The Blind Bowman: Wildwood Rising

Many years have passed since Robin Hood and the forest were beaten, destroyed, and left for dead. Marion has suffered a lonely existence as the Sheriff of Nottingham's wife, raising their son Rex whilst keeping the biggest secret of all. The remaining outlaws guard the one remaining piece of forest with their lives, but when another valuable discovery is made, a new war has begun. Which side will Marion take, and will she ever see Robin again?

Wildwood Rising by TK Hall is the third and final book of The Blind Bowman trilogy. Set mainly in the sheriff's castle and wastelands created by the forests' destruction, I found this book to be a different reading experience from the previous volumes. There are places in the narrative that immerse us once more in the ambience of a forest, but they are few and far between. This book is stark, harsh, and unforgiving, in all manners, but it fits the new reality for the surviving villagers and outlaws. Bleak and with no hope in sight, it sets a desolate scene. I found myself yearning for the immersive sights and smells of Sherwood, and I believe this is exactly what the author was trying to impart. The huge loss of the forest to the community and what it represented in a wider sense of freedom and nature.

The writing is, as in the previous books, lyrical and descriptive, but never dull. Several narratives run alongside one another, with different characters all playing their part, heading to a final collision course. At times I was frustrated with the climactic writing, as I needed to know the outcome, but you cannot rush a story such as this. The development of Marion's son Rex throughout the book is intriguing and heartbreaking simultaneously.

A series not for the faint-hearted, my only comment is that this book took the boundaries of reality even further, and at times reminded me of films where events would have overtaken in the time shown. The writing is beautiful and sensory, the characters solid and believable. Violence is once again at the forefront, with the sheriff and his men showing no mercy, as in previous volumes. I found this a harder read, not due to length, narrative, or inconsistency, but because I knew this was to be the end of a brilliant series and I was not sure I would like the outcome!

Highly recommended for older readers

452 pages / Reviewed by Lorraine Ansell, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 14+