Review of Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen

Release Date: February 11, 2014

Publisher: Walker Childrens

Page Count: 304

Format: Hardcover

Genre: YA/Fantasy

Scarlet’s true identity has been revealed, but her future is uncertain. Her forced marriage to Lord Gisbourne threatens Robin and Scarlet’s love, and as the royal court descends upon Nottingham for the appointment of a new Sheriff, the people of Nottingham hope that Prince John will appoint their beloved Robin Hood. But Prince John has different plans for Nottingham that revolve around a fateful secret from Scarlet’s past even she isn’t yet aware of. Forced to participate at court alongside her ruthless husband, Scarlet must bide her time and act the part of a noblewoman—a worthy sacrifice if it means helping Robin’s cause and a chance at a future with the man she loves. With a fresh line of intrigue and as much passion as ever, the next chapter in Scarlet’s tale will have readers talking once again.

Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen is a retelling of Robin Hood and the sequel to Scarlet, it is book two in the trilogy. I enjoyed Lady Thief even more than I did Scarlet, the parts of Scarlet I liked were taken and the things I didn't like were mostly removed. It is definitely a worthy sequel to Scarlet and everyone who has read Scarlet should check out Lady Thief.

I remember while reading Scarlet that I didn't think the world and settings were large enough, in Lady Thief A.C. Gaughen added several new locations into the old ones. The old ones are still there, only this time several of them are explored even further and expanded upon. I don't want to dwell too much upon the world because it was the characters that made Lady Thief amazing. All the main characters from Scarlet are still in Lady Thief, Rob, Scarlet, Much, John, Gisbourne (unfortunately). I was amazed by how strong Scarlet was, no matter what was thrown at her she didn't give up. She went to hell and back for Rob and the band, she lived with Gisbourne, got tortured, and lost some of her beliefs. Even when things seemed bleak she trudged on and kept fighting. If you thought she was amazing in Scarlet then be ready because in Lady Thief her amazingness and selflessness is tripled. Rob and the band are also much stronger although they do have their low moments (Rob having nightmares, John leaving the band). Unfortunately Gisbourne is back as well, alongside the prince and several lords. Gisbourne is still after Scarlet and he and the lords employ all kinds of methods on her to break her. However, there is also a lord who was friends with Scarlet's father and the Queen Mother, they both help Scarlet through some tough times. Lady Thief throws a HUGE curve at you in the end, just as things start to seem perfect things go downhill. A main character dies and Scarlet is taken prisoner by the angry prince. You will be in for one hell of a ride when you read Lady Thief but it will be all worth it.

According to A.C. Gaughen there will be a sequel to Lady Thief in the future, I desperately hope the day it gets published comes here fast because Lady Thief ends with a giant cliffhanger. Lady Thief was just an amazing retelling of Robin Hood and sequel to Scarlet, critical new events, locations, characters, and plot twists. If you like Robin Hood or YA then you will LOVE Lady Thief. I personally think everyone should try it out as it was captivating and intriguing until the very end.

5/5 - Amazing book