Full of merriment, Makaryk's Nottingham is not. This is not your Disney fairy tale of Robin Hood and his merry men, but something probably much more realistic to events that could have possibly taken place. In some ways, this book reminds me of the storytelling format George R.R. Martin uses for his A Song of Ice and Fire series, where each chapter is told by a different character, and each character sees justification for his or her actions. And not unlike that series, some of the characters are really trying to do what they perceive as right, but what is right? King Richard is away on a crusade, and sends his men-at-arms Robin and William back home when Robin is injured, to look for weapons that never arrived in Acre. Robin gets pulled into the plight of the poor by old friend Lady Marion, who are being taxed out of their homes and livelihoods by Richard's taxes. His friend William ends up on the side of the law, trying to keep the piece and justify the need for taxes. What results is a book that forces you to look at the situation from multiple perspectives and realize there aren't just good people and bad people, but people trying to survive and do the right from their perspective. This book clocks in at close to 500 pages and is not for people looking for a short or happy read. It tends to drag at some points, but definitely has an ending you won't see coming.