"I pulled the hemp cord of my bow taut. The sleek arrow with its feathered end fit between my fingers before I released the shaft into the blackness of the forest. Within seconds, the swift twang indicated I'd hit the mark. 'Dead center,' called one of the men who stood near the target. I smiled triumphantly"
Juliana Wessex: skilled archer, hunter, bargainer, wrangler, deceiver. Her life in the forrest, living among a band of rugged peasants, stealing from the rich to feed the poor, sounds awfully similar to Robin Hood. Her life in the Wessex Forrest appears to be identical to the infamous outlaw, except for the fact that she is a beautiful, eighteen-year-old girl.
Robin Hood's stories and Juliana's are both full of incredible archery, daring escapes through the trees, magnificent feasts in the forrest, lords, ladies, peasants, sheriffs and outlaws. Robin, however, remains a jolly yeoman throughout all the tales. Juliana has to battle with much more than an evil Prince John or the Sheriff of Nottingham. She battles with herself about right and wrong, and about her own feelings. Is life as simple as she thought it was? Rob the rich to feed the poor? When a handsome young noble man captures her and brings her to his castle, her simple plans seem to fall apart. She grapples with helping the people in a Godly and upright way. With her anger toward the nobility and her view of the young man suddenly stepping into her life. The book is a romance, with a somewhat expected outcome and typical romantic characters. At the same time, the main characters, especially the heroine, undergo deep character changes and growth. God isn't mentioned much in the story, but we do see Juliana finding trust in God and discovering her own ideas of what is right are not the same as what God has established. The story is sweet and light, without being a cheesy romance. Real maturity and growth is displayed throughout the chapters, as well as many exciting battles, escapes, and captures. This teen novel brings you into the medieval world and leaves you wishing for more.