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Steven A. McKay
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The Prisoner: A Forest Lord Tale (Kindle Single) Kindle Edition

by Steven A. McKay (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 357 ratings
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When two lawmen are sent to a snowy English village to arrest a vicious rapist it seems a straightforward task, but is all as it first appears?

ENGLAND, AD 1325

As Robin Hood and John Little, legendary former outlaws themselves, take the criminal into custody they find the people of Stapleford accommodating enough. The terrified victim's bruises are plainly, painfully, visible and a local nobleman confirms her accusations.
As they set off on the road back to Nottingham the lawmen's disgust for their captive's actions colours their opinion of him and John has to be restrained from brutally assaulting the man. The harsh winter conditions slow their journey though, and eventually the prisoner's words and desperate, violent actions have the lawmen questioning what's really been happening in Stapleford...

Can Robin and John complete the mission they've been given, or will their own innate sense of justice lead them down an unexpected path?

Fans of the bestselling Forest Lord series will love this exciting new stand-alone tale that cleverly explores the themes of morality and justice in medieval England.

"A delightfully crafted, deceptively simple little glimpse of life in early 14th Century England." - 5 Stars Steve Denton of Speesh Reads

Author bio
Steven A. McKay was born in Scotland in 1977. His first book, "Wolf's Head", came out in 2013 and was an Amazon UK top 20 bestseller.
"Blood of the Wolf" is the fourth and final book in the Forest Lord series which has over 100,000 sales so far.
Steven is currently researching a brand new series set in post-Roman Britain.

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  1. Print length
    27 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    December 19, 2016
  5. File size
    3199 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01MT1GJKY
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Broadsword Publishing (December 19, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 19, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3199 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 27 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 357 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Steven A. McKay

Steven A. McKay

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I was born in Scotland in 1977 and always enjoyed studying history. I decided to write my Forest Lord novels after seeing a house called “Sherwood” when I was out at work one day. Since then I've started a new series, the Warrior Druid of Britain Chronicles.

In 2021 the Xbox game HOOD: Outlaws and Legends was released, featuring my writing, and that was just a fantastic experience.

I used to be in a heavy metal band although I tend to just play guitar in my study these days. I did use those guitars to write the theme song for the podcast I co-host, Rock, Paper, Swords! with Matthew Harffy, though. Give it a listen, we've interviewed great guests like Erin Young, Simon Scarrow, Bernard Cornwell, Dan Jones and more!

In 2022 I signed a deal with Canelo to write a series about Alfred The Great, so look out for the first book, The Heathen Horde, being published by them in October 2023.

Please check out my website at stevenamckay.com, and don't forget to hit that FOLLOW button on the left there...

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
357 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Marsh Shep
5.0 out of 5 stars Another Fun Read From The Author Of The Forest Lord Series
Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2017
Verified Purchase
Alas Mr. McKay has completed his very satisfying Forest Lord Series but has gifted his readers a brief but enjoyable journey back into the world of medieval England and his (our) hero Robin Hood.
The author does again what he does so well in creating a rich and vibrant atmosphere of historical realism and timeless wonder. Whether it be in short story or novel format, McKay leaves the reader wanting more and The Prisoner is no exception. If you have not yet read his Forest Lord series and his novelettes interdispersed within the series timeline such as Friar Tuck And The Christmas Devil, you are denying yourself quite a treat! Highly recommended!
2 people found this helpful
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mike carlson
4.0 out of 5 stars A Robin Hood tale.
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2019
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Good, simple story, well told.
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JediTionne
5.0 out of 5 stars Who Speaks The Truth?
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2024
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A short story full of adventure and lies. But who speaks the truth and who lies? That’s what Robin and Little John will learn. Have fun with this quick read,
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Deanna
3.0 out of 5 stars Didn't Draw Me In
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2018
The plot didn't hold together, and the writing did not draw me in. One key scene made no sense at all. Some really clunky prose. Still, I liked the characters. Perhaps this may be one of those authors who does better on a wider canvas. In writing fiction, less is not always easier. I will purchase one of McKay's books and see if that is any better.
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Great short!
Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2019
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If you liked his full length series with Robin and John Little then you will enjoy this story as well.👍
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A Alford
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable series!
Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2019
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I really enjoyed this book! This book has great action and historical information! Great writer and the view point and time line of the period as awesome!
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Paul Dimmy
5.0 out of 5 stars Five stars
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2018
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Excellent, well written and humorous. Fits in very well with McKay's Forest Lord books, although don't read first. I th8nk it's the best of his short stories (that I've read so far).
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Sue Merritt
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Story
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2019
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The most important thing I can day is that it was way too short and left a visceral craving for more! Wonderful story about Robin Hood and Little John after their outlaw days!
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Top reviews from other countries

