New on Amazon: Unwell
$0.99 with 88 percent savings
Print List Price: $7.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC.
Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Toby Venables
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Knight of Shadows: A Guy of Gisburne Novel (Hunter of Sherwood Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Toby Venables (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 111 ratings
A GUY OF GISBURNE NOVEL

England, 1191. Richard Lionheart has left the realm bankrupt and leaderless in his quest for glory. Only Prince John seems willing to fight back the tide of chaos threatening England – embodied by the traitorous ‘Hood.’

But John has a secret weapon: Guy of Gisburne, outcast, mercenary, and now knight. His first mission: to intercept the jewel-encrusted skull of John the Baptist, sent by the Templars to Philip, King of France. Gisburne’s quest takes him from the Tower of London to the hectic crusader port of Marseilles – and into increasingly bloody encounters with ‘The White Devil’: the fanatical Templar de Mercheval.

Relentlessly pursued back to England, and aided by the beautiful and secretive Mélisande, Gisburne battles his way with sword, lance and bow to a bitter confrontation at the Castel de Mercheval. But beyond it – if he survives – lies an even more unpredictable adversary.

‘Ample action, a romance, good pace and plenty of gore. Well-written and exciting.’
The Historical Novel Society
Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. Book 1 of 3
    Hunter of Sherwood
  2. Print length
    544 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    September 22, 2013
  5. File size
    1.1 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
Next slide of product details
Unwell Hydration from Alex Cooper
Hydrate & focus with every sip Shop now

Shop this series

 See full series
There are 3 books in this series.
This option includes 3 books.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Historical Fantasy has never been such fun! This novel, [is] set during the Robin Hood era of Prince John's rule, Guy of Gisbourne is a knight enlisted to capture the skull of John the Baptist from the French King Philip. Magnificent, action-packed fantasy. This is a fast-paced book that never lets up from its opening pages. The Historical world is rich and chaos-filled, and the brutal sword-fighting and action are an integral part of the story as Guy struggles across to Marseilles and back. Exceptional story, great characters, rich and varied settings, and simply irresistible writing. What more can you ask for from a historical fantasy.' - Morpheus Tales

About the Author

Toby Venables is a novelist, screenwriter and lecturer in Film Studies at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge. He grew up watching old Universal horror movies when his parents thought he was asleep, reading 2000 AD and obsessing about Beowulf. There was probably a bit more to it, but he can't quite remember what it was. He has since worked as a journalist and magazine editor - launching magazines in Cambridge, Peterborough, Oxford and Bristol - and once orchestrated an elaborate Halloween hoax for which he built and photographed a werewolf. He still works as a freelance copywriter, has been the recipient of a radio advertising award, and in 2001 won the Keats-Shelley Memorial Prize (both possibly due to typing errors). His first novel (for Abaddon) was The Viking Dead - a historical-zombie-SF mashup which has been described as A fantastic mix of history, violence and horror and ludicrous fun.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00FDUDYLY
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Abaddon Books (September 22, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 22, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.1 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 544 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 111 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Toby Venables

Toby Venables

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Toby Venables is a novelist, screenwriter and lecturer in Film Studies at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge. He grew up watching old Universal horror movies when his parents thought he was asleep, reading 2000AD and obsessing about Beowulf. There was probably a bit more to it, but he can't quite remember what it was.

He has since worked as a journalist and magazine editor – launching magazines in Cambridge, Peterborough, Oxford and Bristol – and once orchestrated an elaborate Halloween hoax for which he built and photographed a werewolf. He still works as a freelance copywriter, has been the recipient of a radio advertising award, and in 2001 won the Keats-Shelley Memorial Prize (both possibly due to typing errors).

His first novel (for Abaddon) was The Viking Dead – a historical-zombie-SF mashup which has been described as "A fantastic mix of history, violence and horror" and "ludicrous fun". He is also author of the Hunter of Sherwood trilogy – now on its second book – in which Guy of Gisburne is the hero, and Hood a bit of a rotter. The first of these novels, Knight of Shadows, garnered some charitable reviews, including one which essentially implied the author was the bastard son of Bernard Cornwell. Which was nice.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
111 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers appreciate this book's storyline, describing it as an epic re-imagination of historical events and a great new take on the Robin Hood story. They find it highly readable, with one customer noting its well-paced narrative. They like the hero development, with one review highlighting the believable character and another mentioning the adventurous protagonist.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

9 customers mention "Storyline"9 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the storyline of this book, describing it as an epic re-imagination of historical events and a great new take on the Robin Hood story, with one customer noting how it weaves known facts with possibilities.

