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|title=Hood

|author=Stephen R Lawhead

|buy=Yes

|borrow=Yes

|pages=448

|publisher=ATOM

|isbn=978-1904233718

}}

With their conquest of England complete, and the Conqueror's son, William Rufus, on the throne, the Normans are turning their eyes towards Wales, still stubbornly populated by British kings refusing to do much more than pretend to bow a knee in the direction of the hated Frankish invaders. The Welsh still regard the Anglo Saxons as foreigners. But they are few and the Normans are many and resistance is beginning to crumble. When Bran ap Brychan's father is murdered, he seeks justice at court - but it is not forthcoming. And when he returns to his land of Elfael, he finds his place usurped by an effete Norman count and his life forfeit. Bran repairs to the dark of the forest and from there he wages his own particular brand of war against the corrupt regime. He is not alone - by his side is the Raven King, creature of myth and magic.

I didn't really fall for Bran - he was a little bit too reluctant a hero for me, but as ''Hood'' is the first of a trilogy, Lawhead has the time yet to allow him to chisel his way into the reader's heart. And perhaps this is a good thing. We don't want it all straight away - and the narrative provides a satisfactory start. Enough happens and is resolved to be happy finishing the book, but there's enough going on to be able to look forward to the next one. Inevitably, a trilogy based on sketchy details such as this will be too wordy for some. ''Hood'' is a book that will appeal mostly to the genre fan - it gets a bit stodgy in the middle section if all you're looking for is a speedy narrative progression. But we myth and legend buffs don't mind that. In fact, we like it.

Roll on book two!

Slightly younger children interested in historical fantasy will love Michelle Paver's [[Chronicles of Ancient Darkness]].

{{toptentext|list=Top Ten Retellings of Myths, Legends and Fairy Tales}}

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