Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Tor Books (2001), Edition: 1st, 462 pages
Description
Fantasy. Young Adult Fiction. HTML: Son of the Shadows is the sequel to Juliet Marillier's evocative first novel Daughter of the Forest. It continues the saga of beautiful Sorcha, the courageous young woman who risked all to save her family from a wicked curse and whose love shattered generations of hate and bridged two cultures. It is from her sacrifice that her brothers were brought home to Sevenwaters and her life has known much joy. But not all the brothers were able to escape the spell that transformed them into swans, and those who did were all more�??and less�??than they were before the change. It is left to Sorcha's daughter Liadan who will take up the tale that the Sevenwaters clan is destined to fulfill. Beloved child, dutiful daughter, she embarks on a journey that opens her eyes to the wonders of the world around her...and shows her just how hard-won was the peace that she has known all her life. Liadan will need all of her courage to help save her family, for there are forces far darker than anyone chould have guessed and ancient powers conspiring to destroy this family's peace�??and their world. And she will need the strength to stand up to those she loves best, for in the finding of her own true love, Liadan's course may doom them all...or be their salvation. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) appl… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member atimco
Son of the Shadows is the second book in the Sevenwaters trilogy, and tells the story of Sorcha and Red's children. Their daughter Liadan is the narrator now and she is very like Sorcha. The story starts out similarly to the first one; Liadan is a healer like her mother and secretly takes care of a
I think this is the weakest of the trilogy because the plot just doesn't seem as well planned and sometimes the characters are a little unrealistic. Liadan's male relations would not just quietly acquiesce when she comes home pregnant and unwed; her father wouldn't just swallow hard and say, "all right, Liadan, if that's what you want. You can always make your own choices." It's just a bit too sugary sweet. Also, I found the Painted Man's supposedly ferocious band of hardened warriors just a little too susceptible to Liadan's storytelling and sassy ways.
Despite these shortcomings, there are some things I really like about this installment. Marillier deals with abuse and its aftermath for both an abused wife and a mistreated child. Its effects are lifelong and chilling.
I also really liked to see a mortal working against the Fair Folk and changing her own destiny. In this story it becomes a bit clearer that the gods and goddesses certainly work their will in human events, but people are not just their pawns and can change the entire story if they dare. At one point the Bright One is frustrated "that so much should depend on them." It's a very different dynamic from that in Daughter of the Forest, where the purposes of the Fair Folk and the heroine are the same.
Again, there are some explicit scenes in addition to the heavier themes of abuse and desire, and I would not recommend the series to young readers. But older readers will enjoy the complex family saga that continues in this novel, and there is something about the series that compels you to keep reading.
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wounded outlaw. But Liadan's path is a different one than Sorcha's, and she makes choices that go against what the Fair Folk would wish. There is an older magic than that of the Tuátha Dé Danann, and it guides Liadan down a path that is outside the pattern. I think this is the weakest of the trilogy because the plot just doesn't seem as well planned and sometimes the characters are a little unrealistic. Liadan's male relations would not just quietly acquiesce when she comes home pregnant and unwed; her father wouldn't just swallow hard and say, "all right, Liadan, if that's what you want. You can always make your own choices." It's just a bit too sugary sweet. Also, I found the Painted Man's supposedly ferocious band of hardened warriors just a little too susceptible to Liadan's storytelling and sassy ways.
Despite these shortcomings, there are some things I really like about this installment. Marillier deals with abuse and its aftermath for both an abused wife and a mistreated child. Its effects are lifelong and chilling.
I also really liked to see a mortal working against the Fair Folk and changing her own destiny. In this story it becomes a bit clearer that the gods and goddesses certainly work their will in human events, but people are not just their pawns and can change the entire story if they dare. At one point the Bright One is frustrated "that so much should depend on them." It's a very different dynamic from that in Daughter of the Forest, where the purposes of the Fair Folk and the heroine are the same.
Again, there are some explicit scenes in addition to the heavier themes of abuse and desire, and I would not recommend the series to young readers. But older readers will enjoy the complex family saga that continues in this novel, and there is something about the series that compels you to keep reading.
Show Less
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier is the second book in the Sevenwaters Series. I have been anticipating this book for some time, as I have loved all the other Juliet Marillier books I have read. This book carries on the story of the family that dwells at Sevenwaters, and they are recovering
Juliet Marillier draws on the history of the Celts and using their legends and traditions, develops a magical, romantic story of Liadan and Bran, the Painted Man. With dark forces and ancient powers circling ever closer, Liadan comes into her full power to ensure the safely of her family and loved ones.
A beautifully written historical fantasy that was a very satisfactory read. Most of the immediate story plots were attended to, but of course this is only book two of a five book series, so not everything has been brought to a conclusion. I am looking forward to continuing this saga, and finding out what happens next.
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from the curse that was put upon them in the first book. Even though they have had years of peace and prosperity, still hanging over their heads is a prophecy of what is yet to come.Juliet Marillier draws on the history of the Celts and using their legends and traditions, develops a magical, romantic story of Liadan and Bran, the Painted Man. With dark forces and ancient powers circling ever closer, Liadan comes into her full power to ensure the safely of her family and loved ones.
A beautifully written historical fantasy that was a very satisfactory read. Most of the immediate story plots were attended to, but of course this is only book two of a five book series, so not everything has been brought to a conclusion. I am looking forward to continuing this saga, and finding out what happens next.
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LibraryThing member BookRatMisty
Earlier today I reviewed Daughter of the Forest, which I called my favorite fairy tale retelling of all time (and one of my favorite books, period.); Son of the Shadows is the 2nd book of the series, and I was a little hesitant to read it because it follows Sorcha and Red's children (meaning Sorcha
It's strange, though: some of my favorite things about the book are also some of my complaints. So I'm just going to get right into it. And, um, there will be slight spoilers.
I liked the way Son of the Shadows expanded the mythology of Sevenwaters (and Ireland) by incorporating the Old Ones and giving the fey a run for their money. They were an interesting element, and I really liked it. They world and mythology was also expanded in that there are characters from around the world. The Painted Men were fascinating, and going behind the scenes with the "bad guys" and feeling pity for them, sometimes even rooting for them - it was interesting, because it was hard to know where to lay your allegiance. (Which I think was a good thing, because it puts you more in Liadan's mind, who is having a similar problem.)
But when I first started SotS, I was more than a little worried that it was going to be a lukewarm rehashing of DOTF, covering the same ground with "new" characters, and trying to recapture the magic. And there were times that I felt this did sort of peek through, or Liadan did come close to being Sorcha, especially in the beginning, before she began to distinguish herself. But as it went along, the similarities faded and Liadan became her own character, and I liked her for it. She was much more willful than her mother, and even sort of brazen, which is not something I would call Sorcha. Where Sorcha took her lot in life and struggled to make the most of it, Liadan went after what she wanted, even when it was sometimes incredibly reckless. Their similarities (beyond both being healers and respected members of their community - and unwittingly enchanting every man who crossed their path) was in the lengths they would go to for those they loved. There didn't seem to be anything they wouldn't risk, which is complicated when the people you love require contradicting things of you.
While I'm on the topic of love, I do want to talk about the...romance between Liadan and Bran. I have a friend (the one who recommended the books to me in the first place) who likes Bran more than Red, and that I just don't get. Maybe it's the tortured soul thing, maybe it's whatever it is in women that makes them like bad boys, but as much as I liked Bran as a character, and even as a love interest (at times), I would never in a million years compare their romance to Sorcha's and Red's, or claim to like anyone more. (Red 4eva!) I did like Liadan and Bran together, and I liked his slow transformation into someone worthy of being liked.
There was an honesty to the situation, and an acceptance that people aren't perfect (and perhaps Bran was a good foil to Liadan's somewhat Mary Sue character). I sometimes felt as if I was reading the story that would have been if Sorcha had ended up with Simon instead of going to England and meeting Red. That was interesting - but it never gave me butterflies the way that DOTF did. I loved it, and I looked forward to the scenes where they were together, even if only briefly, and that's high-praise, really. But I just can't get crazy fangirly on this one. I loved both characters and found them intriguing, but they were also frustrating and the beauty of the build-up and discovery just wasn't there. It would come SO CLOSE and then just not go all the way*. I liked them, almost even loved them, but they weren't quite magic. Sorcha and Red were magic.
*But they did. Boy, did they.
There were other things that worked but didn't work for me, too. I liked the darkness of the story which, as dark as DOTF was, I think actually went a little darker. There were dark moments in DOTF, and a villain or two, but it was overpowered by so much valiance and righteousness and love. SotS shows us how even some of the good guys get corrupted. Times are changing in Liadan's world, and mostly not for the better. There is a lot of darkness and mistrust and loneliness and violence, all compounded on one another. And though I liked this, sometimes it was just too much. I don't mean this from a "too much for my delicate sensibilities" standpoint, because I don't have those. I mean, sometimes it was just too much: Eammon could have been a cartoon villain, twirling his curly mustache at the end. And though there were times I loved his obsessive need for control and his callousness, and there were times that I could see it crack and even feel pity for him, there were also times when I was just wanted to be done with him.
But the fact is, there was never anything bad enough in this book to keep me from recommending it, or even loving it. I'm just holding it up to the impossibly high standard Daughter of the Forest set. And for those of you who are fans of DOTF but haven't read this one yet, allow me to tease you with this:
There's more Finbar!!
I truly loved his role in this book, and his connection to Liadan. It expanded her character and his quite nicely.
