Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
Tom Doherty Associates, Mass Market Paperback, 554 pages
Description
First in a new trilogy. Lovely Sorch is the seventh child and only daughter of Lord Colum of Sevenwaters. Bereft of a mother, she is comforted by her six brothers who love and protect her. Sorcha is the light in their lives, they are determined that she know only contentment. But Sorcha's joy is shattered when her father is bewitched by his new wife, an evil enchantress who binds her brothers with a terrible spell, a spell which only Sorcha can lift-by staying silent. If she speaks before she completes the quest set to her by the Fair Folk and their queen, the Lady of the Forest, she will lose her brothers forever. When Sorcha is kidnapped by the enemies of Sevenwaters and taken to a foreign land, she is torn between the desire to save her beloved brothers, and a love that comes only once. Sorcha despairs at ever being able to complete her task, but the magic of the Fair Folk knows no boundaries, and love is the strongest magic of them all.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member ncgraham
Wow. I haven’t been drawn into a fantasy novel this way in a long time. I had to remind myself not to put it in my school backpack when I had serious studying to do this spring, because otherwise I’d spend an hour or two sitting in the science library with my head buried in this book.
I wasn’t
Sorcha is an amazingly compelling heroine, and proof that a woman doesn’t need to go into battle to be strong, as many speculative fiction writers seem to think. To break the curse that turned her brothers into swans, she must stay silent and weave them each shirts made of starwort, a prickly nettle-like plant. She does this because of her determination and love for her brothers, not because it’s a task that in any way conforms to typical gender roles.
I was quite amazed that Marillier was able to give each of the six brothers distinct personalities; I never once got them confused. And they repay Sorcha for her exertions on their behalf as well as they can. The scene after she is raped, when each of them takes care of her according to his own gifts, is touching.
Having now read two of Marillier’s books—the other one being the young adult novel Wildwood Dancing—I can say that creating compelling villains is not one of her strengths, but it doesn’t hurt her too much here. The Lady Oonagh is more than a little underdeveloped, but then she is the stereotypical evil stepmother and enchantress figure, so we can fill in the blanks ourselves. Lord Simon has a more powerful presence, if little complexity.
The precise period details that Marillier was able to cram in here really inspired me as a writer; in future when I attempt this sort of subject, I will try to make my medieval fantasy worlds align more clearly with real life in the middle ages, and not skim over the difficulty of many daily tasks.
Given how dark and gritty the world of this book is, it’s amazing that there can be any kind of happy ending at all. The romance is sweet and believable, and doesn’t gloss over the fears and distrust that Sorcha harbors after her cruel rape. Much of the conclusion is bittersweet, particularly the parts concerning Finbar and Simon, and I actually found myself crying during stretches of it.
A harrowing but redemptive story told in beautiful prose. I recommend Daughter of the Forest, and look forward to continuing the series this summer.
I wasn’t
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sure if I would like it starting out. On one hand, it has a Celtic setting and is based on a fairy-tale (specifically, “The Six Swans”), both points in its favor. On the other hand, I knew it contained an intense rape scene, and I worried that the pagan/Christian interactions would devolve into a lot of whining about evil Christians and the passing of the Old Ways, an unfortunate tendency of fantasy novels in this vein. Thankfully the rape scene struck the perfect balance between not showing too much and making the horror of the act clear, and the book contains both positive and negative examples of Christian behavior.Sorcha is an amazingly compelling heroine, and proof that a woman doesn’t need to go into battle to be strong, as many speculative fiction writers seem to think. To break the curse that turned her brothers into swans, she must stay silent and weave them each shirts made of starwort, a prickly nettle-like plant. She does this because of her determination and love for her brothers, not because it’s a task that in any way conforms to typical gender roles.
I was quite amazed that Marillier was able to give each of the six brothers distinct personalities; I never once got them confused. And they repay Sorcha for her exertions on their behalf as well as they can. The scene after she is raped, when each of them takes care of her according to his own gifts, is touching.
Having now read two of Marillier’s books—the other one being the young adult novel Wildwood Dancing—I can say that creating compelling villains is not one of her strengths, but it doesn’t hurt her too much here. The Lady Oonagh is more than a little underdeveloped, but then she is the stereotypical evil stepmother and enchantress figure, so we can fill in the blanks ourselves. Lord Simon has a more powerful presence, if little complexity.
The precise period details that Marillier was able to cram in here really inspired me as a writer; in future when I attempt this sort of subject, I will try to make my medieval fantasy worlds align more clearly with real life in the middle ages, and not skim over the difficulty of many daily tasks.
Given how dark and gritty the world of this book is, it’s amazing that there can be any kind of happy ending at all. The romance is sweet and believable, and doesn’t gloss over the fears and distrust that Sorcha harbors after her cruel rape. Much of the conclusion is bittersweet, particularly the parts concerning Finbar and Simon, and I actually found myself crying during stretches of it.
A harrowing but redemptive story told in beautiful prose. I recommend Daughter of the Forest, and look forward to continuing the series this summer.
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LibraryThing member atimco
Daughter of the Forest is the first book of the Sevenwaters trilogy and the best. Sorcha is the youngest child of Lord Colum, an Irish war-leader, and has been brought up by her six older brothers. When their father marries the mulberry-eyed, sinister Lady Oonagh, events are set in motion that will
I remember my first time reading this series. I was a shelver at the public library and picked these off my shelving cart. I was immediately addicted. I've reread this book several times, and every time I'm impressed again with the writing and characters. This story is told in the first person by Sorcha, and she is a very believable and compelling heroine. Her selfless determination to finish her task and save her brothers is inspiring and somehow very relatable. The characters feel like real people, caught up in events beyond their control and yet still making real choices that affect the outcome.
Marillier's world-building is excellent. There are a lot of pagan religious elements and some explicit scenes, but they don't take over the story. Though the prayers and druidic rituals for the forest are sometimes a little overdone (I believe Marillier has stated that her own religious convictions tend toward what her characters call "the old ways"), the slight preachiness doesn't overwhelm the story. Marillier is very fair-minded about the intrusion of other faiths, notably Christianity. It's no secret that the Christian faith was sometimes pushed on the people with violence, but Marillier tells another side of the story, that of quiet brothers who built monasteries in Ireland and helped the people without condemning them. This is quite an unusual stance in current historical fiction, and a welcome one. Though the ancient pagan religion is portrayed as the true one in this tale, Marillier doesn't condemn all adherents of other beliefs as slavering fanatics. Father Brien and Father Dominic are admirable characters, though they certainly aren't perfect.
There is a fairly explicit rape scene in this story. It serves a definite purpose in the plot and doesn't bother me overmuch, but I imagine a rape victim would find it hard to read. There is another sexually explicit scene later in the book and it is handled fairly tastefully. There is also a torture scene, though it happens offstage. I wouldn't recommend this series to young readers; it's definitely for adults.
It's too bad that Marillier's later books after the Sevenwaters trilogy are just recycled from it. I think she's done writing her books; everything I've read that came after this series is just the same thing, only weaker. Pity.
This beautiful retelling of the fairytale is an enjoyable read for lovers of historical fiction and fantasy, and one that I revisit often. Recommended.
