From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8–Rook, another member of the band of Sherwood Forest outlaws from the author's "Rowan Hood" series (Philomel), faces more than one kind of demon and deals with a dark internal struggle. Orphaned when one of the Sheriff of Nottingham's man traps kills his father, the young man carries bitterness and hatred within and compares himself to the wild wolves that roam free and answer to no one, though he can't quite bring himself to separate from Rowan's band. When a man trap catches the Sheriff's son and Rook finds him, he must decide whether to leave Tod to die in revenge or to help him. His choice sets in motion a chain of events that brings Rook out of the darkness and breaks the stone wall around his heart. Tod, too, faces truths about his evil father and literally rides off into the sunrise a changed man on an adventure of self-discovery. More psychological in nature than the other books in the series, the story nonetheless offers adventure and suspense. The rich, descriptive language and the humor will engage readers as well. Though the novel is short, Springer masterfully develops Rook's character and makes him someone with whom readers will empathize. Fans of the series won't be disappointed, and newcomers should be able to follow the story line as well.
–Cheri Dobbs, Detroit Country Day Middle School, Beverly Hills, MI Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Gr. 3-6. When "wild boy" Rook discovers Tod, the sheriff of Nottingham's son, caught in a mantrap, he is torn between vengeance (after all, the sheriff had no mercy when Rook's own father was similarly injured) and grudging pity. The latter wins out. When the recovering Tod admits that his father is abusive, hard questions arise: "Was it perhaps better to have a kindly father, dead, than a cruel one, alive?" They begin to chip away at Rook's "creature of the forest" invulnerability, and further cement his ties to irascible Robin, gentle Rowan, and the other members of his improvised family. As in the three previous books in the Tales of Rowan Hood series, Springer assumes the point of view of a character who played only a supporting role in a previous book. This unusual approach, along with plenty of merrie-olde-England atmosphere and action, will keep fans of the series from minding that the plot lines are a bit predictable. The narrative assumes some prior knowledge of Springer's Sherwood Forest, so give this to readers who are familiar with the series.
Jennifer MattsonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
