In this issue…
News from the Typewriter
Behind the Hedges
July Book Giveaways
Bilbo Waggin’s Corner
News from the Typewriter
The last book in the trilogy, Son of Lightning, is out!! It’s strange to think book 1 came out only four years ago. This series has been my life for so long, I almost can’t believe it’s complete!
I wrote the first drafts for the Descendants of Robin Hood trilogy when I was 11 years old (way back then it was titled Jack and the Merry Men, still a fantastic series title, if I do say so myself 😎). After writing 20 books in the coming years, in… 2018, I think it was? I decided the time had come to send my original trilogy out into the world. I started massive rewrites, shrank the series from 5 books down to 3 books, and finally landed on what you now know as Guardian of the North.
Some of the biggest changes I made were:
Adding the character Karalie
Changing the original Azomien from a race of fish who lived in Lake Cloudia to a race of jaglions who lived on an island on Lake Cloudia (I’m sorrrrryyyy original readers 😭 Maybe I’ll do the codfish king and Flipper justice one day 🫡)
Of course, my writing voice and skills had changed drastically in the years since the original draft, so I did lots of updates there.
Removed a bonus adventure into Egyptian mythology and time magic
Some of the biggest things I kept from that 11 yr old Maggie version:
Nick’s storyline
Natanian’s storyline
The Narrunceni & Arashi
Khadija’s backstory (kind of… She’s a character soup with pieces pulled from four characters in the original)
890 Organization
I’m really happy with the final trilogy you know now, I think it does full justice to the story little me wanted to tell. 🥰
On that note, you should read it!! Signed copies and shiny bookish boxes are available in my official shop, and I haven’t left out ebook readers! I even made a digital ebook box that includes wallpapers, a recipe, diffuser blends, and ambient tracks.
Thank you so much to the early readers who have already devoured Son of Lightning!! Here’s what they have to say on the finale:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“This was such a fun book to read! After breezing through the first two books of this series, I was excited to see Son of Lightning bring Jack and his friend’s journey to an explosive finale. From page one to the final word, I was sucked right back into the story.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Ahh loved this book!! The Nick of it all omg. This was my favorite in the trilogy <3 i loved the character development, dynamics (esp w/ a certain slow burn couple uwu), & the new POV.
If you like short and sweet middle grade fantasy I would definitely check these books out! great for kids and/or adults”
Behind the Hedges
Do you KNOW how long I’ve been waiting to post this list?! From the original 11 yr old Maggie drafts I’ve been dreaming of the day I would be able to send out a list of lore easter eggs to Descendants of Robin Hood readers. Well, that day is here!!!
Things You Didn’t Know About the Descendants of Robin Hood Series
“Tyrest” comes from the Old English word “Astyrest” which means “to guide, to control”
“Alyassekro” comes from the made up word “Ssekro” from the original drafts combined with the Old English word “Hyla” meaning “sea”
“Ealdra” is the phonetic spelling of the Old English word meaning “ancestor, forefather” as a reflection on the Ealdra’s values towards legacy and hierarchy.
“Áccyn” is the Old English word for a specific species of oak tree, a little call back to the Spreading Oak in old Robin Hood folklore where he based his operations.
“Gebürnone” is the phonetic spelling of the Old English word “geburnon” which means “they/we are consumed, give light”
“Rymetu,” which is the word Arashi uses to describe regular people (not in the hidden world), is the Old English word “clear,” as in an open room or space.
Arashi’s birth surname is “Davison.” Arashi was the son of David of Doncaster, a lesser-known young yeoman in Robin Hood’s gang, who attempted to warn Robin Hood of the Sheriff’s trap at the Golden Arrow shooting match.
Arashi pronounces Gisborne’s last name “Ghiseburne,” which would have been the original pronunciation during the time of Robin Hood.
In the original folklore, Guy of Gisborne was an assassin who attempted to kill Robin Hood, failed, and was later killed by him.
July Book Giveaways
I’ve joined other authors to give away copies of our similar books! Guardian of the North is available to download as an ebook during these promotions.
If you like clean fairytale/folklore retellings like Descendants of Robin Hood, check out these books.
If you’re looking for more stories for elementary school/middle grade kids, check out these books.
Bilbo Waggins’s Corner
Here’s Bilbo making friends with the big doggos, and the big doggos trying to figure out why the tiny horse was making so much noise.
Finally…
If you read any of the Descendants of Robin Hood books, please leave a review on Goodreads or your favorite retailer, it helps me out so much. 💚🦔