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change the comfortable pattern of life at Sevenwaters forever. To save her brothers from Oonagh's wicked enchantment, Sorcha is given a nearly impossible task that only she can perform. To restore her brothers to their human form, she must make six shirts of the prickly starwort plant. And she must never speak a word until her task is complete, no matter what happens to her, or she will condemn her brothers to their swan-forms forever.I remember my first time reading this series. I was a shelver at the public library and picked these off my shelving cart. I was immediately addicted. I've reread this book several times, and every time I'm impressed again with the writing and characters. This story is told in the first person by Sorcha, and she is a very believable and compelling heroine. Her selfless determination to finish her task and save her brothers is inspiring and somehow very relatable. The characters feel like real people, caught up in events beyond their control and yet still making real choices that affect the outcome.
Marillier's world-building is excellent. There are a lot of pagan religious elements and some explicit scenes, but they don't take over the story. Though the prayers and druidic rituals for the forest are sometimes a little overdone (I believe Marillier has stated that her own religious convictions tend toward what her characters call "the old ways"), the slight preachiness doesn't overwhelm the story. Marillier is very fair-minded about the intrusion of other faiths, notably Christianity. It's no secret that the Christian faith was sometimes pushed on the people with violence, but Marillier tells another side of the story, that of quiet brothers who built monasteries in Ireland and helped the people without condemning them. This is quite an unusual stance in current historical fiction, and a welcome one. Though the ancient pagan religion is portrayed as the true one in this tale, Marillier doesn't condemn all adherents of other beliefs as slavering fanatics. Father Brien and Father Dominic are admirable characters, though they certainly aren't perfect.
There is a fairly explicit rape scene in this story. It serves a definite purpose in the plot and doesn't bother me overmuch, but I imagine a rape victim would find it hard to read. There is another sexually explicit scene later in the book and it is handled fairly tastefully. There is also a torture scene, though it happens offstage. I wouldn't recommend this series to young readers; it's definitely for adults.
It's too bad that Marillier's later books after the Sevenwaters trilogy are just recycled from it. I think she's done writing her books; everything I've read that came after this series is just the same thing, only weaker. Pity.
This beautiful retelling of the fairytale is an enjoyable read for lovers of historical fiction and fantasy, and one that I revisit often. Recommended.
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LibraryThing member oracleofdoom
I read it a couple of years ago, and I never wrote a review, because I was just so overwhelmed and moved by it that I didn't feel I had anything of worth to say, other than that I loved it, and that doesn't really do much to tell other readers WHY I loved it. What if they have different taste than
But I'm going to try, because this book, and this author, are worth it. It's a retelling of a fairy tale, as many probably already know, so I won't rehash the plot. The author is able to paint a vivid picture without using flowery purple prose. It's been said that with the best writing, one won't recall a sentence. The words should disappear as the reader is lost inside the story. That is what this author does. She has a strong heroine, Sorcha, who I became deeply attached to fairly quickly. I also became very attached to all of her brothers. Ms. Marillier paints a very poignant picture of a family that loves each other, which is actually a bit of a rarity in many books.
I wept many times throughout the book as I got into it. And I read it quickly once I did. Despite the sorrow the character goes through in the course of the story, it has the sort of ending I love, a happy one. It seems to prove that one can write a classic fairy tale with a happy ending, without sacrificing depth or believability.
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I do, after all?But I'm going to try, because this book, and this author, are worth it. It's a retelling of a fairy tale, as many probably already know, so I won't rehash the plot. The author is able to paint a vivid picture without using flowery purple prose. It's been said that with the best writing, one won't recall a sentence. The words should disappear as the reader is lost inside the story. That is what this author does. She has a strong heroine, Sorcha, who I became deeply attached to fairly quickly. I also became very attached to all of her brothers. Ms. Marillier paints a very poignant picture of a family that loves each other, which is actually a bit of a rarity in many books.
I wept many times throughout the book as I got into it. And I read it quickly once I did. Despite the sorrow the character goes through in the course of the story, it has the sort of ending I love, a happy one. It seems to prove that one can write a classic fairy tale with a happy ending, without sacrificing depth or believability.
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LibraryThing member Kskye
Believe it or not, I had never heard the fairy tale about six brothers who are turned into swans by their evil stepmother. I failed to pick up the book sooner, because I thought the premise was silly, but Juliet Marillier makes everything seem probable, that two worlds that mirror the other exist,
This tale is about a sister who goes through much hardship to free her brothers from this curse, and yet so much more.The relationship between Sorcha and her brothers shows such devotion, and you honestly feel the love they have for each other. Every emotion is shown in its purest form. This novel is all about love, selflessness, loyalty and perseverance amidst adversity.This is by far one of the best fairy-tale retellings that I have read.
Sorcha makes difficult decisions, and you feel a bond with her. Not one character is flat, and you feel as if you know them personally. And as the reader you start to see the bigger picture that Marillier is painting. Not one character means more than another, because somehow they are all intertwined.
Daughter of the Forest was simply magical. There is something about the way Juliet Marillier tells a story. It feels like you are sitting at a campfire and she is addressing only you, just weaving her tale. Her writing is an art form. You think you know what a good book is, and then you actually read one and…wow.
Although I love happy endings, she deals with situations realistically. Realistic in a poetic way, and not jarring. It’s storytelling at its best.
Many passages were so beautiful I just had to read them again. Simply put, just read it. It’s hauntingly poetic.
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and that there is a link between both worlds. And we as the reader are held captivated.This tale is about a sister who goes through much hardship to free her brothers from this curse, and yet so much more.The relationship between Sorcha and her brothers shows such devotion, and you honestly feel the love they have for each other. Every emotion is shown in its purest form. This novel is all about love, selflessness, loyalty and perseverance amidst adversity.This is by far one of the best fairy-tale retellings that I have read.
Sorcha makes difficult decisions, and you feel a bond with her. Not one character is flat, and you feel as if you know them personally. And as the reader you start to see the bigger picture that Marillier is painting. Not one character means more than another, because somehow they are all intertwined.
Daughter of the Forest was simply magical. There is something about the way Juliet Marillier tells a story. It feels like you are sitting at a campfire and she is addressing only you, just weaving her tale. Her writing is an art form. You think you know what a good book is, and then you actually read one and…wow.
Although I love happy endings, she deals with situations realistically. Realistic in a poetic way, and not jarring. It’s storytelling at its best.
Many passages were so beautiful I just had to read them again. Simply put, just read it. It’s hauntingly poetic.
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LibraryThing member littlebookworm
This is really a beautiful book. Juliet Marillier has a way with description that sweeps the reader in and just doesn't let go. Sorcha's pain is at times hard to take, and near the end brought me to tears, which is very rare. This is my second time reading this book, and the first time was long
One minor historical issue exists though. Marillier definitely sets this book during the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, which is obvious when she talks of the Vikings, yet she gives her English/British characters in Northumbria distinctly Norman French names, like Richard and Hugh. Very, very weird. I don't let that stop my enjoyment, but I thought it worth mentioning.
