Book Review: Maid Marian by Elsa Watson

Maid Marian is a novel by Elsa Watson, published in 2005, which tells the story of Robin Hood from the point of view of his romantic partner, Marian. In this book, Robin Hood is presented as a playful and tender lover. Marian is not privy to most of his adventures, so these are generally omitted or recounted secondhand.

Instead, Marian’s story is one of courtly intrigue and medieval politics, as Queen Eleanor and Lady Pernelle of Sencaster attempt to use the young woman as a pawn in their political schemes. To escape their plots against her, Marian rides to Sherwood Forest to seek help from Robin Hood, with whom she falls in love. Watson’s prose is good, and her grasp of dialect from the era remarkable. It is not, however, a Robin Hood adventure novel. This work may interest readers of medieval historical fiction.