A-
Title: What a Scoundrel Wants
Author: Carrie Lofty
Publication Info: Zebra Kensington December 2008
ISBN: 1420104756
Genre: Historical: European
In order to get this review going, I have to get one thing out of the way:
“Fuck me, he cleared it!”
Ok, then.
The buzz is a-building about Carrie Lofty’s What a Scoundrel Wants since the buzz-o-matic Ann Aguirre launched a viral contest to spread the word about Lofty’s debut with Kensington. I read this book a few weeks ago, and I have to say, Lofty set herself for a hell of a task: she took a legend with which most people were familiar, and a setting and time period that hadn’t been visited within the romance genre in a very long while, and placed a romance among characters who are so familiar and enduringly popular that readers who pick up this book may already have a visual for the hero in mind, whether it’s Christian Slater from Prince of Thieves, source of the quote above, or Harry Lloyd from the BBC version of Robin Hood. Or maybe you hear the name “Robin Hood” and think of foxes, bears, and lions. No matter how Lofty describes Will Scarlet, her description may be overridden by the reader’s preference. Plus, how to handle the epic overshadowing potential of Robin himself? Can a secondary character in a legend that dates back to the 14th century be a hero?
Yup.
The story opens with one of the best first lines I’ve read in awhile: “Will Scarlet hated trees.”
Will Scarlet is also in deep shit. He’s about to ambush a coach traveling through the woods, and when the rush commences, he realizes that something is way rotten in that forest among the not very merry men with whom he’s fighting. Meg of Keyworth is also in deep shit. She’s blind, her sister’s been arrested (by Will – oops), and her alchemic experiments have caught the eye of many a nefarious character who seeks to take advantage of Meg, and of her blindness, and to top that, her coach was just ambushed in the woods. When Will realizes that the double crossing might be increased by an exponent of 436, and Meg realizes that she has to rely on Will whether she wants to or not (and she doesn’t, really, see above re: sister), the layering of internal and external conflict is a fourteen-foot Napoleon torte of deep shit.
Will Scarlet is tremendously enjoyable. His dialogue is sardonic and sarcastic and with each successive scene he staples on a sense of disinterest, while every now and again betraying his inner reaction to the situations he finds himself in. To wit: “Ohshitohshitohshit. Ok, play it cool.” He’d be the actor with the slightly manic eyes and the utterly still expression on his face.
Meg is curious. It would take a hell of heroine to stand up to the mythic and fictional Will Scarlet, and while she’s prickly, somewhat nuts, freaking brilliant, stubborn, not a little dangerous and fully aware of her own worth as a female (fail) alchemist (win) who is blind (fail fail fail) and has a tendency to set things ablaze (fail).
But as I said, the setting is as much a reason why this book drew me in within a few pages each time I picked it up. Lofty pushes a lot of potential buttons, from the familiarity with the legend the novel’s based on, to the sexual experience and attitude towards sex on the part of the characters, particularly Meg’s ambivalent realism. Some readers may object to the degree of assertiveness with which Meg approaches all things in her life, including and especially her own sexuality. She’s smarter than just about everyone and she knows it, and she’s terribly curious and insatiable in every sense. Her interactions (ahem) with Will are incendiary from the start, and watching them figure their way to an emotional connection through the heat of their attraction is part of the adventure of their story.
Will’s equally stubborn adherence to his own values, which are, namely, “Rule #1. Save my neck. Rule #2: see #1” add plenty of conflict as well. Further complicating the potential of the setting and the sexuality is the concept of nobility and chivalry that is all up in that time period. The subtexts of the plot contain an exploration of not only nobility and honor, which are a familiar discussion in the subtext of romance, but also the concept of chivalry – a slightly different concept that draws upon the first two. Will is inherently chivalrous, even when he’s being an utter dog, and that ingrained sense of conduct informs his decisions, and Robin’s too.
Speaking of Robin, by the time he rolls in, I was begging to see him despite dreading his arrival in the beginning, because his role – and rule – in Will’s life leads to such depths of conflict and unresolved anger that he has to show up to complete Will’s journey. I worried that he’d overshadow Will as the hero, because, well, how could he not? He’s fucking Robin Hood (adjective, not verb). And how to allow Robin to remain a hero in his own right? Can Will be the hero of his own story without removing any of Robin’s heroism? These are not easy tasks, to say the least.
