Lion Heart: A Scarlet Novel

by A. C. Gaughen

Overview

Locked away in prison, Scarlet finds herself a long way from Nottinghamshire. After a daring escape, she learns that King Richard's life is in jeopardy, and Eleanor of Aquitaine needs Scarlet's help to free him. But Scarlet knows that this will put her and those she loves back in evil Prince John's sights. Desperate not to risk anyone else's life, Scarlet plans to help save the king on her own. But fate—and her heart—won't allow her to stay away from Nottinghamshire for long. Even if Scarlet and Rob can finally stop Prince John from going through with his dark plans for England, will their love be enough to save them once and for all?

Acclaim for Scarlet
A YALSA-ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Book
An ALA Amelia Bloomer Recommended Book
A Booklist Top Ten Historical Fiction for Youth Book
A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year Pick

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681198217
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	11/14/2017
Series:	A. C. Gaughen's Scarlet Series , #3
Edition description:	New
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

A. C. Gaughen is the author of the Elementae series and of Scarlet, Lady Thief, and Lion Heart. She serves as the Director of Girls’ Leadership for the non-profit Boston GLOW, creating opportunities to encourage and engage teen girls in the Greater Boston area. She has a Masters in Creative Writing from St. Andrews University in Scotland and a Masters in Education from Harvard University.

www.acgaughen.com
@acgaughen

Editorial Reviews

"Debut novelist Gaughen does more than offer a rip-roaring tale, though it is that. The story, told in Scar's distinctive first-person voice, captivates and gets readers as deeply into the heart of a troubled girl. . . has plenty for both the romantic and the adventure lover." - starred review, Booklist on SCARLET

"Plenty of swashbuckling adventure and a hearty dose of romance power this re-imagining of the legend of Robin Hood." - Publishers Weekly on SCARLET

"A reimagined Robin Hood tale with a distinctive twist." - RT Book Reviews on SCARLET

"There’s plenty of action here, as well as romance, and it appears that there’s even more to come." - Booklist on LADY THIEF

"Filled with action, suspense, and a healthy dash of passionate but controlled romance." - School Library Journal on LADY THIEF

"Following in the tradition of Tamora Pierce's stories of feisty, kickass heroines. . . . Gaughen's tale will satisfy teen readers seeking action-packed romantic adventure." - Kirkus Reviews on LION HEART

"A must-read series conclusion." - School Library Journal on LION HEART

"Scarlet is a worthy protagonist for adolescent female readers, and [the] nonstop action that peppers the plot will entice male teens with a penchant for semihistorical fiction." - VOYA on LION HEART

From the Publisher

A reimagined Robin Hood tale with a distinctive twist.

RT Book Reviews on SCARLET

Debut novelist Gaughen does more than offer a rip-roaring tale, though it is that. The story, told in Scar's distinctive first-person voice, captivates and gets readers as deeply into the heart of a troubled girl . . . has plenty for both the romantic and the adventure lover.

Booklist on SCARLET - starred review

04/01/2015
Gr 8 Up—In this finale to the "Scarlet" trilogy (Bloomsbury), Marian (aka Scarlet), imprisoned for months by her ruthless uncle Prince John, dares to escape, only to learn that her father's life is in jeopardy. Her grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, asks her to serve as her knife-wielding spy in order to bring King Richard home safely, but Scarlet, now the recently titled Lady Huntingdon, decides that she must return to Nottinghamshire to face her fate and reunite with her true love, Robin Hood. As with Scarlet (2012) and Lady Thief (2014), this volume is replete with action and romance, each chapter adding just enough tension to continually engage teens. Scarlet once again emerges as a complex, well-developed protagonist, while Rob, Eleanor, and David (her knight protector) are quite well-rounded secondary characters. The action is fast-moving, the dialogue realistic, and the historical details accurately portrayed. While Gaughen admits to having tampered with King Richard's time line in the author's note, she clearly explains how the tale's events and personages fit into their historical context. Potentially difficult vocabulary is elucidated within the prose, and the subplots are masterfully interwoven with the action of the principal story. VERDICT An must-read series conclusion, sure to spark interest in the life and times of Richard the Lionhearted.—Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, formerly at LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI

School Library Journal

2015-02-16
This third and concluding volume in Gaughen's retelling of the Robin Hood legend from Marian's point of view finds Marian (aka Scarlet) facing execution after months of imprisonment by evil Prince John.She escapes and meets with her grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, who asks for her help raising ransom to bring King Richard home, though what Marian longs to do is reunite with her beloved Robin—even though that may put Robin in danger. After Marian saves Eleanor from an ambush, she meets up with Robin in Nottingham. Through a twist of fate, she's now a powerful lady whose swift rise in status (granted by her father, King Richard) gives her holdings in Nottingham and the social standing to defy Prince John's cruelty—though she still needs her street-fighting skills to fend off occasional assassins. The plot moves briskly, with an even mix of heart-fluttering love scenes and gritty fight sequences. Following in the tradition of Tamora Pierce's stories of feisty, kickass heroines and drawing on some factual underpinnings (explained in an engaging author's note), Gaughen's tale will satisfy teen readers seeking action-packed romantic adventure set alluringly in another age.Fans of Scarlet will celebrate both this opportunity to revisit Gaughen's colorfully depicted long-ago world and her suspenseful ending to a lively story. (Historical fiction. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews