Wolf's Head
The Forest Lord
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Get 3 months for £0.99/mo
Wolf's Head
Buy Now for £18.99
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Narrated by:
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Nick Ellsworth
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By:
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Steven A. McKay
About this listen
"Well researched and enjoyably written, Wolf's Head is a fast-paced and original recasting of a familiar legend. McKay's gift as a storyteller pulls the reader into a world of violence, passion, injustice, and revenge and leaves us wanting more!" (Glyn Iliffe, author, The Adventures of Odysseus series)
When a frightened young outlaw joins a gang of violent criminals their names - against a backdrop of death, dishonour, brotherhood, and love - will become legend.
England, AD 1321: After viciously assaulting a corrupt but powerful clergyman Robin Hood flees the only home he has ever known in Wakefield, Yorkshire. Becoming a member of a notorious band of outlaws, Hood and his new companions - including John Little and Will Scaflock - hide out in the great forests of Barnsdale, fighting for their very existence as the law hunts them down like animals.
When they are betrayed, and their harsh lives become even more unbearable, the band of friends seeks bloody vengeance.
Meanwhile, the country is in turmoil, as many of the powerful lords strive to undermine King Edward II's rule until, inevitably, rebellion becomes a reality and the increasingly deadly yeoman outlaw from Wakefield finds his fate bound up with that of a Hospitaller Knight.…
"Wolf's Head" brings the brutality, injustice, and intensity of life in medieval England vividly to life, and marks the beginning of a thrilling new historical fiction series in the style of Bernard Cornwell and Simon Scarrow.
©2013 Steven A. McKay (P)2014 Steven A. McKayListeners also enjoyed...
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Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
Yes, because the story is both compelling and believable. It was also an innovative retelling of the much loved Robin Hood tale.What did you like best about this story?
The characters had depth. The storyline was exhilarating, and carried the listener along. The language was contemporary, and that was refreshing.What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?
It took me a little while to get used to the performance. At first I thought that the reader needed to put more feeling into it. As the story went on, however, he seemed to get into his stride, and I enjoyed his performance more. I think the performer read the female characters quite well, and that must be difficult for a male performer.Was Wolf's Head worth the listening time?
Definitely worth the listening time, and I would definitely listen to it many times, as I do with all my favourite audio books.Any additional comments?
I have the Kindle version of Steven A. McKay's book, and have read it quite a few times now because I enjoy it very much. It was interesting to listen to it, having already got used to my own characterisations of the main characters.A Brilliant Reworking of a Popular Story
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What made the experience of listening to Wolf's Head the most enjoyable?
I have read the book and loved it so buying the Audio version was a no brainer and I was not disappointed. Being able to listen to the story while out and about is brilliant. The readers voice was not harsh or intrusive. I could tell which characters were speaking easily which added to the enjoyment.Who was your favorite character and why?
That's easy Robin Hood. I liked his character straight away. I enjoyed the fact that he is only 17 when we first meet him, so we get to see his character development as he learns to live in the forest.Which scene did you most enjoy?
I enjoyed Robin rescuing Matilda From Adam and the aftermath with Will. Won't say to much as I don't want to spoil it for others.Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
There are parts in this story that truly made me laugh, there is also a lot of suspense and sadness too. But above all I found it exciting.Any additional comments?
I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good story but doesn't always have time to sit down and read one. I read what one of the reviewers wrote about this audiobook and I'm convinced he has the wrong book. To say it's like a kids book is just silly. What with some of the language, and the well described battles that take place, if you let your children read or listen to books like this then your opinion is of no importance. To end my review I would like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this and no doubt I will listen to it many times more. Simply, it deserves 5 stars and I look forward to listening to the rest of the trilogy.A Triumph
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If you could sum up Wolf's Head in three words, what would they be?
great historical adventureWho was your favorite character and why?
Robin, because I love the legend and this was a realistic portrayal, even if he did things I didn't always like.Would you listen to another book narrated by Nick Ellsworth?
Maybe not by choice, although I will definitely read the other books in the series. I do wish they were narrated by someone else though.Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
There were several. It's hard to pick one.Any additional comments?
I will admit it took me a few attempts to really get this book. I was put off by the language, which is quite modern and uses a lot of profanities. Also, the author has a habbit of part showing, part telling a story when a character is narrating his past. The story switches from first to third person constantly during those times. There were several things I liked about the book, which made me return to it, and I'm really glad I did. The story is skilfully plotted and meticulously researched. The portrayal of medieval life, in particular its harsher aspects, are done really well. The author doesn't shrink from violence, but the manner is sympathetic. Robin is done particularly well, as we watch him develop and see what he has to do to survive. I'm glad he was able to feel guilt and remourse. As I got into the story, the things that bothered me initially no longer seemed so important. Also, I really like that the author chose to set the novel during the reign of Edward II, when the original Robin Hood ballads were set, rather than the more traditional Richard the Lionheart's reign. Robert of Wakefield was a real person and if Robin Hood did exist, he may well have been him.Great historical fiction
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First of all, those who haven’t heard about Robin Hood, please raise your hands! … No one? You sure? Okay, let’s move on then.
