OMG! I loved this second book in the series!



I actually listened to it double time on audio and followed along in the book. BUT, I was so into the book I didn't mark down any excerpts. I hate when I do that.

This world Juliet Marillier creates is just magical. Yes, there are bad things that happen but they always do in most fantasy books. She just pulls you into the story and I can't even explain it. I'm no good at this explaining stuff. Maybe if I could record my brain. Hmm...

I really hope the rest of the books are as good as this one and the first one. This is one I could read over and over! Absolutely perfect for what I needed to hear. And I need to add that I love the narrator! They do an awesome job.

Happy Reading!

Mel ?fantasy-all favorites own123 s Katerina422 17.2k

“Don't you long for something different to happen, something so exciting and new it carries you along with it a great tide, something that lets your life blaze and burn so the whole world can see it?”
Where do I start?How can I put into words the magnitude of Juliet Marillier's writing?How can I explain to someone who hasn't lived through her books that Son of the Shadows left me a sobbing mess,that there were scenes so emotionally brutal and devastating that it felt my heart was ripped from my chest and squeezed until there was no blood left?And that despite the pain and the agony,I felt pure in the end?
“Come, dear heart.Lean on me and let us walk this path together.”
Together.The Sevenwaters family,Red and Sorcha's family believed that there would be no evil in the world they could not face together.And that is precisely the reason the evil forces tried to divide them,to wreak havoc and mistrust on a family that valued their bond more than anything else.Secrets and betrayals came to light,one by one,threading a web of isolation and anger.Liadan,Sorcha's dutiful daughter,the healer with the Sight,was caught in the middle of it.For it was her the Fair Folk had been waiting for generations to help fulfill an ancient prophecy.But Liadan was no mere tool.Nor was Bran,despite everyone's efforts to convince her otherwise.Warriors,druids,mercenaries,misguided girls,they were all woven in a pattern and Liadan held the key to either destruction or salvation.
“Your actions are your own.Your choices are your own.Each of us carries a burden of guilt for decisions made or not made.You can let that rule your whole life or you can put it behind you and move on.”
This was not a happy story.Sorcha's courage and sacrifice held her family together,but they were not enough.Liadan on the other hand wasn't as willing as her mother to follow the path the Fair Folk chose for her.She was a strong and independent woman,she made her choices against everyone's warnings.But she loved fiercely, her parents did.And while Bran wasn't Prince Charming,just a scary and equally scared man consumed by hatred and bloodlust,he was perfect for her,and she for him.
“He and I…we share a bond. Not love, exactly. It goes beyond that. He is mine as surely as sun follows moon across the sky. Mine before ever I knew he existed. Mine until death and beyond.”
I try to swallow my grief for everything that happened,but my feelings are overwhelming and difficult to control.My heart breaks for the trials my heroes had to face,but I keep admiring them for their strength.Conor made some huge mistakes,and so did Red,and Liam,and Sean,and Niahm but I cannot blame them,not when they thought they did the right thing for the people they loved.
“The world is simple in its essence. Life,death,love,hate.Desire,fulfillment.Magic.”
All of these elements combined make this story a unique one, the tales your grandfather used to tell you by the hearth.Irish mythology entangled with high fantasy,the ancient battle between Good and Evil and the mortals in between made an extraordinary book,one of those that stay with you forever.

fae fantasy favorites107 s Jessica ? ? Silverbow ? ? 1,271 8,816

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

BR with my peeps at: Buddies Books and Baubles

Specifically: Robin (Bridge Four)

3.5 stars

Sometimes when I finish a book I know exactly what I think about it, and the review practically writes itself. Other times . . . I finish, thinking that overall I d the book, but . . . something remains . . . unresolved. And the more I dwell on it, the more issues emerge, until the something evolves into multiple identifiable problems.

This is one of those times.

That's not to say that Son of the Shadows wasn't a good book. It absolutely was.

It just wasn't a good book for me.

There are several reasons.

I didn't particularly either this generation from Sevenwaters or several of the other important new characters.

Sorcha and Red, the MCs from the previous installment, now have three grown children: their eighteen-year-old firstborn Niamh, and sixteen-year-old twins Sean and Liadan. Sean is the heir of Sevenwaters, Liadan has followed in her mother's footsteps as a healer and is the "heart" of Sevenwaters, and Niamh is the petulant beauty with a nasty mean streak.

Does Niamh have understandable reasons for lashing out at others and placing most of her self-worth in her appearance?

Yes. She does.

In fact, she'd make a perfect villain.

I think the best kind of villain is the kind that you can empathize with, but still not .

Villains you genuinely aren't villains. They're anti-heroes. And villainous villains are fun to hate, but there is seldom much depth. Depth allows for empathy, which brings us back full circle.

But Niamh isn't the villain.

Instead you're left with a character you don't , and thus have a hard time drumming up sympathy for when she becomes a victim.

I recognized cerebrally that what happened to her was awful. But I didn't feel it. Maybe if I had been able to, I would've been distracted from the why, which is what occupied my attention in place of the anguish I might have felt on behalf of a more likable character.

And the why . . . was pretty flimsy.

Niamh fell in love with an unsuitable young man. When it was discovered, the relationship was forbidden, but believing that her lover would never forsake her, she was completely shattered when he left.

"But why did he leave?" you ask, and that's an excellent question.

It's also a question the adults refuse to answer.

So later, when Niamh finds herself in abhorrent circumstances, she has nothing to fall back on. She sees herself as worthless, as unworthy of being loved---why else would Unsuitable Lover have abandoned her? Why else would her family have sent her away, turning their backs on her?

It's . . . infuriating. And ridiculous.

B/c you, the reader, know why the relationship is forbidden. I actually wondered if my wiring was faulty until my friend Robin (who BR-ed this me) said that she didn't understand what the Big Deal was either. YES, what happened was unfortunate . . . worse than unfortunate. *whispers* Gross, man. But it was a mistake born out of innocence. And, I'm sorry, but that makes a massive difference to me. Robin, too, so there.

Maybe there are some kind of medieval social connotations we're not aware of, or maybe we're desensitized b/c current events. I don't know. Doesn't matter, really. What does matter is that I didn't buy it.

Sean was MEH. I appreciated that he thought outside of the box, but he was too irrationally impulsive to .

