First published 2001
Dick Shelton trusts his guardian, Sir Daniel Brackley. That trust is a mistake. When Dick discovers that Sir Daniel had a hand in his father's murder, the ground shifts beneath him. England is already tearing itself apart in the War of the Roses, and Dick finds himself pulled toward a shadowy band of outlaws called the Brotherhood of the Black Arrow, men who have their own reasons to hate Sir Daniel. Dick has to figure out fast who is worth fighting for and who is worth fighting against. Along the way he survives shipwreck, navigates battlefield chaos, and falls for Joanna Sedley, a young woman Sir Daniel intends to use as a pawn. Stevenson, the same writer who gave readers Treasure Island, first published this novel in a boys' adventure magazine, and the pace shows it. Every chapter pushes Dick further from the safe world he thought he knew. The story is finally about what it costs a young man to act on what he knows is right.
Genres: classic-literature, historical-fiction, adventure, coming-of-age, action, young-adult
Vibes: action-packed, coming-of-age, dramatic, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: betrayal-and-redemption, coming-of-age, enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: England
Period: War of the Roses, Medieval England, 15th century
242 pages · Paperback · Adamant Media Corporation
Content warnings: murder, violence, war