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A review by katiemcgregor
Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Wow. I just realized that this one has been sitting on my TBR for 7 years.
Daughter of the Forest is filled with atmosphere and slow building. This book takes it's time in everything it does and finds a beautiful rhythm within itself. While the Six Swansfairytale, is not original to this book, Marillier tells it in a way that makes it feel new, yet faithful to the source material. If you're to read any retelling of the story, this one is a great place to start.
Marillier's ability to craft her characters had me feeling their every pain (which there is a lot of) and basking in every joy. She does an incredible job of cultivating palpable relationships between the characters, which I imagine to be especially tricky since our main character, Sorcha, is mute for the majority of the book.
The other thing I'm especially impressed with is how the main villain of this book was portrayed. In some ways he was a bit of a caricature, but I honestly can't complain because Marillier made him so easy to hate.
Daughter of the Forest is a must read for lovers of slow burn and folklore. The Celtic setting is completely immersive and the storytelling is timeless.
Daughter of the Forest is filled with atmosphere and slow building. This book takes it's time in everything it does and finds a beautiful rhythm within itself. While the Six Swansfairytale, is not original to this book, Marillier tells it in a way that makes it feel new, yet faithful to the source material. If you're to read any retelling of the story, this one is a great place to start.
Marillier's ability to craft her characters had me feeling their every pain (which there is a lot of) and basking in every joy. She does an incredible job of cultivating palpable relationships between the characters, which I imagine to be especially tricky since our main character, Sorcha, is mute for the majority of the book.
The other thing I'm especially impressed with is how the main villain of this book was portrayed. In some ways he was a bit of a caricature, but I honestly can't complain because Marillier made him so easy to hate.
Daughter of the Forest is a must read for lovers of slow burn and folklore. The Celtic setting is completely immersive and the storytelling is timeless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Animal death, Confinement, and Vomit
Minor: War