Daughter of the Forest is a testimony to an incredible author’s talent, a first novel and the beginning of a trilogy like no other: a mixture of history and fantasy, myth and magic, legend and love. Lord Colum of Sevenwaters is blessed with six sons: Liam, a natural leader; Diarmid, with his passion for adventure; twins Cormack and Conor, each with a different calling; rebellious Finbar, grown … rebellious Finbar, grown old before his time by his gift of the Sight; and the young, compassionate Padriac.
But it is Sorcha, the seventh child and only daughter, who alone is destined to defend her family and protect her land from the Britons and the clan known as Northwoods. For her father has been bewitched, and her brothers bound by a spell that only Sorcha can lift.
To reclaim the lives of her brothers, Sorcha leaves the only safe place she has ever known, and embarks on a journey filled with pain, loss, and terror.
When she is kidnapped by enemy forces and taken to a foreign land, it seems that there will be no way for her to break the spell that condemns all that she loves. But magic knows no boundaries, and Sorcha will have to choose between the life she has always known and a love that comes only once.
Juliet Marillier is a rare talent, a writer who can imbue her characters and her story with such warmth, such heart, that no reader can come away from her work untouched.
At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
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This is one of my all time favorites. I read this a few times a year! Juliet Mariller really knows how to write the images directly into the mind. So beautifully written, I can’t put it down no matter how many times I read it!
Once you start reading, you are in their world. When you finish, you want to be back in it!
There are some really hard scenes in this book–I’m sure other reviews will touch on this. This will always be one of my favorite books.
This book and the others in the series are among my favorite books of all time – beautiful love stories, a magical setting, and exquisite writing make this a series I return to again and again. They’re the sort of books that alternately wring your heart out and then fill it up so full you think it’s going to burst. Highly recommended.
Oh goodness how I loved this book. The definition of enchanting. Sorcha is a stunning central character, powerful and powerless by turns, and the writing feels effortless (which of course means it probably took a huge amount of effort to make it feel that way.) Can’t wait to dive into the next in the series!
Juliet Marillier has a wonderful way of bringing an authenticity to her prose. Sorcha’s story was hard to read at times, but the emotional journey she went on was felt on every page. The ending of her & Red’s romance in particular was moving and touching. This was a unique take on an old tale and one that kept me turning the pages.
CW: Rape
More of a 3.5. Lots of sadness with not a great pay-off. Lots of loose ends
Juliet portrays a rich tapestry of characters and alliances
One of my all time favorites!
This book is filled with the most beautiful descriptive prose. It’s a powerful and evocative story with a strong female protagonist. I’ve lost count of the number of times that I’ve read it, and it brings me to tears every time. Based on celtic folklore and set in ancient Ireland.
This book is a wonderful fantasy story that draws on classic tales and makes them something new and beautiful. It’s packed with emotion and will definitely jerk on your heartstrings.
The first book in the most wonderful series I have ever read. Beautiful language, stunning characters and a story that takes you across lands and through many emotional terrains.
I loved this book. It’s a historical fantasy novel taking place in Ireland and Great Britain. Sorcha has six older brothers, and when her brothers are put under a spell, she’s given a difficult task to save them, one involving weaving thorny plants and not saying a word out loud—no matter what.
I was really impressed with Marillier’s ability to make all six brothers distinct and likeable. That’s hard to do, but she did it well, and quickly, so that when Sorcha is told to sacrifice for them you understand how much she loves them and how much she would do for them.
There’s really not anything to complain about with this book. The writing was beautiful. The characters were realistic and likeable. The pacing was good and the romantic element was wholesome and satisfying. I plan to read more of Marillier’s books.
Juliet Marillier has a true gift. Her writing has a beautiful flow that weaves a beautiful, and emotional picture for the reader. The characters come alive and leave you feeling as though you’re walking at their side throughout their journey. Daughter of the Forest is a captivating and well-written retelling of the fairytake The Six Swans. While it draws from that story it’s still a fully realized tale on its own, without using any of the common devices you see in this kind of adaptation. The fairytale is really only a foundation for the plot, set in medieval Ireland. It’s an amazing book, and one I’d recommend to fantasy fans.
This is one of my all time favorite books about the retelling of the fairytale of 7 swans. The author, Juliet Marillier is a master storyteller who specializes in Celtic folklore. This is the first book in a trilogy of the seven waters. There are also many more books in this series that follows the original family that has lived at the heart of the seven waters. Each one is unique and the characters are well developed and interesting.
They are well worth reading.
I got bogged down and can’t make myself finish it. This makes me sad because I want to like it. But I’m finding it too predicable to really care.
one of my favorite series of all time!
Remake of an old fairytale but the Disney version. This book had lots of violence but in a way it helped tell the story of what the main character had to go through in order for the story to unfold the way it should. It was a page turner for sure.
I absolutely love this book.
My first book by Juliet Marillier. I read it for the first time many years ago and I’ve re-read it several times since then.
Daughter of the Forest was also my first introduction to fairy tale re-tellings.