Scarlet

Scarlet, by Stephen R. Lawhead

This book is #2 in a trilogy. For my review of #1, go here: http://megcanread.blogspot.com/2008/05/hood.html

This book does not pick up directly where Hood left off. Instead, we start up with a new character, William Scatlocke, more commonly known as Will Scarlet. Will is in prison, but we do not know why or how he came to be there. He is telling his story to a monk, who is dutifully writing everything down. Interspersed through the story, are a handful of little chapters so that the reader can have a glimpse of the world outside the prison, and be privy to things that Will, our narrator, is not privy to.

I must admit that for a good portion of the book I read dutifully. It was interesting, but not exciting. I was drawn into the story mostly because I had read the first book and felt a loyalty to the characters, a sort of duty that compelled me to follow their story. At a certain point, however, I began to realize the kind of plot the book was beginning to take. I realized just how much I knew that the other characters did not know. I read every night until my eyelids fell (some nights earlier than other nights) but when I reached near the 3/4 mark, I read all the way to the end in one sitting, regardless of whether or not I had to work the next day.

I think it is important to note the way in which Will Scarlet leaves his prison. He does not escape, but is rescued, or in some ways, one could say he was redeemed. But I can not go too deep into detail because it would ruin the suspense for you, should you decide to read it. But the tender strength and poise of the man doing the rescuing contrasted with the frailty of a man who has been in prison with a wound and a death sentence for 5 months and has several newly broken fingers is a skillfully written scene. Every so often, one can come across a movie in which one of the actors in some skillful way manages to create chemistry with his scene partner AND with you the audience despite it being a movie and not a live show. Those kinds of movies are the ones that become blockbusters. Somehow, this author has managed to create a scene in which the characters are able to create chemistry between each other and you the audience, without even being brought to life by an actor. That is the phenomenal-ness of this scene.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who doesn't believe the scene could be that good, to anyone who likes the story of Robin Hood but is getting tired of it being done in the same way all the time, and to anyone who likes Medieval fiction.