Lion Heart

Gr 8 Up—In this finale to the "Scarlet" trilogy (Bloomsbury), Marian (aka Scarlet), imprisoned for months by her ruthless uncle Prince John, dares to escape, only to learn that her father's life is in jeopardy. Her grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, asks her to serve as her knife-wielding spy in order to bring King Richard home safely, but Scarlet, now the recently titled Lady Huntingdon, decides that she must return to Nottinghamshire to face her fate and reunite with her true love, Robin Hood. As with Scarlet (2012) and Lady Thief (2014), this volume is replete with action and romance, each chapter adding just enough tension to continually engage teens. Scarlet once again emerges as a complex, well-developed protagonist, while Rob, Eleanor, and David (her knight protector) are quite well-rounded secondary characters. The action is fast-moving, the dialogue realistic, and the historical details accurately portrayed. While Gaughen admits to having tampered with King Richard's time line in the author's note, she clearly explains how the tale's events and personages fit into their historical context. Potentially difficult vocabulary is elucidated within the prose, and the subplots are masterfully interwoven with the action of the principal story.