King's Man is the third novel of the five-part Outlaw Chronicles series by British

British people

The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...

 writer of historical fiction

Historical fiction

Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...

, Angus Donald

Angus Donald

Angus Donald is a British writer of historical fiction. As of 2011, he has released three books that loosely follow the story of Alan-a-Dale.-Biography:...

, released on 21 July 2011 through Little, Brown and Company

Little, Brown and Company

Little, Brown and Company is a publishing house established by Charles Coffin Little and his partner, James Brown. Since 2006 it has been a constituent unit of Hachette Book Group USA.-19th century:...

.

Plot

This novel continues the story of Alan Dale, based on the historical Alan-a-Dale

Alan-a-Dale

Alan-a-Dale is a figure in the Robin Hood legend...

; warrior and troubadour in Robin Hood

Robin Hood

Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....

s band of outlaws. This novel centres round the capture and ransom of Richard the Lionheart; (loosely based on the actual events) and the subsequent effort to release him.

Reception

The novel has received some praise. Gareth Wilson, of Falcata Time states that the book is "beautifully written" and also notes it's "classy storytelling style spartanesque prose, cracking overall arc which when blended with his own writing style really generates something special.". Author Giles Kristian

Giles Kristian

Giles Kristian is a novelist, known for his action adventure novels in the historical fiction genre. He is best known for his Raven series, about a young man’s coming of age amongst a band of Viking warriors. His first novel, the bestselling Raven: Blood Eye, was published to great acclaim...

, writing for on-line book database Lovereading, stated that the novel is "A fresh, lively and welcome take on one of the world's most famous outlaws." and that it "stirred in me a nostalgia for all the great stories of my childhood; those that thrilled me, inspired me and shaped who I am today.". Additionally, The Times

The Times

The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...

stated that the novel is "A glorious, gritty, violent, fast-moving recreation of an English legend".