Monday 7 April 2014

Daughter of the Forest (Sevenwaters #1) by Juliet Marilier

Publisher: Tor Books
Format: Paperback 560 pages
Published: 18 February 2002








ISBN 10: 0765343436

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...


Cover:  I have to be honest, I freaking hate this cover.  I hate the mass market paperback, but the cover is just horrific.  It looks ancient.  It was only published in 2000 but it looks like it should have been published early 90's.  While the cover may be relevant, but I just wish it was prettier.


I've heard an awful lot of amazing things about Juliet Marillier's books, and have wanted to pick one up for a while, mainly this one, but was put off by the covers.  I freely admit it.  Not a fan.  And I have to say, they don't do the book any favours.
It took me quite a while to get into.  About 200 pages.  Up to that it was quite slow, heavily worded- as this is a fantasy novel.  But it did change it's pace slightly at that 200 page mark.  I got more into when Red came into it if I'm honest.
Sorcha's six brothers have been cursed to live as swans, and only she can bring them back by painstakingly toiling to sew them each a shirt out of a viciously barbed plant.
This was a much darker read than I expected.  Sorcha goes through and suffers so much.
Her connection and her love for her brothers was amazing, and rarely faultered.  She was so strong, even thought when the story starts off she's just 13.
I wish we had seen more of the romance element between Red and Sorcha.
4/5 stars.

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