Do yourself a favor and pick up Daughter of the Forest and Son of the Shadows. Trust me.
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and Red would be older and shuffled off out of the picture, and I just wasn't ready for that), and I'd heard that the series starts to go down hill after the first book. And though this did lack some of the magic of Daughter of the Forest, I certainly wouldn't say that Son of the Shadows is the point where the series starts to go downhill.It's strange, though: some of my favorite things about the book are also some of my complaints. So I'm just going to get right into it. And, um, there will be slight spoilers.
I liked the way Son of the Shadows expanded the mythology of Sevenwaters (and Ireland) by incorporating the Old Ones and giving the fey a run for their money. They were an interesting element, and I really liked it. They world and mythology was also expanded in that there are characters from around the world. The Painted Men were fascinating, and going behind the scenes with the "bad guys" and feeling pity for them, sometimes even rooting for them - it was interesting, because it was hard to know where to lay your allegiance. (Which I think was a good thing, because it puts you more in Liadan's mind, who is having a similar problem.)
But when I first started SotS, I was more than a little worried that it was going to be a lukewarm rehashing of DOTF, covering the same ground with "new" characters, and trying to recapture the magic. And there were times that I felt this did sort of peek through, or Liadan did come close to being Sorcha, especially in the beginning, before she began to distinguish herself. But as it went along, the similarities faded and Liadan became her own character, and I liked her for it. She was much more willful than her mother, and even sort of brazen, which is not something I would call Sorcha. Where Sorcha took her lot in life and struggled to make the most of it, Liadan went after what she wanted, even when it was sometimes incredibly reckless. Their similarities (beyond both being healers and respected members of their community - and unwittingly enchanting every man who crossed their path) was in the lengths they would go to for those they loved. There didn't seem to be anything they wouldn't risk, which is complicated when the people you love require contradicting things of you.
While I'm on the topic of love, I do want to talk about the...romance between Liadan and Bran. I have a friend (the one who recommended the books to me in the first place) who likes Bran more than Red, and that I just don't get. Maybe it's the tortured soul thing, maybe it's whatever it is in women that makes them like bad boys, but as much as I liked Bran as a character, and even as a love interest (at times), I would never in a million years compare their romance to Sorcha's and Red's, or claim to like anyone more. (Red 4eva!) I did like Liadan and Bran together, and I liked his slow transformation into someone worthy of being liked.
There was an honesty to the situation, and an acceptance that people aren't perfect (and perhaps Bran was a good foil to Liadan's somewhat Mary Sue character). I sometimes felt as if I was reading the story that would have been if Sorcha had ended up with Simon instead of going to England and meeting Red. That was interesting - but it never gave me butterflies the way that DOTF did. I loved it, and I looked forward to the scenes where they were together, even if only briefly, and that's high-praise, really. But I just can't get crazy fangirly on this one. I loved both characters and found them intriguing, but they were also frustrating and the beauty of the build-up and discovery just wasn't there. It would come SO CLOSE and then just not go all the way*. I liked them, almost even loved them, but they weren't quite magic. Sorcha and Red were magic.
*But they did. Boy, did they.
There were other things that worked but didn't work for me, too. I liked the darkness of the story which, as dark as DOTF was, I think actually went a little darker. There were dark moments in DOTF, and a villain or two, but it was overpowered by so much valiance and righteousness and love. SotS shows us how even some of the good guys get corrupted. Times are changing in Liadan's world, and mostly not for the better. There is a lot of darkness and mistrust and loneliness and violence, all compounded on one another. And though I liked this, sometimes it was just too much. I don't mean this from a "too much for my delicate sensibilities" standpoint, because I don't have those. I mean, sometimes it was just too much: Eammon could have been a cartoon villain, twirling his curly mustache at the end. And though there were times I loved his obsessive need for control and his callousness, and there were times that I could see it crack and even feel pity for him, there were also times when I was just wanted to be done with him.
But the fact is, there was never anything bad enough in this book to keep me from recommending it, or even loving it. I'm just holding it up to the impossibly high standard Daughter of the Forest set. And for those of you who are fans of DOTF but haven't read this one yet, allow me to tease you with this:
There's more Finbar!!
I truly loved his role in this book, and his connection to Liadan. It expanded her character and his quite nicely.
Do yourself a favor and pick up Daughter of the Forest and Son of the Shadows. Trust me.
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LibraryThing member Awesomeness1
First off, isn't that the creepiest cover you have ever come across? The girl looks like the daughter of an alien tranvestite and Michael Jackson. Just creeps me out man....
Anyway, I finished the first book in this four-book-trilogy a couple days ago, and I got this from the library right away. I
But, that did not stop me from getting completely absorbed in the story. I even attempted to read it on the bus one afternoon. I did enjoy this book thoroughly, and absolutely ate up all the folk lore. I am a sucker for myths.