Liadan . . . my feelings in regards to Liadan are complex.

I should have d her. I should have loved her. She's exactly the kind of independent-thinking heroine that I usually admire and root unreservedly for.

And yet . . . I found her condescending.

My impression wasn’t that she questioned b/c she refused to agree to life-altering decisions without understanding the implications, but that she questioned b/c she-—in her infinite sixteen-year-old wisdom—-knew better. That she was correct didn't matter to me, b/c I'm a brat, and if you do the right thing for the wrong reason . . . (and YES, I'm well aware of the irony).

And as with Niamh's ignorance making a difference in my perception of her actions, Liadan's motivations made what would have been admirable . . . less so.

Then there's Bran.

Bran . . . is an ASS. And not the kind of ASS you find yourself liking against your better judgement, b/c not really an ASS. No, he's the kind of ASS you futilely wanted to you when you were in high school, despite that fact that he was an ASS, but looking back as an adult, you realize . . . what an ASS.

And just High School ASS, Bran has reasons for being an ASS too. Another perfect villain in the making, but, once again, not the villain.

Which brings me to who was the villain . . . also an ASS, but un Bran, if he has reasons, they remain undisclosed.

My biggest issue also has to do with Villain, but be warned, it's a spoiler:

Liadan decides to head for Britain with Bran, leaving Villain not just free and loose, but her family ignorant of his treachery, practically insuring their betrayal at his hands at some point in the future, and SHE WON'T EVEN BE THERE b/c BRITAIN.
 
However . . . lots of readers very much enjoy the kind of wounded-bear-type character Bran is, and forgive them everything b/c broken. That is not me. And my dis of Liadan was based on an vague impression that I can't support with evidence. When I was gearing up for the Buddy Read, several people told me that they loved this book even more than Daughter of the Forest. SO. Take what I've said with a grain of salt. You know your preferences. And you know how critical I can be. Even with my issues, Son of the Shadows wasn't anything I'd consider a bad read, and it wasn't until I started picking things apart that I lowered the rating from 4 stars. Also, I fully intend to read the next book.
 
buddy-reads-are-the-best fantasy meh ...more91 s Mayim de Vries577 981

The second instalment in the Sevensweaters* series is an ugly jumper presented by your most favorite aunt. You will never wear it and you will never tell her about it for the sake of good times you spent together.

There are six shirts sweaters in the Sevensweaters series. The first one was an enchanted one and the moment you put it on, it put you under a spell. Needless to say, starting the Son of the Shadows I expected a tale of similar quality. What I got instead was a garment badly knitted, made of an itchy material, hideous in terms of fabric, colour and patterns.

Are you ready for an ugly sweater party?

In the middle, the jumper has a huge snowflake. The main heroine, a girl called Liadan (Sorcha's daughter), suffers from the severe "unique one" syndrome, experiencing "nameless feelings of ill; sudden bouts of shivering; cryptic warnings of the mind". This gift sets her apart from everyone else, and so even though outwardly she expresses the desire to be ordinary, inwardly she relishes in how special she is. Better, wiser, more emphatic/insightful/choose an adjective here/all of the above than everybody else.

Apparently, she is also outside the pattern which renders her with an ability to alter the course of things. You see, the rest of us are puppets implementing grand plans devised by higher beings without an ability to add even a jot to the design. Not Liadan, no. Her actions can challenge and change the destinies. No wonder that a girl raised with this notion reaches mastery at shallow coyness and false modesty that reeks with hypocrisy.

This makes her insufferable, but I would endure it of not for one more thing: Liadan's relationship with her sister. The dynamics between the siblings is in a stark contrast with the previous book in the series. Where Sorcha sacrificed everything and suffered for her brothers with love and hope, Liadan's attitude to Niamh is beyond abominable. Mind you, I have a wonderful sister, and so the sisterhood theme is something I can relate to.

Liadan at first only complains about Niamh's flaws and incessantly compares herself with the older girl in a way that transforms all Niamh's qualities into vices, then her feelings of being superior culminate in betrayal (even though she never explicitly admits to being the main reason for the terrible events that unfold in the book), followed by an agreement to the unfair treatment Niamh was forced to suffer confessing that she "had scarce given her [sister] a moment's thought" since bidding her farewell. What I hated the most, is the fact that while Liadan's transgressions and mistakes were far more severe and consequential than Niamh's actions, the other sister never received the love and warmth and support that surrounded Liadan. And this was never explained or reflected upon, just merely stated, and by Liadan to make it worse. Excuse my vulgarity, but what a cold-hearted bitch! And then, without any discernible development or breakthrough moment, Liadan takes a U-turn in order to be the merciful saviour. She had to, otherwise the whole sweater would fall apart. As it is, it remains badly stitched together.

Marillier played with the notion of destiny but couldn't make up her mind. Liadan could alter it, her loved one also, to some extent, but others were not so lucky and so the only viable option for them was to meekly follow the predestined course. Descendant of traitors must be traitorous, sorcerous blood must come out, and so on and so forth. It is also a book about trust. Again, Liadan betrayed the trust of her sister, but never that of her lover, she trusts in one thing, and blindly, but only when it suits her, others she spurns. She also demands trust from others, rarely being able to provide more rationale for it besides the very convenient Sight. Sometimes not at all and without any apparent reason denying her lover the knowledge that he has fathered a child.

Marillier can write, I grant you that, but the book is too long and badly composed. While the love affair is credible, Niamh's story is far more interesting and with more drama to it than the mundane romance between Liadan and the Painted Man. And yet, Niamh does not get the credit, she shimmers on the margins of the main plot and basically serves as a springboard for Liadan. Furthermore, the main tale interspersed with other tales and tellings. It is all grand if you are an ardent fan of Celtic folklore. Surely, these are interesting, but if I wanted to know those, I'd read Celtic Tales and Legends or some other encyclopedic account of Irish mythology and fable. Woe is me, as the Son of the Shadows gave me a sort of the Irish version of the Arabian Nights.

As you see, the whole sweater is made of bad yarn: it breaks in the plies, there are knots in many skeins with the orphaned and unknitted plies sitting snags on the knit side of the fabric, and the loosely spun fibers result in pilling while the colour is bleeding and stains. I would not recommend it, as the Daughter of the Forest is a perfect standalone.

