With Sherwood, Parke Godwin reshaped the familiar story of Robin Hood to create his own unique version of the centuries-old legend. Taking the popular characters of Robin and Maid Marian, Little John and Will Scatloch, Godwin spun a tale of the adventures in Sherwood Forest vastly different from other renditions of the myth. This latest volume from Parke Godwin reveals a fascinating new aspect of the Robin Hood legend - the story of his later life and exploits as defender of the English people. Robin and the King continues the magic of this fabled epic in a drama richer, more powerful, and grander in scope than Sherwood, weaving two historical men into Robin's life: the friendship of the king's son Rossel and the dangerous enmity of Ranulf of Bayeux. The tale returns again to Nottingham and Sherwood Forest, now set later in the reign of William of Normandy, who had conquered the Anglo-Saxon peoples years earlier when Robin was a mere youth. A now older Robin has remained fiercely committed to freeing his fellow countrymen from absolute rule by any king, be he English or Norman. But this long-standing rivalry between Robin and the crown is soon overshadowed by a more dangerous enemy - a foe from the outside who threatens William's entire kingdom, including the way of life of Robin's own England, a life that was largely preserved under Norman rule. This foreign threat sets in motion an explosive set of adventures as Robin engages in fierce sea battles, secret undercover operations behind enemy lines, and bloody saber skirmishes with fresh troops from the French Army. And throughout it all, whether supporting him by his side or defending their home from the royal brutes back in England, his wife, Marian, emerges as a powerful ally, united with Robin in their last heroic efforts to save their people. Robin and the King triumphs as a masterpiece of both history and legend. Employing popular myth as well as historical detail, Parke Godwin has expertly placed the sto… (more)