Merry Men We Are Not

Rating: 3/5

Once more into bookstragram I go. Though this time I’ve managed to avoid romantasy titles. In fact, today’s review is on a book that has been flashing up on my feed since I first signed up on the platform. Clearly A. P. Beswick was trying to get my attention, so I have obliged, allowing myself to take a tentative step into his Levanthria series (2012-2024) through book one, The Forest of Vanity and Valour (2021); a quick paced fantasy with reinvented characters that do hit the mark but are diluted by predictable scenarios and statements of the obvious.

Described as a dark re-telling of British folklore, The Forest of Vanity and Valour follows Vireo Reinhold, a debt collector whose actions lead to his inevitable transformation into a Robin Hood like legend. Forced to face his own guilt and a magical force that threatens their world, Vireo must rally the people to fight for him and right the wrongs he wrought under his servitude to Jareb, the king’s aid.

As mentioned, The Forest of Vanity and Valour is the first book, placed in a shard universe known as Levanthria; a world I want to describe as a kind of ABC’s ‘Once Upon a Time’ (2011-2018) meets BBC’s Robin Hood (2006-2009). Except instead of fairytales dominating an isolated town in Maine, the land is completely fictional and occupied by characters influenced by legends such as St George, Blackbeard and King Arthur.

Despite the comparison, the general vibe I got from reading The Forest of Vanity and Valour was more a mixture of light and dark fantasy, adopting traditional tropes such as ‘good vs evil’, ‘magic is bad’ etc into its storytelling. Tropes like this did get me reminiscing about certain books I use to read a lot when I was younger; those with simple plots, where heroes fight the villains and save the day. And that is kind of what The Forest of Vanity and Valour felt to me; a simple story, which was both a good and bad thing. Good because there was that sense of nostalgia to the storytelling, bad because some of its plot resolutions became predictably convenient. For example, there are harrowing moments where Vireo and his band of outlaws are rescued not once but twice by a wolf-like creature. While it could be argued that this creature’s actions indicate future developments in the series, I felt it cheated readers out of the chance to read some intense fighting and challenges Vireo and his outlaws could have faced.

As well as being a simple story, The Forest of Vanity and Valour is a relatively small book. The chapters are short, offering a comfortable, quick-paced read, that minus any distractions, readers could finish within a day.  It doesn’t over describe locations and events, it gets straight to the point, which again is both a positive and negative. While it does move things along, it also causes an imbalance with the pacing. Certain characters and moments feel rushed and underdeveloped. Vireo’s journey went from a leisurable stroll to sudden sprint through the finishing line. Again, I have taken into consideration that this book is part of an expanding universe so there is the chance Vireo and his outlaws will reappear later in the series.

It also left Beswick open to unnecessarily use of exposition dialogue. Using the same example as before Beswick has Vireo’s friend, Lek begin stating facts that are quite obvious, not trusting his readers to make their own assumptions. That in itself took up unnecessary time that would have helped story/character development. This is why I feel that The Forest of Vanity and Valour could have benefited to being a little longer. Especially for the sake of its characters.

One thing I find with Robin Hood adaptions in books and films is he is always glamorised. So Beswick’s decision to have Vireo begin as this smug debt collector was a nice touch, offering a more soiled banner to the legend. The tragedy that kickstarts his transformation is pretty dark. Some reviewers dislike that Vireo’s main choice of weapon is not a bow.  I, however feel it was required for this reimagining, as it and his lover’s cloak signified the emotional trauma he is going through. That being said, if he were standing in a square, calling for all to stand with him, I would likely be shuffling on home, getting ready for a days’ work. Don’t get me wrong, Beswick’s Vireo is interesting enough to keep you going with the story but due to the negative aspects I have already pointed out his characterization does lack a certain finesse.

The same can be said about Jareb, Vireo’s counterpart. For me, Jareb felt like a kind of ‘fall from grace’ character, a lord who wants to change for the better but is conflicted by his duties to his king. So, when Vireo’s actions ruin the one thing most precious to him, it’s inevitable his path would lead to him becoming a tool for what I presume is the series’ main villain, Morgana. This characterization hit those markers I like to see in villains though like Vireo I do feel Beswick could have gone further with his descent into corruption and grieving madness, providing a stronger emotional impact to the story.

Overall, The Forest of Vanity and Valour was a decent fantasy which did offer a short break from the wordier titles I have read and an inventive, re-imagining to these legends I’ve known since childhood. Its pacing and simplicity do both hinder and facilitate its plot and while I might not be in a rush to return to the world of Levanthria I am interested in reading more of Beswick’s other works specifically his next planned release, Wing Weaver (2026). Until then I think I’ll continue making my way through the rest of my TBR list.