* Terminology shamelessly stolen from the ever creative Zaara

Other Sevenwaters books:

1. Daughter of the Forest
3. Child of the Prophecy
4. Heir to Sevenwaters
5. Seer of Sevewaters
6. Flame of Sevenwaters48 s ? Yaz ?543 2,583

5 - ??????????

"He is mine, as surely as sun follows moon across the sky. Mine before ever I knew he existed. Mine until death, and beyond."

Juliet Marillier takes us back to Sevenwaters almost two decades after Sorcha's story and in Son of the Shadows awaits an exceptional story of a powerful love, of sacrifice, of duty, of familial ties, of ancient prophecies, and of healing wounds both new and old.

Marillier is exceptional when it comes to structuring family dynamics and romantic relationships and the characters grapple with making choices which are often met with consequences. A love might be sacrificed to uphold duty and blind honor and prejudice can be as treacherous and damaging as greed and betrayal.

While the story mainly centers on Liadan, but the author effortlessly weaves stories of other characters including Niamh's, Liadan's older sister.

The Fair Folk meddle as they usually do with the mortals but an ancient prophecy cast its shadows over Sevenwaters, and whatever Liadan does despite her gift of sight shall seal the fate of her home and family.

An unexpected romance blooms between Liadan and her captor, given who he is it would be a grave offense to entertain such feelings to who many consider a half-beast savage. But to Liadan, she holds on to this doomed romance for she can see the wounded man beneath the vicious mask he keeps on.

I truly appreciate Marillier at not only writing such a beautiful loving dynamic between the Sevenwaters family, but also mark them with unique flaws that put them at odds often than not. Even loving families can be selfish, wrong, and hurt those they love.

Liadan took me on quite the adventure and I absolutely loved her because she felt real to me. She was by no means a perfect heroine and her actions and choices often frustrated me. But her mother, she perseveres through the hardest trials and extends a kind hand to those in need.

I am still reeling and consumed by this book as I write this review for I know no written word will do it justice. I won't be able to convey how much I treasure this book.

I need to recharge emotionally before I get to the third book, but I cannot wait to experience the magic of Marillier's exquisite storytelling and to continue the Sevenwaters story.

Note to readers: while each book is considered a standalone in which it follows different characters in the same family and there is resolution at the end with no cliffhangers, but I highly recommend to read the books in the correct order as the story is interconnected and there will be a lot of context missing. You must start the Sevenwaters series with Daughter of the Forest.

Content warnings: this is an adult romantic historical fantasy and contians graphic scenes such as violence, kidnapping, trauma, torture, and death.fantasy historical-fiction romance48 s Keertana1,127 2,264

It is, for some reason, extraordinarily difficult for me to explain my feelings concerning this novel. Son of the Shadows is, as all the proclaim, a worthy follow-up to Daughter of the Forest. In fact, both novels are so vastly different that it is practically impossible to compare them and, without a doubt, Son of the Shadows is a beautifully written story, just as heart-breaking and emotionally impactful as its predecessor. Yet, my feelings of awe for this piece are mixed in with guilty disappointment. I say guilty merely because the majority of my friends have found this to be as remarkable a story as the first, and I definitely thought the first was a better novel, and disappointing because I went into this novel expecting it to be just as good, if not better, than its predecessor, and it wasn’t. Nevertheless, I will attempt to push aside my jumbled feelings and convey that, despite what I may have felt, this novel really was a masterpiece in and of itself.

Son of the Shadows chronicles the story of Liadan, Sorcha’s daughter. It introduces us to Niamh, Sorcha’s eldest daughter, Sean, Sorcha’s only son and twin of Liadan, and Liadan herself who happens to be a seer. In Sevenwaters, Liadan’s life has been one of happiness and she, more than her siblings, has received the perfect mix of both her parents’ best qualities. Yet, disaster strikes Sevenwaters when, firstly, Sorcha falls ill and slowly begins her descent to death and later when Niamh is found to be having an affair with a man she is forbidden to be with. As such, Niamh is sent away for a profitable arranged marriage, accompanied by her sister, Liadan. On her way home, Liadan is kidnapped by the troop of the Painted Man, a notorious bandit who wants Liadan to cure his blacksmith. It is here that Liadan’s tale truly begins.

What I loved about Son of the Shadows was the fact that, in many ways, it was the opposite of Daughter of the Forest. While Daughter of the Forest is a slow journey of trust, with every step taken one that is a little closer to happiness, Son of the Shadows is the unraveling of that trust and the plunge into darkness. Its themes, different from that of its predecessor, explore the true test of faith, of the multiple sides to every action, and of the importance of recognizing that one person’s happiness or correct path does not necessarily ensure happiness for another. It weaves a complex web of belief in others, one that is very fragile and easily broken, and the steady journey to see where each character winds up in the end and if they can survive and mend relationships despite hurdles is an interesting one to watch unfold.

In addition to the themes itself, Son of the Shadows contains a very different kind of romance. In this, Liadan swiftly falls in love with one man, and he falls in love with her too, but the moment he finds out that she is from Sevenwaters, he instantly shuns her and refuses to have anything to do with her due to a past mistake of her father. As readers of Daughter of the Forest, it is impossible to understand why Bran, the Painted Man who falls in love with Liadan, could possibly hate Red and their love story, instead of being one in which the reader is waiting to see if the two characters truly love each other, is one where the reader is waiting to see if the two finally wind up together. I’ll admit that the nascence of this romance moved a little too quickly for me and I wasn’t able to form a solid bond with these two as a couple, but as the story wore on, they won me over and I can frankly admit that their love story is just as beautiful, moving, and powerful as that of Sorcha and Red. Furthermore, Bran is easily my favorite character in the tale, proving to be far more complex and tortured than I imagined and the build-up and eventual truth of his past definitely does not disappoint in the least.

