Rowan, daughter of the woodwife Celandine and Robin Hood, vows to avenge her mother's death by slaying the four knights who burned her cottage and her within it. With that vow, Rowan finds she can no longer hear the trees and stones, no longer knows, always, where her father is, and the legacy of her mother's aelfe kin. But she blindly presses forward with her friends, the minstrel Lionel, Ettarde the runaway princess and Beau, whose French malapropisms hide her wily intelligence. This last in the series allows for much description of fey woodland, harsh living and knightly battle in a story that nonetheless moves quickly. When Rowan witnesses what happens to the murderous knights, and the aelves appear to her at a climactic moment, death, revenge, sorrow and devotion culminate in a stirring end. Even though not all of the storylines are fully realized, readers of the earlier titles will be satisfied. (Fiction. 9-12) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr. 4-7. Subtitled The Final Chapter, this fourth (and presumably last) entry in Springer's Tales of Rowan Hood series brings the Sherwood Forest story cycle satisfyingly full circle, returning the narrative focus to Rowan herself. Bounty hunters continue to harry Robin Hood's daughter and her band of good-hearted outlaws, but the most prominent conflict here is internal: Rowan has discovered the identities of those who murdered her mother (a forestwife healer) two years ago. Overcome with an inner darkening, a chill in her bones, the stricken teen sets out to exact vengeance. Rowan's friends suppress concern over their leader's uncharacteristically grim outlook and violent intent, lending support--both emotional and physical, as her injured legs seem to weaken inversely proportionate to her fury--and bearing witness as she feels her way back to her true purpose in life. Slender but deeply felt, and dense with detail that reflects and extends the richness of the interior landscapes traversed, this brings a favorite medieval adventure series to a brooding but graceful close. --Jennifer Mattson Copyright 2005 Booklist

Gr 4-7-This is the concluding title (Philomel, 2005) in Nancy Springer's Tales of Rowan Hood series which is set in Great Britain during the time of Richard I. Rowan, the adventurous daughter of Robin Hood, discovers who was responsible for her mother's murder several years ago and sets out with her cohorts to avenge her death. Peril, suspense, and nail-biting action build during the tale. While some background knowledge from the previous titles helps listeners understand the plot, there is enough background provided throughout this episode that those new to the series will have no trouble understanding the action. Narrator Emily Gray creates a unique voice for each character and offers a well-paced reading. An additional purchase for libraries where the series is popular and for those looking to expand their historical fiction collections.-Lynn K. Vanca, Akron-Summit County Public Library. OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Accompanied by her loyal friends, Robin Hood's outlaw daughter, Rowan, journeys to the scene of her mother's murder, with plans for vengeance against the killers. The short book deals effectively with weighty ethical issues. With a fully realized forest setting and particularly strong characterizations of Rowan's friends and enemies, the story provides a fitting conclusion to the fantasy series. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.