"Dauntless" by Dina L. Sleiman

[reviewsbyerin]

I'm a huge fan of the Robin Hood legend, and I was so excited when I heard about this young adult novel with the same premise. Having a female heroine seemed like it would add a new element to the story. The fearless leader of the Ghosts of Farthingale Forest, 17-year-old Lady Merry Ellison, managed to escape with more than twenty village children the night King John ruthlessly murdered her family. Having survived in the woods for two years by their crafty skill, this young group of bandits must move camp when they realize that their latest haul includes tax money which will surely set the king's guards after them.

When Merry and company settle in Wyndeshire, she has no idea that making a way for himself in the nearby village is the young man who was once betrothed to her, Timothy Grey. Timothy, heartbroken because he thought Merry perished with her family, has thrown himself into his work as a scribe and is seeking to earn a promotion through the ranks via the favor of the Earl of Wyndemere. When rumors that the Ghosts of Farthingale Forest have moved into their area reach Timothy's ears, he is determined to find and capture the lot of them.

As much as I wanted to like this book, it fell flat for me. I had a hard time connecting to the main characters, and I felt the book focused way too much on romance. I had hoped for an adventure novel, not a teenage love story. Although I appreciate what a good romance can add to a book, I felt the focus on it was too heavy for the intended audience. I have teenage siblings and more than 30 teenage students, and this was not the kind of thing that I would recommend to them or encourage them to read. I also felt like the spiritual content was sketchy at best.

I received my copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.