The King's Assassin (The Outlaw Chronicles, #7) by Angus Donald

The King's Assassin (The Outlaw Chronicles, #7) Reviews

• 
  Kate

  As the tale of Alan Dale and Robin Hood continues, Angus Donald shows yet again that he can do no wrong with its telling. Set against the backdrop of the rebellion that led to Magna Carta, time has moved on for Robin and Alan. A fantastic novel, dark and sad in places and thrilling and colourful in others.
  
  
• 
  S.J.A. Turney

  The seventh book in Angus Donald’s superb Outlaw chronicles is out today. Well, you know how I feel about the Outlaw books, don’t you? Just in case anyone’s still unaware of them, these books represent a whole new and very realistic treatment of Robin Hood, seen through the eyes of the minstrel (and so much more) Alan Dale.
  
  Some series of historical fiction find a winning formula and stick to it. I would say, in fact, that most of those series do that. An author finds the sweet spot where his readers are happiest and continues to write in it. Some manage to continue with great success, though others start to feel stale some time around book five or six, I find. Other authors – rarer, braver ones – allow their series to grow and change like a living thing, which runs the risk of annoying those readers who enjoy that sweet spot, but allows the author to explore more and the reader to experience more. They do not become stale.
  
  The Outlaw chronicles have grown and changed throughout Angus’ career as a novelist, and have done so with great success. In fairness, they would have to do, since they have covered two and a half decades of Alan’s life. He has changed from a young scamp to a mature, responsible knight in his time, and that journey from boy to man has been gradually reflected throughout the series, giving them a sense of growth and allowing the reader to identify with, and truly believe in, the character.
  
  That being said, even with the general progression of time in the series, book seven has moved on more than usual, and feels slightly different – though far from in a bad way. Indeed, despite the ongoing plot threads I suspect a new reader could pick up book seven and not be lost by the missing of the previous books. A decade has passed since the siege of Chateau Gaillard and the events related in The Iron Castle, and that’s some gap to bridge. Needless to say it is bridged in style.
  
  Angus has never shied away from handling the great events of the 12th and 13th centuries in his books, from the Third Crusade, the rescue of the Lionheart from Germany, the Holy Grail, the Cathar Heresy, right to the siege of Gaillard. All these events have been inextricably entwined with the characters in his books, both Robin and Alan as well as the supporting cast. And book 7 takes on one of the most important events in British history – the signing of the Magna Carta. Propitious timing, given that only a few days ago that event celebrated its 800th anniversary.
  
  A quick note on the plot and events within (avoiding spoilers at all costs): This tale takes us on from Robin and Alan’s previous position as landowners of England suffering the whims and oppression of the tyrant King John. The last two books or so have languished solidly within that nightmare situation. Well, with book 7 that tense, dangerous world is coming to a head. John is determined to reclaim his lost lands in France, but he is unpopular and poor as kings go. Wars cost money and need men. To get the men he needs he will have to hire mercenaries and send cash to his friendly rulers across the sea. And that means more money. And where does that money come from? Clearly from men like Robin and Alan. England is being squeezed until every last penny pops out, and that is crippling the people and fomenting unrest among the nobles. Though they will fight in France to reclaim his territory, John’s nobles are beginning to think the unthinkable: of the death of a tyrant. And you can be sure that Alan is expected to play a part…
  
  King’s Assassin masterfully weaves together three or four major plot threads, with each one having a bearing on the others, each having an immediate connection to the current tale while also recalling events in the previous books. There is war. There are daring escapes. There is betrayal – LOTS of betrayal. There are assassinations and sieges, desperate flights and heroic duels. But there is also a grounding in the real world. None of this is Errol Flynn leaping onto candelabra and laughing as he pinches the sheriff’s hat. It is all a tale that could so easily have happened as it is written.
  
  I was interested to see the return of a few old characters I had all but forgotten, and impressed and surprised at one particular event that was very brave of Angus to handle, I have to say. Enough said about that. No spoilers is my policy. But you’ll know what I mean when you get to it. The book is extremely well written, as you would expect, the prose poetic and carrying a feel of the language and idiom of the era, and is up there at the very top of the series, and indeed of the whole genre. King’s Man has always been my favourite of Angus’ books, but King’s Assassin is truly every bit as good.
  
