Young Adult Review: Lady Thief

Lady Thief (Scarlet, 2) by A.C. Gaughen, February 11, 2014. 304 pages. Published by Walker Childrens. Source: Library.

Scarlet’s true identity has been revealed, but her future is uncertain. Her forced marriage to Lord Gisbourne threatens Robin and Scarlet’s love, and as the royal court descends upon Nottingham for the appointment of a new Sheriff, the people of Nottingham hope that Prince John will appoint their beloved Robin Hood. But Prince John has different plans for Nottingham that revolve around a fateful secret from Scarlet’s past even she isn’t yet aware of. Forced to participate at court alongside her ruthless husband, Scarlet must bide her time and act the part of a noblewoman—a worthy sacrifice if it means helping Robin’s cause and a chance at a future with the man she loves. With a fresh line of intrigue and as much passion as ever, the next chapter in Scarlet’s tale will have readers talking once again.

First Sentence:

The fire breathed, the dying embers flaring and cooling in a hot pulse. 

When I first heard there was going to be a sequel to Scarlet I was unsure whether this was a good thing or not. On the one hand, I really, really enjoyed the first book and the way it ended; but, on the other hand, there were still some many things left unanswered. Even though I really enjoyed Lady Thief, and am excited for the next and final book, I liked Scarlet more.

Alright, so the question is, what did I think of Lady Thief and was it a worthy follow-up to Scarlet. The short version would be yes because I thought the author did a great job of taking the story forward from were the first book ended.
    What I really liked though of the continued story of Scarlet and Robin would have to be the direction that there characters went. Frankly, I really liked seeing the more vulnerable side of both and how they struggled to keep their feelings in check-since you know Scarlet was married to Lord Gisbourne at the end of book one. You could say that the characters' stories and how they bore the outcome of the previous book is one of the reasons I really found myself drawn into Lady Thief.

Now, on the other hand, it did take me maybe thirty pages to really get into the book and the plot. It was just a little slow on drawing me into the world and took me some time to get back into reading with the way Scarlet spoke. So, if you find it hard getting into a book were the characters don;t speak, well, proper English you may have a little trouble with this one. But, should you decide to read the books, the writing and re-telling of the tale of Robin Hood is well worth checking out.

The only thing that really bothered me plot-wise would have to be that Scarlet actually thought Lord Gisbourne would actually hold up his end of the bargain. It just bothered me because it was pretty obvious that he just did, well mostly, whatever he was ordered to. While not a nice guy in his own right, it was just pretty clear to me that he was a puppet, even in the previous book, to Prince John. Which means the end of the book was not that book of a surprise to me.  

While there were some things I disliked about Lady Thief, A.C. Gaughen's writing and her ability to re-weave the entire Robin Hood story is just so good. I've really enjoyed the way she brings the entire setting and the characters to life. For me, her writing is what has kept me following the story-line to see what road she'll take Scarlet on next.
   So, in short, if you like well written books with a kick-butt female character, then this is definitely the series for you. A.C. Gaughen definitely knows how to weave one interesting story that'll pull you in.

Really the only drawback to Lady Thief is the slow beginning, but it is otherwise quite the interesting read as it sets things up for the final book. I am definitely excited to see how the author will close the series off in book three, especially, after the way things ended.

Final Verdict: Lady Thief- Is definitely character driven, but nonetheless, a fascinating follow-up to Scarlet. Again, A.C. Gaughen has managed to capture me attention with her re-telling of Robin Hood.

Lady Thief earns