Daughter of the Forest

Recent Comments

1. 

   Gypsy Thornton @ 6:03 pm

   I must admit that I bought the book simply because of my interest in how authors of today handle the retelling of myths and fairytales – I’m SO glad I did! The tale this is based on (The Six Swans) has been one of my favourites since I was a girl because of the elements of transformation magic and the power of love & loyalty. Marillier handles these elements admirably, drawing you into a believable Celtic world where people struggle against people, the old world magic struggles with a new age of religion and a girl-woman journeys determindly through the terrifying obstacles to discover the truth and power of sacrifice, loyalty, family and finally love.

   My only negative comment (I wish my rating could be 4 1/2 stars instead of just 4) would be that the author tends to digress at times into a narrative of descriptive thought and reflection that, while mostly interesting, do tend to interrupt the flow of story. I felt the adventure and suspense suffered a little as a result.

   Nevertheless, the youngest sister, Sorcha, whose point of view the story is told from, is a strongly real person in the midst of a compelling fantasy setting. At times, I found the writing drew me in so well I felt I should be as silent as she had to be.

   Being written less about the magic and more about the people, I happily followed the characters beyond the end of the fairytale to continue their story. Because my initial interest was in the treatment of the fairytale itself, I did not expect to want to read more than the first book. Instead I will be adding the sequel to my bookshelf as soon as it appears. All in all, this book was worth every cent and also happens to be one of the best ‘firsts’ I have ever read. If this is only her first novel then we are in for some wonderful books in the future!

   
2. 

   Lisa @ 8:34 pm

   Congratulations, Juliet. For anyone out there who is interested in Celtic folklore, strong female characters or fabulous love stories, this is a wonderful novel to put on your “to read” list. Marillier has created Sorcha, a heroine who is strong, determined and steadfast. She suffers a great deal throughout this novel, and reading of her trials and disappointments is not for the weak of heart. I found myself crying often throughout the book, in outrage, sadness and in joy. The novel lacks some polish in its language at points, and there is little suspense, but its strengh is in the reader’s strong identification with Sorcha throughout. She is condemned to silence throughout most of the book and the power of her story is such that the reader feels the need to be silent also, so as to help carry her burden. I can’t wait until the next book in this series is published.

   
3. 

   Lisa Elliott @ 10:37 pm

   I have been reading the reviews for Ms. Marillier’s book and I am astounded by the number of people who have made criticisms about the lack of historicity and adherence to mythology. The author doesn’t claim to be writing an historical work or recounting the narrative of a familiar myth; Ms. Marillier is writing a new story in which she borrows elements of history and myth in order to give her readers something new and exciting. And I think she has delivered this, with great success. I began the book with great expectations which were fulfilled and satisfied and surpassed in every way. (Actually, I lie. I was extremely disappointed when reaching the end, sometime around 5am in the morning, to discover that Lady Oonagh did not get her just desserts. I wrote to Ms. Marillier immediately and she informed me I would have to wait until the third instalment for that particular satisfaction.) I would like to congratulate Ms. Marillier on an entertaining, enthralling, imaginative and captivating novel. I am eagerly anticipating the 2nd instalment, which to my joy, I discovered is only a few weeks away now. Its been a long and agonising wait.

   
4. 

   Anonymous @ 12:47 am

   I was thirteen when I first picked up this book. I read it in one day and enjoyed it immensely. In fact, I loved it so much that I immediatly checked out the rest of the trilogy and devoured those books as well. I’ve since then, in the year since first coming upon this fantastic novel, read the entire series many times over. They never lose their magic!

   As a young teenager, this books was my first time coming across a theme like rape in the books that I’ve read. I found the particular scene a little difficult to get through, mostly because I sympathized with Sorcha, the heroine, but overall I’d say it was tastefully done. This minor scene and subsequent mentions of love making in the next two books of the trilogy are certainly not graphic enough that I would not recommend reading the book. It’s definitely a lot less graphic and done with more of a conservative approach then in the racy, sex-filled adult novels that I’ve stumbled across lately(and, might I add, have tossed away upon coming across the offending material).

   AND IN DEFENSE OF HUGH(Or Red, whatever you want to call him):

   Red was no less deserving of Sorcha than Simon was. In fact, I’d say he was more so. Simon has that interesting, black sheep, passionate attitude going on that most boys display in their youth. He’s an, albeit attractive, mess of emotions that he’s not sure how to manage, even after returning for his 81 year sojourn with the Fair Folk. Simon would never have been able to live at Sevenwaters and Sorcha would never have left her beloved forest. A marriage between them would never have worked out.