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enough ago that I didn't remember the story at all. How lucky I am, then, to experience this twice. I highly recommend it, and now I'll be out to secure the next two books in the trilogy while I have this one fresh in my memory.One minor historical issue exists though. Marillier definitely sets this book during the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, which is obvious when she talks of the Vikings, yet she gives her English/British characters in Northumbria distinctly Norman French names, like Richard and Hugh. Very, very weird. I don't let that stop my enjoyment, but I thought it worth mentioning.
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LibraryThing member JDpirate5
This fantastic, AMAZING book from the Sevenwaters Trilogy has me drooling for more! It's a retelling of the Celtic legend of the swans. Now, if you don't already know the legend, good luck finding it. I think you're better off reading it "blind" anyway, though. It makes the shock and suspense that
The writing is absolutely incredible; it's practically poetic. It completely reinforces the mythical aspect of the story. And what's written, is, of course, spectacular. Sorcha, the main character, is so human, so real; she's perfect. I found myself falling in love with all of the men in the story, too. Her brothers, Red, John, Ben...
This review is an entry on my blog.
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much better.The writing is absolutely incredible; it's practically poetic. It completely reinforces the mythical aspect of the story. And what's written, is, of course, spectacular. Sorcha, the main character, is so human, so real; she's perfect. I found myself falling in love with all of the men in the story, too. Her brothers, Red, John, Ben...
This review is an entry on my blog.
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LibraryThing member khinman7
Well. Where to start...there is much to love about this book, but also much that was irksome to me. About 150 pages in I wasn't sure if I was going to finish, but I hung in there and am (mostly) glad that I did. Here are the things that I didn't like:
-At the beginning, Sorcha's voice and the things
-Anyone who was a villain was written in way which came across laughably cliche. I found myself skimming every time one particular baddie opened his mouth. Jeebus, there was no nuance whatsoever to that character. I would say this cost this book a five star rating for me (George R.R. Martin is a master of the nuanced-everything in fantasy: villain and good-guy alike).
-During one scene toward the end I was ready to throw the book at the wall. I just couldn't believe Sorcha wasn't defending herself or the people who had helped her. After all she had endured, I found her lack of action- of any kind- jarring and strange. Though it all ended up ok, I just found this to be really odd.
Here are the things I did like:
-The author's knowledge and love of Celtic and Norse lore is quite apparent and I liked the small but interesting role the Fair Folk play.
-The closeness of the siblings and love felt by them for each other was beautiful and you could easily see why Sorcha makes the choices she makes.
-There were all of the requisite fantasy elements present yet it didn't have that certain... je ne se quois... the annoys me so frequently with many fantasy authors. It could be that the author took a well known story, stuck to it, and made it her own.
-I am a total sucker for the soul mate style love story and this one was a humdinger. LOVE THAT PART of this story!
-I actually didn't get bogged down by the length, and in fact I devoured it in one day (the fact that I haven't had a good book to read for two weeks may have contributed to the voracious appetite I had for this book once I got past the start...).
Solid four stars. Not sure if I will read the whole trilogy yet... we shall see.
-At the beginning, Sorcha's voice and the things
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she "knew" simply didn't align with her age or he behavior. I understand that she is supposed to be brilliantly educated, multi-lingual, and a veritable walking repository of epic stories. I just didn't buy how she could go from speaking like a wise-woman, delivering babies, etc... to being completely ignorant of the sometimes vicious and awful nature of humans. And it doesn't line up to me that a girl who is painted as a borderline empath and knows the stories of Celtic lore (sometimes quite vicious) could be so shocked to hear of the brutality of battle. This only ended up being a sore point for me initially and this abated as the story progressed. -Anyone who was a villain was written in way which came across laughably cliche. I found myself skimming every time one particular baddie opened his mouth. Jeebus, there was no nuance whatsoever to that character. I would say this cost this book a five star rating for me (George R.R. Martin is a master of the nuanced-everything in fantasy: villain and good-guy alike).
-During one scene toward the end I was ready to throw the book at the wall. I just couldn't believe Sorcha wasn't defending herself or the people who had helped her. After all she had endured, I found her lack of action- of any kind- jarring and strange. Though it all ended up ok, I just found this to be really odd.
Here are the things I did like:
-The author's knowledge and love of Celtic and Norse lore is quite apparent and I liked the small but interesting role the Fair Folk play.
-The closeness of the siblings and love felt by them for each other was beautiful and you could easily see why Sorcha makes the choices she makes.
-There were all of the requisite fantasy elements present yet it didn't have that certain... je ne se quois... the annoys me so frequently with many fantasy authors. It could be that the author took a well known story, stuck to it, and made it her own.
-I am a total sucker for the soul mate style love story and this one was a humdinger. LOVE THAT PART of this story!
-I actually didn't get bogged down by the length, and in fact I devoured it in one day (the fact that I haven't had a good book to read for two weeks may have contributed to the voracious appetite I had for this book once I got past the start...).
Solid four stars. Not sure if I will read the whole trilogy yet... we shall see.
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LibraryThing member trouthe
I can't say it knocked my socks off, but I can say it's quite possibly the smoothest book I've ever read.
Most fairy tale adaptations change the fairy tale to some degree in order to add interest to the story. Deerskin makes the serving girl princess and her beloved prince dog lovers, The Book of
Daughter of the Forest doesn't really do that. I mean, there's bits and pieces around the edges (the largest change beingher healing her future husband's brother before the sorceress who curses her brother ever arrives , but for the most part it's a very close retelling that hits all the high spots of the original tale and yet manages to retain interest. Well enough that I was up half the night reading it, even. Because the characters are well-crafted and touching, the brothers and the husband strike just the right notes, and overall it's just extremely well-written. I could easily see this becoming one of my comfort read books.
Most fairy tale adaptations change the fairy tale to some degree in order to add interest to the story. Deerskin makes the serving girl princess and her beloved prince dog lovers, The Book of
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Joby makes our modern-day Job King Arthur, etc. I think the strictest adaptation I've read was the one where the other half of the book was about a gay man during the height of the AIDS epidemic (which I have not been able to remember the name of for years), so even there there was something beyond the strict fairy tale to keep interest. Daughter of the Forest doesn't really do that. I mean, there's bits and pieces around the edges (the largest change being
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LibraryThing member vivaraquel
I loved this book and as it is the 1st of 3, you just have to read the other 2. There is a rape scene so beware before allowing your child to read it. Aside from that, it keeps you hooked right through. Loved it.
LibraryThing member MlleEhreen
Daughter of the Forest was recommended to me at least a dozen times before I picked it up. I don't run across a whole lot of books - especially books that aren't new releases - that generate that kind of vocal love and support, so I knew from the beginning that this one would be special. I'd say I
I don't want to dwell on the plot too much, both because it's been summarized elsewhere and because the process of discovery is such a pleasure. Daughter of the Forest is based on one of Grimm's fairy tales, called The Six Swans, but set in Ireland and mixed with fairy magic and Celtic lore about the Lady of the Lake. Marillier has taken all the elements present in the original fairy tale - the witchy stepmother who curses her husband's six sons, but lets the daughter escape; the transformation of the sons into swans, and the revelation that the daughter can end the curse through a vow of silence and a difficult, nearly impossible task that will cause her great pain and take six years to complete; her hard life in the wilderness, and her eventual capture/salvation at the hands of a foreign king, who recognizes her good character though she cannot speak.
