“A DARING SACRIFICE,” by Jody Hedlund, Zondervan; Gld edition, March 1, 2016, Softcover, $12.99 (young adult)
Jody Hedlund reimagines the tale of Robin Hood in her latest novel, “A Daring Sacrifice.”
Juliana was supposed to have a charmed life. As the daughter of a lord, she was set to have all she could ever want. That changed when her father died and her uncle took over the land that was right fully hers. Now, Juliana lives in the forest. She disguises herself as a man and spends her days making reparations for her uncle’s cruelty — stealing from the rich to feed the poor.
Life is a bit dangerous but not unmanageable. But as the price on Juliana’s head starts going up, there’s a fear she won’t be able to hide her identity forever. When Juliana crosses paths with someone from her past her secrets begin to unravel. Juliana never prepared herself to fall in love with a knight.
One of the first things I noticed about “A Daring Sacrifice,” is that while it’s clean of sex and profanity, it’s also light on religious overtones — something that’s not always the case with books from Zondervan. This choice will help the book crossover to other markets, which it deserves.
“A Daring Sacrifice” is full of action and intrigue and a nice touch of romance. Author Jody Hedlund is never heavy-handed with her characters, and she manages to stay truthful to the Robin Hood tale while making the story her own.
“A Daring Sacrifice” is a quick read — I read it in less than two days. It’s a good choice for those who are looking to escape into some lighter fare.
