughen actually addressed this and discussed about Scarlet’s safety and how important that is, and also if she actually bothered to continue this plot point up to the end of the book. But she doesn’t. She uses this vile trope in the beginning, and then it’s all forgotten about. No one addresses it later on, save for the characters who point out that Scarlet has been beatnen up. Scarlet doesn’t talk about how it’s affecting her, and we don’t get any resolution when it comes to Rob’s PTSD. We’re just meant to assume that they’re gone.

Secondly, Scarlet goes off to stay with her new husband in the castle and throughout her time there she is beaten up and tied up and just generally abused and threatened. And yet we still get Scarlet being a lovely person and starting to sympathise with these characters who abuse her, because they sometimes show a “good” side. Note how I said “good”, because I don’t think anyone who abuses people or women in this way is actually good, I think it’s a façade and I am absolutely disgusted that Gaughen thought it would be a good idea to have Scarlet think that her abusers had layers.

Like I said, the author of this trilogy seems to have a thing for abuse. I hate how abuse is depicted in this series, and I swear to god if I have anyone telling me “well, it’s historical, those things happened” I will bite their head off because no. Yes, people were abused back then. People still are. But there is no genuine reason to romanticise the abuse, and if you try to do so because it’s from the victim’s point of view then you had damn well better have them come out of it stronger and fighting their abusers. We don’t see that in Lady Thief or Scarlet at all. Yes, Scarlet gets back up and fights with her husband, but there’s still the sympathy there and nothing is done about Rob at all.

In short, I hate the trope. I hate this book. I hate the characters. And yet, I still find myself wanting to read Lion Heart because I want to see how this shitfest ends. I imagine I already know, though. I fucking hate this trilogy and I wish Scarlet had been a character from someone else’s mind, because she and Much are truly the only saving graces of this mess.

[tellemonstar]

Good. Interesting finish, will be intrigued by what happens in Lionheart.

[jnikkir]

This review can also be found at my blog, There were books involved... and is spoiler-free for Book 1, Scarlet.

-----------------------------

I'm never getting over this series. Never ever. I love it so much. Scarlet impressed me so much, but Lady Thief just solidified my obsession ummm... I mean... my completely understandable and justified preoccupation... with this series.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...


Scarlet

If "Scarlet" isn't at the top of everyone's list of reasons to love this series, I would question their sanity. I flailed a lot over her in my earlier review, so I'll try to rein it in here, but she is just as awesome in Lady Thief, if not moreso. She goes through hell in this book, but she never wallows in self-pity -- even when it would be totally understandable if she did. She also isn't one to place blame anywhere but where it belongs -- on the bad guys. I've seen plenty of heroes blame themselves for the consequences of their fighting for good, for the things the bad guys do in retaliation -- but not Scarlet. She knows who's to blame and she is fiercely set against them. And through it all, she has her sights set on her goals -- being able to be with Robin, and saving the people she cares about, along with keeping all of Nottinghamshire safe, and I just... This girl is fierce and I love her.

"You learned to use your hands to fight for you. And you learned to trust the band to be at your back. You may have even learned to let Rob save you. But you don't need a damn one of those things. Your power, your great gift, is that you never give up. When something fails you make a new plan, and another, and another. You never accept defeat. You never give up."

page 61

Scarlet/Robin (aka ROBLET)

The only way I'd understand if Scarlet wasn't someone's favorite thing about this series, is if their favorite thing is ROBLET. Because let's be honest, this is one of those OTP's that makes other ships feel small and inconsequential. There are epic feels EVERYWHERE. Rob and Scar are perfect for each other, and they fight so hard to be together, but Lady Thief throws many more obstacles in their path -- there are some awful things going on with Rob, and of course the whole Gisbourne thing (shhh, spoilers)... Plus, no matter how much they love each other and would love to run off together and escape all the awful things going on in Nottinghamshire, they have to fight for the safety of their town and people -- it's in their natures, no matter how much their happiness might be put at risk because of it. And I JUST HAVE ALL THE FEELS OKAY?

"The shadows aren't the same without you, love."

page 147

Believable Bad Guys

Gisbourne was bad enough in Scarlet, but in Lady Thief, he's on a whole other level. He, and many of the upper-class men of the royal court, had me absolutely enraged throughout the book not only because of the way they treated Scarlet, but because of their views of women in general. It was disgusting -- but the reason it was so bad was that it was so believable. Women were basically owned by their husbands during this time, and Lady Thief shows you a side of this that you'd probably rather not think about. But that just served to make me root for Scarlet and Robin and the rest of the good guys even more. The believability of Nottinghamshire's predicament made the plot absolutely gripping.