The Grimm fairy tale is only a few pages long and the whole text is available online, and it's worth reading it to see how Marillier breathes life into the characters of the fable. The Grimm story, for example, contains two evil step-mothers - the witch who curses the seven sons, and the mother of the foreign king who falls in love with the daughter. Marillier re-creates both women, but in her story only one is truly evil; the other is simply misguided by tradition and small-mindedness. She evokes the pain of the daughter's task so vividly, and the horror of the sons' transformation into swans just as well. And the love story between the daughter and the foreign king - Sorcha and Red, in Mariller's retelling - will melt your heart.
Marillier places front-and-center how Sorcha's task consists of women's work in a medieval tale - she's sewing a set of shirts - and requires virtues that are traditionally feminine, like patience and devotion to her family, but elevates them to a truly heroic level. In order to save her brothers through her women's work, Sorcha must also be brave, stoic, steadfast, determined, iron-willed and impossibly focused. At one point, the villain of the novel claims that no woman could do what Sorcha does - I don't think I would have realized exactly how larger-than-life, how appropriate to a fairy tale, Sorcha's task was unless it had been spelled out to me this way.
Anyhow, Daughter of the Forest is wonderful and if you have any interest in re-worked fairy tales, pick this one up - at the right moment. It will hit the spot.
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regret having put it off for so long, but, truth be told, I'm glad I waited for the right moment - Daughter of the Forest is one of those luminous, aching, bittersweet books that will come to the rescue when you're in a terrible funk and all the other books you own look dull as dirt. I don't want to dwell on the plot too much, both because it's been summarized elsewhere and because the process of discovery is such a pleasure. Daughter of the Forest is based on one of Grimm's fairy tales, called The Six Swans, but set in Ireland and mixed with fairy magic and Celtic lore about the Lady of the Lake. Marillier has taken all the elements present in the original fairy tale - the witchy stepmother who curses her husband's six sons, but lets the daughter escape; the transformation of the sons into swans, and the revelation that the daughter can end the curse through a vow of silence and a difficult, nearly impossible task that will cause her great pain and take six years to complete; her hard life in the wilderness, and her eventual capture/salvation at the hands of a foreign king, who recognizes her good character though she cannot speak.
The Grimm fairy tale is only a few pages long and the whole text is available online, and it's worth reading it to see how Marillier breathes life into the characters of the fable. The Grimm story, for example, contains two evil step-mothers - the witch who curses the seven sons, and the mother of the foreign king who falls in love with the daughter. Marillier re-creates both women, but in her story only one is truly evil; the other is simply misguided by tradition and small-mindedness. She evokes the pain of the daughter's task so vividly, and the horror of the sons' transformation into swans just as well. And the love story between the daughter and the foreign king - Sorcha and Red, in Mariller's retelling - will melt your heart.
Marillier places front-and-center how Sorcha's task consists of women's work in a medieval tale - she's sewing a set of shirts - and requires virtues that are traditionally feminine, like patience and devotion to her family, but elevates them to a truly heroic level. In order to save her brothers through her women's work, Sorcha must also be brave, stoic, steadfast, determined, iron-willed and impossibly focused. At one point, the villain of the novel claims that no woman could do what Sorcha does - I don't think I would have realized exactly how larger-than-life, how appropriate to a fairy tale, Sorcha's task was unless it had been spelled out to me this way.
Anyhow, Daughter of the Forest is wonderful and if you have any interest in re-worked fairy tales, pick this one up - at the right moment. It will hit the spot.
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LibraryThing member stefferoo
In the second half of 2014, I read Juliet Marillier for the first time. The book was Dreamer’s Pool and as soon as I closed the cover on the last page, I asked myself the question most readers ask themselves right after they finish an amazing read: Why have I waited so long to read this author?
I know I say that a lot and I don’t always follow through, at least not right away. But something about Marillier’s writing struck me in a way that I knew I didn’t want to wait. So I decided to jump into her Sevenwaters trilogy, and not least because the first book Daughter of the Forest has been sitting in my to-read list for years – for shame! – and it’s time to remedy that.
The book introduces us to Sorcha, who should have been the seventh son of a seventh son, but she is loved no less for being a girl, the only daughter of Lord Colum in the kingdom of Sevenwaters. She grew up with her six doting older brothers, and the siblings could not have been closer despite their different personalities and walks of life. However, peace at Sevenwaters is shattered when their widower father is seduced into marriage by an evil enchantress. To stop the siblings from meddling, the witch curses them all, turning Sorcha’s brothers into swans. It’s up to Sorcha to lift the spell, but she has to undertake a long and difficult quest thrust upon her by the Fae to do so, all the while remaining silent until she completes it.
To those familiar with their fairy tales, this is of course a retelling of The Six Swans, one of the stories collected by the Brothers Grimm. It’s a pretty close adaptation, actually, though Marillier fleshes it out a lot more and sets her version in the medieval Celtic era. She does not stray too far from the source material, which ended up being perfect for someone like myself, who adores fairy tales but at times wishes someone to come along and give them the deeper, more detailed treatment. I was delighted to find the same sort of subtle vibe here that I experienced in Dreamer’s Pool, a heady mixture of magic and realism in a world where myths can come to life and yet remain grounded at the same time.
This is simply a gorgeous book, filled with pain and sadness but also hope, healing and love. There is a heavy element of romance in here, but it is so well embedded in the overall story that it hardly distracts, despite being so intensely passionate. It’s been a while since I found myself so moved by a relationship between two people. Daughter of the Forest, a fantasy novel at its heart, does a love story even better than some Romance novels out there, without even seeming to try.
There aren’t too many faults I can pick out here, other than some minor issues I had with the overprotectiveness of Sorcha’s brothers, especially towards the end. I think by then she has earned the right to speak for herself and tell her family what it is she wants, but she too remained meek and silent until things ended up resolving for her. But a gripe like this feels so minor when the rest of the novel was near-perfect, as well as in light of how much I loved the book overall.
Two books by Juliet Marillier under my belt, and now she is one of my favorite authors. This is a must read for her fans, new and old. I really can’t recommend this one highly enough, especially if you love fairy tales, mythology and legends.
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And inevitably, the next thought is: I must read more!I know I say that a lot and I don’t always follow through, at least not right away. But something about Marillier’s writing struck me in a way that I knew I didn’t want to wait. So I decided to jump into her Sevenwaters trilogy, and not least because the first book Daughter of the Forest has been sitting in my to-read list for years – for shame! – and it’s time to remedy that.
The book introduces us to Sorcha, who should have been the seventh son of a seventh son, but she is loved no less for being a girl, the only daughter of Lord Colum in the kingdom of Sevenwaters. She grew up with her six doting older brothers, and the siblings could not have been closer despite their different personalities and walks of life. However, peace at Sevenwaters is shattered when their widower father is seduced into marriage by an evil enchantress. To stop the siblings from meddling, the witch curses them all, turning Sorcha’s brothers into swans. It’s up to Sorcha to lift the spell, but she has to undertake a long and difficult quest thrust upon her by the Fae to do so, all the while remaining silent until she completes it.
