Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen [Review]

3.5 out of 5 Robots!

  

Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen
Series: Scarlet #2
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Release: February 11, 2014
Hardcover: 304 Pages
Publisher: Walker Childrens
My Copy: Purchased
Reviewer: Shannon
Buy the Book: Amazon

Book 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.

(Courtesy of the Publisher)

Shannon's Thoughts:

Well, despite not loving the first book, Scarlet, I decided to give the sequel a try.  And I pretty glad I did because a lot of the issues I had with the first book were better the second time around.  Scarlet's manner of speech still drives me up a wall, but hey, we can't win them all. The ridiculous love triangle in the first book is, thankfully, cleared up.  We learn more about Scarlet's back story (and then some) and while we still never learn how she got to be such an accomplished thief and knife wielder, we do get to learn about how she made it to London and how she met up with Robin.  And we get to see the infamous archery contest, so that was pretty cool.

But one thing that really stood out to me was how incredible violent this book was.  Way more than the first one.  Especially with the things that happen to Scarlet.  I'm not usually perturbed by violence in books, but even this one unsettled me. Some things that happen are pretty horrific.  I think it could definitely upset some readers.

So while on the whole I enjoyed this book more than the first, I did find the violence to be a bit off-putting.  I'm not sure I will be back for the third book, but I know this series has a lot of fans.  I may very well be in the minority, but for me, this series just doesn't sit well with me.  I love the concept, but not the execution.

Other books in this series in the order that they should be read:
1. Scarlet
2. Lady Thief