  There is a palpable feeling of closure about this book, which at once makes me sad and makes me want to shake Angus’ hand. There can be no doubt that the Outlaw Chronicles are coming to an end soon. Not with this book, but with one or two perhaps left to go. While that means that I am facing the possibility of no more Robin and Alan in a few years time, it does mean that Angus is determined not to drag out the series to its detriment and can instead take it out with a bang, which is the perfect thing to do. And, of course, it means we might then be treated to a new hero from one of my favourite Hist-Fic writers.
  
  Go and find King’s Assassin in your favourite store. Read it. You won’t be disappointed. It is one of those really hard to put down books.
  
  Bravo again Angus
• 
  Bart

  Actual rating: 4.50
• 
  Blair Hodgkinson

  Another solid entry in Angus Donald's excellent Outlaw Chronicles.
  
  This time, the earl of Locksley, aka Robin Hood, and his faithful friend, Sir Alan Dale, troubadour knight, clash over how to resolve their differences with King John before becoming deeply embroiled in the larger quarrels between the king and his barons. If that wasn't enough to imperil them sufficiently, these aging heroes find themselves heavily engaged in battles against the king of France as well.
  
  Donald has proven himself a master of conflict, as each page threatens the lives and friendship of Robin and Alan as well as those around them. Kingdoms will stand or fall on their decisions. Enemies new and old rise to threaten them as well. Angus Donald knows how to keep the conflicts boiling.
  
  He also writes a good battle. With Donald's skill in providing detail, these battles feel like you're there and you can not only keep track of the details that confuse the participants in the event, but you are amply provided with the sights, sounds and smells of battle. The earthy horrors of each skirmish and battle are as richly revealed as the joys and glories of survival or victory. With Donald, you really are there in the battle with the participants. You couldn't expect anything more from Cornwell, Iggulden and Scarrow.
  
  Donald's history is pretty fair too, though his simplification of the events surrounding the Magna Carta is almost too quick. The simplifications bothered me a little, perhaps enough to demote this book to 4.5 stars instead of 5; in other words, it's a quibble. After all, it's a novel, not a history text.
  
  I don't want to get into spoilers in the review, so I'll simply say that Angus Donald has done it again and fans of his previous work are not likely to be disappointed. I will be looking for the next, and apparently final, installment of the Outlaw Chronicles.
  
  
• 
  Speesh

  AD1215. England is being bled dry, lead to rack and ruin and to the edge of full-scale civil war - by its King. Following the death of his older brother, King Richard (he of the Lion Heart), John has had a free hand to do pretty much as he pleases. Finances permitting. And when his finances don’t permit? He sends his men to take yours. As Robin and especially Alan, find out. They also find out that, despite fighting in the name of their King in countless battles on foreign soil, their King doesn’t give a hoot, it’s all about the money. And about the re-claiming of his French territories. Which, if you’re with us from the previous book, were lost due to the King’s dithering and downright treachery. So, Robin and Alan are forced to take part in another foreign campaign, hoping to restore both the Kings French possessions and their finances. When this doesn’t quite come off, they begin to look inwards, at England. They subsequently find they’re not the only ones who have had enough of their King’s profligacy with money and other people’s lives. They find themselves caught up in a plot not only to curb the King’s powers - tricky, as these are God-given - but also his life. One of those will happen.
  
  (With all the behind the scenes work Angus has him do here, not to mention the land he owns and the troops he uses to speed the path to Runnymead, we’re all gonna have to take another look at the Magna Carta, see if historians haven missed Robin Hood’s name on there all these years).
  
  The presentation of the story is as it has been since the first book. However, this time, as the Alan doing the remembering, is getting on a bit, the opening, ending and mid-story 'present-day’ sections are now narrated by a monk at the monastery where old Alan lives. He's been there some years, it seems - he is now 70, his eyesight is failing and his hands are unable to grip the writing instruments. Luckily for us and Angus, it seems his memory is not suffering too much, so he is able to dictate his memories to this young monk. How he gets to be in the monastery, isn’t clear, though the ending does hint at something. Something I would really, really - and have said so before - like to see developed. I’d like to see books about ‘Old Alan’, post-Robin Alan, as I’ve been consistently awed by the poignancy of Angus’ writing in these sections.
  
