Evil is everywhere. Through terror and dark sorcery, Prince John wields the power of the throne. Lord and peasant alike meet violent ends as the Sheriff’s arcane beasts spread fear and death. A small group of rebels oppose John, striking from Sherwood Forest...the one place his creatures cannot pursue them. Though their numbers grow, so do the forces of darkness. Unless Robin and Marian fulfill the ancient prophecy of the Two Torcs, the forest will be overrun, and England will fall.

1193. A crusader returns to his home in Nottinghamshire, to find the land divided. England is torn between the land-owning Norman lords and their English subjects, the country crippled by years of taxation and the long absence of its king. The?crusader's name is Robin of Locksley. Following a youth spent with lowborn friends Robin is determined to settle into the role his father wanted for him: a lord dispensing justice to the county. But a false rumour of his death in the East has?stolen Robin's lands from him, and the justice meted out by his fellow lords hardly seems to deserve the name. When?Robin is compelled by a neighboring lord to condemn his childhood friends for a crime they did not commit, he realises that he must choose between the need to regain his lost inheritance and his desire to help the commons of Nottinghamshire.??In this lucidly imagined and carefully researched recreation of the era of King Richard 'the Lionheart', Robin seeks the support of common-born and noble to defy the self-serving lords who oppose him, but it soon becomes clear that he can accomplish more outside the law than within it...??In this her first novel, Lauren Johnson's knowledge as a historian brings a vividness to the project, presenting us with an authentic depiction of the sights, sounds, conflicts and furies that defined this era. A story of redemption, loss,?romance and adventure, this novel will excite and enthral.

This collection explores folklore and folkloristics within the diverse and contested national discourses of Britain and Ireland, examining their role in shaping the islands’ constituent nations from the eighteenth century to our contemporary moment of uncertainty and change. This book is concerned with understanding folklore, particularly through its intersections with the narratives of nation entwined within art, literature, disciplinary practice and lived experience. By following these ideas throughout history into the twenty-first century, the authors show how notions of the folk have inspired and informed varied points from the Brothers Grimm to Brexit. They also examine how folklore has been adapting to the real and imagined changes of recent political events, acquiring newfound global and local rhetorical power. This collection asks why, when and how folklore has been deployed, enacted and considered in the context of national ideologies and ideas of nationhood in Britain and Ireland. Editors Cheeseman and Hart have crafted a thoughtful and timely collection, ideal for students and scholars of folklore, history, literature, anthropology, sociology and media studies.

Robin Hood, whether riding through the glen, robbing the rich to pay the poor or giving the Sheriff of Nottingham his come-uppance, is one of the most captivating and controversial legendary figures. Was there a historical figure behind the legends? Did Robin and his Merry Men rampage through Sherwood Forest? Or did he spend most of his time in Barnsdale Wood in Yorkshire? And is the story of the freedom-loving Saxons refusing to be put under the Norman yoke, as portrayed in the Errol Flynn films, true?Mike Dixon-Kennedy ranges far and wide in his quest to present a complete picture of the exploits of this indestructible hero, drawing on ballads, poems, proverbs, films, novels, folklore, musicals and place-names.

˜England, 1193. Guy of Gisburne, knight and agent to Prince John, is all that stands between England and anarchy, fighting a shadow battle to protect the kingdom from those who would destroy it. Returning to England after foiling a plot to destroy Jerusalem, Guy of Gisburne is arrested and hauled to the Tower of London; John, England?s regent in the absence of its monstrous King, needs his knight once more. A killer has broken into the Prince?s most secure castle in the north and left a message, drawn on the skin of one of his victims: dies irae venit ? ?Judgement Day is coming? ? signed with a bloody handprint. Is the threat genuine? Who, or what, is the Red Hand? Someone is killing John?s most loyal supporters, and the obvious culprit ? the most dangerous man in the Kingdom, Hood himself ? has an alibi even Guy can?t deny.

A vast darkness is spreading. If left unchecked, it will engulf the world, and so Richard the Lionheart must depart England on a holy mission. In his absence, the safety of the realm is entrusted to his brother, Prince John. When the king departs, black sorcery begins to grip the land, threatening noble and peasant alike. Horrific creatures stalk the forests, yet the violence they commit pales when compared to the atrocities of men. A handful of rebels fight back, but are doomed to fail unless they can find a hero to lead them.