"...It is a epic re-imagination of historical events. I did stop and look up persons, battles, and words...." Read more

"...you through the flashbacks that are mixed in, but I enjoyed the backstory within the story. Basil Rathbone was with me the whole book...." Read more

"A very different take on the Robin Hood tale. A medieval James Bond meets Indiana Jones. The first part of a series." Read more

"This is a total rewrite of the Robin Hood story...." Read more

8 customers mention "Readability"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a good read, with one customer describing it as a highly enjoyable take on a classic.

"This writer knows how to punctuate! Highly enjoyable take on a classic...." Read more

"...Very exciting so far. Very much like the characters. It'll probably take me a week to finish the book since I have so much other things going on...." Read more

"...Very well done" Read more

"fantasy, adventure from period of king author and merlin the magician. good read" Read more

4 customers mention "Hero development"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the hero development in the book, with one review noting the believable character and another mentioning the adventurous protagonist.

"...Very exciting so far. Very much like the characters. It'll probably take me a week to finish the book since I have so much other things going on...." Read more

"...the familiar take of Robin Hood upside down, and introduced an even more adventurous hero...." Read more

"...In this one Guy of Gisborne is a flawed but believable hero instead of the villian, and Prince John is a king who is trying to pick up the pieces..." Read more

"...It was fun to read and makes you want to root for the main character." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Queen Talk Talk
    5.0 out of 5 stars It's complicated.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    While there is mention of sexy times both consensual and non, this is not a romance. It is a epic re-imagination of historical events. I did stop and look up persons, battles, and words. The story telling weaves known facts with possibilities. I enjoyed it.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Jane Error
    4.0 out of 5 stars Read on Kindle
    Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This writer knows how to punctuate! Highly enjoyable take on a classic. Very little in the way of bad language despite there being some unknightly behavior.
    Is the horse a metaphor?
    KINDLE ISSUES - Either chapters 11 and 12 were switched, or the characters got caught in Northern France before they ever landed in Calais. Chapter 13 continues the action of Chapter 11. There was much timeline jumping in the story, but this one seemed unintended. The chapters and their headings were not navigable. Having the titles/dates in the usual sidebar would have made it easier to follow the timelines. IMHO
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Daniel Frederick
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent start.
    Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Hey thanks Amazon for thinking that I could read this book in one night. I just got it in the mail yesterday, promptly yes thank you. And even though I have read the first six chapters already. Haven't quite finished it yet, but you're prompting me with emails to rate the book. Between life and work I haven't been able to just sit and read the whole thing yet. Although I did fly through the first six chapters when I was just going to glance at the book a little bit. Very exciting so far. Very much like the characters. It'll probably take me a week to finish the book since I have so much other things going on. However if my rating changes I'll come back and fix it. If the rest of the book is as good as the first six chapters I'll be one happy reader. As a sidenote, and has nothing to do with actual story, I would like to say that the cover this book is really cool. Although my final rating of this book will have nothing to do with the cover just wanted to say that I like a lot. I will say that based in the first few chapters I put this authors other book on my wish list. So. I'm off to read some more before I have to actually go do real life stuff. Again, the book is great so far and I'll have to strive to read faster for Amazon who seems to thinks I am a fast reader.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Jeremy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Robin hood universe
    Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    I happened to come across this book at 2nd and Charles and was interested since I like the Robin Hood lore so I wanted to see where they'd go with a different characters. Very well done
    Helpful
     Report
  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Richly detailed historical fiction
    Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This novel turns the familiar take of Robin Hood upside down, and introduced an even more adventurous hero. The author has obviously done exhaustive historical research. My only quibble is that multiple make characters have names starting in G and to two main female characters have names starting in M. There is some grisly detail in the big battle scene, in which animals are harmed.
    Helpful
     Report
  • rich7101
    5.0 out of 5 stars fantasy,adventure
    Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    fantasy, adventure from period of king author and merlin the magician. good read
    Helpful
     Report
  • Freya
    5.0 out of 5 stars New spin on a known tale
    Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I don't usually like "new" versions of Robin Hood, but this one as worth it. It was highly recommended and I am glad I listened, despite being a traditionalist. Robin is not the main character this time, it is from the perspective of Guy of Gisburne. Will definitely continue the series.
    Helpful
     Report
  • P. Guthrie
    4.0 out of 5 stars I'll re-read these later.
    Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed this series throughout. The writer can kind of lose you through the flashbacks that are mixed in, but I enjoyed the backstory within the story. Basil Rathbone was with me the whole book. Galfrid is a wonderful foil for the serious Gisburne. I can see re-reading these in the future. Great twist, and point of view on an old story!
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Phil
    1.0 out of 5 stars Twaddle!!
    Reviewed in Australia on March 19, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    If someone can give me a good reason to read past the first chapter I would love to hear it... I didn't make it to the end of the first chapter... The author is trying to be too clever and over describes EVERYTHING!!! Almost 2 pages of describing a freaking wall... Come on!!
    Report
  • Nick Brett
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great twist on the legend
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 29, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Have to say I was impressed with this. What I assumed might be a light pulp fiction ended up being a well-researched, clever and compelling tale. The Robin Hood story has been re-booted recently in an excellent series by Angus Donald. Here there is a different twist on the tale seen from the perspective of Guy of Gisburne acting as a bit of a ‘fixer’ for Prince John who is also not the dark figure we are accustomed to. Guy is sent on a mission with a squire and finds himself battling dodgy Templars, while occasionally being distracted by a very attractive lady and all set within a very authentic historical context. And Robin Hood is a peripheral figure here and, it has to be said, not a very nice one.