  As for ‘Young Alan,' he’s still an irritating, self-righteous, holier than thou, little shit. Only rescued by his ability to let his sword do the thinking and generally going against the majority of the 10 Commandments, handed down personally by the God he reveres so much. Even Robin’s legendary - in this series anyway - patience, must be sorely tested and it is, by Alan’s foolhardy, short-sighted, impatience. No sooner done, than said. No sooner said, than done. Robin doesn’t always manage to keep a lid on his irritation at pulling Alan’s arse out the fire he himself has started. Actually, it is appropriate - given the series’ premise - that it is Robin’s character has undergone perhaps the most notable change through the books so far. From a mythical-type figure in ‘Outlaw’ - to national - sometimes international - statesman, state maker and now, King-saver. He’s come in from the forest, in to the palaces.
  
  And here’s where I’ve long thought that if there were a problem with the books, it was that Robin, and the stories, spent so much - too much - time out of Sherwood, our of England and in France. The series might have been touted as a re-imagining of the Robin Hood legend, but I’ll put money on most people imagining, it would re-imagine the legend in England, in Sherwood, in particular. The first book fit the brief, to a T. The second, was set away on the Crusades - as most people have seen the Kevin Costner version, I’d think most went along with that. But when the third and fourth and so on came and went without a hint of Sherwood, Robin a nobleman and living in Yorkshire, for goodness’ sake and nary a sign of the Sheriff of Nottingham - well, even I started to get a bit restless. I had some initial reservations here too, primarily when I read “…Robin Hood and his men are dragged into the war against the French in Flanders” on the inner cover blurb, and I will admit to first thinking ‘O no, here we go again…’ However, I will also admit to being thus totally unprepared for how comprehensively blown away I would be by such a well-plotted, paced and written book. On reflection, apart from all that, I don’t think there’s any surprise in that my enjoyment of this is in direct relation to the amount of time the story spends in England - Nottingham even!
  
  Having read 'The Iron Castle' and a couple of the previous ones, will help you here as well, as characters and themes pop up to add extra spice. This too, was one of the things I enjoyed about the book, the complexity and ambition of the plot seemed to be a level above. In fact, 'The King’s Assassin' might just be the best of the series so far. Full of vivid descriptions, some poignant commentary on the state of England at the time and, of course, Angus’ trademark set piece battle action - you are THERE. The words come to life, looking at the pages is like watching a film. Better than a film. You are there. You ARE there. Watching them, feeling their tension, tasting their food, smelling the smells...at Robin's - and especially Alan’s - side, parrying the sword thrusts, stopping arrows with your shield and staggering away from the bloody battlefield, wondering how you survived. Exciting, tense, gripping and fun, an absolute pleasure to read and muse upon. A wonderful book, really, really wonderful. Can’t say fairer than that.
  
  
  *You thought I was gonna put their, there, eh?
  
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• 
  Stephen

  really enjoyed the latest in the outlaw chronicles (robin hood) series as told through sir alan dale as plot is around john bid to regain the loss lands of Normandy and his taxing the nation and bleeding it dry, also see the sherwood gang in action again in flanders and in England. the background plot is the curbing of the king's power which in the end becomes the charter of Runnymede (magna carta. really looking forward to the next in the series.
• 
  Terry Rudge

  Very good outing with Alan and Robin
  This one got off to a quick start and had a helter skeleter ending
  
  Again, I find myself how surprised Donald has managed to make each of these books feel unique and not just episodes from the same series.
  
  I liked the Mysteries that were the undertone for this story and I genuinely didn't predict any of the parts that played out
• 
  Nick Brett

  Sadly, this great series is nearing an end and this looks like the penultimate book. A real shame as this has been a consistently excellent series featuring the legend that is Robin of Sherwood.
  
  Author Angus Donald has wrapped the story of Robin Hood into the history of Richard the Lionheart, the crusades and now, with the death of the Lionheart, we have King John and the events leading to the Magna Carta. Most of us know ‘of’ the Magna Carta but this book shows a broken England with King John sucking it dry in his attempt to recover land in France. As always, the story is told through the eyes of the (now) middle aged Alan Dale and we see battle, intrigue and treachery before we get to the end of the journey that leads to the critical point of British history, the Magna Carta. And why the principle of this document was so important in British history.
  