   Red, on the other hand, was patient but no less passionate. He had the advantage of a few years over Simon and a different sort of upbringing than his brother, making him more in control of his emotions. Even when Sorcha flinched from him time and time again, even when she wept and would not speak, even when the pain in his heart was overflowing, he was careful not to hurt her. He was careful to be calm and patient and caring in a way that Simon never could have. And, when it came down to it, he let her leave because he knew he couldn’t keep her there. And then, when he knew he couldn’t live without her, he gave up everything he had to meet her where she was at; to live amongst her people if she couldn’t live amongst his.

   And, as a parting note, I’d like to point out that Red was every bit as passionate as Simon was. He told Sorcha that if he ever found the man who hurt her, he’d kill him. When Richard met Sorcha in the woods Red was angry and wanted to make sure Richard hadn’t hurt her. And, when he found out what had happened to her while he was away, he was just barely prevented from killing the man who had threatened her. I’d pick Red over Simon any day.

   
5. 

   Jana L. Perskie @ 1:49 am

   Since my childhood, I have always loved a good fairy tale and this Celtic-themed fantasy is a real winner – for both teens and adults alike. Juliet Marillier’s “Daughter of the Forest” is loosely based on versions of Hans Christian Andersen’s, (and the Brothers’ Grimm), tale of six brothers who are placed under an evil spell and transformed into wild birds, and their sister who, under great hardship, must save them.

   Lovely Sorcha should have been born the seventh son of a seventh son. But she was born a daughter, with six older brothers. Sorcha’s mother died at her birth, leaving behind words of love for all her children. Lord Colum of Sevenwaters, the children’s father, lost much of his joyous spirit with his wife’s death and changed drastically in the ensuing years. He focused his energies on war rather than family and kept his emotions in tight rein. Colum spent much of his time patrolling his extensive landholdings to protect his forest properties and Ireland’s borders from outsiders – the Britons, Picts and Vikings. He also spent time planning for war against the British, his primary enemy. The British had stolen three sacred Isles, holy to the Old Religion and central to its practice. At any and all cost, the islands must be won back. Colum’s oldest sons, Liam, Diarmid, Cormack and Padriac were trained in arms and fighting and accompanied their father on his missions and strategy sessions. Conor, Cormack’s twin was plainly not destined to be a warrior. He was a scholar, interested in Druid teachings, and took on the duties of the house steward. Finbar, to his father’s despair, was not a fighter either – he was a man of peace. And young Sorcha, who her sire paid little attention to, was allowed to run wild, but was tutored in reading, writing, Gaelic and the British language by a Catholic priest, Father Brian, who lived nearby. Like her mother before her, Sorcha had The Sight and was an excellent healer. The good father furthered her education in the healing arts also.

   Into this relatively peaceful setting came two strangers who were to significantly alter everyone’s lives. Simon of Harrowfield, a young Briton of a noble house, was captured on Colum’s land. He was called a spy and brutally tortured. In the dead of night Sorcha and Finbar took him to Father Brian’s in hopes of healing him and getting him back to his own people. Connor gave them his blessing. All three youths risked their father’s wrath and perhaps, even death, if they would be discovered. Then Colum returned from a trip with Lady Oonagh, his new bride-to-be – the second stranger. All the children sensed something terribly evil in her, especially Conor, Finbar and Sorcha. In order to gain total power over Colum and reduce his children’s power, she seduced one son and began to make trouble for the others. Her vicious acts came to a head one day when she found the seven siblings all together and bewitched the boys. She turned them into wild swans, who would be able to return to their human forms only twice a year for a twenty-four hour period. Sorcha was left alone and bereft. The ancient Lady of the Forest came to her and explained how she could break the spell which bound her brothers. She told how difficult the task would be and how much strength she would need in order to complete her work. Sorcha eagerly accepted the job and left home, where she remained in danger from her stepmother, to begin her work and unravel the terrible spell.
   

   This is a beautiful tale of familial devotion, self-sacrifice, steadfastness, adventure, travel – and yes, of love and romance – with a hero who is worthy of the exceptional young woman Sorcha is. Although the plot and subplots are very strong this novel is definitely character driven. And Ms. Marillier develops her cast of characters and gives them great depth. Much of what happens to Sorcha and her brothers is beyond their control but they recognize the root of their problems and wisely set about doing what they can to resolve them. The intelligent choices they make shape the narrative. As with all fairy tales, there is magic at work here, just the right amount to awe but not to disturb reality too much or take away from the characters’ independence and ability to choose.

   “Daughter of the Forest” is the first part of a trilogy but stands very well on its own and is an excellent novel and a delightful read. Highly recommended!
   JANA