Historical Figures in Historical Fiction...

I mean... okay, it's debatable whether the legend of Robin Hood is actually historical fiction or, you know, just a legend... But still, these books are set in what I'm pretty sure is a fairly accurate historical setting, and Lady Thief brings in real historical figures. Usually, I hate it when books do this. My brain has a problem reconciling fictional characters and their interactions with real historical figures. But in Lady Thief, it worked for me. I actually really loved the way Gaughen dealt with these "characters", and I applaud her for making them feel not like stuffy historically-accurate representations, but actual people.

Feeeeeeeeeeeels!!!

Okay, this subject is rather all-encompassing, but seriously, it cannot be emphasized enough. Scarlet and Lady Thief are full of feels and they will wring out your heart and stomp on it and then attempt to put it back together only to have it wrung out again. But it's so worth it.

Part of the reason these books are so good is the fact that the characters face horrible situations, and those situations have real consequences. So many times, the good guys face near-insurmountable odds only to come out the other side unscathed. Which can be great, and uplifting, and whatever. In Lady Thief, these characters are facing terrible situations, and there is no way that they could ever come out unscathed. So they don't. Like I mentioned earlier, believability is a huge issue for me when it comes to bad guys - and it's a huge issue for me when it comes to high-stakes situations, as well. And in Lady Thief, as one should expect, actions have consequences. Even for the good guys.

 
In conclusion...

I feel like that last paragraph might have scared some of you away -- obviously that was not my intention. For me, the best books are the ones that make me feel ALL THE FEELS, and those usually turn out to be the intense ones with many soul-crushing feels along with the good.

If you haven't read these books, they need to be on the top of your TBR; not only are they so incredibly good, they're doing things that most YA I've been reading lately just doesn't do, and you need to experience them for yourself. They're unbearably gripping, and I just cannot recommend them enough.

[stefu1]

Actually one of the only sequels that was really good, I really liked it and it's drama was flawless. I was basically screaming this entire book, and I will be getting the third book when it comes out ;)

[ladygrey]

I don't know... I mean I love this world and these characters. Scarlet is so awesome and Rob is wonderful. Much is growing up to be interesting and the only reason I didn't like it is because John's not in it nearly enough. Even Gisbourne is interesting in his twisted way. These characters make this world inescapable.

But it is so dark. So much darker than I was expecting. Turmoil I expect and even approve of. But there are so few good moments in this book. And there are two, three really awful things that overshadow the whole story.

And I'm not sure what I think about that. I love it but I don't know if I can handle it so I'm kind of not sure if I like it. Except I do, I'm just not sure how to like it right now.

Though there were several sections where I wished I'd been reading it on my kindle so I could highlight them. I just wish she'd hadn't... It's like if I could just change one thing about this book, no two, than I could have handled everything else. But that one thing made all the other things so hard to bear.

But the way Rob and Scarlet love each other is really strong enough to get through such a dark story. There's a beauty to it and a sweetness but it's also powerful.

And I wanted Scarlet to be a quicker study in using her power as a noblewoman. I mean, Gaughen provided perfectly legitimate reasons why she rejected it but she's a thief and a survivor and I expected her to figure out the advantage of it and use it much better.

Don't listen to me. It's all dark and difficult but then I'll read it again and be raving about how much I love it.

Oh, sweet Lady Thief. Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Heck no. Because summer days are all nice and pretty and evoke lots of happy feelings of puppies frolicking in the summer grass. I want the puppies. This book does not have the puppies.



Loved it anyways.

Let's get this straight - this book isn't all cupcakes and roses. Things don't just conveniently appear to make the situation a little less sucky. No timely tunnel appears to give an easy way out for the characters. There is no prince charming that swoops in and saves the day. This book is real. Crappy things happen (lots of crappy things) to Scarlet and our boys and they take it in stride like the bosses they are.

Scarlet is just trying to make it in this dog-eat-dog world. She's got such a heart and is loyal to a "t". Her tenacity and fierce can-do attitude, even when she's afraid, is something to be admired. But what never ceases to amaze me is her underlying belief in hope and faith. She may not be perfect, something which she readily admits (and yet another inspiring trait), but she continues to strive to be the best she can be. She is selfless and even when incredible hardships come, she retains hope in the belief that one day, it will be better.

