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Maid Marian
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Plot Summary of Maid Marian
"

Crown, Apr 2004, 23.95, 307 pp.
ISBN: 1400050413

Born an orphan and a ward of King Richard the Lionhearted, wealthy Lady Marian Fitzwater is married to Hugh of Sencaster when she is five. When she turns seventeen, he dies under mysterious circumstances turning her into a widowed virgin as they never consummated their marriage. Richard's mother Queen Eleanor and Marian's mother-in-law Lady Pernelle agree the lass must marry the latter's second son Sir Stephen as her valuable lands and wealth is up for grabs.

However, Marian is no longer a preadolescent so she decides to take her fate into her own hands rather than another ill-conceived marriage forged by plotting females who care not one iota about her. She procures the help of Robin Hood and his band of merry outlaws. Marian realizes that once Stephen gains her estates her life is forfeit. As they fall in love, Robin abets Marian's escape from a deadly trek down the aisle of matrimony, but the royals are coming as she is too valuable of a property to allow outlaws to stand in the way.

MAID MARIAN is an exciting rendition of the legendary tale starring two fabulous protagonists and several fascinating antagonists. The story line is at its best surprisingly in the royal courts as plotting and scheming by designing women showcase an era of court intrigue that would make Machiavelli proud. The Sherwood scenes are also interesting, but do turn a bit syrupy (I kept hearing Jane Froman singing). Still this medieval saga is a terrific rendition of the classic Marian-Robin romantic suspense.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Maid Marian
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story - Distant past/middle ages
Forbidden/mismatched love? Yes
How mismatched? - loving criminal
Action/suspense subplot? Yes
Action: - chased by authorities/family

Main Male Character
Profession/status: - criminal
Age/status: - 20's-30's
How sexual is this person? - very picky
How romantic is this person? - somewhat romantic
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Female Character
Age/status: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - Prince/Nobleman/King
How sexual is this person? - very picky
How romantic is this person? - somewhat romantic
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK
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The Angel with One Hundred Wings: A Tale from the Arabian Nights by Daniel Horch
The Wild Irish West by Joan Avery
Lord of the Hunt by Ann Lawrence


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