Shirewode

The strong second installment of Hennig’s Wode series (after Greenwode) continues to reinvent the legend of Robin Hood through a lens of religious conflict and gay romance. Left for dead in the destruction of pagan Loxley by Christian forces, Rob of Loxley has been fashioned into a tool by the old gods to bring down the Church and its adherents. Grieving for his slain sister, Marion, and lover, Christian lord’s son Gamelyn, Rob gladly takes on the role of Robyn Hode, leader of a band of outlaws who prowl the Shire Wode. Then Robyn learns that Gamelyn is alive, living now as Guy de Gisbourne, a ruthless Templar assassin fresh from the Crusades. Hired by the sheriff of Nottingham to hunt down Robyn, Guy is shocked to learn that the lover he thought dead is the outlaw he’s been hired to kill. Thick with conflict and intrigue, this retelling turns a well-known legend into a fresh, earthy tale of human passions twisted by politics and ancient powers. (Oct.)