To those familiar with their fairy tales, this is of course a retelling of The Six Swans, one of the stories collected by the Brothers Grimm. It’s a pretty close adaptation, actually, though Marillier fleshes it out a lot more and sets her version in the medieval Celtic era. She does not stray too far from the source material, which ended up being perfect for someone like myself, who adores fairy tales but at times wishes someone to come along and give them the deeper, more detailed treatment. I was delighted to find the same sort of subtle vibe here that I experienced in Dreamer’s Pool, a heady mixture of magic and realism in a world where myths can come to life and yet remain grounded at the same time.
This is simply a gorgeous book, filled with pain and sadness but also hope, healing and love. There is a heavy element of romance in here, but it is so well embedded in the overall story that it hardly distracts, despite being so intensely passionate. It’s been a while since I found myself so moved by a relationship between two people. Daughter of the Forest, a fantasy novel at its heart, does a love story even better than some Romance novels out there, without even seeming to try.
There aren’t too many faults I can pick out here, other than some minor issues I had with the overprotectiveness of Sorcha’s brothers, especially towards the end. I think by then she has earned the right to speak for herself and tell her family what it is she wants, but she too remained meek and silent until things ended up resolving for her. But a gripe like this feels so minor when the rest of the novel was near-perfect, as well as in light of how much I loved the book overall.
Two books by Juliet Marillier under my belt, and now she is one of my favorite authors. This is a must read for her fans, new and old. I really can’t recommend this one highly enough, especially if you love fairy tales, mythology and legends.
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LibraryThing member Unreachableshelf
Marillier's most direct rewriting of myth, and potentially her best book. She excells at worldbuilding and character development. The relationships between the characters- all of them- are moving.
LibraryThing member stephxsu
Sorcha is the seventh child and only daughter of a seventh son who is constantly at tensions with his neighbors over land. Sorcha spends most of her days playing and being loved by her six older brothers, but when an evil sorceress bewitches her father and puts her brothers under a terrible spell,
I was one of those kids (I’m sure you’ve known a few of us) who read our Complete Grimm Brothers’ Fairy Tales cover to cover until the book was in tatters. Among the hundreds of extraordinary—and, admittedly, some not-so-extraordinary—tales, however, the one about the girl who must endure great travails to free her six older brothers who have been turned into swans has always been one of my favorites, because it’s just so emotional, and the girl is so admirable. Happily, Juliet Marillier keeps my favorite aspects of the original fairy tale, and dresses it up in an astounding world of Irish historical culture and intricate political relationships.
Unlike other retellings that may push aside the original for the sake of setting, DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST stays true to the tale at its core. Sorcha endures almost unimaginable sufferings in her quest to free her brothers, gets unwillingly pulled into social politics, and is wrongly accused of things that were not her intention. She is a strong protagonist not because she’s very active, but simply because she endures. The first 150 pages or so feel a little slow, but once the book moves into the frameworks of the original tale, I couldn’t put it down.
This is a book I would’ve loved to death back when I first started reading fantasy in middle school, alongside lifetime favorites Robin McKinley and other admirable fantasies by authors like Garth Nix. As it is, DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST is still an incredible book, full of the richness of my favorite kind of high fantasy. I’m glad I chose this one as my first Marillier book, and look forward to reading her other books in the future.
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only Sorcha can break it—though it might be the death of her.I was one of those kids (I’m sure you’ve known a few of us) who read our Complete Grimm Brothers’ Fairy Tales cover to cover until the book was in tatters. Among the hundreds of extraordinary—and, admittedly, some not-so-extraordinary—tales, however, the one about the girl who must endure great travails to free her six older brothers who have been turned into swans has always been one of my favorites, because it’s just so emotional, and the girl is so admirable. Happily, Juliet Marillier keeps my favorite aspects of the original fairy tale, and dresses it up in an astounding world of Irish historical culture and intricate political relationships.
Unlike other retellings that may push aside the original for the sake of setting, DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST stays true to the tale at its core. Sorcha endures almost unimaginable sufferings in her quest to free her brothers, gets unwillingly pulled into social politics, and is wrongly accused of things that were not her intention. She is a strong protagonist not because she’s very active, but simply because she endures. The first 150 pages or so feel a little slow, but once the book moves into the frameworks of the original tale, I couldn’t put it down.
This is a book I would’ve loved to death back when I first started reading fantasy in middle school, alongside lifetime favorites Robin McKinley and other admirable fantasies by authors like Garth Nix. As it is, DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST is still an incredible book, full of the richness of my favorite kind of high fantasy. I’m glad I chose this one as my first Marillier book, and look forward to reading her other books in the future.
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LibraryThing member BookRatMisty
What can I say, I saved the best for last. Daughter of the Forest is my favorite fairy tale retelling of all time. (So far. Let me know your faves and try to prove me wrong!) I did a mini-review of this once before, but I want to expand on that now, and get a little gushy fangirly.
I read this for
And then that all changed. I lost copious amounts of sleep over this book both times I read it, because when it gets going, it gets going. I was so in it, and I cared so much about Sorcha and Red and the brothers/swans and what was going to happen. The pacing of the relationship is beyond beautiful, perfectly suited to tease you and keep you hungry for more while never losing the tension by drawing it out too much.
When I originally reviewed this, I mentioned some issues I had with the villain and his Scooby-Doo tendency to spill his guts. I had less of an issue with this on rereads, even though it is a pet peeve of mine when characters do this -- I love this so much that I look back on everything with rose-colored glasses on. But why, you ask? Where to begin...
Everything about this book feels fully realized, which is always impressive, and more so when you consider that this was a debut. The characters felt real, and Marillier did an incredibly good job of making each memorable and distinguishable. The 6 brothers spend most of the book off-stage or as swans, and yet I never had any trouble remembering who was who, what they liked, what type of Character (capital C) they had, etc. So much love and layering went into their creation, you can just feel it. So you can only imagine the creations Sorcha and Red became.
There's so much pain in this story, and pain in the telling, and Mariliier doesn't just wipe the slate clean in the end. I really respect that, it makes everything feel more real and authentic and human. There are bad things that happen - as there are in real life - and Marillier did a really good job of not flinching away from that, and in showing the healing process and allowing her characters to work through things, come to terms with things. For those of you who have read the book, I'm not just talking about what happens to Sorcha. Multiple characters in the book face some really difficult things, and Marilier shows real honesty in her writing when allows a good does of realism alongside the fantasty aspects. There's always the wonder, sometimes the certainty, on the reader's part that there are things that they characters may not be able to come back from. There are wounds that may never heal. I don't like a sugar-coated story, and Marillier did a very respectable job of showing the highs and lows.
And this brings me to perhaps the thing that makes this the book of awesomely epic proportions that it is: aside from the info-dumping in the beginning, and the Scooby Doo moment at the end (rough patches), Marillier is incredibly good at Show-Don't-Tell. Sorcha is a silent character (have I mentioned that I love a well-done silent character? Because I do.); everything is sort of filtered through her and her silence, and the pain and heaviness of it, and the shelter that it can provide. I think writing from the perspective of a character that couldn't just spill her guts allowed Marillier to hone her talents in writing a tale that shows a complete picture and lets the audience gather more than what is said. Or maybe she's just naturally skilled at this. Whatever the reason for it, this is one of the most present books I've ever read. I felt this book. I can't tell you how many times I got butterflies when reading this - not just because of the slowly-developing romance, but because something was about to happen. Even rereading this, I still got butterflies - I knew what was going to happen, for crying out loud, and it still made me have a physical reaction.
