Author: Juliet Marillier
Series: Seven Waters (Book 1)
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (May 5th 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 031284879X
ISBN-13: 9780312848798
Juliet Marillier is a rare talent, a writer who can imbue her characters and her story with such warmth, such heart, that no reader can come away from her work untouched. Daughter of the Forest is a testimony to that talent, a first novel and the beginning of a trilogy like no other: a mixture of history and fantasy, myth and magic, legend and love.
Lord Colum of Sevenwaters is blessed with six sons: Liam, a natural leader; Diarmid, with his passion for adventure; twins Cormack and Conor, each with a different calling; rebellious Finbar, grown old before his time by his gift of the Sight; and the young, compassionate Padriac.
But it is Sorcha, the seventh child and only daughter, who alone is destined to defend her family and protect her land from the Britons and the clan known as Northwoods. For her father has been bewitched, and her brothers bound by a spell that only Sorcha can lift.
To reclaim the lives of her brothers, Sorcha leaves the only safe place she has ever known, and embarks on a journey filled with pain, loss, and terror.
When she is kidnapped by enemy forces and taken to a foreign land, it seems that there will be no way for her to break the spell that condemns all that she loves. But magic knows no boundaries, and Sorcha will have to choose between the life she has always known and a love that comes only once.
What I thought: This is one of my all-time favorites. I adore fairy-tale retellings and this version of the Seven Swans is beautiful. Set in the magical Emerald Isle (Ireland), the quiet Sorcha who had spent her life being protected by her older brothers was suddenly on her own to break a terrible curse.
This story of love in its many forms is beautifully written and has been reread countless times. I loved the story so much, it took a lot of effort to read the next book in the series. Why? Because Sorcha was no longer the main character and while I knew her story had ended, I wasn’t quite ready to leave them and give my heart to others characters. But I did and it was worth it.
I definitely recommend.
Trigger Warning: this book does contain rape.
The Quote: There is no truth in this island of yours. Rather there are as many truths as there are stars in the sky, and every one of them different.
Why I chose it: In today’s world of fake news and heavily biased news sources – it’s hard to tell where the truth actually lies sometimes. It’s one of the reasons why I was drawn to this quote. Even though this book came out before our info wars broke out – it’s amazing how much it rings true today.
About the Author:
Juliet Marillier was born July 27, 1948 in Dunedin, New Zealand and grew up surrounded by Celtic music and stories. Her own Celtic-Gaelic roots inspired her to write her first series, the Sevenwaters Trilogy. Juliet was educated at the University of Otago, where she majored in music and languages, graduating BA and a B Mus (Hons). Her lifelong interest in history, folklore and mythology has had a major influence on her writing.
Juliet is the author of twenty historical fantasy novels for adults and young adults, as well as a book of short fiction. Juliet’s novels and short stories have won many awards.
Juliet lives in a 110 year old cottage in a riverside suburb of Perth, Western Australia. When not writing, she is active in animal rescue and has her own small pack of needy dogs. She also has four adult children and seven grandchildren. Juliet is a member of the druid order OBOD (the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids.)
mltishner.com 