Nevertheless, despite its positives, Son of the Shadows certainly had a slew of negative aspects as well. Firstly, I have to state that Liadan experienced little to no character growth at all. When we first meet her, she is already an extremely well-developed character, but it is disappointing to see that her personality doesn’t experience much change despite the events she goes through. Instead, her siblings, Niamh and Sean, are much more flawed and humanely realistic than Liadan is, going through far more drastic stages of growth than she does. Yet, despite this, they don’t feature into enough of the storyline, making Liadan the sibling to love, and furthermore, they lack the strong bond between siblings that is so palpably felt between Sorcha and her brothers. In addition, some parts of this novel almost felt forced, most noticeably the drama. As a novel, it started and ended very strongly, but the middle, opposed to lagging, simply lacked something that left me rather detached from the tale overall. Where Daughter of the Forest made me feel I was Sorcha herself and made me sob and weep and laugh and smile so much my face hurt, I was so consciously aware of reading a book while reading this. At times, Liadan's journey was just as powerful as her mother's, but during other times, it was simply a very good story.

Overall, however, I can’t recommend this novel enough. Sure, it has its flaws, but the ultimate message it leaves you with, the character tales you won’t be able to forget, and the lore that never fails to captivate just cannot be missed. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Juliet Marillier is a remarkable author. For any fan of her novels, this is a definite must-read. It lacks a little something that Daughter of the Forest had, but it is an excellent novel in its own right and it is one that I know I will return to and re-read in a few years, this time without that added expectation, and perhaps I will, after all, find it to be just as good as its predecessor at long last.

You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings. kick-ass-heroines45 s Mikki Crisostomo228 39

This is my favorite book of all time. My copy is dog-eared, and I'm looking around for another one. This was the book that set me off on my love for Juliet Marillier's books. The simple elegance of the prose was the perfect voice for Liadan, the main character. The love between Bran and Liadan spoke to me the first time I read it and has echoed deeper and deeper with every reading (of which there are many). In my opinion, this is better than the other two because the characters all have a way of worming themselves into your heart.adventure books-i-would-die-for fairy-tale ...more36 s Charlotte KerstenAuthor 4 books508

So What’s It About?

After years of comparative peace, darkness has fallen upon Ulster. Trouble is brewing and even those in the heart of the forest are not safe. Niamh, elder daughter of Sorcha, is required to make a strategic marriage, while her sister Liadan, who has the gift of Sight and her mother’s talent for healing, finds herself drawn into the shadowy world of the Painted Man and his warrior band. There Liadan begins a journey that is to transform her life.

What I Thought

While this book is very different from Daughter of the Forest, the first Sevenwaters book, it is equally beautiful and magical. The protagonist (and daughter of the previous book’s protagonist, Sorcha) Liadan is an incredibly strong and self-possessed young woman - if I occasionally thought to myself that she was slightly unrealistic in that regard because of her age, I still enjoyed her as a protagonist a lot and I think we see enough of her doubts and uncertainties to counterset that at least a bit.

Romance is a central part of the book, and I am even more sure than ever that Juliet Marillier writes some of the most beautiful romances I’ve ever read. Here, the story follows Liadan’s developing relationship with a mercenary who she names Bran. Un the relationship between Sorcha and Red in the previous book, Liadan and Bran start off somewhat adversarially when he kidnaps her to heal one of his wounded warriors and makes it clear that he has no room for softness, disdains women and absolutely hates Liadan’s family. They end up hooking up despite this, leaving Liadan pregnant, which she is not able to tell Bran about. From there, their paths continue to cross as the plot progresses.

To be sure, there is a certain amount of the “heal the broken bad boy” trope happening here, but I feel it’s elevated by Marillier’s strong characterization and ability to write really beautiful moments. I feel you really get to understand Bran’s grimness, strict self-control, and deep distortions in how he sees the world. A good example of this is when he sees Liadan with their child for the first time and doesn’t even consider the possibility that he’s Johnny’s father, instead jumping immediately to the conclusion that Liadan has betrayed him. The progression to him becoming a kinder, more hopeful, and more vulnerable person is slow, and it feels real and earned in a way that these redemption arc romances rarely do for me.

There are so many incredible moments along the way, my favorite probably being when Bran is on the brink of death and Liadan uses her magic to call him back from “the dark” by telling him about good thing in life, what he can hope for, and how he is loved - and getting his warrior band to join in. You also gotta love the element of him going from a MGTOW redpiller to a supreme woman respecter by the end of the book.

Bran’s mercenary band is another high point of the book for me, especially as we get to know their different personalities, see how much they love and respect Bran, and watch them take Liadan and the couple’s son under their wing, so to speak. The book’s conclusion for them, where they are going to be able to have the better lives they dreamed of while being uncles to Johnny, is absolutely lovely.

Another major part of the book follows Liadan’s family. I simultaneously love and hate the fact that Sorcha dies in this book - I hate it because of course I wanted Sorcha to live a long, healthy life with Red!! But I also love it because I think it shows Marillier’s willingness to write about life’s unpredictability and pain, and the actual process of the family coming to terms with her death and saying goodbye to her are written incredibly well. It would not be a Juliet Marillier book if I didn’t end up sobbing at some point, and that point was definitely Sorcha’s death scene here.

The plotline about Niamh, Liadan’s sister, was probably my favorite part of the book as I was reading. The fact that her family was willing to marry her off to a horrible man against her will (even for Prophecy Reasons) really altered my view of them, especially in consideration of how her mother Sorcha was sexually assaulted and everyone banded together to protect and support her. There’s also an element of hypocrisy in how Niamh is treated when she has premarital sex vs. how Lidadan is treated when she sleeps with Bran. This is not necessarily a flaw of the book, per se, because Liadan is very aware of it and it makes her extremely angry on her sister’s behalf. If anything, I think it is more a reflection on me wanting a perfect happy ending for Red and Sorcha where they just make decisions I feel comfortable with, and that definitely did not happen here. It can be painful to see characters you love make mistakes, harm others, and have endings that are less than completely, perfectly happy. That may reflect more on the reader than the author or book, I think.

As in everything else I’ve read by her, Marillier’s writing is beautiful here - deeply emotional and atmospheric in a way that I truly admire. She does many things I love better than most other authors I can think of who do them, and I’m just grateful for the fact that I have so many of her books left to read.This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full reviewbingo-23 trauma-in-sff-reading-project wnbsff32 s6 comments Sofia237 7,846

Son of the Shadows follows the children of Sorcha from Daughter of the Forest: haughty and willful Niamh, reckless Sean, and strong, pensive Liadan. An old evil is creeping over Sevenwaters, sowing discord and mistrust in a once-shatterproof family.