So, do I recommend this series? Absolutely.
P.S. If you are touchy about sex scenes, you might want to avoid this book. There are a few.
Anyway, I finished the first book in this four-book-trilogy a couple days ago, and I got this from the library right away. I
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rated the first one higher, just because it was fresh. This one repeated many of the same elements as the first. For example, the narrator. She sounded exactly like Sorcha. Same selfless saint girl. Except this one cried more and had more magic stuffs. I found it a bit tiring. But, that did not stop me from getting completely absorbed in the story. I even attempted to read it on the bus one afternoon. I did enjoy this book thoroughly, and absolutely ate up all the folk lore. I am a sucker for myths.
So, do I recommend this series? Absolutely.
P.S. If you are touchy about sex scenes, you might want to avoid this book. There are a few.
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LibraryThing member kristennicole
This is my favorite book in the series. I love the strong lead female character, and I can't help but fall in love with Bran. The book is a beautiful telling of love, courage, and hope, as are many of the books written by Juliet Marillier.
LibraryThing member SunnySD
The youngest daughter of Sorcha and Red from Daughter of the Forest, Liadan's childhood is a happy one. But at sixteen life her life begins to take a disturbing turn - forces that once meddled in her parents' lives are restless once more, and older things are stirring, as well. Her sister's rash
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decision, and a chance encounter take Liadan down a dangerous path. Her decisions may bring the end of Sevenwaters, or they may ensure her family's safety for another generation.... Show Less
LibraryThing member mmillet
Son of the Shadows is the second novel in Juliet Marillier's amazing Sevenwater's series which follows Sorcha's youngest daughter Liadan. Liadan is a talented healer; so kind and open that people constantly compare her to her wonderful mother. Like her uncle Finbar, she is also gifted with the
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Sight which is more of a burden than anything. She was blessed to have been raised in happiness however, she keeps having the ominous feeling and flashes of insight warning her that life will soon be changing for the worse. Powerless to do anything about this, she clings to her brother and sister, trying to keep them close any way possible. On the way home from seeing her sister wed, Liadan is captured by a group of mercenaries who are known for their fierceness and cruelty. Forced to heal one of their badly wounded men, Liaden finds herself drawn to these men who proclaim to have no past or future but who are in awe of her. She especially is drawn to the Chief, Bran, whose future, like it or not, is directly tied to hers.Liadan faces some truly hard challenges, but unlike her mother Sorcha, she fights against what the Fair Folk and destiny have in store for her in favor of making her own future. I like that she's feisty and has a heart at the same time. I keep forgetting how young these girls are though. I mean Sorcha was 14 when she started her quest in Daughter of the Forest and Liadan is like 15 or 16 for most of the action in Son of the Shadows. Yikes, that's what you call a fast childhood.This was such a fantastic sequel to an amazing first book. I am constantly amazed by Marillier's seemingly slow buildup of action and conflict. You know something is going to happen to her characters but they are just going innocently along until...BAM...it hits and you never even guessed what she had in store. On top of that, her love stories are always hard-won. Liadan and Bran are no exception. There is no easy happily-ever-after in any of Marillier's books and I think that is what makes their stories just so dang readable. Show Less
LibraryThing member flemmily
Liked the main character a little better than Sorcha in Daughter of the Forest. A good slow fairy tale type of book. Reminds me of Robin McKinley's less quirky, more serious books (Beauty or Deerskin maybe).
LibraryThing member stephxsu
Liadan of Sevenwaters, youngest daughter of Sorcha and Hugh (formerly of Harrowfield), twin to Sean, and little sister to Niamh, would be happy to spend her whole life in the lovely lands of Sevenwaters, helping out with the household. However, when a series of increasingly confounding events
I had heard that, while the first book in the Sevenwaters series, Daughter of the Forest, was pretty good, the second book, SON OF THE SHADOWS, would blow me away. I admit to a bit of good-natured skepticism when I was told this. Okay, yes, Daughter of the Forest was good, but it’s still the same author writing the second book, which is set in the same world, and has similar characters with similar problems, right? But no, somehow, miraculously, in an act that seems to defy the unstated law of sequels (“Thou shalt never be good as the first book”), SON OF THE SHADOWS is an astounding original work of fantasy that sweeps the literary awards in the categories of characters, plot, pacing, and readers’ emotional investment.
Daughter of the Forest was constrained by it being a retelling, albeit a lush and engaging retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales, melancholy and terrifying and inspiring and heartbreaking all at the same time. However, Marillier hits her writing prowess out of the ballpark when she strays away from the retelling and makes the world she created fully her own. SON OF THE SHADOWS has everything a die-hard fantasy fan will want from a fantasy: a strong protagonist, an epic romance, complex political dynamics, nasty villains. Daughter of the Forest focuses more on Sorcha and her difficult journey to break the curse set on her brothers, whereas in SON OF THE SHADOWS, Marillier takes her time in exploring and expanding the world in and around Sevenwaters. In this book, we can feel the motions of the operations of an estate: its fluid routine under strong leadership, and its heart-wrenching struggles when the leadership is being bombarded by political manipulations and betrayals.
