[Review: Lion Heart by A.C. Gaughen]

"Lion Heart"
Author: A.C. Gaughen
Series: Scarlet #3
Pages: 348
Genre: YA, Retellings, Alternate History
Date Published: May 19th, 2015
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via NetGalley) for honest review

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Summary:

The eagerly-awaited conclusion to the Scarlet trilogy delivers another action-packed and romance-filled adventure.

Scarlet has captured the hearts of readers as well as the heart of Robin Hood, and after ceaseless obstacles and countless threats, readers will finally find out the fate of the Lady Thief.

Imprisoned by Prince John for months, Scarlet finds herself a long way from Nottinghamshire. After a daring escape from the Prince's clutches, she learns that King Richard’s life is in jeopardy, and Eleanor of Aquitaine demands a service Scarlet can’t refuse: spy for her and help bring Richard home safe. But fate—and her heart—won’t allow her to stay away from Nottinghamshire for long, and together, Scarlet and Rob must stop Prince John from going through with his dark plans for England. They can not rest until he’s stopped, but will their love be enough to save them once and for all?

-Goodreads

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My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To Lion Heart,

I just loved you. I love your whole series, but you were a wonderful conclusion. I honestly couldn't have asked for more. Well, I could have asked for you not to be so historically accurate, so that I could have watched one of your characters die, but there is not much you could do about that. I'm so glad that we got to spend time together.

-The White Unicorn

I'm pretty bummed that these books are over. That being said, I am so glad that I got to experience them. Gaughen gave us a feminist, Robin Hood tale, and she delivered in all aspects in this trilogy. I'm sad to say goodbye to so many characters that feel like family. So much so that when (or if) one of them dies, I can't help but cry buckets full of tears. I'm not saying that anyone dies, but they might. 

As in all trilogy conclusions, Gaughen had the job of wrapping everything up, and she did a wonderful job. She gave us the happy endings, the bittersweet ones, and the ones that make you want to pull your hair out. The book mixes history and legend, and I have to admit that I wish that Gaughen would have strayed a bit from history and ended Prince John's sorry little life. But as real life goes, sometimes those types last longer than they should. 

I feel like Scarlet really comes into her own in this book. She's always been a clearly written character, but as all the mysteries of her parentage, and her past come together, she finds the bits that make her more sure of herself. The slow and extremely small progression that she goes through in all three novels is so carefully written that you feel privileged to have watched it.

The love story also comes to a head, and we saw a bit more of a sassy side of Rob. I have to admit that I think I adored him most in this book. He's so snarky, and I feel like he felt like he needed to fill in for John, and I'm glad for that. The romance was on fire, and yet didn't take away from the rest of what was going on. 

The conflict in this book wasn't as strong as in Lady Thief, but then again, it was still strong. Gaughen still made me hate Prince John and I feel like that says it all. 

All in all I couldn't have wanted more from this novel, and I'm so glad that I took the time to read it, as well as the wrest of the series. Read them!

Rating:

5 Unicorns = Get your hands on this NOW!