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cmbossy's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I loved the whimsical fairy-tale style of this book. It was beautiful and sweeping, despite how sad and traumatic the main character’s journey is. The character’s youth added a sweet storytelling aspect and I thought it was great. Very dark storylines though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Sexual assault, and Rape
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, War, Death, and Self harm
heathyfox's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
readwithbells's review against another edition
5.0
The fairytale retelling of my dreams. I cried so much, the romance was beautiful and charming, the political tension between Ireland and Britain was a welcome surprise, the ENDING 😭😭 I can’t stop thinking about this book. Melancholy, dark, so sad, laced with hope and blood and oppression. Absolutely phenomenal.
*Note that the trigger warnings here are quite warranted and very graphic.
*Note that the trigger warnings here are quite warranted and very graphic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
tamunra's review
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
A beautifully told story. I love how Marillier wove the story together.
There is a romance, critical to the novel, but the story itself is not a romance. I loved that.
I try to sell or trade in my books after I read them, but I'm not parting with this one for a while.
There is a romance, critical to the novel, but the story itself is not a romance. I loved that.
I try to sell or trade in my books after I read them, but I'm not parting with this one for a while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Rape
lemon_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I absolutely adore this book and if you haven't read it, you definitely should! As the youngest girl in a large family, I relate to this book's main character, Sorcha, who is the youngest in her family after six older brothers. The way the family dynamics are written in this book feel so incredibly real to me, in the most heartwarming way.
Also: the audiobook for this is excellent!
CONTEXT:
{Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier} is an adult fantasy epic based off the fairy tale of The Six Swans and Irish mythology. While the story starts while Sorcha is very young (with the first couple chapters occurring when she's around 10-13 years old), the content of the book is definitely more adult than YA. (CW:there is an on-page rape scene that happens to Sorcha and it plays an important role in her psyche as the book goes on).
The book is written from Sorcha's first person POV and in such a way that it's like she's now an old lady who is recounting the story of her life. Her father, Colum, is Lord of Sevenwaters and constantly at war. Thus Sorcha is basically raised by her elder brothers: Liam, Diarmid, Cormack, Conor, Finbar, and Padriac. The family of Sevenwaters is clearly in tune with nature and has a peaceful relationship with the Fair Folk. There is something magical about the siblings' connection, which implies that any one of them has the strength and courage of all seven. Additionally, they are very in tune with each other's feelings and thoughts: Finbar and Sorcha can communicate telepathically, and if any one sibling feels great emotion, the others can sense it and come to help.
PLOT:
An evil enchantress, Lady Oonagh, puts Lord Colum under her spell. She marries the Lord and basically starts to rule the land in his stead. She tries to also enchant the siblings (and does with some success), but the sibling's bond ultimately protects them from fully succumbing to that enchantment. The main plot of the book starts when, with the previous enchantment attempts failed, Lady Oonagh curses the siblings and turns them into swans, cursed to lose their humanity and minds over time. At the last minute, the brothers manage to get Sorcha to safety so she also is not cursed. But now, at a mere 13 years old, Sorcha is alone in the forest with no family to protect her. The Fair Folk, with whom Sorcha has always had a peaceful relationship, inform Sorcha that there is a way to undo the curse on her brothers - but it will take years and extreme sacrifice on Sorcha's part to do it. The rest of the book follows Sorcha's trials as she tries to save her family from the clutches of Lady Oonagh.
LOVE:
This book does have a romance subplot that is excellent and I really love the MMC in this book. But I want to hype up the platonic sibling love that the Sevenwaters family has with one another. Each of the siblings has a distinct personality and skills:
- Liam is a strong leader who encapsulates his father's good qualities, but none of the bad.
- Poor Diarmid has his own little arc throughout the story, as he is the sibling most susceptible to Lady Oonagh's enchantments.
- Cormack is Conor's twin and his opposite in a lot of ways - much more physical, more of a warrior.
- Conor is known to be particularly wise and in tune with the magic of their land. It's implied he even has some understanding of the future.
- Finbar (my personal favorite) is an outspoken pacifist and the only one willing to stand against his father's hatred and warring. Finbar's arc is heartbreaking and not something I've ever been able to forget.
- Padriac is quiet and gentle, one who would rather be with his animals than with people.
- Sorcha herself is a gardener and a healer. She acts as the heart of the siblings from an early age.
While Sorcha spends a good chunk of the book separated from her brothers, either physically or because they are in swan form, their absence is a constant presence on every page. Sorcha's entire character is so defined by her love of her brothers, that you can feel her despair without them. She does not feel whole without them, and that lack is so distinct that it feels like it takes physical presence on each page. Even when the brothers are not with her, it's truly like she is what was earlier said about their relationship: she has the strength of all seven, despite only being the youngest one on her own.