God, writing this is making me want to read it again. And I know when I do, it will be another all-nighter, because I'll just have to keep reading until I get to _________; and when I get there...well, maybe I should read until I get to ____________. But I promise to go to sleep after that. Well, maybe one more chapter...
I read this for
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the first time after having just finished Wildwood Dancing (also by Marillier). It came highly recommended by a friend, so I was pretty gung-ho. But the first 30 pages almost made me put it down. It's not that they were awful, but there was so much info-dumping, and nothing to really grab me and make me read it.And then that all changed. I lost copious amounts of sleep over this book both times I read it, because when it gets going, it gets going. I was so in it, and I cared so much about Sorcha and Red and the brothers/swans and what was going to happen. The pacing of the relationship is beyond beautiful, perfectly suited to tease you and keep you hungry for more while never losing the tension by drawing it out too much.
When I originally reviewed this, I mentioned some issues I had with the villain and his Scooby-Doo tendency to spill his guts. I had less of an issue with this on rereads, even though it is a pet peeve of mine when characters do this -- I love this so much that I look back on everything with rose-colored glasses on. But why, you ask? Where to begin...
Everything about this book feels fully realized, which is always impressive, and more so when you consider that this was a debut. The characters felt real, and Marillier did an incredibly good job of making each memorable and distinguishable. The 6 brothers spend most of the book off-stage or as swans, and yet I never had any trouble remembering who was who, what they liked, what type of Character (capital C) they had, etc. So much love and layering went into their creation, you can just feel it. So you can only imagine the creations Sorcha and Red became.
There's so much pain in this story, and pain in the telling, and Mariliier doesn't just wipe the slate clean in the end. I really respect that, it makes everything feel more real and authentic and human. There are bad things that happen - as there are in real life - and Marillier did a really good job of not flinching away from that, and in showing the healing process and allowing her characters to work through things, come to terms with things. For those of you who have read the book, I'm not just talking about what happens to Sorcha. Multiple characters in the book face some really difficult things, and Marilier shows real honesty in her writing when allows a good does of realism alongside the fantasty aspects. There's always the wonder, sometimes the certainty, on the reader's part that there are things that they characters may not be able to come back from. There are wounds that may never heal. I don't like a sugar-coated story, and Marillier did a very respectable job of showing the highs and lows.
And this brings me to perhaps the thing that makes this the book of awesomely epic proportions that it is: aside from the info-dumping in the beginning, and the Scooby Doo moment at the end (rough patches), Marillier is incredibly good at Show-Don't-Tell. Sorcha is a silent character (have I mentioned that I love a well-done silent character? Because I do.); everything is sort of filtered through her and her silence, and the pain and heaviness of it, and the shelter that it can provide. I think writing from the perspective of a character that couldn't just spill her guts allowed Marillier to hone her talents in writing a tale that shows a complete picture and lets the audience gather more than what is said. Or maybe she's just naturally skilled at this. Whatever the reason for it, this is one of the most present books I've ever read. I felt this book. I can't tell you how many times I got butterflies when reading this - not just because of the slowly-developing romance, but because something was about to happen. Even rereading this, I still got butterflies - I knew what was going to happen, for crying out loud, and it still made me have a physical reaction.
God, writing this is making me want to read it again. And I know when I do, it will be another all-nighter, because I'll just have to keep reading until I get to _________; and when I get there...well, maybe I should read until I get to ____________. But I promise to go to sleep after that. Well, maybe one more chapter...
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LibraryThing member xicanti
When her six brothers are transformed into swans, Sorcha must save them by completing a terrible task without ever uttering a sound.
If you think that sounds familiar, you're right. DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST is based on a fairy tale called "The Six Swans." Marillier has changed some things, of course,
This is one of those wonderful, immersive books that draws you in slowly but surely. It did take me a little while to really commit to it, but once I did... wow. I couldn't help but feel for Sorcha. She's in a really difficult place. Terrible things happen to her because she can't speak. I mean, terrible things. I won't tell you what they are because I don't want to spoil the book for you, but they are absolutely heartwrenching. I bawled my eyes out. From her brothers' transformation on, I had a tough time putting the book down. I got so wrapped up in it that I was almost afraid to speak, lest I ruin Sorcha's one chance to free her brothers. I love it when a book affects me that deeply.
I also appreciated how Marillier handled the romance. I'm a total sucker for a love story that rips my heart out and stomps on it, and this one certainly did so. Sorcha's love blossoms slowly and organically. There are no shooting stars and fireworks. She meets someone. Things are tense between them, but eventually she gets to know him. And then... and then...
God. I'm tearing up again just thinking about it.
And the stories! Stories form the backbone of Sorcha's world. She's a storyteller, through and through, and she uses stories to guide her through the dark times and to celebrate the good. It's beautifully done.
On the down side, the book does begin very slowly. Marillier spends a lot of time introducing us to the political climate and showing us what these seven people mean to one another. We also have a rather long segment that sets up another character's emotional arc. I hesitate to say that any of this is unnecessary, but I think the book might have been just as strong without it. It's Sorcha's situation that affected me here; it's her situation that kept me reading. I knew how she felt about her brothers and the love interest because of how she fought to save them, and that all went down in the latter half of the book. The beginning is interesting and immersive, but it was all supplementary. I'm not too sure how I feel about it.
But that quibble aside, this was wonderful. I highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in historical fantasy. It's a wonderful, engaging, tearjerker of a book that reminded me of both Jacqueline Carey and Robin Hobb. It does have a very definite ending, but there are several loose ends that I imagine will carry on through the next two books in the series.
(A slightly longer version of this review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina).
If you think that sounds familiar, you're right. DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST is based on a fairy tale called "The Six Swans." Marillier has changed some things, of course,
Show More
but the basic setup is the same.This is one of those wonderful, immersive books that draws you in slowly but surely. It did take me a little while to really commit to it, but once I did... wow. I couldn't help but feel for Sorcha. She's in a really difficult place. Terrible things happen to her because she can't speak. I mean, terrible things. I won't tell you what they are because I don't want to spoil the book for you, but they are absolutely heartwrenching. I bawled my eyes out. From her brothers' transformation on, I had a tough time putting the book down. I got so wrapped up in it that I was almost afraid to speak, lest I ruin Sorcha's one chance to free her brothers. I love it when a book affects me that deeply.
I also appreciated how Marillier handled the romance. I'm a total sucker for a love story that rips my heart out and stomps on it, and this one certainly did so. Sorcha's love blossoms slowly and organically. There are no shooting stars and fireworks. She meets someone. Things are tense between them, but eventually she gets to know him. And then... and then...
God. I'm tearing up again just thinking about it.
And the stories! Stories form the backbone of Sorcha's world. She's a storyteller, through and through, and she uses stories to guide her through the dark times and to celebrate the good. It's beautifully done.
