The keep at Sevenwaters is a strange, remote place, guarded by silent men who slip through the woodlands clothed in grey, and keep their weapons sharp. Invaders roam outside: raiders from across the sea bent on destruction. But now there is also an invader inside the keep: the Lady Oonagh, a sorceress as fair as day, with a heart as black as night.
Oonagh captivates Lord Colum and his six sons, but she cannot enchant his daughter, Sorcha. Frustrated in her attempts to destroy the family, Oonagh binds the brothers with a spell only Sorcha can lift. If she fails, they will die.
When the raiders break through, Sorcha is taken captive. Soon she will find herself torn between her duty to break the curse and a growing, forbidden love for her captor.
I seem to have a thing for old Ireland stories at the moment (it could be that I'm Irish on my Dad's side).
This story is a combination of enthralling, enchanting, gruelling, mystical, heartbreaking, and uplifting. Juliet Marillier is a master storyteller in this retelling of the Six Swans fairytale, with fantasy and faerie Otherworld magic thrown in there as well. She takes her time setting up the stakes and ensures that connections are made. This is a very long book, but it's absolutely necessary to be almost 700 pages, but it is never a chore to read this book. On the contrary, although the chapters are very long, it was impossible to put this book down.
All of the characters are well-developed, layered, and excellently realized. My heart broke for Sorcha over and over in reading this book as she had to endure taxing trial after trial in order to save her brothers from the curse. Her story is one of struggle and hardship, without a clear-cut solution for her problem, which makes Sorcha all the more sympathetic and easier to relate to; had Marillier given her an easy way out, I don't think Sorcha would have been as compelling and likeable, because this girl never ever gives up regardless of how difficult things get for her, and things get pretty damn bleak for her at several parts of the story, especially when Richard shows up. I instantly loved her bond with Red and thought that they made for an interesting and enjoyable pairing. I won't get too much into detail, but I loved how Marillier set up their relationship and showed that there is more than one way for there to be tension between love interests.
The world-building is flawlessly done. In an odd way, it felt like I was at home while reading this. Daughter of the Forest has a unique atmosphere, which is heartbreaking, chilling, and mysterious, almost giving it a liminal feeling. It must be the faerie Otherworld parts of it. The world of Daughter of the Forest blends history with fairy tale and Celtic mythology, making for an interesting world of Ireland of the distant past. While Marillier takes her time in setting up the meat of the story, it is done in such a way that it doesn't feel slow. I loved how she took the time to set up family bonds with Sorcha and her family.
Daughter of the Forest is quite unlike anything else I've read before. It's equally bleak and uplifting. Juliet Marillier is an excellent storyteller. While there are moments of sadness and horror, there are moments of love and joy as well. The characters are rich and developed and layered. While the real plot of the story takes a bit to kick in, it never feels dry or too dragged out. I'm giving Daughter of the Forest 5/5 - it's a great story with a blend of history, fairytale, and Celtic mythology wrapped up perfectly with excellent writing.
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