This was pretty fun, but felt aimless at times. This was full of fun and hijinks, if very unbelievable and sometimes annoyingly so. Things would conveniently work out or characters would be unnecessarily stupid just to have something work out in a particular way, which was kind of dull to read about.

However, this was told in a very humorous way, similar to the My Lady Jane books, including a scene breaking the fourth wall and aiming something to the reader.

I think this felt like a first attempt at historical from this author, and that maybe their next attempt will be more cohesive.

I enjoyed this remix but I wish there was a little bit more. Some parts tended to drag, and some of the character motivations didn’t make sense. Still, this was a very decent entry and the writing was good.

Thank you to Netgalley and the published for giving me an advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I enjoy all of these remixes, and let's be real, I was always going to be a sucker for a Robin Hood anything. Heist-esque+found family is my jam. I do think the writing takes a bit to get used to, especially with the change in perspectives which maybe could have been better used on the side characters to flush them out a little more, but otherwise, a solid, easy read.

A remixed take on Robin Hood set during the Third Crusade in Jerusalem. While this has portions that can tie back to the original Robin Hood imI felt this stood on its own as something wonderfully unique.

The Muslim representation fit the retelling expertly. I loved seeing the research flow in the plot alongside religious culture. Rahma al-Hud made an excellent female Hood and leader of her band of misfits. The sisterly relationship explored in this book was part of my favorite aspects.

There are some parts that felt unfinished. Other areas seemed to have easy closure or ways out. It's still one of my favorite remixes that I've enjoyed so far!

Thank you Fierce Reads for the gifted digital copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

A Macmillan remix does it again! A historical Robin Hood retelling that (refreshingly) no longer centers whiteness or Christianity at the heart of this classic story. Each character was exciting and new in their own way, from the Mongolian warrior to the Andalusian scientist. I will say that because this book is so plot-driven, it did at times feel as though characters (specifically side characters) lost their chance at development. A solid read for those looking for a new take on a classic tale.

Thank you for the ARC, I really enjoyed this book and I absolutely love all the remix books I've read to date.

I actually don't know much about Robin Hood, all my Ribbon Good knowledge comes from the movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, so this was also very refreshing change to get this gender swap title from the point of view of the non-Christians.

It's refreshing to see the Robin Hood tale shared from another viewpoint. Rarely do we see it other than the traditional English story, so seeing it play out in the characters presented here was great.

A interesting historical fiction novel based on Robin Hood, offering a Muslim perspective on the Third Crusade.


Rahma Al-Hud is a Muslim female soldier stationed at Akka, when her and her sister are sent away by their commander because of the danger of the enemy approaching=Richard the Lionheart and his English army. On their way to Jerusalem, they are joined by a female polytheist, a female Jew, a male Christian chaplain, and a male Shia spy. This diverse group adventures together, escaping Templar Knights and helping the poor. When Rahma steals Queen Isabella’s horse, the monarch puts a price on the green hooded thief (Rahma). Can she find and create peace amongst all this war?

The book was very well-written, and I enjoyed reading it. It does not claim to be fact, but does say that anything is possible in history, and who is to know a disguised female wouldn’t have facilitated peace between two groups.

The book describes how the Crusades harmed many innocents living in the Holy Land. The book remained nuanced and no one side was ever really glorified or vilified, although specific massacres by English forces were mentioned. It does stress that politics have a hand in the war, such as Isabella’s thirst for power. I did wish that Salahidin, who Muslims see as a hero, was shown as more heroic, but Rahma remains kind of impartial to both sides-which felt a little strange considering King Richard massacred her soldier friends.

Islam is practiced by Rahma, as she says Salaam, Alhamdulilah, mashaAllah, and Allahu Akbar, mentions prayer and Masjids. She mentions the Prophet (pbuh) and him fleeing Mecca, as well as that he took care of orphans. She doesn’t drink alcohol but pretends to and gets others drunk as part of a scheme.

The book is a Muslim point of view, but the diverse group of Rahma’s friends shows that no matter your background, the qualities of honor, friendship, and loyalty can be found in anyone.

Such an entertaining twist on not only the Robin Hood tale but also the perspective of the Crusades. The characters are interesting and engaging. Middle school readers will enjoy this book.

Thank you so much YALLFest, Netgalley, and Fierce Reads for sending me an eARC!

"Men always sing about hair and eyes, no matter their language. It must be their great weakness in life, to go through the world only noticing a girl's hair and her eyes and never once thinking about the mind that such traits could conceal."

I would normally do a Content Warning here, but this book didn't have any scenes that would actually require it - there were a few things mentioned in passing (if you'd like to see that list, here's the review for it: Andy's Review).

I really enjoyed this book! I felt as though I were part of Rahma's band of merry thieves, laughing and worrying right along with them. I (mostly) loved the way Safi told the story (more on what I disliked later) and the story itself was amazing! I loved the fact that this story, like the original Robin Hood, took place during the Crusades and how many historical events were included. The worldbuilding of the Middle East seemed on-point from what I recall from school as well. Another reviewer put it very well: "The mix of some real history, origin story, and new adventures really all meshed well and made the bones of a good story." I also liked how Safi wrote it as a gender-bent story. It was very interesting to see a Muslim female Robin Hood (Rahma al-Hud), as well as a merry band of other Muslim, Christian, and Jewish side characters.

I loved some of the scenes! They reminded me of my favorite movies like Pirates of the Caribbean (I DEFINITELY got Jack Sparrow vibes from the crew), especially that one scene when John says "You have got to be the strangest thief I have ever met."

I liked how the ending closed the main conflict (a treaty for Jerusalem), and it also gave the main characters peace of mind and a safe haven. The flashback at the end of Zeena and Rahma as children bringing dates to their father was sweet and nostalgic.

