Book 2 of my FairyTaleRC, Daughter of the Forest (The Sevenwaters Trilogy, Book 1), was a winner. Read my review below!
Title: Daughter of the Forest (The Sevenwaters Trilogy, Book 1)
Author: Juliet Marillier
Pages: 544
Synopsis: Lovely Sorcha 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…
This is a retelling of The Six Swans by the Brothers Grimm. Hans Christian Anderson has a version by the name of The Wild Swans, which is the tale I am more familiar with.
Juliet Marillier did a fantastic job with this retelling. She hooks you and reels you right in. I started the tale thinking, “This is pretty good.” Very quickly, I didn’t want to stop reading. I was dying to know what happened to Sorcha and her brothers. Sorcha’s trials and tribulations are heartbreaking. Her love for her brother’s and desire to free them from their curse is powerful. I wanted her to finish her task so much and I hated what she was having to endure to do so. Marillier definitely made me care about her characters. So much so I had to take a break from the story for a day, but only a day because I needed to know that Sorcha continued on her quest.
Trigger Warning: Sorcha’s journey becomes so terrible at one point it made my stomach lurch and I honestly needed a break from the book. It was an extremely difficult part to get through. Marillier did not write a tale for the faint of heart. The story is told through Sorcha’s perspective. She captures each scene as if you were Sorcha. You can see through her eyes. Due to this style Sorcha’s tale is even more impactful and comes very much alive. Marillier does not spare you details, good or bad.
Saying that, this story was fantastic. It is actually part of a trilogy and I may very well pick up the book 2. However, Sorcha’s tale ends in such a way that you feel satisfied with the ending without continuing the trilogy. I am definitely curious about what comes next though. ;)
Favorite Quote: “But there is one thing you must remember, if you forget all else. There is no good or evil, save in the way you see the world. There is no dark or light save in your own vision. All changes in the blink of an eyelid; yet all remains the same.”
Which Fairy Tale Retelling are YOU Enjoying?
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