I was not a fan of Jennifer Roberson before this book came out.Her Tiger and Del series started well and then became to much of a men vs. women bicker-fest and I never finished the series.The Chesulyi books drove me crazy with their sloppy characterization and unsympathetic protagonists.This book however is a rare gem of history, fantsy and strong characters.Marion is a wonderfully crafted heroine her strength and intelligence is inspiring. Robin and the other male charaters are not the negative stereotypes she has written before. The descriptions of Sherwood are excellent you can truly see the places and people of this story. And this book is missing the negative men vs. women debate that turned me off of the Tiger and Del series.I enjoyed it from begining to end. This book also has a sequal which I have yet to read but it is on my list of must reads. I hope it is as enjoyable for me as this one was.