The action sequences are also spectacular, and they had an almost cinematic quality to them. I could see how they’d be filmed, or how they’d play visually, which underscores the descriptive talent in narrating and blocking at work in the book. The other fun part of this novel is the adventure that makes the plot look like the end result of a game of dominos. Right turn here, wait backwards we go, double cross! No wait, over there, wait, right turn, run! There’s no predicting how the mysteries will be resolved. Neither Will nor Meg are sure who to trust, or if they can even trust each other, and even the reader is challenged to figure out the potential motivations and machinations of every character – including the protagonists – as Meg and Will puzzle through their quest.
Speaking solely for myself, I definitely read and heard and saw in my mind’s movie theatre a whole lot of Christian Slater as Will. From the sarcasm to the quick and wry wit to the rapid-fire replies and general smart assery, Slater took up residence in my brain. For me, that’s not at all a problem. But if it could be due to the fact that I’ve rocked a crush on him since Pump Up the Volume and much preferred looking at him versus at Kevin Costner in Prince of Thieves. I couldn’t possibly predict how another reader may interpret or experience celebrity interference but it makes me wonder how that would affect a reader’s experience, particularly since, even though Lofty’s skillz with dialogue are fab and the banter is fantastic – even when Meg and Will are fighting, it’s fun to eavesdrop on them – I definitely had a preference for Will. Meg often irritated the crap out of me – she is not your typical limp washcloth easily likable heroine.
However, in creating a heroine who is singular, irritating, prickly, brave, strong and brilliant, Lofty did something that I as a reader always appreciate: she wrote an intelligent romance, and she treats the reader as if the reader is intelligent as well. I always enjoy and respect that.
So in setting herself up with an enormous challenge to scale, from using a medieval legend and a well-known and frequently-portrayed character as the hero for a romance to developing a heroine who is his equal and allowing readers to both invoke their own impressions of Will Scarlet and enjoy the author’s liberties with the character, Lofty gave herself a mighty tall obstacle to cross.
Fuck me. She cleared it.
Interested in a copy of the book? I’ve got five – so leave a comment and, in poetic form of your choosing, express your love for all things Robin Hood, Will Scarlet, and Sherwood. Emphasis on wood.
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Deep within Sherwoods breast (heh heh)
Will Scarlet was taking his rest
Along came a coach
the ladys virtue he did poach
As a theif he’s among the best
“Fuck me, he cleared it!â€
Now I want to watch my copy of Prince of Thieves.
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Robins is too
Because Marian prefers the much hotter Guy of Gisbourne*
*Obviously I am expressing my love for the BBC’s Robin Hood and completely ignoring the end of season 2. Also, clearly, I fail at rhyming.
Historical romance is iffy,
but this one I’ll read in a jiffy.
Cuz the Bitches I trust,
This read is a must,
Since Sarah said so, it’s spiffy! (do I get alliteration points?)
or, even more execrable:
My wood is too big for your forest, Will did say,
Shaking his head with dismay.
Meg gave her head a toss,
Said, bring out the Burma Sauce,
Where there’s a Will, there’s a way!
ROFLOL! Thanking you kindly for the collab. I kept coming up with things that ended in ‘man cheeze,’ which didn’t seem right somehow…
.
There once was a Will from the forest,
He thieved and he stole from the richest.
One day he got groped,
With a blind girl eloped,
And now he has behbehs in earnest!
Okay, I had to stop reading this review halfway through as the book is on its way to me as I write. I got the notice of shipment from Amazon a couple of days ago and fully expect it in my mailbox today.
A big congrats to Carrie on her debut and on the excellent marketing campaign.
I’m in your guilded
treasurebox
saving your life, unh
Make me Marian?
And if so, can I then age
Like Audrey Hepburn?
I’d also like to share a song called Lonesome Robin that I first heard when Garrison Keillor sang it on the Rubarb Tour’s stop at the Indiana State Fair last August:
Roflmao! My fav!
“Fuck me, he cleared it”
Was totally an ad-lib.
God, I love Christian.
Sounds fantastic—I’m a sucker for explorations of secondary characters in popular fairy tales or classic stories.