  These books have been educational, but wrapped in enthralling and thrilling story-telling. At the start of the series Robin was little more than a “Godfather of the Forrest” but as the series has evolved both Robin (and Alan) have grown in stature and are no longer outlaws but maverick landowners and knights. This allows them to mix with the people of power and allows the reader to see events through their eyes. The books are so well written that you not only emphasise with the characters, but you end up on an emotional journey because you feel connected, only exceptional writing delivers this and Angus Donald has delivered consistently since book one.
  
  I can’t recommend this series enough.
  
• 
  Adam Lofthouse

  Another belter!
  
  The King's Assassin begins - as you could well imagine - with our narrator, Sir Alan Dale - duped in to an assassination attempt on King John of England. Betrayed, Alan is thrown into jail, left to rot with no food. His lord and friend, Robin Hood, lord of Loxley, will of course arrive to save him, and then the plot really kicks off.
  
  As always with this incredible series, it is not just the tale of Robin Hood that is being told, but one of the most important times in English history. This is the tale of the Magna Carta. The Northern barons will rebel against their king, sick of unruly taxes and high handed sheriffs, they force the king to set his seal on a document that will change the laws in England forever. At Runnymead, history is made, and Sir Alan and his lord will of course be integral to it all.
  
  It is with much excitement and great trepidation that I move on to the next, and final, book in this series. THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD is the title, I fear it may break me when it ends.
• 
  Lu Newman

  The King’s Assassin is the seventh and penultimate book in Angus Donald’s wonderfully gripping Outlaw Chronicles.
  
  England is being squeezed dry while in the grip of the ruthless King John. Taxes to fund the Kings relentless war in France is causing dissent throughout the country and the rumblings of a civil war echo around strongholds.
  
  Alan of Dale despite fighting loyally for a King he despises finds himself having to defend his home and son Robert from the hands of King John’s Sheriff of Nottingham. One night after arriving back to England from the war, Alan is a guest in his Lord’s home, the Earl of Locksley, the notorious Robin Hood. Alan is present while his Lord entertains two noblemen from the north who have rebellion in their souls and a plot to assassinate the King. Robin dismisses the plot and vows to have nothing to do with it, however Alan who is having to defend his manor from the King’s men finds his ear more inclined to the plot. Will Alan of Dale kill God’s anointed King?
  
  I really enjoyed reading this book. One of the things I have enjoyed most about this series is the mixture of fiction with fact. Angus Donald is a master of weaving his tales into history so much so I was almost convinced that the Earl of Locksley’s name must be on the Magna Carta somewhere, one day I will have to take a look.
  
  If you have read the previous books you will be aware that the narrator is Alan of Dale who is recounting the tales of his Lord, Robin Hood while in his twilight years. In this book however Alan has aged quite considerably and is now resident in Monastery. A Monk who Alan taught to read and write has now taken up the mantle while Alan dictates his tales. In previous books I have really enjoyed these little insights into Alan’s life as he has got older. Now the Monk has taken over this also writing down what Alan is doing and how his life is in the Monastery. It is a nice touch, it makes Alan feel very real and it makes me feel a little sad that Alan is unable to write his tales himself anymore.
  
  I personally felt as though this was one of my favourite books in the series as it has set up the next book nicely. Introducing some interesting new characters and reacquainting us with some others we would have sooner forgotten.
• 
  John

  What do you do when your King taxes the land into poverty to fund his ongoing wars? Yes, this sounds terribly familiar, but it certainly is nothing new! King John, the unpopular and largely unsuccessful military leader has to pay for mercenaries to reclaim Normandy from France. His barons and earls have just about had enough, and our dear Sir Alan Dale has a score to settle anyway. When Alan throws his lot in with a few disgruntled lords against the counsel of his own lord and mentor, Robin Hood, things get sideways fast.
  
  This is another great work of historical fiction, charting the years leading up to the creation of the Magna Carta. Who knew that a former outlaw, Robin Hood, would have such an impact on the future of lands based on the rule of law. It's another incredible feat that Angus Donald has held my attention for SEVEN books! Great story telling and an excellent refresher of European history!
• 
  Keith Warren

  Angus Donald is a great writer. Like the previous books in this series, the interwoven story of Alan Dale & Robin Hood with real historical events is done really well.
  