The flaw that hurt my enjoyment of this book the most was the family dynamic. Yes, one major topic covered by the novel is the breaking of family ties under pressure, but this doesn’t work when those bonds aren’t evident from the start. Niamh is thrown into tragedy very early in the story when I still haven’t gotten attached to her and before she exhibits any likable traits. So later in the book, when her story became even more miserable, it was hard to care. I felt Sorcha’s bond with her brothers in Daughter of the Forest so deeply, but Liadan’s relationships with her siblings were never built with the same care. Although she purportedly has a similar bond with Sean as Sorcha did with Finbar, they are rarely shown together and have clashed from the very beginning. Marillier wrote six brothers in the first book and all of them felt real—their relationships with Sorcha were so palpable they made my heart ache. So I know the author can do it.

The problem with warning that an old evil is coming to destroy the family is that I don’t know what this family looks before the evil, before they stopped trusting each other and started lying. I don’t know what peace I’m supposed to miss, when from the beginning, everyone’s been up in arms with each other, and uneasiness and discomfort is constant. Everything needs more time to build. Misery isn’t as effective when I’m unsure if happiness to the same degree is possible with these people. Even carryover characters Red feel distant and often thoughtless or rash in an out-of-character way.

Although this is structured more a family saga, it reads foremost as a romance between Liadan and Bran, the leader of the outcast warrior group known as the Painted Ones for their intricate tattoos. Bran is guarded, reluctant to trust, and fiercely resentful. Liadan is similar to Sorcha in appearance and personality, although her individuality becomes apparent as the book progresses. She is more outspoken than Sorcha—which seems obvious considering Sorcha’s state in Daughter of the Forest—but this is also true in relation to Sorcha as an adult. Liadan is more willing to break harmony to follow her heart, as she does repeatedly in Son of the Shadows.

What I don’t understand is how Liadan could fall in love with Bran after only knowing him for six days, during which he told her repeatedly how much he hated all women, assumed the worst of her multiple times, and later on, insulted her parents and sent her away thoughtlessly. It’s true that he acts this way because of his childhood trauma; my issue here isn’t that he’s a bad person, but that Liadan couldn’t have known he was lashing out from a place of pain instead of just being hostile. Maybe it’s the healer in her.

If there had been a longer peacetime in the beginning and if Liadan had spent more time with Bran before leaving, many parts of this novel might have worked better than they did. I think all this book needs to be great is more character exploration from the start. Otherwise it’s confusing when Liadan bargains to stay with the people who kidnapped her so she can try to heal a dying man she doesn’t know, when Niamh treats her sister with disdain even though I know for sure that would never be taught in Sorcha’s household, when Red repeatedly gives Liadan the benefit of the doubt while shunning his other daughter entirely for much of the book, when Liadan starts seeing into people’s minds but only into one person’s and only when the plot demands it, when the Fey issue ominous threats but never follow through on them, etc.

Despite this misstep in the exposition, Son of the Shadows is still a high-quality book. Marillier’s prose is superb. She’s excellent at building uneasiness and abstract anxiety, as well as a sense of movement and ever-present danger. It’s thrilling and terrifying. The subtle emotions in the subtext make the impact of the plot twists felt so much more, since it isn’t just written out, so you can let your imagination and your heart run with it. The author is also good at making plots complicated and tugging at your heart in just the right way that makes it hurt without feeling gratuitous or sacrificing subtlety. These plots never wrap up too neatly, which I love. There’s plenty of leftover tension and melancholy at the end. It feels real.

The topics of choice, fate, trust, the ripple effect of lies, and the silencing of women are explored in a very satisfying way throughout the book. Son of the Shadows covers more ground thematically than Daughter of the Forest, which was unexpectedly enjoyable.


3.5/5every-unhappy-family32 s Robin (Bridge Four)1,712 1,548

Buddy read with the amazing Jessica
”I have believed, for a long time, that the Fair Folk guide our steps. That they work their great plans through us. But you are not in their scheme. Perhaps you hold some sort of key.”

???Overall Feelings On Son of Shadows???
Just Daughter of the Forest this takes us on a magical and epic journey over years. Liadan her mother is a healer and as with all the children of Sevenwaters has a deep capacity for love. Once she finds it she will hold onto it forever no matter the cost. They are not the heroines that we normally see in fantasy with great powers or skill with weapons and fighting. Yet each is so strong in their own way.

This is an emotional journey, perhaps not quite as emotional as Daughter of the Forest but still it took me through every emotion I have in my personal spectrum. I get so caught up in the world that I felt I took the journey as well and I couldn’t help racing through the story. There were two scene in particular that just gutted me. Again it is a darker fantasy than some and there are no neatly tied up bows at the end for all the characters involved. There are some happier endings than others and life no one gets everything they want, some very hard choices had to be made.
???The Story???
Son of Shadows continues the story of Daughter of the Forest a generation later. Red and Sorcha have had three children and they are of an age when things really start to happen again. Whether that is because the Fae have set new plans in motion, or an ancient evil has a plan for revenge, or something even older than the Fae has plans of its own is unclear. The only thing that is certain is a new challenge has been set and new dangers await the children of Sevenwaters.

Liadan is instantly likable, probably the most likable of all the three children Red and Sorcha had together. She is a reflection of both Sorcha and Red and I saw it in all of her choices and actions.
“I can see we have taught you well, Liadan,” said my mother, regarding me closely. “You have my skill with healing and your father’s gift for love. He gathers all around him under his protective shade a great forest tree. I see the same strength in you, Daughter.”
All the children grew up sheltered in the love of Sevenwaters but when events are set in motion secrets from the past and some choices made separate the family in ways they never imagined before. The nice thing about Son of Shadows is that it starts out a little faster than Daughter of the Forest. The propelling events of the story happen almost immediately and carry Liadan into her destiny which was a little unexpected.