One of my biggest problems with the story was how there was little to no character growth for any of the characters (they stayed the same - same morals, goals, etc.). Additionally, how Safi sometimes told the story as though she were speaking directly to the reader seemed . . . unprofessional, if you know what I mean. I LOVE first-person POV, but it just didn't feel right for the story to be told this way. I also felt for a Robin Hood retelling, there were very few actual fighting scenes. I found it hard to continue at times (despite my enjoyment of the story) because the plot didn't have a clear goal or an end to the story.

I really can't say much else because this book was really just an enjoyable read. I don't want to nitpick it too much. One final thing: This book is much more modern (word choice-wise, at least) and historically-inspired fantasy than actual historical fiction. It's also more middle-grade than YA (with a few exceptions of higher-level words). Overall though, a Robin Hood retelling I'd definitely recommend!

Wonderful as always. Can’t wait to buy my own copy. Safi has a way of storytelling and with words that make you wonder what magic is in the ink of her pen.

A fabulous cultural reset for the Robin Hood mythos. Aminah Mae Safi is masterful with both the exciting story and the way the flavor of the culture streaks through every page.

Speaking as someone who grew up obsessed with Robin Hood, this book did not disappoint. I loved the spin the author took for the adaptation and it still kept the heart of the original story.

Travelers Along the Way is a Robin Hood retelling, part of the classics remix series from Macmillan Publishers. I confess that I have never read the book, but I have watched different iterations of it on screen. The overall theme is present with Rahma al-Hud, this version’s Robin Hood, taking from the wealthy and giving back to those less fortunate. Along with her band of misfits, they outfox Queen Isabella and other characters to accomplish it.

A band of misfits is an appropriate name for Rahma al-Hud and her companions. At first glance, they don’t exactly fit together with their varied beliefs and outward appearances but their values align. They also all have a sense of adventure because Rahma has many risky ideas that they help to execute. Their comraderie was the compelling component of the novel, and their interactions kept me engaged with the story. Rahma and Zeena’s banter was often entertaining. The sisters may have strangled each other by the time they arrived at their destination had it not been for the presence of their new friends.

Because Rahma is arrogant, she has the potential to be an irritating main character, but it’s balanced by her giving and caring nature. Despite Rahma and her sister Zeena having opposing personalities, I was touched by how fiercely they cared for each other. Aside from Rahma, the rest of the characters, Zeena included, are pretty one-dimensional.

I would recommend Travelers Along the Way to readers who like adventure novels and those who are fond of the found family trope. To get the most out of the book, it would be helpful to quickly read up on the Crusades and to have a map handy. (3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars)

travelers along the way transplants the robin hood myth from england to the holy land during the third crusade. robin hood becomes rahma al-hud, who followed her sister into war and agrees to one last mission as the third crusade nears its end.

this story wasn’t everything i hoped it would be: the pacing was a little wonky, the language was too anachronistic for my tastes (the author usually writes contemporary ya and that’s very apparent), and it didn’t do anything particularly original with the found family and side wlw couple tropes. that said, i really enjoyed the main romance and i found a lot of the banter and shenanigans quite charming. overall this was a cute, offbeat reimagining of the robin hood myth, just not a particularly memorable one.

I love Aminah Mae Safi's writing style. Her characters are witty, supportive, and exactly who I'd want to be friends with. I definitely want to learn more about the Third Crusade after reading this novel. Rahma's smarts and Zeena's determination make for a great story about sisterhood and friendship with a focus on the negative impacts of colonization. The Fierce Reads Remixed Classics series is one that should be on every school's shelf.

Travelers Along the Way is a wonderful retelling of Robin Hood. The amount of research and history that was collected to complete this story is astounding. Even if a young reader has never read the original story of Robin Hood, they would enjoy this remixed version. This retelling is also a positive story for any student of color, especially female students who may come from very strict or religious backgrounds.

The book begins at the end with us meeting the main character fulfilling her overall goals. At first this can be confusing, but it pulls the reader in. Like in the traditional Robin Hood, the story follows this character as she makes her way through life collecting companions/friends to aid her while also working towards helping those in need and bringing peace to her land.

I was excited as soon as I heard about this book. A genderbent retelling of Robin Hood, set in Palestine, during the crusades, with Muslim main characters? Yes to all of that. And then it got a gorgeous cover to boot.

This is a fun and fast read overall, but I did have some issues with the execution. The writing feels very modern for historical fiction. It didn't bother me personally, but I do think it's something to know going in. The author frequently breaks the 4th wall and has her main character address the reader directly; for example, the main character is narrating what happened, followed by something like "you may be wondering why I'm telling you this but don't worry, it will all make sense later on".

The plot meanders and lacks any clear direction until well into the second half. The way the merry band got together also felt clunky at times, with the characters just appearing on our protagonist's path one after the other, without anything else happening in between.

Despite all of this, I loved following Rahma as a main character. She's fierce, protective, and compassionate, but also impulsive and has a snarky sense of humor. Her strong moral compass was evident throughout the story, and she didn't deviate from it even when many in her group tried to argue against her plans. In short, she was just a really fun heroine. However, the rest of the characters felt flat in comparison, and I didn't feel like any of them got to develop into well-rounded characters. Zeena is the angry one, Viva is the scientist, John is the healer, etc.

As always with any book featuring Muslim characters, I was most worried about the representation, but the author took a lot of care to make sure that Rahma is clearly, unabashedly Muslim. From using the casual phrases most Muslims will use on a daily basis (elhamdulillah, mashallah, etc), references to stories from the life of the Prophet Mohammed, to even tackling the thorny issue of discrimination amongst Muslims when it comes to different sects (Sunni vs Shia). I was never once left wondering if Rahma was actually Muslim, because she constantly showed me she was.

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.