I love that the delicate nature of political relationships is explored so thoroughly in this book. Liadan, Sean, and Niamh being children related to the “lord of the manor,” it is inevitable that their destinies would involve how Sevenwaters’ relations with its neighbors and strategic allies must evolve. The lovely thing about this being the second book in the series is that we can already sympathize with Liadan’s parents, Sorcha and “Red,” from reading about them in the first book; thus, they never end up assuming the “antagonist parent” role. So much of this book revolves around the Sevenwaters’ inhabitants’ political relationships with others: Liadan and neighboring lord Eamonn, Niamh and her unhappy strategic marriage to an ally, and so on. I found it utterly engrossing how Marillier deftly weaves these complex strings of human desires and ambitions so that no one is entirely good, no one entirely bad.
But I haven’t even gotten to what may arguably be the best part of the book yet! Liadan’s and Bran’s romance is…epic. There is no other word for it. It sweeps you off your feet in a violent whoosh and keeps you dizzily, giddily swinging through the air, all the while knowing that you are safe, because the person holding onto you is one whom you can trust with your life. That was what it felt like for me when I was reading about their romance. Liadan and Bran: such seemingly incompatible people at first, and yet they share the same values, both have the same good intentions and dreams that they must fight and fight and fight in order to achieve. So they—and I, as the reader—are swept away with the unexpectedness of their connection to one another; and then the incredible trials they must go through in order to have even the barest hope of being happy together is the dizzy, giddy part, pulling the reader along in great breathless gasps, desperate that things might work out for the characters. Finally, no matter how dizzy and breathless and gut-wrenched you may feel along the way, you know that you are safe, because Liadan and Bran are both such fundamentally good, strong, and loving people—even if their life situations do not allow for them to show it—that you can believe that they are, without a doubt, absolutely right for one another, against all the odds.
Whew! I think I’m gonna stop there with the review. The more I write, the more I realize I don’t think I have the words to express how phenomenal my reading experience of SON OF THE SHADOWS was. Just…just read the series. Read this book.
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occur, and people began whispering furtively about the reawakening of a curse, or the fulfillment of an old prophecy, and Liadan is kidnapped by a band of skilled but not-quite-merciless mercenaries, she begins to realize that her destiny may lie beyond the simple household workings of Sevenwaters after all.I had heard that, while the first book in the Sevenwaters series, Daughter of the Forest, was pretty good, the second book, SON OF THE SHADOWS, would blow me away. I admit to a bit of good-natured skepticism when I was told this. Okay, yes, Daughter of the Forest was good, but it’s still the same author writing the second book, which is set in the same world, and has similar characters with similar problems, right? But no, somehow, miraculously, in an act that seems to defy the unstated law of sequels (“Thou shalt never be good as the first book”), SON OF THE SHADOWS is an astounding original work of fantasy that sweeps the literary awards in the categories of characters, plot, pacing, and readers’ emotional investment.
Daughter of the Forest was constrained by it being a retelling, albeit a lush and engaging retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales, melancholy and terrifying and inspiring and heartbreaking all at the same time. However, Marillier hits her writing prowess out of the ballpark when she strays away from the retelling and makes the world she created fully her own. SON OF THE SHADOWS has everything a die-hard fantasy fan will want from a fantasy: a strong protagonist, an epic romance, complex political dynamics, nasty villains. Daughter of the Forest focuses more on Sorcha and her difficult journey to break the curse set on her brothers, whereas in SON OF THE SHADOWS, Marillier takes her time in exploring and expanding the world in and around Sevenwaters. In this book, we can feel the motions of the operations of an estate: its fluid routine under strong leadership, and its heart-wrenching struggles when the leadership is being bombarded by political manipulations and betrayals.
I love that the delicate nature of political relationships is explored so thoroughly in this book. Liadan, Sean, and Niamh being children related to the “lord of the manor,” it is inevitable that their destinies would involve how Sevenwaters’ relations with its neighbors and strategic allies must evolve. The lovely thing about this being the second book in the series is that we can already sympathize with Liadan’s parents, Sorcha and “Red,” from reading about them in the first book; thus, they never end up assuming the “antagonist parent” role. So much of this book revolves around the Sevenwaters’ inhabitants’ political relationships with others: Liadan and neighboring lord Eamonn, Niamh and her unhappy strategic marriage to an ally, and so on. I found it utterly engrossing how Marillier deftly weaves these complex strings of human desires and ambitions so that no one is entirely good, no one entirely bad.