And Rob. Oh, how I feel for you. Rob is suffering from PTSD (something close to my heart and a reason for me studying psychology), and it's taking it's toll. He's having a hard time being the hero everyone wants/needs him to be, and it doesn't help any that his lady love can't be there to help him. And yet, though he is suffering, he never waivers in his determination to help the people of Nottingham. It is this selfless attitude and utter loyalty that makes Scarlet (and me) swoon.

John and Much are as awesome as ever. Though I wanted to punch John in the face, the choice he made was totally understandable and even incredibly admirable. Still wanted to punch him though. And Much! So adorable and wise well beyond his years and always there with a helping hand (HA! see what I did there? I'm funny.).

And the stakes are as high as ever in this sequel. This book focuses more on Scarlet in a court setting. Gisbourne is holding bait in front of her: he'll annul the marriage if she acts as his wife while the (annoyingly childish) Prince is there. Sound all kinds of sketchy to me, and Scarlet too, but she's willing to try if it means she ends up with Robin (which, believe me, we all want).

And the ending?! GAH! As soon as the "secret" was hinted at, I knew. But I didn't know for sure so I waited with baited breath. SERIOUSLY!? And then the ending? WHAT?! You can't do that!!!!! And, no offense, that was an idiotic move on Scarlet's part. What did she think would happen? Normally she's relatively smart and always has a plan, but I was definitely questioning her plan on that one.
But, I don't want to say too much more because I'll give things away but here's the rundown:

Scarlet: Knife-weilding, smart-talking girl determined to save the day.
Rob: A PTSD suffering fella who's determined to make it through anyways.
John: Big brother, big annoyance, big heart.
Much: Always there with a few wise words and a helping hand (ha! Seriously, I'm incredibly funny. Punny?).
Gisbourne: Ahhhh, I see that you try to make us feel some empathy for him Gaughen. Failed! Well, maybe not completely.
Prince John: I'd like to kick him so hard where it hurts that he'll be singing soprano for a month.
Eleanor of Aquitaine: Awesomeness. She wields people like they're part of a chess game.
Ending: SERIOUSLY!!!!!!!!! CLIFFHANGER! THE FEELS!

Overall: This book sucker punches you in the throat then gives you a big ol’ hug while saying everything is going to be okay. Hopefully.

Originally found on my blog Oh, For the Love of Books!

[ellieroth]

Reseña completa: El Extraño Gato del Cuento

No tengo idea qué me pasó con Lady Thief cuando empecé a leerlo. Con Scarlet solo me tomó un día devorarlo, me gustaría decirles que alargué la lectura de Lady Thief para disfrutarlo, pero sería mentir, me costó un montón volver conectarme con la historia.

Tiene un inicio bastante tedioso, ni siquiera le puedo echar la culpa a qué leí el primer libro hace mucho tiempo ¿Fui solo yo la que sintió que es un inicio, no quería decirlo pero no encuentro otra palabra que lo defina, aburrido? Si lo están leyendo ahora, les digo que mejora... Bueno, eso depende de como tus nervios lo tomen porque lo que Gaughen nos hace en esta segundo libro...

Seguro que lo que pensaste sobre este segundo libro es que la autora quizás nos daría un libro de relleno y puente para el tercero, un libro dónde quizás no pasaría mucho y Scarlet tendría un poco de tranquilidad ¿Verdad? Si la respuesta es sí, ay, pobre alma inocente eres. Porque... *risa maníaca* jajajajaja *risa maníaca* porque una escritora dicen tiene un poco de alma ¿verdad? JAJAJAJAJAAJAJA NOOOOOOO, KITTENS, LA SEÑORA GAUGHEN NO TIENE ALMA, Y SI LA TIENE ES HORRIBLE.

Uno como lector siempre se da a la idea de que hay personajes fijos, que a esos personajes por más en peligro que esté siempre encontrarán la forma de salir victoriosos, Hollywood nos enseñó eso ¿no? Entonces, entenderán mi completo horror cuando terminé Lady Thief, no porque haya sido un libro malo, todo lo contrario, es solo que... No me lo esperaba para nada. Hay algo que me encanta cuando leo un libro así, tan cruel, es que se me hacen mucho más reales porque no siempre vas a ganar, no siempre vendrá la salida mágica, por muy heroína, badass y tengas más vidas que un gato.

El primero me encantó, pero este segundo no llegó a llenar mis expectativas por esa mitad de libro tan lenta, donde casi no pasó nada, solo angustia, y ya cuando pasa algo fue como cuando frenas en seco, ¿te vas para adelante y tu cerebro revota dentro de tu cráneo? Sí, así fue.