    So as we follow Guy on his mission we also get his backstory which positions who he is and helps us to understand his character and decisions. This was great fun and deserves a wider audience, I hope to see more in the series.
    Report
  • Vincent Black
    3.0 out of 5 stars Inconsistent Quality
    Reviewed in Canada on February 18, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    'Inconsistent quality' is the best way I can think of to describe this book. There's a lot going on - some of it is really good, and some of it is really not. The short version of this review is; I'm interested enough in this story to buy the rest of the series, and I think the author has enough technical skill and an interesting enough concept to make this a worthwhile trilogy to invest your time in.

    The long version, with some minor spoilers:

    The opening chapters of this book are more of a slog than I've ever read in a book that I actually bothered to finish. I'm glad I stuck it out, but that was only because I was curious about how the underlying concept would be handled. The opening chapters gave me virtually no reason to actually want to keep going. It isn't just a bit bland and over-described, it also reads less like a quasi-historical fiction and more like the adventures of a D&D rogue.

    That complaint actually threads throughout the book a bit. There's an over-reliance on more 'action movie' or 'D&D campaign' kind of stuff, right down to the quirky tinkerer with a shop full of fantasy nonsense. 'Greek fire' plays an important role (there is a scene dealing with a literal stockpile of the stuff, and several scenes where it is used or carried as a grenade) despite this being set in the 12th century, when no one had any idea how to make it.

    It's personal taste, but I feel that even loose historical fiction suffers with the over-reliance on pure fantasy or obvious anachronisms. For me, this stuff really hurt the story and honestly wasn't even at all necessary. Everything handled with 'Greek fire' could have been handled in other, far more realistic but no less dramatic ways.

    There's seemingly completely random time slips where we go back and forth through Guy's life (which could have been handled with more clarity). I fully understand the need for these in how the story is being told, but they still felt rather sloppy. 'Sloppy' may also help explain the tone, which seems to shift around a bit. There's literally a scene in the book that seems to be directly ripped off from the first Rambo movie, and the final battle is extremely tense, punctuated by moments that border on slapstick goofiness (probably unintentional). And the aforementioned Rambo scene, while kind of cool, is also entirely dependent on a) an entire cadre of 12th century knights not bothering to have shields with them, b) every enemy involved doing the absolute stupidest possible thing, c) not understanding basic physics, and d) a severely injured character being able to set up elaborate, heavy traps in a matter of a few days.

    And I'll just throw in that half-way through the book I was SO tired of Guy remembering these overly-wordy 'sayings' that his old mentor used to have. They're too long. It takes me right out of the story because I don't believe he's remembering ALL that stuff coming out of his mentor's mouth at once. Constantly. If you play the 'take a drink every time Guy remembers some random thing his mentor said that just happens to fit in with exactly what's happening right now' game, you'll die.
    Also, it takes away so much of Guy's agency. It starts to feel like he doesn't have any original thoughts or ideas. He's just following the script his old mentor wrote for him, and it makes him barely seem like a character in his own right sometimes.

    I know, it's a lot of complaints. Here's what saves it: This take on the Robin Hood myth is incredibly compelling and fresh. I've read and watched a lot of Robin Hood in my life and I've never quite experienced anything like this and I loved that part. I wished there was more of it and I'm hoping that becomes more of the focus in the other two books in the series.
    The author is also quite capable of utilizing fairly limited space to creating compelling characters. The villain Templar, Prince John, Galfrid, even several very minor characters are given their own voice and depth without hogging too much of the page count.

    It's worth reading, I think, to get to the next book. There's some cool stuff here. Some damn cool stuff. But also some absolute nonsense. If the author focuses in more tightly on what worked in this book, the next two might very well be amazing.
    Report
  • Stephen Warren
    4.0 out of 5 stars Bit of fun
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 8, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Entertaining enough, not a classic but a good romp
    Report
  • milk lover
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful writing. Wonderful story.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 17, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Fun read. Takes you back in time in the nicest way. But a serious warning, the series is addictive so you will want to find something afterwards to fill the void! Could not put these books down.
    Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report