On the down side, the book does begin very slowly. Marillier spends a lot of time introducing us to the political climate and showing us what these seven people mean to one another. We also have a rather long segment that sets up another character's emotional arc. I hesitate to say that any of this is unnecessary, but I think the book might have been just as strong without it. It's Sorcha's situation that affected me here; it's her situation that kept me reading. I knew how she felt about her brothers and the love interest because of how she fought to save them, and that all went down in the latter half of the book. The beginning is interesting and immersive, but it was all supplementary. I'm not too sure how I feel about it.
But that quibble aside, this was wonderful. I highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in historical fantasy. It's a wonderful, engaging, tearjerker of a book that reminded me of both Jacqueline Carey and Robin Hobb. It does have a very definite ending, but there are several loose ends that I imagine will carry on through the next two books in the series.
(A slightly longer version of this review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina).
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LibraryThing member Spottyblanket
I realise that there are already over 40 reviews for this book. So I can venture everything about it has been said. Never the less, this review itself is personal to me because...
This is the first Fantasy book I have ever loved.
I tend to creep away from traditional fantasy, the sight of a well
I realise not all Fantasy books are like this, some are actullay quite good apparently and maybe I only tasted the bad apples. But my love of the genre was not glowing, even in my twenties. I still failed to connect to it. My love lay more in sci-fi.
So when someone recommended me 'Daughter of the Forest' on this site, I was a little guarded. But I saw that the book wasn't set in some made-up world but my own. My own country, actullay. It was set in the past and was based off a Fairy tale I knew quite well (my love of Gregory Maguire came into this).
This book is long, but nothing is dragged, everything is paced out to flesh out characters. No encounter is pointless. Reading about the seven brothers and their differances was interesting. The main character describes things with a freshness that is subtle enough to take up tons of pages. I love the fact that the author makes observations about people rather then simply describes the area around them. Her style was very easy to get into. I shall be seeking out more of her works--thats for sure.
This is the first Fantasy book I have ever loved.
I tend to creep away from traditional fantasy, the sight of a well
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detailed map of a made-up world from the moment I open the book is more than enough to put me off. I hated the dutiful prose about binding, magic and lawful presence. I hated the static-ness of it all. The padding, the overlong descriptions. The flatness of the characters and the small crampy text printed in darkened print.I realise not all Fantasy books are like this, some are actullay quite good apparently and maybe I only tasted the bad apples. But my love of the genre was not glowing, even in my twenties. I still failed to connect to it. My love lay more in sci-fi.
So when someone recommended me 'Daughter of the Forest' on this site, I was a little guarded. But I saw that the book wasn't set in some made-up world but my own. My own country, actullay. It was set in the past and was based off a Fairy tale I knew quite well (my love of Gregory Maguire came into this).
This book is long, but nothing is dragged, everything is paced out to flesh out characters. No encounter is pointless. Reading about the seven brothers and their differances was interesting. The main character describes things with a freshness that is subtle enough to take up tons of pages. I love the fact that the author makes observations about people rather then simply describes the area around them. Her style was very easy to get into. I shall be seeking out more of her works--thats for sure.
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LibraryThing member Kasei
****SPOILER WARNING****
I bought the paperback version of this book on the advice of a clerk at Barnes & Noble a few weeks ago. Upon just finishing this story after a few tense days of suspenseful reading, I feel compelled to write a review.
While not the most ground-breaking of novels, this tale has
Personally, I am not well-versed in Celtic lore and so had never heard the tale of the swans before--perhaps it was my ignorance in this that made my experience with this book more satisfying than those who were familiar with it. To me this premise and plot rang sweetly as an interesting bit of folklore brought to life, and I appreciate the efforts the authoress went through to put me into that world and into that predicament with Sorcha.
Apparently I am in the minority with this, but my favorite parts of the book were the early chapters during and up to the time of Sorcha's solitude in the forest with Linn, before everything changed. I admire the way time was showed to pass and the steady progress made through Sorcha's administrations to Simon and to her shirts. I certainly found the later parts of the book interesting and could not put the novel down in my need to know what would happen next, but as the novel sped to a close it turned into a more typical story of budding romance and slight political intrigue--I found myself longing at times for the dark mystery that the earlier chapters had held.
My main gripes about this book are that at times it seemed the author gave little reason for the characters to act as they did. On the one hand we were told that so-and-so acted a certain way because of this or that, but then a good deal later in the book said person would turn around and do something out of character with no explanation given at all. Or if there was an explanation, it was a very contrived one that didn't seem to have much thought to back it up. There were also times when Sorcha and her brothers seemed a little too conveniently knowledgeable or well-spoken when I could see no real reason due to their age and inexperience for them to be so. It also appeared to me that the heroine went from the extremes of being strong and able to fend for herself to needing the protection (or affection) of some male figure to help her along. It also kind of irked me that she was often put on a pedestal of being some kind of object that men everywhere secretly desired or longed to protect no matter who it was or what the circumstances. I did however think that the rape scene and the effect it had on her was handled very well--who would want to be touched by even one's own brothers after that?
Then there was the ending. It was so sudden and abrupt and wrapped up so neatly that I felt almost cheated. The overtones of perseverance and the importance of family that had built up for the entire story disintegrated into a miniature whirlwind of idealistic romance that seemed to make Sorcha's love life the focus of every character in the novel and ultimately watered-down everything that made this book so gripping. Had her reunion and reconciliation with Red been more private and made less a spectacle of I would have found the entire episode much more touching and realistic than the drawn-out blindfolded story telling. If it were possible to give half a star I would certainly award this book 3 ½, but it is this ending that keeps it from the fourth star. I appreciate what the author was trying to get at with the scene, but having read and witnessed Ms. Marillier's lovely wielding of words I know she could have handled the conclusion with more finesse than she did.
More than anything though I found myself wanting *desperately* to know more about the secondary characters in the novel and to hear their stories; but in this I think the fault was more to the first person perspective of the story than fault of the author. Still, most every one of these characters, major or minor, intrigued me and I would not be adverse to a lengthy account of their own journeys; what became of the six brothers after their return specifically. I will be picking up the second (and possibly third, depending on how the reading of the second goes) novel in the hopes that their stories are revealed to me and in order to see what lose ends left with this book are tied up with the second.
All in all, this was a good story and an enjoyable light read, though I would recommend it for someone looking for an interesting way to burn time than for someone looking for a deep, compelling fantasy. The book will leave you thinking on the characters and plot, though the ending may leave a slightly stale taste in your mouth. Despite its shortcomings it is a great first book and worth reading.
I bought the paperback version of this book on the advice of a clerk at Barnes & Noble a few weeks ago. Upon just finishing this story after a few tense days of suspenseful reading, I feel compelled to write a review.
While not the most ground-breaking of novels, this tale has
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a quiet sort of solidity to it that leaves you with a good, satiated feeling when all is said and done. Admittedly, Ms. Marillier took her sweet time during the first chapter as she introduced the characters and setting, but from about the second or third chapter on I found that I simply could NOT put this book down. Just when you think things are finally beginning to go well for the narrator, she lets on that something awful is about to happen and you will mentally (or as in my case literally) balk at the suggestion. I almost could not bring myself to continue reading at times for fear of what would happen next, making for a very engrossing read.Personally, I am not well-versed in Celtic lore and so had never heard the tale of the swans before--perhaps it was my ignorance in this that made my experience with this book more satisfying than those who were familiar with it. To me this premise and plot rang sweetly as an interesting bit of folklore brought to life, and I appreciate the efforts the authoress went through to put me into that world and into that predicament with Sorcha.
