the outlaws of sherwood by robin mckinley

Guy of Gisbourne, a mercenary hired by the Sheriff of Nottingham, attacks her thinking that she is Robin. Marian wears a disguise and wins the contest. There is an archery contest with a prize of a golden arrow it is clearly a trap so Robin does not go. The outlaws give Sir Richard the money he needs. Robin hears that Sir Richard of the Lea, who had been kind to Robin when he was a forester, is about to lose his property due to debts. Alan and Marjorie join Robin's band, which takes in a mysterious young man called Cecil, who is later found to be a girl, and whom Will recognizes as his sister, Cecily. The outlaws get Friar Tuck to perform the marriage to Alan instead of the original groom. His beloved, Marjorie, is to wed a baron and he wants to rescue her. A young minstrel named Alan-a-dale asks for help. Will hears that his sister does not want to marry a Norman baron, but Robin refuses to help. Newcomers join the band, including the huge Little John and Will Scarlet. Unsurprisingly they rob the rich, give to the poor, and poach deer. Robin hides in Sherwood Forest and gathers a band to oppose the tyrannous Sheriff of Nottingham. Robin's friends Marian and Much convince him to become an outlaw. Without thinking, Robin returns fire and kills someone. As he leaves an archery contest, someone shoots at him and only just misses. Notably, three of the most important characters are women, all of whom escape marriage to prospective spouses chosen by their fathers. In McKinley's afterword, she says, 'The retellings through the centuries have echoed concurrent preoccupations.' The story includes both the traditional Robin Hood characters - Little John, Much, Friar Tuck, Marian and Alan-a-dale - and characters of McKinley's own invention.

The Outlaws of Sherwood is a retelling of the legend of Robin Hood by Robin McKinley.

The outlaws of sherwood by robin mckinley