The prince of thieves returns

King’s Man
by Angus Donald
Sphere pp448
ISBN 13: 978-1847444912

Angus Donald’s series of books about the mediaeval legend Robin Hood has been gaining more and more popularity. His first two books, Outlaw (Sphere, 2009) and Holy Warrior (Sphere, 2010), present Mr Donald’s own version of Robin Hood as a sort of Godfather of Sherwood Forest. With the myth of Robin Hood having been written and rewritten for almost a millennium, any author who takes it in hand has to bring something new to the story.

The books are engaging but also unpredictable... with moral dilemmas and ruthless enemies...

Unlike previous portrayals, Mr Donald’s Robin Hood is a man who protects the poor at a price, thus instilling mystery, awe and fear. Like a Godfather, he is loyal to those within his inner circle, yet he is not one to anger. He is ruthless and will stop at nothing for his King and his loyalty and love for everyone within his circle leaves you rooting for him and his followers from the very start of the books.

In the third volume of the Robin Hood chronicles, King’s Man, Richard the Lionheart is captured, betrayed and imprisoned while on his way to England. Robin Hood and his loyal lieutenant, Alan Dale, are his only hope for salvation and we see how they risk all to see Lionheart restored to his rightful throne.

No doubt, Robin Hood is one of the world’s most famous outlaws. He is the gentleman-archer who robs from the rich and hands the loot to the poor. Dressed in Lincoln green, he is a shadowy figure who peers at us through the dense foliage of the forests, hooded, anonymous and yet extremely familiar to us. Today, hundreds of years after the first stories about him began to spread, he still exercises an excessive influence over our culture, so one is inclined to ask who this figure was and why he continues to execute such a pull on our imagination.

In King’s Man, Mr Donald tells the story through the viewpoint of one of Robin’s most loyal companions, Alan Dale, who allows us to get close and personal to all the insidious schemes and blood soaked battles in the novel. Here, Mr Donald’s character development is very effective as Dale’s narrative allows us to feel as if one actually knows him. His description of other characters in the novel is so realistic that we are able to either love them or hate them.

Throughout the novel, Dale guides us through a mediaeval world of large feasts, excessive drinking, sex, gory battles and bloodthirsty outlaws. The wilderness is Robin’s natural home. He does not live in a civilised, urban setting but is, instead, free from the constraints of society and exists outside the restraints of the law. And perhaps that is the key to his appeal in Mr Donald’s series of the infamous Robin Hood legend. Moreover, Mr Donald’s writing is fast paced and descriptive without letting one drown in it or detract the reader from the plot.

King’s Man includes carefully constructed plot twists, vivid battle scenes and, from time to time, violent dialogue. For fans of historical action and adventure this is an ideal series, told with both charm and wit and featuring strong characterisation, pace and plenty of action.

The books are engaging but also unpredictable. There are moral dilemmas, ruthless enemies and a friendship and loyalty among the protagonists that assures their advantage in battle and conflict. Although the book could have been shorter, we see how Mr Donald adds his own brand of wit to a legend where fictional characters and historical events are cleverly interwoven.

• Dr Montanaro has a PhD in British Surrealism and Psychoanalysis from the University of Edinburgh.