It’s the first Wednesday of the month and time for another posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.
I’ve decided to hand over the reins today to author friend Lyndsey Hall to talk about the inspiration about her newest novel which comes out next month.
When I was invited to take part in a new multi-author series bringing together two classic villains for their own happily ever after, I knew exactly which two tales I wanted to combine. While the other eleven authors mostly chose fairy tales, I picked the well-known and much-retold legends of Robin Hood and King Arthur.
Living just half an hour from Sherwood Forest in the green, middle bit of England (a Canadian friend once sounded surprised to hear Sherwood Forest is in fact a real place, so just to confirm, it really is!), I’ve always been intrigued by the legendary outlaw. I’ve watched and read several adaptations, including the BBC’s Robin Hood with Richard Armitage as Guy of Gisborne, dressed all in black and brooding at every opportunity. It’s this version of Guy who inspired my character of Stefano, the new High Sheriff of the Royal Forests, brought over from Sicily thanks to his reputation for witch hunting.
I wanted to ground my version of these famous stories in a setting that felt at once historical and high fantasy, so I used real local village and town names, but I decided to blend the Crusades with the witch trials. This allowed me to bring Morgana into Robin Hood’s story, as a five-hundred-year old witch living on the fringe of society, feared and hated by the villagers and persecuted by the sheriff and his witch hunters.
The King Arthur story comes through in snippets of Morgana’s back story, and eventually it all comes full circle towards the end of the novel, tying in the two legends and giving the two complicated villain leads a chance for redemption.
I’ve always loved alternative history novels, and I hope that Falling for the Enchantress feels like a fantastical, magical story with historical foundations that make the setting and characters feel real. But most of all, it’s a fun, fast-paced adventure with rebellious outlaws, fierce witches and a rogueish sheriff, with a sweet sprinkling of romance!
When I was researching for this story, I read and fell in love with Jacque Steven’s Robin’s Hood series. Told from Marian’s POV, the narrative voice is immediately captivating, and Jacque has done an incredible job of flipping the classic story to centre Marian and convince us that she was really the one under the hood.
I also devoured Morgan is My Name by Sophie Keetch, which is a lush historical fantasy about Morgana’s origins and how she came to be the villainess we all know. I can’t recommend this series enough!
There are so many amazing retellings of both Robin Hood and King Arthur, from Bluebeard and the Outlaw by Tara Grayce, which blends Robin’s story with the legend of Bluebeard, to KM Shea’s Robyn Hood – both of which gender swap Robin, too! And Avalon Tower by C.N. Crawford and Alex Rivers, which turns Camelot into a fey court with an elite spy academy.
And if you like your no spice, romantic fantasy novels on the slightly darker, grittier side with witchcraft, magical bonds, forced proximity and snarky banter, then you might like Falling for the Enchantress!
About the Book
Falling for the Enchantress by Lyndsey Hall
An ancient witch with a grudge.
A sheriff with something to prove.
An enchantment they’ll come to regret, but never escape.
High Priestess Morgaine has been hiding in plain sight for centuries, using her magic to hide herself and her coven from Prince John’s witch hunters. But when a young witchling is slain by the new sheriff’s men, Morgaine will stop at nothing to get vengeance. She’ll kill every witch hunter in the royal forests, including the cruel and handsome sheriff, and then she’ll find Prince John and cut out his heart for good measure.
Until a protection spell backfires and she finds herself magically bound to her enemy. If he dies, so does she.
Stefano’s only job as the High Sheriff of the Royal Forests is to rid the country of the scourge of witchcraft. Betrothed to Prince John’s daughter, he’s desperate to prove his worth and live up to his name as the Grand Witch Hunter. The only thing standing in his way is the captivating and enigmatic witch he’s now bound to by some twist of fate.
As sparks fly and the sworn enemies grow to grudgingly respect each other, could there be more than pure hatred causing the tension between them?
Falling for the Enchantress is a fairy tale that combines elements of Robin Hood and King Arthur. Set between the events in each of these stories, it is the ninth book in the To Win a Dark Heart series, which retells fairy tales as old as time, but this time it’s the villain’s turn to get a happy ending.
Check it out on Goodreads.
About the Author
Lyndsey Hall lives on the edge of Sherwood Forest, one of the most magical places in England’s history, and the inspiration for her debut novel, The Fair Queen. She grew up surrounded by books, and loved to write from a young age.
She loves to travel and try her hand at new things, but is most at home when curled up in a chair with a cup of tea and a good book, usually accompanied by at least one dog.
Get a FREE book when you join Lyndsey’s email list: https://substack.com/@lyndseyhallwrites
Find her on social media: @lyndseyhall on Instagram and @lyndseyhall_ on TikTok
Do you enjoy retellings and no-spice romantasy? Have you read anything by this author? Do you write romantasy, romance or fantasy? Any book recommendations you’d like to share?
Congrats to Lyndsey on her debut book. It’s cool that she lives near Sherwood Forest.
That’s a lot of books about Robin Hood. I never knew Sherwood Forest was a real place either.
Cool idea, bringing the villains together and maybe making them a little more complex! Bit of trivia: the 1940-something Robin Hood movie (starring Errol Flynn) has parts filmed in my husband’s home town of Chico, CA. Sadly, by the time I saw the place, the giant old oak they’d used as his home base was gone 🙁
Sounds like a cool book! Added to my TBR and wishlist.
Happy IWSG day! I’m co-hosting this month.
“A good book gets better at the second reading. A great book at the third.” — Tyler DeVries
J (he/him 👨🏽 or 🧑🏽 they/them) @JLenniDorner ~ Speculative Fiction & Reference Author and Co-host of the April Blogging #AtoZChallenge international blog hop
Thanks for stopping by my blog. This is a cool intro to Lindsey and her work. I’m excited about her debut. I love the idea of mixing these two legends.