The Legend of Allyn-a-Dale,
The Outlaws
of Avalon, Book 3
Danielle Shipley
Ever On Word
October, 2017
eBook $2.99
Print $12.99
About the book:
Long ago: Hailed as heroes, killed
as criminals, an extraordinary band of outlaws met their end in Sherwood Forest
– all except the four who were supernaturally saved, and the one who did not
exist. …Not yet.
Now: With Avalon Faire’s living legends finally free to move between the realms
of magic and modernity, there’s no dream too fantastic to reach – including that
kept alive by a secret society, awaiting only the right time, and the right
minstrel, to rewrite history.
Just when the future seems brightest, the Merry Men find themselves thrust into
the past, facing a second chance at the lives they might have lived … or the
death they might not have the luck to cheat twice. For the otherworldly
Allyn-a-Dale, it’s all in a day’s destiny. For an already struggling Will
Scarlet, it’s a nightmare that may prove black enough to break him. And for the
whole of the band, it’s anyone’s guess whether courage, cunning, and
camaraderie can win out against their most infamous enemies: The Sheriff of
Nottingham, Sir Guy of Gisborne, and – for once in eternity – Time.
My review:
I confess I’ve had this book since
it came out. I happened to be moving at the time, so I saved it. I’m also one
of those readers who hates for a really good thing to come to an end, so I
avoid beginnings. Tragic.
Shipley’s absolutely delightful balladeer’s
skills make me want to sit at her feet around the fire pit at the Ren Faire
while she strums her stringed whatever and shares her stories. This one, an
addition to the accidental heroic cast of Sherwood Forest fame charmed into
modern-day fey life, is everything readers of Arthurian fantasy love.
Especially if you’re a huge music fan. I’m enthralled by music, but half the
giddiness for me is that I know nothing about it, so Shipley’s adorable
chapter, or set piece openings to establish the pace of the segment, add to the
magic and way-coolness.
Our noble cast by this time have
accepted their fates, more or less, and adapted to contemporary life, some
better than others. As a late-comer. Allyn a-Dale has a few more ponderences
than the others, namely, was the whole time travel thing his fault? And if so,
how can he fix it? The story seems like it might come to an abrupt shrug when
Merlin assures him he’ll die trying. But of course, that little tidbit of act
is only a challenge to a group of modern day misfits who think it’s their
business to “correct” the past. Just an aside, if you’ve ever wondered how time
travel can reasonably happen, read this. It somehow makes perfect sense.
Especially coming from Merlin.
Shipley’s turn of phrase takes a
little getting used to, but I promise you’ll be ruined for reading and have to
stop a lot and just flop back and think, “wow, love that,” too often the first
time through. But that’s okay. Read it again for a grip on the story.
And then meet me at the Faire. Sigh.
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