The Traitor of Sherwood Forest by Amy. S. Kaufman reframes the Robin Hood legend from the perspective of ordinary peasant girl Jane Crowe. The story opens with Jane’s lover, Bran, introducing her to the band of “merry men” in the Greenwood. From there, Jane undergoes an initiation filled with subterfuge and tricks with Robin (very on brand) to prove her trustworthy and, above all, loyal. Jane begins her work for Robin by taking employment in the kitchens at King’s Houses to serve as an agent for Robin and his men against the greedy nobles and church. It does not take long, however, for Jane to get in over her head as she gets carried away with the idealistic and romantic version of Robin Hood rather than recognize his true nature.
The opening sequence of Traitor was fast-paced and engaging, the story dragged a bit a quarter in, then picked up and kept my rapt attention until the end. Despite Jane’s involvement with Bran, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to Robin. Where Bran in safe and reliable, Robin is dangerous, exciting, and mercurial. The reader is right there along with Jane in being conflicted over knowing she should not be lusting after Robin, but very much still lusting after him. We know Robin is bad news–he’s an attention seeker, manipulative; he prizes loyalty above all which proves dangerous, he is very much an ends justify the means type of bandit and not in the romantic, idealistic, heroic naive way Jane sees him for so long. As readers we know all this, we know Jane is naive, and yet–and yet! the author is able to lead us into the trap of Robin’s charm and charisma enough for us to want to root for him and Jane. Kaufman builds a delicious tension between the two, and while Jane is naive–she isn’t stupid. A young woman, not yet wise to much, would believably put a man like Robin on a pedestal. And as many young women soon find, the men they put on pedestals inevitable show their true, darker natures that are very much misaligned with the idealized version.
I read some others reviewers found the ending to be anticlimactic. I partly agree, however it fits within this specific context. I also think there is a possibility the author might have a sequel planned because the events of Traitor seem to take place before all the legends we know.
The Traitor of Sherwood Forest will be released April 29, 2025
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