But I haven’t even gotten to what may arguably be the best part of the book yet! Liadan’s and Bran’s romance is…epic. There is no other word for it. It sweeps you off your feet in a violent whoosh and keeps you dizzily, giddily swinging through the air, all the while knowing that you are safe, because the person holding onto you is one whom you can trust with your life. That was what it felt like for me when I was reading about their romance. Liadan and Bran: such seemingly incompatible people at first, and yet they share the same values, both have the same good intentions and dreams that they must fight and fight and fight in order to achieve. So they—and I, as the reader—are swept away with the unexpectedness of their connection to one another; and then the incredible trials they must go through in order to have even the barest hope of being happy together is the dizzy, giddy part, pulling the reader along in great breathless gasps, desperate that things might work out for the characters. Finally, no matter how dizzy and breathless and gut-wrenched you may feel along the way, you know that you are safe, because Liadan and Bran are both such fundamentally good, strong, and loving people—even if their life situations do not allow for them to show it—that you can believe that they are, without a doubt, absolutely right for one another, against all the odds.
Whew! I think I’m gonna stop there with the review. The more I write, the more I realize I don’t think I have the words to express how phenomenal my reading experience of SON OF THE SHADOWS was. Just…just read the series. Read this book.
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LibraryThing member savageknight
Even though I read the first part of this trilogy over 2 years ago, it did not take me long to get right back "in" to this world. The characters are rich and vibrant and easily pull you in especially when you bring in the hints of magick and the links to the "first ones"
I couldn't remember too much
I am still amazed at how 'real' this world felt and how comfortable I was walking around in it. The triumphs, the tragedies, the strategies, all given through Liadan's eyes made it as personal to me as it was to her.
I definitely will not be waiting 2 years to read book 3! That one will follow in the next few months! :)
I couldn't remember too much
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of the details from book 1 (and sadly did not review it here) but I was a little concerned at first between the similarities of what Liadan was facing and what her mother Sorcha had faced before. However, that similarity was subtle and before long I was so caught up and enjoying my time in and around Sevenwaters that nothing could distract me.I am still amazed at how 'real' this world felt and how comfortable I was walking around in it. The triumphs, the tragedies, the strategies, all given through Liadan's eyes made it as personal to me as it was to her.
I definitely will not be waiting 2 years to read book 3! That one will follow in the next few months! :)
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LibraryThing member redg18
Well...this book was not as enjoyable as the first one. I have to say that the characters were not all that admirable. The whole idea of "I'll do whatever I want" doesn't really appeal to me. I hated how the characters from the first book, that appeared in this story, were weaker versions of
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themselves. The relationships were more superficial in this story as opposed to the first story. I'm a bit disappointed. I won't be reading the last book in the trilogy. Show Less
LibraryThing member PamelaDLloyd
It has been a while since I'd read the first book in this series, and I don't remember it well, so I can't comment on how this volume compares to the first. I had a bit of difficulty getting into the story early on, nothing serious, but it felt a little slow. Once things got going, however, I was
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hooked. I really enjoyed the book and I like the way the author wove the various fairy tales she references into the Irish mythology. I think my favorite aspect of this book was the storytelling that several characters did; their storytelling voices rang true and strong and really added to the atmosphere. Show Less
LibraryThing member Tropic_of_Cancer
After I read the first one, I though it would be my favorite of the saga no matter what, but as soon as I read this one, I realized I was wrong. Son of the Shadows is clearly my favorite. I really love the main-characters, specially Liadan. She's such a strong, selfless young woman.
LibraryThing member the1butterfly
This book was just as captivating as "Daughter of the Forest"- Liadan drew me in. I love the healer who heals body and mind both. Bran was captivating, and even his band were endearing. Yes, tattoos are hot. I guessed at many things before the characters did, but I had more knowledge than they.
LibraryThing member rainrunner
I finished this last night. Late. Last. Night. This book was fantastic. Juliet Marillier continues as she did with book #1 in this series with a writing style that captivates me. Her characters have such depth and variety.The love shared between Liadan and Bran just made me weep as did a scene
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involving Bran as a youth. So did one of the later scenes involving Sorcha and Red who are from book one and parents to Liadan.*sigh* I tend to forget alot of what I've read as time progresses. I don't think that will happen with this one.Highly recommended but do read book #1 first as the story in #2 is heavily connected with it. Show Less
LibraryThing member richardsonmichelle
I didn't find this story as fascinating as the first of the series. Still a good read.
LibraryThing member TheBooknerd
A fabulous, wonderfully written story -- the kind that stays with you long after you've put down the book. Marillier is a master storyteller, and this book is one of her shining gems. The language is beautiful. The characters are fantastic yet realistic. The plot compels you to keep turning pages.
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And the cultural/historical references add authenticity. I can't say enough good things about this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member NeitherNora
A solid sequel, though not as strongly composed as the first. Could do with a more cohesive plot. Still, good world-building and a necessary lead-in to the third book. Four stars.