Liadan is blessed and cursed as Finbar was with the gift of sight. It is while she is discovering her power in this that she is kidnapped by a band of mercenaries in hopes she can heal one of their men. When she first meets the Painted Man she believes him to be the heartless killer of all the tales. He plays the role well and only when Liadan is able to see into his mind and future does she see that maybe he could be more than just the man from the stories and his past is more tragic than anyone she has met before. Because of her gift Liadan might not know what the future holds exactly but she does know that they are intertwined
“He and I—we share a bond. Not love, exactly. It goes beyond that. He is mine as surely as sun follows moon across the sky. Mine before ever I knew he existed. Mine until death and beyond. He is in terrible danger. From others and from himself. If I could do more to protect him, I would.
This is more a tale of mending long time hurts and discovering a new path in life that might be different than what you always expected for yourself. Liadan must learn how to use her gifts with the help of Finbar if she is ever going to save the man who stole her heart and she discovers that it is a heavy task to be shown the possibilities of the future.
???Why I Love the Sevenwaters World???
One of the things that draws me into the Sevenwaters stories so much is the actual world. It has a mysticism to it. It is subtle and even believable in a sense where sorcerers and druids use nature to influence their surroundings. It is a place where a forest is a living breathing thing full of spirits and enchantments and the Fae are just a thin veil away. It is a place of prophecy and destiny and I do love a tale with a good but of destiny in it.

I really that these are tales of families and all the joy and complications that come from that. The people you love the most are the people that you are capable of hurting even when all you are doing is trying to help. The entanglements are so emotional and heartfelt that I fall into the story and don’t want to emerge from it even when it is over.
???A Few Small Issues???
These are books I have to be a little patient with. There are a lot of little building steps that do add to the story but sometimes make it seem it is moving along slowly. In Daughter of the Forest this happened near the beginning and while Sorcha was alone before meeting Red. In Son of Shadow this happens in the middle.

I spent a lot of time waiting and wanting Bran to come back into Liadan’s life. It felt he was gone forever and I missed him. I’m not saying this is necessarily a bad thing as it is probably what the author intended me to feel. The longing that Liadan felt for the man she knew she loved and I definitely felt that but I spent a lot of time waiting for him to come back so I was a little distracted from what was happening while I was waiting.

The other issue is that the villians of the story are sometimes a little over the top. I love a good villain but I it the best when they can in a different light be seen as a possible hero if you are on the other side. Ciaran is a great example of this. He is likable and I understand his motivations but he is also someone that could be very dangerous in the future.

Lastly the ending was slightly anticlimactic because of the nature of how Liadan saves Bran. It is more an internal struggle with his past and so not very action oriented. It is not entirely a bad thing either but I really would have enjoyed seeing Bran battle someone first hand.

All of these are just small issues and why it wasn’t quite a 5 star read for me.

Note:This can be read as a standalone novel. It is more enjoyable if you know who the older generation in and their story but it isn’t completely necessary.
4-5-stars book-boyfriend-material buddy-read ...more22 s Elena124 1,061

4.5*
La elegancia con que Juliet Marillier teje sus historias vuelve a estar presente en el 2o volumen de su saga de Sieteaguas. Adoro el respeto que tiene por los detalles de la cultura y mitología celta y el folklore con que impregna esta serie. Es una auténtica delícia leerla (y se aprende mucho).
En este caso el relevo de la historia lo cogen los descendientes de los personajes del primer libro, haciendo que la trama poco a poco vaya volviéndose más compleja.
Algo que disfruto mucho en sus historias es el hecho de que nada es gratuito en ellas. Todo tiene consecuencias y circunstancias, hasta los personajes secundarios que sabes que están para cometer una función concreta en la trama tienen su historia (y hacer que te importe la muerte o desgracias de un secundario es difícil de conseguir).
Una de esas sagas que te atrapan desde la página uno y su magia no te suelta ni terminando el libro.2018 fantasy-sci-fi21 s Choko1,256 2,632

*** 3.25 ***

A buddy read with my friends at FBR! Because we love Fantasy!!!

Another one of those books I should have been crazy about, but it some how missed the mark with me... And this time I know for sure it is me, because I just didn't connect with or d the main character... Although at first glance Sorcha from the first book should have been very much her daughter Liadan, the main POV here, I rooted for Sorcha and I had a deep connection with her, while Liadan was distant and judgmental, making it really hard to even her, let alone develop any attachment to her... Liadan has a twin brother who is being raised to be the next Lord of Sevenwaters and with whom she has this deep mental connection and closeness. SHe also has an older sister, Niamh, who is not perfect, but not much different than any young woman in her teens battered by hormones, and the family, including Liadan, treat her and judge her very harshly, getting rid of her in a cold hearted way and washing their hands off of her, while for same types of indescretions and willfulness Liadan gets reproachful looks and reassurances that she could never disappoint them and they will love her no matter what... I expected better from Red and Sorcha as parents and from their offspring. However, I guess this is the whole point - none are perfect and all new generations have to solve some old wrongs and get new wrongs done to be dealt by the next generations...

"...“Your actions are your own. Your choices are your own. Each of us carries a burden of guilt for decisions made or not made. You can let that rule your whole life or you can put it behind you and move on. Only a madman lets jealousy determine the course of his existence. Only a weak man blames others for his own errors.” ..."

The setting for this series is based on the British Isles and Celtic Myth, with some vague allusions to Brit History. The family who rules in Sevenwaters is descendant from a human and one of the Old Ones, thus it has a deep connection with the mystical lure in the land and all that grows there. They have been responsible for bringing the Druid religion back and at times communicate with the Fae, thus magic always plays a role in what happens with them. With the Brits and Christianity becoming more and more prevalent and taking over sacred Isles, the magic traditions and existence are threatened and Sorcha and her family have become of interest to all players involved, being used as a tool on one side or the other. Liadan is the child that was born outside of the predicted pattern and is much freer in making choices for her future. SHe takes full advantage of that when she meets a mysterious mercenary and his gang, and her view of the future changes dramatically. This leaves people feeling betrayed, alliances broken and new patterns are being created, for good or ill.

"...“Don't you long for something different to happen, something so exciting and new it carries you along with it a great tide, something that lets your life blaze and burn so the whole world can see it? Something that touches you with joy or with terror, that lifts you out of your safe, little path and onto a great, wild road whose ending nobody knows? Don't you ever long for that?” ..."

Be careful what you wish for...!