I won’t waste your time introducing you the characters, because, let’s face it, there is no one who never heard about the outlaws who were something like folktale heroes, constantly making a fool of nobles, robbing money and food so they could stay alive, but also to give back something to the villagers. Just search for his name on Goodreads and will find a shit ton of books about him. Those who are interested in England’s history and write historical fiction/fantasy, sure as hell will end up writing a book about him. We Hungarians also have an author who published a book about him, aimed for youngsters. Which happened to be one of my favorite reads in grade school along with The Three Musketeers by Dumas and Eclipse of the Crescent Moon by Gárdonyi Géza. All historical fictions. No wonder I ended up with a history major in University. And before I go into details, I’ll be honest, I haven’t read any other Robin Hood books apart from the one mentioned, so I have no comparison. Why it never occurred to me until now to read books like this, I’ve no idea.
The book starts with Robin, being 17, a lively young man madly in love with Matilda (the first surprise for those who are familiar with the several legends surrounding Robin Hood), living in Wakefield with his best friend Much. When the Prior of Lewes appears on the May Day celebration things quickly turn bad for our protagonist. Trying to defend Matilda, Robin ends up beating the prior and his companions, thus has to leave the village and seek refuge in the Barnsdale Forest. Not having any other choice, he decides to join another folktale hero, Adam Bell’s gang of outlaws or Wolf’s Heads – by the way we never learn why they are called that – where he finds unexpected friends and companions. Such as Will Scaflock or Will Scarlet, Little John and Friar Tuck. During the book we learn some things about the past of Will and Tuck, the former’s play an important part in the story too.
Meanwhile, England is about to being torn into two parties. The date is 1321, and the Earl of Lancester tries to ally himself with as much noble as possible to get the attention of King Edward II, who is under the influence of the Dispensers and neglecting the needs of his subjects. Sir Richard, lord and Hospitaller also joins him after an injustice is being done to his son. He also has a brief meeting with Robin and his gang and they end up helping each other out, while the prior and the Sheriff of Nottingham try their hardest to bring Robin and the others out of the picture.
The book focuses on Robin Hood and his adventures, which sometimes feels like different tales put together into one story. As the synopsis shows, McKay choose to put his story in Yorkshire, more accurately in Barnsdale Forest instead of the well known Sherwood forest. Which at first is strange and needs some getting used to – as well as Matilda’s name – but after a while you forget about it. And while the Sheriff of Nottingham also plays a prominent part in the story, he is not the villain per se. But then, there is not really one big villain here against whom our friends fight for. There is the prior and the sheriff of course and Lord de Bray as well. The other change – at least for those who grew up on the Robin Hood stories present in the pop culture – is that the events take place in the 1320’s, under the reign of King Edward II, instead of Richard I and his brother John we all used love to hate. On one hand this is a risky move, because most people grew up hearing those tales. On the other we can hardly blame him for putting a new twist on the old story. Besides there are several versions of Robin’s tales, so it’s up to him to choose whatever version he feels like. Actually it is kind of refreshing too. The background stories of Will and Tuck are especially interesting and put a new light on both characters. Will turned out to be my favorite character despite me not liking him at the beginning. His character came a long way during the book and showed such depths the readers wouldn’t have expected. The others felt a bit 2 dimensional – another exceptions are Friar Truck and Adam Bell – hence the lower actual rating.
The bits about Lancester’s attempt of opposing the king although interesting, didn’t really added much to the story – except historical background, that is – , and sometimes just broke the flow. Probably, if there would be more of these scenes, then that would have given a wider insight of the state of England at the time. Like that small snippet about the Templars’ fall, which gave depth to one of the character’s background as well as a glimpse into real historical events. The balance between the two storyline is a bit off, but this and the few minor editing issues this book has can be easily corrected.
Since I half listened to the Audiobook, let me mention what a good job Nick Ellsworth did with narrating. His voice has an interesting lilting to it, but after a while you get used to it and forget about it. He reads in a way that even non-english speakers like myself can easily understand.
Wolf’s Head is an action packed, sometimes bloody and brutal historical fiction, which puts a twist to the famous legend of Robin Hood. As it is a first book, it’s not perfect, but a very enjoyable read nonetheless. It brought back my childhood memories, mixed it with my adult self’s love for english history and gritty elements, and pretty much blew my mind. Besides making me a dirty mouthed lunatic in the morning commute, on a tram full of people. Which means you should absolutely check it out if you are into this kind of stuff!
Action packed, sometimes bloody historical fiction
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What a great story!
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