Tuck by Stephen R. LawheadCopyright 2009
Thomas Nelson - Historical Fiction
464 pages
DNF
Tuck was a Did Not Finish book for me, but -- this is a big "but" -- the writing is fabulous. The third book in a series about Robin Hood's little band begins with the group walking together on open road. Friar Tuck notices movement in the trees and guesses that an attack is imminent. What follows is a massively entertaining action scene. Check out the sneak peek post, below, if you'd like to dip in and judge the writing for yourself.
Unfortunately, I felt like I was thrown into the middle of the story without a decent context so in spite of the fact that I loved the atmosphere, the writing and the characters, I chose to abandon the book, for now. Sometimes starting in the middle of a series works for me and sometimes it doesn't. I've added the first two books in the series to my wish list and will read them when I acquire the two books, then I'll return to Tuck. In fact, I'm so fond of the writing that I'd like to read everything this author has written, even though I haven't finished the novel.
Wouldn't you know, my library doesn't carry a single one of his titles? It may take me some time to acquire them but based on the first 3-4 chapters, I would definitely encourage anyone who is interested in historical fiction, retellings of legend or the story of Robin Hood to read the free chapter and start from the beginning if your interest is piqued. The first book in the series is Hood and the second is Scarlet.
Note: I somehow messed up the HTML for the sneak peek post and the free chapter was not showing up, earlier. I've just fixed it, so check back if you looked for the chapter and found just a photo of two book covers.
This does sound good...I'll have to add the first to my wish list.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean about starting series in the middle. Even when it works, I don't like to do it.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun book...I can't start in the middle of a series either. I like to have the whole context.
ReplyDeleteWe've got a couple copies of the two prior books in our collection but I don't think we've received the third yet - thanks for the heads up!
ReplyDeleteI've seen this series and I think I'd like to read it one day too. I read a very good book called Maid Marian by Elsa Watson, so I do like the subject :)
ReplyDeleteI nominated your blog for an award. See details at my site :)
I have the first book in this series on my TBR pile. I also have his Arthurian series here to read. I haven't read any of it... not really surprising!
ReplyDeleteKris,
ReplyDeleteWe'll have to talk when the two of us eventually acquire that first book. :)
Kathy,
It doesn't always bother me to read out of order. Out of Time worked fine on its own. But, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. In this case, I liked the writing enough that I'll eventually read the first. I'm so disappointed that my library doesn't carry this author's work.
Trish,
I think most people dislike jumping into the middle of a series. I don't really mind if I feel like the book stands alone well, but this one needed some background, IMHO. I hope I'll be able to get the first book soon. The bit of Tuck I read was very exciting and vivid.
Lesley,
Lucky chick. My library doesn't have anything at all by this author. I'll have to wait for a while. I'm on a strict budget.
Arleigh,
ReplyDeleteI'll have to look up Maid Marian.
Thank you! What a nice award! I''ll try to post that as soon as possible. :)
Kailana,
But, when you do get around to reading you'll wipe them out in nothing flat. LOL I hope you read them soon, so I can find out your thoughts.
I had an opportunity to review this one but hadn't read the first two, either. All of them sound really good but I'm trying to get caught up on reviews and don't have time to get to the first two any time soon. I hope you get the opportunity to get the books and then you can fill me in, lol.
ReplyDeleteTammy,
ReplyDeleteI put the first two on my wish list. I'm in catch-up mode, too. Actually, I think I've been that way for about 3 months, now. The writing definitely rocks. I can't say how long it will take me to acquire the first two, though. I was really disappointed to find that my library has nothing by Stephen Lawhead.
It does sound really good. When I saw DNF I expected you didn't like the book. I can see why you would want to start at the beginning of the series.
ReplyDeleteI dislike starting in the middle of a series for exactly this reason. It does sound like a good series though so I'm adding the first book on to my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteBooklogged,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you read beyond the DNF, since it was quite the opposite. Now, I'm really anxious to read the other two books. Most people do feel obligated to begin at the beginning. For me, it just depends on the book. Sometimes I jump into the middle of a series with no problem.
Samantha,
I think you're in the majority. It just depends on the book, for me. I often have no problem reading a book from the middle of a series, but then if I like what I read I go back to the beginning. I'm very anxious to get ahold of the first two books.
Thanks for the warning. I'll add the first one to my TBr list and go from there. I love the cover of this book. I wonder if the other two have great covers as well. Is this a sign of superficiality because I judge a book by its cover?
ReplyDeleteFramed,
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. I love the cover, too. For one thing, it goes with my current poppet header very nicely. If judging a book by its cover is superficial, I have a superficiality issue. The other covers are similar. I like all three.
Oh I love this author and have been wanting to check out this series. You should definitely read more of his works...great historical fiction.
ReplyDeleteAmanda,
ReplyDeleteI've got the first two books on my wish list. I'll have to see if any of his older books are a little easier to acquire. I'm on a strict budget and since my library doesn't carry any of his books, it might take some time to get my hands on any of his books, but I will!! Thanks for the recommendation!!
I didn't realize this was part of a trilogy until the book arrived, which actually annoyed me a bit! i wish the trilogy bit had been part of the original teaser. So, when Tuck came, I immediately checked the first two out of the library to read them first. I loved them. Hood more than Scarlet, but I enjoyed both. I'm nearly finished with Tuck now. It's a far richer story, after you've read the first ones and know the history.
ReplyDeleteHolly,
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize it was part of a trilogy, either, otherwise I would have sought out the first two books. I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed the first two! Since the book tour has passed, I'm going to take my time getting around to the series, but I'm really anxious to read them all.