Apparently I am in the minority with this, but my favorite parts of the book were the early chapters during and up to the time of Sorcha's solitude in the forest with Linn, before everything changed. I admire the way time was showed to pass and the steady progress made through Sorcha's administrations to Simon and to her shirts. I certainly found the later parts of the book interesting and could not put the novel down in my need to know what would happen next, but as the novel sped to a close it turned into a more typical story of budding romance and slight political intrigue--I found myself longing at times for the dark mystery that the earlier chapters had held.
My main gripes about this book are that at times it seemed the author gave little reason for the characters to act as they did. On the one hand we were told that so-and-so acted a certain way because of this or that, but then a good deal later in the book said person would turn around and do something out of character with no explanation given at all. Or if there was an explanation, it was a very contrived one that didn't seem to have much thought to back it up. There were also times when Sorcha and her brothers seemed a little too conveniently knowledgeable or well-spoken when I could see no real reason due to their age and inexperience for them to be so. It also appeared to me that the heroine went from the extremes of being strong and able to fend for herself to needing the protection (or affection) of some male figure to help her along. It also kind of irked me that she was often put on a pedestal of being some kind of object that men everywhere secretly desired or longed to protect no matter who it was or what the circumstances. I did however think that the rape scene and the effect it had on her was handled very well--who would want to be touched by even one's own brothers after that?
Then there was the ending. It was so sudden and abrupt and wrapped up so neatly that I felt almost cheated. The overtones of perseverance and the importance of family that had built up for the entire story disintegrated into a miniature whirlwind of idealistic romance that seemed to make Sorcha's love life the focus of every character in the novel and ultimately watered-down everything that made this book so gripping. Had her reunion and reconciliation with Red been more private and made less a spectacle of I would have found the entire episode much more touching and realistic than the drawn-out blindfolded story telling. If it were possible to give half a star I would certainly award this book 3 ½, but it is this ending that keeps it from the fourth star. I appreciate what the author was trying to get at with the scene, but having read and witnessed Ms. Marillier's lovely wielding of words I know she could have handled the conclusion with more finesse than she did.
More than anything though I found myself wanting *desperately* to know more about the secondary characters in the novel and to hear their stories; but in this I think the fault was more to the first person perspective of the story than fault of the author. Still, most every one of these characters, major or minor, intrigued me and I would not be adverse to a lengthy account of their own journeys; what became of the six brothers after their return specifically. I will be picking up the second (and possibly third, depending on how the reading of the second goes) novel in the hopes that their stories are revealed to me and in order to see what lose ends left with this book are tied up with the second.
All in all, this was a good story and an enjoyable light read, though I would recommend it for someone looking for an interesting way to burn time than for someone looking for a deep, compelling fantasy. The book will leave you thinking on the characters and plot, though the ending may leave a slightly stale taste in your mouth. Despite its shortcomings it is a great first book and worth reading.
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LibraryThing member redg18
Being unfamiliar with this particular legend, I was totally caught off guard by how the story unfolded. The main character is really a strong lead with a lot of character and determination. I was rooting for her throughout and afraid for her at all the right moments. The romance was well paced and
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the author's descriptions were vivid. A really great read. Show Less
LibraryThing member soliloquies
One of my all time favourite books, beautiful reworking of the Six Swans into a story of drama, sacrifice and love. Sorcha must undertake a tortuous task to free her brothers from a spell cast upon them by the sorceress Lady Oonagh.
LibraryThing member mmillet
Sorcha is the seventh child of a seventh son, Lord Colum of Sevenwaters. Her elder six brothers adore and watch out for her as her mother died delivering her. Her life has been happy and full of wonderment until her father becomes enamored of a wicked sorceress who has him under her spell. Things
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begin to change quickly for Sorcha as her stepmother seeks to control their lives and pit father, brother and sister against one another. In an act of true inhumanity, the stepmother transforms Sorcha's six brothers into swans and Sorcha's only hope of lifting the curse is to weave six shirts, one for each brother, out of the painful starwort nettle and to not utter a word until her task is complete. Agreeing to the monumental task, Sorcha sets off on a long road full of suffering to restore her brothers and her family. But along the way she meets those will aid and alter her story forever.Set in a pre-Christian Ireland, Marillier's work is full of Celtic mythology and descriptions of people and place that I felt myself right there along Sorcha as she traveled across the land. Marillier's characters never have a easy time of things and this book is certainly no exception - Sorcha pays dearly to gain what she wants with many casualties along the way. This was no easy read for me and is definitely recommended to mature readers only. I find that Marillier can create some truly good characters. They prove themselves time and again. But Marillier allows even her good characters to face challenges and difficulties that forever change them - usually for the better, but not always. Likewise, Marillier's villains are truly evil. There are some folks in this book that are too creepy to think about. It's an amazing book though - based on a Brothers Grimm fairy tale - but competely unique and spellbinding in its heartbreak and joys. Show Less
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
The story of the brothers transformed into swans and their sister who has to be silent and weave them garments with a plant that causes pain is here re-written. An interesing variation on the story but I felt it somehow lacked something to fire me with wonder. The characters were interesting and
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the story moved at a reasonable pace. Show Less
LibraryThing member Sink222
WOW, excellent story. Shed a few tears in this one. You do not have to be a fantasy fan for this. This is one of my top 10 favorites.
LibraryThing member jlizzy
What a surprise this book - could not put it down. Loved the legends, the clever story, the strong characters. Absolutely everything I want in a fantasy book.
LibraryThing member richardsonmichelle
I thought this was a page turner. I've read quite a few books that have a smiliar setting, but this book had quite a twist to it and I found it really refreshing
LibraryThing member iphigenie
This had been recommended I think in Locus at the time it came out, and had been on my lookout list since then.
I enjoyed the book, it is a great retelling of the seven swans fairy tale, put in a magical realistic bronze age ireland. The story is suitably dark, and steeped in magic, although I didnt
I enjoyed the book, it is a great retelling of the seven swans fairy tale, put in a magical realistic bronze age ireland. The story is suitably dark, and steeped in magic, although I didnt
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always understand the 'logic' of the lore. I enjoyed the romanced historical setting behind the tale, the characters are interesting and the plot moves nicely, parts of it in unexpected ways. I could not discern much motive behind the actions of the 'bad stepmother' of the tale, which did deter a bit from the book for me. It also leaves some strange loose ends. There are hints that further books will clarify this. Show Less
Awards
Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award (Winner — Fantasy Novel — 2000)
Alex Award (2001)
Aurealis Award (Shortlist — Fantasy Novel — 1999)
Prix Imaginales (2010)
Locus Recommended Reading (First Novel — 2000)
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 2001)
Young Adult Favorites Award (2002)
Original publication date
1999-04-01
Other editions
Daughter of the forest by Juliet Marillier (Paper Book)