LibraryThing member DebbieMcCauley
The second book in the Sevenwaters Trilogy is the story of Sorcha and Red's third child, Liadan. In book one Sorcha overthrew the evil enchantment that turned her six brothers into swans. In this second installment, New Zealand author Juliet Mariller's tale contains the Painted Man, Druids,
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festivals, secret affairs, sacred islands, birth, death, kidnapping and healing. There are characters from Irish Mythology and Celtic festivals woven into this fantastic story. Wonderful! Show Less
LibraryThing member KatieWallace
You know a book is special when it can make you fall in love with a man who has half his body covered in blue tatoos
LibraryThing member Andy5185
How could the second book be as good as the first?! I’m in love with this series. Bring on book 3!
LibraryThing member threadnsong
It took me several years to even contemplate buying this book, and several more to read it. I have such a reader-girl crush on Sorcha from the previous book, "Daughter of the Forest," that I didn't want anything to change that story.
And this book brings a new story into the Sevenwaters part of
This book also deals with a child's trauma and how it affects him as an adult, a young woman's trauma when she is given to a man she does not wish as her husband, and the choice to follow what the Old Ones say or to make one's own determination about one's path. Those are the overarching themes; the most immediate ones are the threat of the Painted Man and his band of hired mercenaries who can appear, kill, and disappear, and the role of the Druids and how they control the world around them.
Excellent writing, well-created characters, and a good continuation of the Sevenwaters story.
And this book brings a new story into the Sevenwaters part of
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Ireland, partial setting of "Daughter" and the touchpoint for where this family is part of the land. It begins with the younger daughter, a twin, of Sorcha and Red and her path that she has determined for herself: to live at Sevenwaters, perhaps marry, but continue her mother's healing tradition for the people. Of course events transpire that change her view, and also included are the continuations of the stories of Conor and Liam and even Padraig and Finbar. And of course Sorcha.This book also deals with a child's trauma and how it affects him as an adult, a young woman's trauma when she is given to a man she does not wish as her husband, and the choice to follow what the Old Ones say or to make one's own determination about one's path. Those are the overarching themes; the most immediate ones are the threat of the Painted Man and his band of hired mercenaries who can appear, kill, and disappear, and the role of the Druids and how they control the world around them.
Excellent writing, well-created characters, and a good continuation of the Sevenwaters story.
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LibraryThing member N.W.Moors
This is a continuation of Daughter of the Forest, though with a new heroine, Sorcha's daughter, Liadan. The children of Sorcha and Red have grown up at Sevenwaters but still live under the shadow of the prophecy. Liadan has followed in her mother's footsteps as a healer while her sister Niamh and
In some ways, I liked this book better than the first in the series (though I enjoyed that also). This was an entirely new story while the first is a very good take of Andersen's The Wild Swans. So I knew what was going to happen in the first but this one was more suspenseful. Liadan is resourceful and courageous, a wonderful heroine. Bran is an interesting character in so many ways, not the usual hero but perfect for Liadan. Their journey is fascinating and kept me reading long past my bedtime.
While the story is set in old Ireland of the 9th-10th centuries, the author uses beautiful language to evoke the legends and stories of the various peoples settled there, whether Celts, Britons, and Vikings. This is just a lovely series for readers who like fantasy and Celtic lore.
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twin brother Sean follow their own paths. Yet, Liadan is the one who ends up with the most complicated story when she is kidnapped by a band of mercenaries. In some ways, I liked this book better than the first in the series (though I enjoyed that also). This was an entirely new story while the first is a very good take of Andersen's The Wild Swans. So I knew what was going to happen in the first but this one was more suspenseful. Liadan is resourceful and courageous, a wonderful heroine. Bran is an interesting character in so many ways, not the usual hero but perfect for Liadan. Their journey is fascinating and kept me reading long past my bedtime.
While the story is set in old Ireland of the 9th-10th centuries, the author uses beautiful language to evoke the legends and stories of the various peoples settled there, whether Celts, Britons, and Vikings. This is just a lovely series for readers who like fantasy and Celtic lore.
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LibraryThing member LisaRector
This book was excellent. Brilliant love story. So much was woven into the fabric of the story. True love, betrayal, despair, longing and hope. There were many secrets that needed to be uncovered, three of which I guessed correctly. I love how the main character never gave up and was bold in the
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face of death. So incredible. This story was in many ways more three dimensional than the first book in the trilogy. Every individual story line wove together to make a rich tapestry. The story was a little anti-climatic at the end but it was a happy ending with more to build on. I will be interested to see how the last book plays out. I wonder that the fair folk aren't as fair as they may seem and the truly the old ones are the good guys. Show Less
LibraryThing member MlleEhreen
I adored Daughter of the Forest, and since I know a lot of people consider Son of the Shadows to be the best of the Sevenwaters trilogy I was prepared to be blown away. At first I was. The heroine, Liadan, is Sorcha's youngest daughter, so from the first page it was wonderful to visit Sorcha and
Mariller weaves elements of fairy tales into her books, and for a while I felt like I'd been transported into Neverneverland, and Liadan was Wendy among the Lost Boys - only, this time, Wendy and Peter Pan get to hook up. The Painted Man, Bran, is half-savage, damaged but infinitely competent and self-controlled. He's so easy to fall in love with and root for.
