The book was an interesting take on Robin Hood. The plot itself was solid and, if the story had been better executed, it could have been amazing.

Vireo was a well-written character. He was selfish and greedy and, by all means, an unlikeable tax collector. His reasoning for his actions made sense (unlike other characters) and his evolution from a selfish man to a budding hero felt natural. Most importantly, his grief was palpable. I really felt for him when he was forced to kill the love of his life. Having him wear her green hood was a nice touch. And where did Morgana come from? She was creepy as hell. I got r/menwritingwomen vibes from her due to the way that she was described. It's one thing to have Jareb view her in such a way but then Vireo immediately described her as a woman in a skintight dress. Sir, you have more pressing things to worry about. Your friends are dying. An aggressive debt collector banished from the kingdom. Now his life depends on his ability to help the less fortunate…What's the story about: A Forest of Vanity and Valour is a fairytale retelling of Robin Hood mixed with some aspects of another English folklorian figure. The main characters are two men trying to make the best of their bad situations: a kingdom at war and a love triangle that divides them. While it may seem straightforward in that one is the good guy, one is bad, there is more gray to it. Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Librarians Group is the official group for requesting additions or updates to the catalog, including:

The writing isn't great. I don't consider myself a book snob and I understand that self-published indie books come with quirks and occasional mistakes, but I believe writing takes skill and ALL writing benefits from a few goes around with an editor and even ARC readers to really bring out the best in a story. If you want a review on the story itself, I'm sorry, I can't give you one. I only got halfway through before giving up. The abysmal writing style combined with the painful point of view and tense made this short book extremely difficult to get through. By the time I got to the halfway mark, I was reading it out of spite. Seriously. I read six books between starting this and finally finishing it. First-person is difficult to pull off, especially when there are multiple points of view, and this one flopped.Not the worst book I’ve read in 2023, but hella disappointing for how good it looked on TikTok and the cover is pretty legit. Now, as a fan of myths, legends and lore, I adored the concept of these books, which was the second reason I rushed to buy them. Unfortunately that's where the positives end. An aggressive debt collector banished from the kingdom. Now his life depends on his ability to help the less fortunate.... Embroiled in a secret affair with a fellow noble’s wife, Vireo is mortified when he’s forced to commit an unthinkable act. Driven into exile, no longer able to coerce the vulnerable, and with the powerful tome in his enemy’s hands, the fallen agent’s only shot at survival hangs on his skills at saving others.