Will was something of a tool
in fact some would say a fool
he got in a bind and shit he did find
so he channeled Fonzi and said
“play it cool”
or
Middle aged women
who are shaped like a tater
sure get hot when you
mention Chris Slater!
My spamword is “head32”:
No relation to Sherwood, ‘tis true;
But the cookbook on sperm,
Though it makes us all squirm,
Could use some of head32’s goo.
Terrible, I know, but I want a shot at this book! Sarah F.‘s Blake parody wins hands down, though.
I’m not poetic. I just want to read this book. Right. Now.
Thanks for the review!
Robin Hood? Romance Novels? Christian SLater!? I’m so excited I’m speaking in Iambic Pentameter!!
I always have loved outlaws since a child
And Robin Hood does set my heart aflame
And when I say heart I do mean, well it isn’t mild
But yaknow, oulaws, how can I be blamed?
Before I finished your review I had
Already checked my library’s site
But Lofty’s book was absent, I’m so sad!
To win it in a contest would make my night.
A romance about Will Scarlet and the wood
Sherwood of course, its men and trees
Would thrill me on more levels than it should
And make writing sonnets a total breeze.
So does ambition win me a contest?
To win this book I’ve surely tried my best.
Oh, God yes! Love him, love the show and Ray Winstone is a *brilliant* Will Scarlet.
But I also have a sneaking love for Kevin and Christian in Prince of Thieves, rip-off of RoS though it was. And I loved that line by Christian, always very funny, especially with the little chuckle after it. Except I’ve never heard him say “Fuck me!”. I’ve only ever heard him say “Blimey!” I wonder have I only ever seen the pre-watershed version. I would so prefer the other one!
Poets and bards like to tell us
That men in love are foolish and jealous
But the men of Sherwood are not so dense
The wood they carry gives them confidence
(made no sense whatsoever -_-)
Sherwood forest, can it be
That you will hold a book for me,
A book to inspire, to move, to amaze
A book in which Meg sets you abaze?
Ah, Al_the_Girl, you beat me to it. ROOO-CKET ROOO-BIN HOOOOOD!
Since I’ve figured out how to do the links properly, anyone who wants to, needs to, MUST hear the wonder that is: The Rocket Robin Hood theme, here it is.
I want a book, please.
My poetic skills are minimal, and sadly, the only Robin Hood-related verse I can think of is a jingle from a Weetabix advertisement that aired on British TV in the early 90s. It began,
“Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding through the glen,
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, and his Merry Men…
[something, something, something]
Does he retreat back to Sherwood
As he should, as he should, as he should?
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, knows he’s in a fix,
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, spies the Weetabix…”
I don’t think breakfast cereal adds much to the romance. The book sounds fantastic, though.
“Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding through the glen,
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, with his band of Men…
Feared by the bad, loved by the good
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, Robin Hood.
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, knows he’s in a fix,
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, spies the Weetabix…
Should he retreat back to Sherwood
Course he should, course he should, course he should?”
And Robin flees back to Sherwood in fear of the Weetabix-filled soldiers. I loved that ad.
Hooded wooded man of class
large of testicle, made of brass.
His fellows so fine, all of them merry
One named of Scarlet, like oak, not cherry.
Smooth with his staff, and his staff so smooth
that even the friar could appreciate his move
A price on his head, the one up above
He’ll risk all for Meg, his lady of love
So dashing, so daring, so damned well-hung
Meg screams but one name from her quivering tongue
It isn’t fair Robin, or e’en Friar Tuck
It’s only Will Scarlet Lady Meg will Phuck
mzspell, that is hilarious! intertextuality FTW.
… this book sounds AMAZING.
He flies through the air on a vine made from wood
That dashing young scoundrel named Robin the Hood.
He swordfights and shoots to win arrows of gold
And Marian’s heart, back in days of Ye Olde.
Will Scarlet was with him, and full of much snark
He thought forest living was so not a lark
With prickles, and wild beasts, and no decent food
Till Robin said, “Will, there’s a lass to be wooed!”
And since I’m home sick today, I think I’ll watch my copy of The Adventures of Robin Hood. The one with Errol Flynn, because I’m that much of an old-school freak.
I want to read this. Right. Now!
I’d pen a poem, but I’m too busy screaming fangirly at all things Robin Hood right now. xD
Ha! Awesome.