This book followed the general formula of the one which preceded it and that is not bad, I just missed all the emotional involvement I was amerced into with the first one. Liadan was only a pale imitation of Sorcha and only the cameo appearances of the uncles and the gang of mercenaries made up for that. I loved the big brutes with great hearts and I was enchanted by the lyrically magical presence of the uncle who has one arm and one Swan wing... The prose was beautiful as always, but the constant repetition of the belief that true love does not exist, but is an enchantment, a spell the woman casts on the man so he loves and wants to please her at all times, pisses me off!!! Once again! I am going to have to add a shelf for books which seem to make this an acceptable believe, and I just don't want to, since I want that to go away... Thank you for calling all women who have ever been loved witches, as in all times of human history!!! I am really going to have to accept that I am a witch and get over it, I guess:):):)

"...“The world is simple, I think, in its essence. Life, death, love, hate. Desire, fulfillment. Magic.” ..."

I am planing on reading on, since the storytelling is really engaging and once I start the books, I can't put them down. So, if you love Fantasy with Celtic Mythology and Romance, this is a series you should check and see if it works for you!

Now I wish you Happy Reading and may you always find what you Need in the pages of a Good Book!!! fantasy24 s nastya 378 358

Ok, I can't finish this reread.
I loved the first book in the series and having read sequels in rapid succession, I think the energy of it helped me to enjoy parts of this one back then. This time, trying to read it more or less as a standalone, I must confess, I am so disappointed and bored.
This is a story of Liadan, the granddaughter of the forest, the lesser copy of her mother Sorcha, the special snowflake as every man of the novel keeps telling her.
Eamonn took my hand in his and touched it to his lips. “Your sister is indeed very beautiful,” he said, with a trace of a smile. “A man might well dream of such a woman. But it would be your face he wanted to see on his pillow when he woke.” I felt myself blushing crimson and was quite lost for words.

“As are you to judge a woman,” I said straightaway. “I need not know you, to recognize what you are,” he said bleakly. “Your kind are all the same....“For you, perhaps, I might make an exception,” he said grudgingly. “You are not so easily classified.”
She's a know-it-all domestic lady who loves to spend her time gardening and collecting healing herbs.
For me, there is enough excitement in helping to deliver a new lamb, or seeing small oaks grow strong in spring rains. In shooting an arrow straight to the mark, or curing a child of the croup. Why ask for more when what we have is so good?”

I kept a brave face, but under it I was petrified with fear. I, the girl who wanted nothing more than to stay at home and tend her herb patch; I, the girl who loved above all to exchange tales with her family of an evening after supper, instructing fierce strangers on how to hack off a dying man’s limb and cauterize the wound with hot iron.
And prying into other people's business and being judgmental towards her sister, Niamh. And I really hated their relationship this time.

She's a young woman, whose love interest is some guy with big anger issues. There's no building up of this relationship, but it's special, because Liadan knows it.
I sensed our fates were intertwined; we were closer than any mates or lovers or partners. This was a link that would transcend death, an unbreakable bond. This seemed ever clearer to me, a certainty that could not be questioned.
I just can't be bothered with fated mates trope.

There's no adventures, high stakes and horrors of the previous one, just a lot of domestic scenes. And it's so unnecessarily long and padded with countless stories told near the fire that I couldn't care about.

Also its kinda sad we stuck with Liadan and her fated boring beau when we had her sister’s intense forbidden love story in the background, who by the way was a completely different character to their mother's and would've been a great one to follow. But alas.

And the treatment of Niamh and her shame was so abhorrent, even worse when compared to treating her sister's bigger shame. I know they regretted it later, but still. Niamh was an outsider from the beginning for no reason.

I thought I loved Juliet Marillier, but after thinking about all of her books I've read, it turned out I only ever d her two retellings - Daughter of the forest and Heart's blood. That's why I stopped reading her newer releases. For whatever reason magic of her writing is gone for me.

Still I have her two books I enjoy (please, Daughter of the forest, hold up on reread).a-marillier over-600 suck-fairy ...more21 s Carmo681 512

Nada melhor que pegar num livro e devorá-lo até ao fim como se não houvesse amanhã.
Nada de grandes filosofias, nada de duplos sentidos, nada de descrições monótonas ou escrita complicada. Nada aborrecido, tudo fantástico – e o que não é perdoa-se porque a história envolve e faz sonhar.
Sonhar com ambientes de magia, florestas encantadas, criaturas do além, druidas, feiticeiras, maldições e encantamentos, amores avassaladores capazes de derrubar qualquer contrariedade e triunfar.
A autora sabe o que faz, o livro prende desde a primeira página e vai ganhando ritmo até atingir velocidade de cruzeiro nos últimos capítulos. Sem demasiados exageros, mantendo um bom equilíbrio entre personagens boas/más, e sem extrapolar demasiado o sobrenatural -o mais importante acaba por ser a tenacidade das personagens, a força dos laços que os unem, e a confiança que depositam uns nos outros.
Bom para uma evasão deste mundo cruel, leva-nos de volta a um tempo em que acreditávamos que tudo era possível.
bib-p nova-zelandia sf-fantasia19 s Littlebookworm251 84

Son of the Shadows continues the story of the family of Sevenwaters. Sorcha now has three grown children of her own and there has been peace at Sevenwaters for many years, however, that peace is soon under threat by old evils. With old secrets tearing the household apart, it falls to Liadan, Sorcha and Red's youngest daughter, to try to keep the family together, however, when she is taken by a bunch of outlaws, it seems her own path ahead will be far from simple itself.

I absolutely loved Marillier's Daughter of the Forest, so much so that to be honest I never expected that this sequel would be able to match the former, and perhaps that was just as well, as if I had, I think I would have found myself vastly disappointed with Son of the Shadows. My expectations having been lower from the off, however, I was able to enjoy this book for what it was.

I was glad that Marillier's style in itself was very much in the same vein as Daughter of the Forest, with lush descriptions and rich detail, and most especially that her love for stories in themselves shone just as much in this book. Sorcha before her, Liadan is a gifted story-teller and the power of story-telling is just as prominent here. I particularly enjoyed the scenes where Liadan tells stories to the group of outlaws she encounters, and how they are all entranced. I also once again really enjoyed the setting and the time period in which the novel is set, and that mashing together of aspects of historical fiction with touches of fantasy, that are heavily inspired by Celtic lore.

