After the death of Loxley, the outlaw band have gone their separate ways. Robert of Huntingdon, the man called by Herne, has rejected his calling, saying no one else could be The Hooded Man. He cannot escape his destiny. Robert's father, the Earl of Huntingdon, hosts a party to gain favour with vile, border lord Owen of Clun. Marion of Leaford attends with her father, who has bought her a pardon from the king. Clun makes unseemly advances toward Marion. When no one else will help her, Robert, to his father's horror, defends her in a swordfight against Clun. When Clun kidnaps Marion, Robert must reassemble the outlaw band to rescue her.

Robert of Huntingdon and the reformed Merry Men set out to rescue Marion from Clun, and Huntingdon claims the mantle of Robin of Sherwood.

Before his death, Loxley gave Albion to Marion. She kept it safe for a year at the home of her father, who begged her to have no more to do with the outlaws. She attempts to give it to Robert, but he still says no one could take Loxley's place. When the band tries to stop a torturer en route to Nottingham, Robert is wounded by a poisoned arrow and falls gravely ill. After returning home from going to aid Robert, Marion and Albion are taken by the Sheriff. Although Gisburne is sure Robert of Huntingdon is the new Robin Hood, no one will believe him. Robert is able to masquerade as a shallow, young nobleman and make friends with the Sheriff as part of a scheme to free Marion. After the true powers of Albion are revealed, Robert, whom everyone now calls Robin, knows he is truly Herne's son.

Robert de Rainault, high Sheriff of Nottingham, failing one time too many to end the activities of Robin Hood, is dismissed by the king and replaced by Philip Mark, "The Butcher of Lincoln". Mark captures six villagers from Wickham and sends out word that Robin Hood must turn himself in or the captives will die the next noon, and six more the day after that until Robin is captured. Nasir must face the new Sheriff's servant, Sarak, a masked assassin out of the Saracen's past.

Robin and his band rescue from bandits a desperately ill woman en route to the shrine of St. Ciricus at Croxden Abbey. She confesses a startling secret to Tuck and later to Robin. Gisburne, on orders from the Sheriff, is also on his way to the Abbey to steal the sacred cross. Robin must stop him, but finds the nature of their enmity has changed.

After Much is injured in a pit trap, the outlaws seek help for him at the nearest village, Cromm Cruac, a place no one has heard of until now. All is not right, as becomes evident by the things the men see and the way some of them begin to act. Robin must confront Gulnar, a sorceror who once served Owen of Clun.

King John, furious over the disappearance of the past several tax collections from Nottingham, schemes to put an end to the outlaws by ending their popular support. A band of his soldiers, led by the merciless Roger de Carnac, masquerades as Robin's band, committing atrocities against villagers throughout the shire.

The Sheriff's young nephew, Martin, is kidnapped by Adam Bell, an ageing outlaw who was the Robin Hood of his day, but now robs only for himself. The Sheriff, using his hostage, Much, as a bargaining chip, persuades Robin to rescue the boy from Bell.

Taking up with a 12 year old French princess, King John has annulled his marriage to Queen Hadwisa, who vows revenge against her former husband and the new queen, Isabella. Her plan is to have Isabella murdered while on a pilgrimage and make it appear to have been done by Robin Hood. Hadwisa's family believe they have enough support among the barons to depose King John and replace him with a new young man who claims to be Arthur of Brittany, John's nephew. While Arthur infiltrates the outlaw band, Gisburne becomes involved in the plot. Gisburne is only too eager to advance his position and finish off Robin Hood all at the same time. The Sheriff, however knows that "if Queen Isabella dies, we shall ALL hang," but gravely ill from a dog bite, he is unable to stop Gisburne.

'Mad Mab' is an old hermit who lives happily with her family of pigs, including her 'baby', Rutterkin. Edgar of Huntingdon, Robert's uncle, captures Rutterkin and later Mab, accusing the old woman of being a witch (and the pig her familiar), paid by the Earl, Robert's father, to cause the death of King John, who has been beset by a mysterious illness. The Earl is arrested for treason and sentenced to death. In trying to rescue him, most of the outlaw band is taken as well.

The Sheriff is ordered by the King to collect grain from the villages of Nottingham, as more provisions are needed for the troops in France. Knowing that the villagers will not survive the winter without their hard-earned grain, the outlaws secretly steal the grain back during the night, causing the Sheriff a lot of embarrassment when the King's men come to collect it in the morning. In desperation, the Sheriff blames the whole fiasco on Gisburne, resulting in Gisburne running away and a price being put on his head. Seeking sanctuary, Gisburne flees to Grimstone Abbey, but is not greeted by monks at the door.

Gisburne has joined the Sons of Fenris and manages to capture Robin and his men as well as the Sheriff of Nottingham. With Robin in his power, Gulnar completes his creature using dark magic and sends it on his way. Safe in Halstead Abbey, Marion foresees a tragedy at the Ring of the Nine Maidens and for Robin even victory may come with great loss.