I zoomed through 'Tuck' even faster than a read through 'Hood' and 'Scarlet'. By now all the characters save one have been introduced and the stage has been set. All Lawhead needed to do was deliver the final, rousing battle between Rhi Bran y Hud's Grellon and the King's men.

And deliver he did. The final book picks up directly where 'Scarlet' left off; with the Grellon disappointed in the King's decision regarding their kingdom. In response Bran is adamant he will fight until his dying breath to have his people free and unhunted. So he and his loyal companion Friar Tuck set off to Gwenydd in north Wales to try to bring back men to aid in the fight. Again they engage in a clever ruse complete with disguises to rescue the disposed king of the realm from the dungeons of the portly Earl Hugh.

Tuck is a fair narrator, his happy and cautious but still adventurous personality balancing out the dark rage of Bran, making the book speed along at a quick pace. By the final confrontation I was loathe to put the book down for even a second.

I highly recommend the entire trilogy as it never lets up, never dragging even to the last. It's entertaining, smart and will make you believe that this truly is the real story of Robin Hood. ( )

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a satisfying conclusion to the "Hood" series. If you read it, don't stop at the conclusion, but take time to read the afterward. It lends credence to the historical background to the original Robin Hood story. ( )

The finale to the Robin Hood legend. Bran enlists the help of other Cymry [welshmen] and some Freinc lords and forces Rufus for the rulership of Elfael. So the story ends happily, unlike the original Robin Hood legend.

I enjoyed this, but it all just seemed a bit too pat at the end. Everybody just goes oh, ok, lets do the right thing after years of not and call it a day". But it was an ending that made sense, even if I didn't particularly care for it :-)" ( )

Part three of the King Raven series does not disappoint. The idea that much of the tale of Robin Hood has been changed by virtue of the way stories evolved at the time, is brought forward. This concludes the tale as Rhi Bran, fighting a war with cunning and skill, wins back his rightful throne. ( )

Tuck was a lackluster end to a lackluster series. It had the problems of its predecessors (flat characters, inconsistent viewpoints, glacial pacing) and nothing new to add. There's really none of the gleeful mischief of the legend of Robin Hood - none of the sense of fighting because it's the right thing. It's all aimed at the ultimate goal of getting official recognition of the kingship of the cantref, and that just isn't particularly satisfying, given the cost.

Overall, I find the whole King Raven cycle a terribly disappointment. There was clearly a ton of potential here, and it was squandered. ( )