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A review by kjanie
Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
5.0
RE-READ 2: January 2020
This book honestly speaks to my soul. It is one of, if not my favourite book of all time. Every time I read it, it reminds me of why I love to read. What a great way to start the year!
RE-READ: December 2017
5/5 stars
I cannot even begin to explain how much I love this book. It is definitely one of my all time favourite books, and may even take out that top spot. I remember absolutely adoring this book the first time I read it, but all the emotions have come rushing back to me this time. I am overwhelmed with how downright gorgeous this book is; the writing style is poetic, poignant and so very powerful. This author has dipped every word in bucket full of emotion, which hit me right in the heart. Daughter of the Forest is a captivating novel full of family, sacrifice and perseverance. I recommend this book whole heartedly for lovers of fantasy, or anyone that's just looking for a wonderful read.
It's impossible for me to try and summarise this story, I just can't do it. I feel like I'd destroy the pure complexity of this story, characters and the world by putting it into a box. I'm going to try my hardest to give a short overview, but trust me, this book is much better than anything I could possibly say.
Anyway, this book follows the family of Lord Colum of Sevenwaters, who was the seventh son of a seventh son. He expected the same familial path, but instead, he had six sons and one youngest daughter. Young Sorcha grew up with her brothers and not like a lady should have. She was wild, a daughter of the forest and so often compare stories with the faerie folk. The connection that she had with her brothers ran deep, much like the connection she felt for her land. When tragedy strikes the heart of Sevenwaters and all of Sorchas brothers are put at risk, Sorcha must sacrifice herself in order to save her family. She is exiled from her home at Sevenwaters and must learn to live in the hands of her enemy, so far way from her home in the forest, It is in this journey that she experiences the most heartbreaking loss, but also love.
Me trying to get everyone to read this book:
Juliet Marillier's writing style is absolutely stunning. Her words flowed so perfectly and made every description seem beautiful. Through this writing, the various settings of the novel were painted so vividly and richly in my mind. I could see every tree, feel the wind against my legs and hear the sounds of the forest. This author is a masterful storyteller who made it so easy to fall into the world of her novel, and not emerge until well after the book has ended. The way the story flows seems almost graceful, an elegant sort of storytelling, if that makes sense. Every scene and moment flows so well with each other, making a flawlessly executed plot. On paper, the book seems quite slow and the major conflict only occurs after the one hundred page mark. Despite this, I was fully captivated and downright spellbound by the writing. The author made even the simplest of character interactions seem enthralling and emotion filled. This allowed me to be fully captivated by every moment of this story, and is probably why I'm still think about it now.
I remember this book being highly emotional the first time I read it, but it's as if these emotions returned tenfold for this re-read. The are some truly upsetting and traumatising moments in this book, so if sexual abuse is a trigger point for you, I'd keep that in mind when reading this novel. I was on the verge of tears so many times reading this book, even in parts where I wasn't so sad the last time. We really get to know Sorcha deeply throughout this book, so the pain she feels is reflected in my own emotions. I felt fully connected to Sorcha and I'm pretty sure I act like a proud mother to her. She goes through so much but remains kind, strong, selfless and fully herself. She is one of my all time favourite heroines as she is a very good depiction of a strong female lead. I have such respect for her because I can't even imagine going through the trials that she did.
I don't want to be too repetitive in this review, as I'm keeping the thoughts that I initially shared during my first reading of the novel. So now I'll leave you with the opinions of past Kaila:
June 2016
One word: phenomenal. This was absolutely beautiful, definitely a top favourite read of this year. I tend to stay away from adult fantasy books, the worlds always kind of scare me and I find the writing often hard to get into. This was not the case with Daughter Of The Forest. The writing was so lyrical and the world was both magical and realistic, I couldn't help but be swept away by the story. I still can't describe how magical and mystical this book was. From the very first page I was whisked away into a world that I wish I was apart of, with characters that I wish I knew. Everything was just so detailed and well thought out, I couldn't have made this story any better if I tried.
The bulk of this story is about Sorcha and the task that she has to fulfil in order to save her brothers. This part really hit a cord with me because I have a brother myself and I still don't know whether I could have sacrificed as much as she did. She went through so much pain and suffering and yet the story wasn't overly melancholy. The perfect way to describe the story would be bittersweet, mostly bitter.
The best part of this book would definitely be the characters and their relationships. The relationship that Sorcha had with her brothers was beautiful and well structured, I felt as if I was apart of the family just by reading the story. The love that Sorcha had for her family practically flowed from every word. Sorcha by herself is definitely a favourite female of character of mine. I found her so strong, loyal and humble; a truly admirable character. She grew so much in the novel and developed throughout the story to become someone quite inspirational.
I also loved the romance side of the book. The romance was subtle enough not to distract from the story but also predominant enough to form a beautiful bond between the two characters. I loved how gentle and caring Red was and although Sorcha couldn't speak at the time, I love how she was with him as well. Although the relationship was lovely, my favourite part about the romance would be the fact that Red couldn't solve all of Sorcha's problems. Often in romance books, the male lead will 'fix' the heroine and solve all of her problems, which is quite unrealistic. In Daughter Of The Forest, Red did not try to fix Sorcha but rather helped her through her journey.
Daughter Of The Forest is one of the most beautifully written books I've read to date. The writing flowed so well and each word oozed emotion and meaning. I can't wait to read more from Juliet Marillier (i.e. Every book of hers that I can find!!)
This book honestly speaks to my soul. It is one of, if not my favourite book of all time. Every time I read it, it reminds me of why I love to read. What a great way to start the year!
RE-READ: December 2017
5/5 stars
“You will find the way, daughter of the forest. Through grief and pain, through many trials, through betrayal and loss, your feet will walk a straight path.”