  Alan (while a bloody dolt at times) is a great character with a distinct voice. I am sad that I'm one book away from saying goodbye to him.
  
  The action in this series is some of the best I've read ever. It's enjoyable to read but respects warfare and doesn't glorify it. It is portrayed as what it is, horrible.
  
  Angus Donald has made historical fiction a mainstay in my chosen reading genres, something I'm very grateful for.
  
  8/10
  
  
  See this and other reviews + my own average stories at
  https://keithwarrenwriter.com
• 
  Barefoot Gypsy Jimerson

  One man's story.
  
  Not a bad tail told by Alan Dale. A tail of war of loses of friend's an family of loved ones lost. Wars that should of never been. A king that only thought of himself that was brought to kneel before the people. Not a bad read.
• 
  Diane Cranson

  Another great volume in the Outlaw Chronicles by Angus Donald. Only one more volume to go. I've loved this series and I'm devastated that I'm reaching the end of it. Great work by this author.
• 
  Dustin Manning

  I truly can't get enough of this series. It's brutal, it's historical it's freakin Robin Hood but in the truest of militaristic storytelling.
• 
  Jon Hollihan

  Excellent. Engaging, full of shocking surprises.
• 
  Diego Furtado

  Amazing!
  
  Angus Donald keeps surprising me with this great series rich in history and battles. Looking forward to the next book of Robin wood!
  
• 
  Becca

  Another wonderful adventure with Robin Good and his merry men.
• 
  Julie Reynolds

  I picked this book at random in the library. It’s book 7/8. It was fast paced, a really page-turner. I was completely hooked. Reserved a couple more from the series at the library 😊.
• 
  Nigel Taylor

  A Good Read
  
  Easy to read with some bits of history thrown in. Enjoyed the read. Took me back to one of my boyhood pleasures.
• 
  Charlotte Wightwick

  In this 800th anniversary year of the Magna Carta, it seems only right that the latest instalment in Angus Donald’s Outlaw Chronicles should see his re-telling of the Robin Hood legend reach Runnymede. Alan Dale, our narrator, is now a sworn knight in the service of Robin. As Earl of Locksley, the ex-outlaw now plays an important part in the affairs of England, supporting men such as William Marshal and the king’s half-brother, the Earl of Salisbury. As the novel opens, Alan and Robin are, like the rest of England’s barons, being bled dry by King John’s rapacious demands for taxation and oppressed by the lack of justice he shows. Together with old comrades, including Little John, the two are then drawn into John’s wars with France, culminating in a tense, exciting account of the Battle of Bouvines. In the aftermath of the battle, as England explodes into civil war, Alan and Robin have to decide where their loyalties lie.
  
  Alan is a likeable, yet flawed central character whose loyalty, sense of honour and impetuosity lead him to become embroiled in a plot to kill the king, and Donald’s writing is fast-paced and engaging. Despite being the seventh book in a series, this novel stands up well on its own. Donald’s fictional characters are rooted in a well-researched and believable historical backdrop, whilst also remaining true to the spirit of the Robin Hood legend. An entertaining and highly enjoyable read. Recommended.
  
  Review first appeared in Historical Novels Review, August 2015
  https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...
• 
  Rebecca

  After reading this excellent additional historical adventure with Robin and Alan. I soon realised that this may be the first book that centres more on Alan then on his role as accomplice with Robin. We see him struggle with his role as a Father and as a Lord to protect and safeguard not just his family but the people of his lands against the growing financial tyranny of King John.
  This historical adventure revolves around the creation of the Magna Carter and through the book the reader comes to realise it was more than some unhappy nobles that brought it about. As witnessed in the other books King John was never as good a King as his brother or others but even Robin remarks that not all Kings are perfect.
  Yet amongst the backdrop of the Great Charter past decisions made by Robin and Alan have arisen in the form of traitors and danger both on and off the battlefield. It is a nice reflection of how the Kings past choices have built up the demand for Magna Carter and how even on an individual level can resonate years later and impact those closest to you.
  It was another truly exciting read and I particularly liked the new turn with the narrative technique used between each section. It is a worthy end for one character and also a worthy start for the end of the series. I believe many a tear will be shed as we follow the Lord of Sherwood one final time.