Review: Lady Thief

Title: Lady Thief
Author: A.C. Gaughen
Genre: Historical fiction, Young adult, retellings

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:
Scarlet’s true identity has been revealed, but her future is uncertain. Her forced marriage to Lord Gisbourne threatens Robin and Scarlet’s love, and as the royal court descends upon Nottingham for the appointment of a new Sheriff, the people of Nottingham hope that Prince John will appoint their beloved Robin Hood. But Prince John has different plans for Nottingham that revolve around a fateful secret from Scarlet’s past even she isn’t yet aware of. Forced to participate at court alongside her ruthless husband, Scarlet must bide her time and act the part of a noblewoman—a worthy sacrifice if it means helping Robin’s cause and a chance at a future with the man she loves. With a fresh line of intrigue and as much passion as ever, the next chapter in Scarlet’s tale will have readers talking once again. 

This book tackles some unexpectedly dark issues, including abusive relationships. My heart broke as I read about Scarlet's conflicted feelings towards her duty and her love. I was not expecting this book to be as dark and emotional as it was, especially after a mostly fun and entertaining book 1, but I enjoyed this installment in the series.

Not only does Scarlet grow a lot as a character, we also see new dimensions to her as we unearth secrets of her past. We find out how she got that accent of hers even though she was born noble, and just what made her hate Gisbourne so much. We also learn that she has ties to very important people at court, leading to even more jealousy and danger than she bargained for.

I also really liked that this book had more politics and royal scheming in it. There are some characters who are unbelievably cruel and sadistic, and others who are amazingly compassionate. It's horrifying to see how far some will go because of a petty grudge or a sense of superiority. It was painful for me to see how badly Scarlet was treated throughout this book, but she herself never let the pain get to her. She always had a clear goal in mind and didn't waver from it. That's true strength!

I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the final book in the series.