36. Juliet Marillier - Daughter of the Forest
In this story, the first book of the Sevenwaters trilogy, we are introduced to Sorcha: the seventh child and only daughter of Lord Colum of Sevenwaters. Her mother died when she was born so she was raised by her brothers while her father went to war against the Britons and Saxons who were keen on invading the Irish shores.
Sorcha led a very simple life until the day one of her brothers asked her to help rescue a Briton who was captured roaming the forest of Sevenwaters and was being tortured. With the help of a friendly priest living on her father's lands, she helped nurse back the Briton. While the Briton was regaining most of his health, her brother summoned her back to Sevenwaters to give her news of her father's return from battle and some unexpected news as well: Colum was getting remarried.
What the family didn't know was that the woman Colum was planning to marry was in fact an evil sorceress who planned on riding Sevenwaters of its current occupants so she could keep it for her own gain. First, she had to get rid of the children, which she did by turning all the boys into swans. Sorcha somehow managed to escape into the forest surrounding Sevenwaters. With the aid of Lady of the Forest, Diedre, and some of the fey, Sorcha found out how to save her brothers and break the spell cast upon them: she must weave shirts for all her brothers out of the painful Starwort. Also, she must never speak a word until the spell is completely lifted or else she would lose her brothers forever.
While she devotes herself to the painful task of collecting, spinning, and weaving of the Starwort, she is captured by Britons. The only thing that saves her life is a token that she had been given by the Briton who she had nursed back to health. What she did not know was that the Briton, Lord Hugh, who captured her was the brother of the one she helped. Lord Hugh was hoping that Sorcha would tell him about what happened to his brother, but since she is mute she cannot. So she spends her days in Lord Hugh's realms continuing on the painful task of making the shirts while she slowly falls in love with Lord Hugh. In the end, she must decide what is more important to her: her love for her brothers or her love for Lord Hugh.
This book was fantastic! I could not put it down. Marillier takes this old Celtic myth and weaves it into a beautiful tale of love, honor, and friendship. Throughout the book, I felt such sympathy for Sorcha as she went through the trials to try to bring her brothers back, and how she kept on working on her painful task no matter what got in her way. She also did a good job in describing the lands Sorcha visited as well as the culture and hatred between the two groups, Irish and Briton. I highly recommend this book.
Sorcha led a very simple life until the day one of her brothers asked her to help rescue a Briton who was captured roaming the forest of Sevenwaters and was being tortured. With the help of a friendly priest living on her father's lands, she helped nurse back the Briton. While the Briton was regaining most of his health, her brother summoned her back to Sevenwaters to give her news of her father's return from battle and some unexpected news as well: Colum was getting remarried.
What the family didn't know was that the woman Colum was planning to marry was in fact an evil sorceress who planned on riding Sevenwaters of its current occupants so she could keep it for her own gain. First, she had to get rid of the children, which she did by turning all the boys into swans. Sorcha somehow managed to escape into the forest surrounding Sevenwaters. With the aid of Lady of the Forest, Diedre, and some of the fey, Sorcha found out how to save her brothers and break the spell cast upon them: she must weave shirts for all her brothers out of the painful Starwort. Also, she must never speak a word until the spell is completely lifted or else she would lose her brothers forever.
While she devotes herself to the painful task of collecting, spinning, and weaving of the Starwort, she is captured by Britons. The only thing that saves her life is a token that she had been given by the Briton who she had nursed back to health. What she did not know was that the Briton, Lord Hugh, who captured her was the brother of the one she helped. Lord Hugh was hoping that Sorcha would tell him about what happened to his brother, but since she is mute she cannot. So she spends her days in Lord Hugh's realms continuing on the painful task of making the shirts while she slowly falls in love with Lord Hugh. In the end, she must decide what is more important to her: her love for her brothers or her love for Lord Hugh.
This book was fantastic! I could not put it down. Marillier takes this old Celtic myth and weaves it into a beautiful tale of love, honor, and friendship. Throughout the book, I felt such sympathy for Sorcha as she went through the trials to try to bring her brothers back, and how she kept on working on her painful task no matter what got in her way. She also did a good job in describing the lands Sorcha visited as well as the culture and hatred between the two groups, Irish and Briton. I highly recommend this book.
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