This sounds good. Fellow Robin Hood lovers, check out Lady of the Forest by Jennifer Roberson. Robin comes back from the Crusades with a bad case of PTSD. Also, he’s so cute, even King Richard has a crush on him.
It was in 5th Grade, I believe,
That I first saw the Prince of Thieves.
And that’s when I first understood
The awesomeness of Robin Hood.
So now in rhyme I’ve come to plead
To win this book I have to read.
Tho’ I just learned that it existed,
I know it cannot be resisted.
Indeed, how can I begin
To sing the praise of Errol Flynn?
And Disney’s fox, so smart and sly!
(Oo-de-lally was his cry).
For years, I’ve sought in film and book
The tales of this most-famous crook.
There’s one above them all I love
(For blurb and title, see above).
ACK! I messed up my poem! Here is the fixed version:
It was in 5th Grade, I believe,
That I first saw the Prince of Thieves.
And that’s when I first understood
The awesomeness of Robin Hood.
Indeed, how can I begin
To sing the praise of Errol Flynn?
And Disney’s fox, so smart and sly!
(Oo-de-lally was his cry).
For years, I’ve sought in film and book
The tales of this most-famous crook.
There’s one above them all I love
(For blurb and title, see above).
So now in rhyme I’ve come to plead
To win this book I have to read.
Tho’ I just learned that it existed,
I know it cannot be resisted.
Mzspell kind of beat me to it, but ….
When they take it from the rich
When they give it to the poor
Robin gets to scratch his itch
And Merry Men all scream for more…
Burma Sauce!
The forester asked Meg if she would
Apply a sweet kiss to his wee wood.
The idea was thrilling,
But she wasn’t quite willing,
But if she wouldn’t do it then he would.
Oops! I didn’t know full names were posted. Would you remove my last name please?
In Sherwood F., long, long ago,
Was a story told that you all know.
Yet this new retelling
With Lofty grand spelling
Is a tale that will surely soon grow.
I want to read this!
Er, clarification request—I’m pretty sure this is wishful thinking, since I can’t think of a single poem for this contest, but are the winners going to be decided at random or by which poem you Smart Bitches like best?
Everything is better with Alan Rickman in it! Right Julie??
They also have it for download to the sony ereader, so I am going to put it on mine. I can’t wait to read this!
An Ode to Meg and Will
Meg of Keyworth was in (S)herwood where
Will Scarlet wanted to get his wood in her
Hey Nonny Nonny Ho
Will truly thought Meg had a “key” worth having
And was most keen to pick her lock
Hey Nonny Nonny Ho
It was for his health, after all. Will needed a change –
Meg had given the warning; “stop it or you’ll go blind!”
Hey Nonny Nonny Ho
Hey Nonny Nonny Ho
Oh, that’s bad….
Are there prizes for the worst poetry????
I must have this book
Who doesn’t love the classic
Robin Wood um…Hood?!
I’m judging the poetry. I have asked Carrie Lofty to help me out, but I’m picking the ones I like. But that doesn’t mean a freeform poetry comment of heartfelt OMG BOOK NOW PLZ won’t catch my eye.
Here’s my very poor attempt (it’s been a long day – you’ve been warned):
Oh, Robin is a classic tale but
Meg is a new twist upon it.
Gone are the Disney foxes and
Bears are replaced by hot wit.
O can Meg find Will among the Sherwood
Or will Robin interfere?
Knowing Meg, she might find
Not just Will but Robin dear.
Oh how can she decide which one-
Wood might need to appear.
!
I rather liked the fox
But this sounds so intriguing
Jewey’s got good taste
yaa that’s the best I’ve got. No I don’t care that Sarah is Jewish, I just remember her calling herself that at one point and thought it was funny.
spamword:Finally77. Perhaps I’ll finally, after 77 tries, win something on SBTB?
Oooh, if pleas are accepted, then I’ll add OMG BOOK NOW PLZ K THANX BAI! to my poetry entry above, just for good measure!
Killer review, Sarah. I just found out about this title last week, but I was kind of iffy. Not so much now 😉 Can’t wait to read it.
The first book I read about Robin Hood was a collection of legends – no romance, just Robin Hood stories. I haven’t cared for any of the film adaptations, but I do love Christian Slater !
Sorry, no poetic contributions.