But here's the thing. I'm not the kind of person who intentionally buys books that will have me in tears over and over again (once is fine, more than that and I start to feel exploited and/or masochistic), and Son of the Shadows made me cry and cry and cry. Once Liadan goes home to Sevenwaters, she and Bran don't get to see one another very often so the fun romantic elements become less prominent. Instead, we get one heartbreak after another. A lot of people die in Son of the Shadows. A lot of people suffer terribly at the hands of others. A lot of people are really, really sad.
In Daughter of the Forest, Sorcha had a painful task and it was vividly described, but she pursued it out of love. And the love between Sorcha and Red was strongest, and most poignant, during Sorcha's darkest hours, when she needed it most. Liadan has no task, but she is surrounded by violent people. Bran is himself a very violent man who has committed many murders, and maybe just to make him look a little bit better by contrast, a lot of other male characters in the novel are also revealed as hardened killers. Son of the Shadows is a LOT bloodier than the first book, and there's a lot of collateral damage. There's a lot of torture and rape and cruelty and theft. It just got really hard for me to read, because I knew that every time I turned the page as likely as not I would encounter some new painful event that would make me cry again.
So Son of the Shadows is beautifully written, and painful as it was I could hardly put it down. But I don't think you could pay me to read it again. It's good, and I'd recommend it, but with a pretty strong caveat: if you are the type of person who cries when you read sad things, keep a box of tissues handy and don't take this book onto the subway.
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Red and see them as the happy couple and loving, supportive parents that they were so clearly going to become. Liadan is wonderful, and her story kicks into gear when she's kidnapped by a band of mercenaries for her healing skills. This whole section of the book completely stole my heart. Mariller weaves elements of fairy tales into her books, and for a while I felt like I'd been transported into Neverneverland, and Liadan was Wendy among the Lost Boys - only, this time, Wendy and Peter Pan get to hook up. The Painted Man, Bran, is half-savage, damaged but infinitely competent and self-controlled. He's so easy to fall in love with and root for.
But here's the thing. I'm not the kind of person who intentionally buys books that will have me in tears over and over again (once is fine, more than that and I start to feel exploited and/or masochistic), and Son of the Shadows made me cry and cry and cry. Once Liadan goes home to Sevenwaters, she and Bran don't get to see one another very often so the fun romantic elements become less prominent. Instead, we get one heartbreak after another. A lot of people die in Son of the Shadows. A lot of people suffer terribly at the hands of others. A lot of people are really, really sad.
In Daughter of the Forest, Sorcha had a painful task and it was vividly described, but she pursued it out of love. And the love between Sorcha and Red was strongest, and most poignant, during Sorcha's darkest hours, when she needed it most. Liadan has no task, but she is surrounded by violent people. Bran is himself a very violent man who has committed many murders, and maybe just to make him look a little bit better by contrast, a lot of other male characters in the novel are also revealed as hardened killers. Son of the Shadows is a LOT bloodier than the first book, and there's a lot of collateral damage. There's a lot of torture and rape and cruelty and theft. It just got really hard for me to read, because I knew that every time I turned the page as likely as not I would encounter some new painful event that would make me cry again.
So Son of the Shadows is beautifully written, and painful as it was I could hardly put it down. But I don't think you could pay me to read it again. It's good, and I'd recommend it, but with a pretty strong caveat: if you are the type of person who cries when you read sad things, keep a box of tissues handy and don't take this book onto the subway.
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Subjects
Awards
Aurealis Award (Winner — Fantasy Novel — 2000)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2000-05
Physical description
462 p.; 6.4 inches
ISBN
0312848803 / 9780312848804
Local notes
Not all the brothers were able to escape the spell that transformed them into swans, and those who did were all more--and less--than they were before the change.
It is left to Sorcha's daughter Liadan who will take up the tale that the Sevenwaters clan is destined to fufill. Beloved child, dutiful daughter, she embarks on a journey that opens her eyes to the wonders of the world around her...and shows her just how hard-won was the peace that she has known all her life.
It is left to Sorcha's daughter Liadan who will take up the tale that the Sevenwaters clan is destined to fufill. Beloved child, dutiful daughter, she embarks on a journey that opens her eyes to the wonders of the world around her...and shows her just how hard-won was the peace that she has known all her life.