We are reunited with many beloved characters from Daughter of the Forest, and it was interesting to see what had happened to all of Sorcha's brothers, whose fates had been left quite open at the end of the first novel. We also meet many new characters, and I think one of my criticisms of this book would be that the new characters just didn't resonate as strongly as the old.

Starting with Liadan as the heroine, I have to say that she paled in comparison to Sorcha. In some ways Marillier tries too hard to portray the similarities between the two characters, from the fact that they look identical, to the fact that they are both gifted healers and everyone calls Liadan her mother's daughter. However, where Sorcha burned a place in my heart for herself, Liadan often merely grated on my nerves. She wasn't really dutiful or gentle in the same way as Sorcha, though it kept being alluded that she was, and she was far more selfish and preachy, not to mention extremely judgmental. Nor did Marillier really manage to capture a special bond between the 3 siblings, as she did so wonderfully with Sorcha and her brothers. Whilst Liadan does clearly care for her sister Niamh and does help her, their relationship lacked the depth of feeling previously captured so well in the first book, and as for Sean, his and Liadan's telepathic bond seemed a cheap imitation of Sorcha and Finbar's mind to mind communication, albeit again without any of the depth of feeling.

The villain here was rather predicable and his motivations weak, and he didn't get under my skin in the same way as Richard of Northwoods for instance, or seem as dangerous as Lady Oonagh. I did the bunch of outlaws as a whole and the part where Liadan was taken by the outlaws was probably the most engaging in the entire book and I enjoyed the dynamics. I did initially Bran during this part of the book too, as well as his and Liadan's developing relationship. My issue was that said relationship then progressed too quickly. Furthermore, I didn't really Bran's treatment of Liadan thereafter, and whilst I can appreciate that Marillier endeavoured to account for this with his backstory and how damaged he was by his childhood, he was rather too driven by bitterness for my liking. As for Liadan, given his treatment of her, I did sometimes find it strange how she was so devoted to him thereafter, putting him ahead of everyone else. Furthermore, once again their relationship lacked the depth of feeling that was there with Red and Sorcha. Certainly there was some passion captured between the two, however, I didn't necessarily believe them as star-crossed lovers destined to be together, and much preferred the slow-burn romance between Sorcha and Red from the first book.

Indeed the love between those two characters could still be felt in the book, where the most affecting scene was Sorcha's death, and I absolutely loved the throwback to Red re-telling the story he once told her about Toby and his mer-woman. I thought Marillier captured that scene beautifully and it really felt as if their love had come full circle.

Overall, however, it has to be said that Marillier does have her old characters make a fair few mistakes in this book, most particularly when it comes to Niamh. Whilst I could in part appreciate why they were so anxious to keep Ciaran's identity a secret, that didn't excuse their harsh treatment of Niamh and I found this particularly hard to believe of Red. Still despite not being perfectly painted, I still felt more connected to these older characters. I did actually think that Niamh and Ciaran's story was the more interesting one in comparison to Liadan and Bran's. Whilst I will await to see if more comes of Ciaran in the next book, I thought that Marillier may have missed a trick here in not putting more focus on these two.

I will finish the trilogy of the original Sevenwaters series at some point, whether I continue beyond that to the next trilogy I am as yet unsure. This was an engaging enough read, though it did feel rather long, with not much happening for stretches at a time and was let down for me by some of the characterisation. Certainly it in no way recaptured the magic and depth of feeling from the first book.18 s Justine1,201 325

An outstanding book that continues the story of the children of Sevenwaters, and another for my favourites shelf.

The story of Sevenwaters continues with the children of Sorcha and Red. Whatever idyllic start Sevenwaters gives its children, they certainly are expected to shoulder more than their fair share of trial and difficulty as they grow up.

Liadan demonstrates the same fortitude her mother displayed in Daughter of the Forest as she makes her way through a path of treachery and hurt in order to protect what she loves. The path she walks is only part of the story, however, and the road ahead remains filled with uncertainty and danger.

This book fulfilled every expectation I had, delivering an amazing and richly imagined tale told with Marillier's trademark excellence and style.2017-read favourites19 s h o l l i s 2,556 2,159

This series has lived in my heart for twenty years so is there really any surprise this is five stars? Even though it's a reread and there was nothing new to experience or learn, knowing the course of this story didn't mean I cried any less. And I cried a lot.

"Don't you long for something different to happen, something so exciting and new it carries you along with it a great tide, something that lets your life blaze and burn so the whole world can see it?"

DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST told of Sorcha's story and SON OF THE SHADOWS reunites us with this family and a new generation of characters; ones to love, ones who break your heart, and ones to hate. Liadan knows the horrors her family has endured for peace, for happiness. She wants no more than to stay home, unmarried, and care for her parents, tend to the household. She is much her mother in stature, in the arts of the stillroom and healing, but though Sorcha had her own bravery, her own strength, Liadan, when forced to rise to challenges she never imagined, is even stronger, fiercer, so much in possession of her mind that she will not be swayed by the forces around her; be they old and ancient, fey, wise, or family.

The greatest tales, well told, awaken the fears and longings of the listeners. Each man hears a different story. Each is touched by it according to his inner self. The words go to the ear, but the true message travels straight to the spirit.

Secrets and betrayal begin to fester amongst a family that cannot risk being left vulnerable to unfriendly forces, to the darkness that nearly overcame them once before. Mistakes are made, truth obfuscated, and thus Liadan is forced to navigate, to unveil, and to rescue her family, her love, and her future.

"You captured a wild creature when you had no place you could keep him."

An interesting twist to this particular instalment, however, is how we see the unintended consequences of the previous book's happily ever after. So often we get that ending, everything is great, and life goes on. But reality is never so tidy and events can be twisted and a person can be left hurting. Not in the way you might think, though. And I really loved how Marillier made this connection and created a way to go back without undoing any of the hard-earned events of book one.

"What about his mother? What did she have to say about it?"
"She was a woman. The tale does not concern itself further with her."

For a story written so long ago, what surprised me was how, sometimes, Marillier's narrative or dialogue was almost wry in how she, and her characters, navigated the inequalities and double standards of gender. Nothing so overt the way we have these days, where the goal is to make a point, but there are subtle digs, bits of dialogue, observations. So much is careful, considerate, and also very purposeful. Which is probably why so much of this book, this series, is devastating. Because there is so much imbued, so much that resonates, and it comes through.
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