Jennifer90
4.0 out of 5 stars Robin and Little John fighting for justice
Reviewed in Germany on February 18, 2017
Verified Purchase
I received this novelette for free for an honest opinion. This did not influence my review.
I read all previous books and novellas of McKay and was looking forward to this one as well. The gist is that Robin and Little John should arrest a rapist and bring him to justice. Unfortunately, not everything is like it seems. I think the novelette has a nice, solid story which fits in nicely with the author's other writings. It helped me to relax after work, but was a little predictable. Still, I love the style and even on 24 pages, McKay manages to draw the reader into his world.
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David Baird
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome short from McKay!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 22, 2016
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The Prisoner is a short story in the absolutely brilliant Forest Lord series by Steven A. McKay which brings fresh life to the tale of Robin Hood.

This short is 27 pages long which isn’t much but you get a good little story for your 99p.

If like me you’ve read the rest of the Forest Lord series you’ll be needing a fix of McKay right about now and this does the job nicely.

What I really enjoyed about this tale is once again how the author manages to give an ending I didn’t see coming. You really never know with McKay what twists and turns he’s going to throw at you.

For me the story ticks all the right boxes for a short tale. If you’re familiar with the series you’ll love being back, and if you’ve not read the series yet this would a be a great insight to McKay’s Robin.. you can’t go wrong for 99p in my opinion.

This isn’t a Christmas tale but it does have an ending which can bring a smile to your face and give you a bit of joy which is exactly what you need at this time of year. Justice will be served.

Everyone is busy with the holiday season so this is the perfect tale for you, it’s not a big commitment and it’s got a strong story which builds on the series and characters we've grown to love

Top notch for a short story
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Greg Hll
4.0 out of 5 stars A nice, quick read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 3, 2018
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I'm a fairly slow reader but I finished this in one sitting of about two hours. It's ideal for a journey, a long wait at the hospital or anything like that. As with most stories from this author, the characters are quickly developed and the plot moves along quickly, with enough periodical detail thrown in to feel immersive.

The twist in the plot was one I saw coming, but that's not a bad thing. An unexpected twist isn't always good writing (see: any M. Night Shyamalan film after 'The Sixth Sense') and a well-made twist, even if it can be guessed, can still be satisfying.

Overall: a nice little read, well worth a try.
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John Cooper
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 4, 2017
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Not the best McKay novel, the story line was obvious from a few pages in.
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E. A. Ball
5.0 out of 5 stars Good ole Robin!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 25, 2017
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In my mind there was only one Robin Hood, the true version, (come on! It was on television and I was a kid, it must have been true,) from the early 60's TV series. I have never been interested in any other Robin Hood, films, books or otherwise, until I was " forced," by my nagging sister, to read Wolfs Head, by Steven Mackay. I am so glad I did. The book series is the stuff legends are made of. Historically accurate enough for pedantic me, and with perfect character development, surprises, and the feeling that it may well have happened that way. However, I digress. You do not need to have read the series to enjoy this novella, it would indeed have made an excellent TV show. Robin and Little John are dispatched to bring an alleged rapist to justice, but when he proclaims his innocence to Robin events take a surprising turn. if you are not familiar with Steven Mackays version of the legend, the story stands alone as an excellent way to fill half an hour, as do all of his short stories.
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