I cannot even begin to explain how much I love this book. It is definitely one of my all time favourite books, and may even take out that top spot. I remember absolutely adoring this book the first time I read it, but all the emotions have come rushing back to me this time. I am overwhelmed with how downright gorgeous this book is; the writing style is poetic, poignant and so very powerful. This author has dipped every word in bucket full of emotion, which hit me right in the heart. Daughter of the Forest is a captivating novel full of family, sacrifice and perseverance. I recommend this book whole heartedly for lovers of fantasy, or anyone that's just looking for a wonderful read.
It's impossible for me to try and summarise this story, I just can't do it. I feel like I'd destroy the pure complexity of this story, characters and the world by putting it into a box. I'm going to try my hardest to give a short overview, but trust me, this book is much better than anything I could possibly say.
Anyway, this book follows the family of Lord Colum of Sevenwaters, who was the seventh son of a seventh son. He expected the same familial path, but instead, he had six sons and one youngest daughter. Young Sorcha grew up with her brothers and not like a lady should have. She was wild, a daughter of the forest and so often compare stories with the faerie folk. The connection that she had with her brothers ran deep, much like the connection she felt for her land. When tragedy strikes the heart of Sevenwaters and all of Sorchas brothers are put at risk, Sorcha must sacrifice herself in order to save her family. She is exiled from her home at Sevenwaters and must learn to live in the hands of her enemy, so far way from her home in the forest, It is in this journey that she experiences the most heartbreaking loss, but also love.
“She had sacrificed her childhood to save her brothers; she loved her family above all else, and her spirits yearned to return home once more, to the wild forest and the land of mystic tales and ancient spirits whence he had taken her. That was the place of her heart, and if he loved her, he must let her go.”
Me trying to get everyone to read this book:
Juliet Marillier's writing style is absolutely stunning. Her words flowed so perfectly and made every description seem beautiful. Through this writing, the various settings of the novel were painted so vividly and richly in my mind. I could see every tree, feel the wind against my legs and hear the sounds of the forest. This author is a masterful storyteller who made it so easy to fall into the world of her novel, and not emerge until well after the book has ended. The way the story flows seems almost graceful, an elegant sort of storytelling, if that makes sense. Every scene and moment flows so well with each other, making a flawlessly executed plot. On paper, the book seems quite slow and the major conflict only occurs after the one hundred page mark. Despite this, I was fully captivated and downright spellbound by the writing. The author made even the simplest of character interactions seem enthralling and emotion filled. This allowed me to be fully captivated by every moment of this story, and is probably why I'm still think about it now.
“All that he had of her was his memory, where he held every moment, every single moment that she had been his. That was all he had, to keep out the loneliness.”
I remember this book being highly emotional the first time I read it, but it's as if these emotions returned tenfold for this re-read. The are some truly upsetting and traumatising moments in this book, so if sexual abuse is a trigger point for you, I'd keep that in mind when reading this novel. I was on the verge of tears so many times reading this book, even in parts where I wasn't so sad the last time. We really get to know Sorcha deeply throughout this book, so the pain she feels is reflected in my own emotions. I felt fully connected to Sorcha and I'm pretty sure I act like a proud mother to her. She goes through so much but remains kind, strong, selfless and fully herself. She is one of my all time favourite heroines as she is a very good depiction of a strong female lead. I have such respect for her because I can't even imagine going through the trials that she did.
I don't want to be too repetitive in this review, as I'm keeping the thoughts that I initially shared during my first reading of the novel. So now I'll leave you with the opinions of past Kaila:
June 2016
One word: phenomenal. This was absolutely beautiful, definitely a top favourite read of this year. I tend to stay away from adult fantasy books, the worlds always kind of scare me and I find the writing often hard to get into. This was not the case with Daughter Of The Forest. The writing was so lyrical and the world was both magical and realistic, I couldn't help but be swept away by the story. I still can't describe how magical and mystical this book was. From the very first page I was whisked away into a world that I wish I was apart of, with characters that I wish I knew. Everything was just so detailed and well thought out, I couldn't have made this story any better if I tried.
The bulk of this story is about Sorcha and the task that she has to fulfil in order to save her brothers. This part really hit a cord with me because I have a brother myself and I still don't know whether I could have sacrificed as much as she did. She went through so much pain and suffering and yet the story wasn't overly melancholy. The perfect way to describe the story would be bittersweet, mostly bitter.
“The threads of many beliefs can run side by side; from time to time they tangle, and mesh into a stronger rope.”
The best part of this book would definitely be the characters and their relationships. The relationship that Sorcha had with her brothers was beautiful and well structured, I felt as if I was apart of the family just by reading the story. The love that Sorcha had for her family practically flowed from every word. Sorcha by herself is definitely a favourite female of character of mine. I found her so strong, loyal and humble; a truly admirable character. She grew so much in the novel and developed throughout the story to become someone quite inspirational.
I also loved the romance side of the book. The romance was subtle enough not to distract from the story but also predominant enough to form a beautiful bond between the two characters. I loved how gentle and caring Red was and although Sorcha couldn't speak at the time, I love how she was with him as well. Although the relationship was lovely, my favourite part about the romance would be the fact that Red couldn't solve all of Sorcha's problems. Often in romance books, the male lead will 'fix' the heroine and solve all of her problems, which is quite unrealistic. In Daughter Of The Forest, Red did not try to fix Sorcha but rather helped her through her journey.
Daughter Of The Forest is one of the most beautifully written books I've read to date. The writing flowed so well and each word oozed emotion and meaning. I can't wait to read more from Juliet Marillier (i.e. Every book of hers that I can find!!)
“Real life is not quite as it is in stories. In the old tales, bad things happen, and when the tale has unfolded and come to its triumphant conclusion, it is as if the bad things had never been. Life is not as simple as that, not quite.”