The amount of suffering and sacrifice that she goes through to try to cure them of the curse could read like trauma-porn if this book was written by a different author. But Marillier has such a gentle and deft hand at characterization (and beautifully written prose) that it reads instead like Sorcha is an incredibly strong young woman who can overcome great odds because of her love of her family.
I don't want to spoil what happens in the book because it's truly a story you just have to experience yourself. But I have to say, despite having a really excellent slow-burn enemies(?)-to-lovers romance in the latter half of the book, the love that really drives this story forward is the platonic love between siblings. I can't think of another book that does unconditional sibling love as well as this one does.
Also: the audiobook for this is excellent!
CONTEXT:
{Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier} is an adult fantasy epic based off the fairy tale of The Six Swans and Irish mythology. While the story starts while Sorcha is very young (with the first couple chapters occurring when she's around 10-13 years old), the content of the book is definitely more adult than YA. (CW:
The book is written from Sorcha's first person POV and in such a way that it's like she's now an old lady who is recounting the story of her life. Her father, Colum, is Lord of Sevenwaters and constantly at war. Thus Sorcha is basically raised by her elder brothers: Liam, Diarmid, Cormack, Conor, Finbar, and Padriac. The family of Sevenwaters is clearly in tune with nature and has a peaceful relationship with the Fair Folk. There is something magical about the siblings' connection, which implies that any one of them has the strength and courage of all seven. Additionally, they are very in tune with each other's feelings and thoughts: Finbar and Sorcha can communicate telepathically, and if any one sibling feels great emotion, the others can sense it and come to help.
PLOT:
An evil enchantress, Lady Oonagh, puts Lord Colum under her spell. She marries the Lord and basically starts to rule the land in his stead. She tries to also enchant the siblings (and does with some success), but the sibling's bond ultimately protects them from fully succumbing to that enchantment. The main plot of the book starts when, with the previous enchantment attempts failed, Lady Oonagh curses the siblings and turns them into swans, cursed to lose their humanity and minds over time. At the last minute, the brothers manage to get Sorcha to safety so she also is not cursed. But now, at a mere 13 years old, Sorcha is alone in the forest with no family to protect her. The Fair Folk, with whom Sorcha has always had a peaceful relationship, inform Sorcha that there is a way to undo the curse on her brothers - but it will take years and extreme sacrifice on Sorcha's part to do it. The rest of the book follows Sorcha's trials as she tries to save her family from the clutches of Lady Oonagh.
LOVE:
This book does have a romance subplot that is excellent and I really love the MMC in this book. But I want to hype up the platonic sibling love that the Sevenwaters family has with one another. Each of the siblings has a distinct personality and skills:
- Liam is a strong leader who encapsulates his father's good qualities, but none of the bad.
- Poor Diarmid has his own little arc throughout the story, as he is the sibling most susceptible to Lady Oonagh's enchantments.
- Cormack is Conor's twin and his opposite in a lot of ways - much more physical, more of a warrior.
- Conor is known to be particularly wise and in tune with the magic of their land. It's implied he even has some understanding of the future.
- Finbar (my personal favorite) is an outspoken pacifist and the only one willing to stand against his father's hatred and warring. Finbar's arc is heartbreaking and not something I've ever been able to forget.
- Padriac is quiet and gentle, one who would rather be with his animals than with people.
- Sorcha herself is a gardener and a healer. She acts as the heart of the siblings from an early age.
While Sorcha spends a good chunk of the book separated from her brothers, either physically or because they are in swan form, their absence is a constant presence on every page. Sorcha's entire character is so defined by her love of her brothers, that you can feel her despair without them. She does not feel whole without them, and that lack is so distinct that it feels like it takes physical presence on each page. Even when the brothers are not with her, it's truly like she is what was earlier said about their relationship: she has the strength of all seven, despite only being the youngest one on her own.
The amount of suffering and sacrifice that she goes through to try to cure them of the curse could read like trauma-porn if this book was written by a different author. But Marillier has such a gentle and deft hand at characterization (and beautifully written prose) that it reads instead like Sorcha is an incredibly strong young woman who can overcome great odds because of her love of her family.
I don't want to spoil what happens in the book because it's truly a story you just have to experience yourself. But I have to say, despite having a really excellent slow-burn enemies(?)-to-lovers romance in the latter half of the book, the love that really drives this story forward is the platonic love between siblings. I can't think of another book that does unconditional sibling love as well as this one does.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
emmie_reads's review
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
jamby4546's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Child abuse
cmaree88's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual content
Minor: War, Xenophobia, and Torture
noragoudie's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is a re-read for me -- I'll always remember the experience of reading this with my mom so fondly. This story made me fall in love with storybook retellings!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Death, Torture, and Violence