Foxmask: Children of the Light Isles, Book Two [Paperback]

Juliet Marillier (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2005

The Norseman Eyvind, a fierce and loyal Wolfskin, came to a new land on top of the world to find his destiny. With his priestess bride Nessa he saved the land and weathered the treachery that was caused by Eyvind's blood-sworn friend Somerled. After much pain and sorrow the two lovers have managed to create a society where the Norse warriors and the gentle folks of the Orkney Isles live and thrive in contentment at last. A decade and more has passed since the devastating events of the creation of the settlement and Eyvind and Nessa have watched their children grow and thrive in peace.

But not all on the islands are content or at peace. Thorvald, the young son of Margaret, widow of the slain king and Eyvind's war leader, has always felt apart and at odds with all he knows. He learns upon his coming to manhood that he is not his father's son but that of the love that Margaret bore for the hated Somerled and that Somerled was not killed for his treachery but sent on a boat, adrift with little more than a knife and skein of water, doomed to the god's will. Thorvald is determined to find a boat and cast off to the West in a desperate bid to find a father he never knew...and to find out if he is made of the same stuff as the henious traitor.

The tragedy of this scheme would be horrific enough...if it were not for the fact that Creidhe, the winsome daughter of Eyvind and Nessa has loved Thorvald since birth and unbeknownst to him conspires to go along on this most perilous of quests.

What happens to them on their journey of discovery will ultimately change the lives of all they know and love...and will doom (or redeem) an entire people.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A rousing page-turner, a heady blending romance, magic, and battle."-Booklist (starred) on Child of the Prophecy

“Sterling characterizations, perfect pacing, appropriately marvelous fairy subplots, and vivid descriptive passages make for a flawless launching of a fantasy trilogy those next volume this book’s readers will eagerly await.”—Booklist (starred) on Daughter of the Forest

“This novel will delight and astound. An exceptional debut fairy tale that mixes romance, legend, and magic.”—Realms of Fantasy on Daughter of the Forest

“The exquisite poetry of the story is carefully balanced with strong characterizations and more than a nod to Irish mythology.”—Romantic Times (Romantic Times Gold Top Pick) on Son of the Shadows

“A sparkling saga of a family whose destiny is to help free Erin from British tyranny.”—Publishers Weekly on Son of the Shadows

“Marillier blends old legends with original storytelling to produce an epic fantasy.”—Library Journal on Son of the Shadows

"A rich tapestry of love and loss, family loyalty and personal sacrifice."
—Publisher Weekly (starred) on Child of the Prophecy
“A rousing page-turner, a heady blending romance, magic, and battle.”—Booklist (starred) on Child of the Prophecy

About the Author

Juliet Marillier was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, a town with strong Scottish roots. She currently lives in a rural area of Western Australia, sharing her house with a cat and a dog. A university graduate in music and languages, she has had a varied career that includes working for government agencies, opera singing, and raising four children. Juliet now writes full time. Her lifelong interest in myth, legend, folklore and traditional music is a strong influence on both style and theme in her writing. A passion for early British history, reflecting her Celtic ancestry, is evident in her choice of settings.

Juliet Marillier achieved international recognition in 1999 with the publication of her award-winning novel Daughter of the Forest. This is the first book of the Sevenwaters Trilogy, a historical fantasy set in Ireland and Britain in the ninth century, and is loosely based on the traditional fairy tale, The Six Swans. The second book in the series, Son of the Shadows, won the 2000 Aurealis Award for best fantasy novel. Child of the Prophecy completes this trilogy.

Juliet Marillier's second series is based on the first Viking voyage from Norway to Orkney, and weaves history and folklore into a saga of adventure, romance and magic. The series is made up of two novels, Wolfskin and Foxmask. Juliet is currently working on a new trilogy set in the north of Britain in the time of the Picts.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Tor Fantasy (November 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765345919
• ISBN-13: 978-0765345912
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,213,143 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars four and a half, May 17, 2005

By 

char1077 (Petoskey, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Foxmask (Children of the Light Isles series) (Paperback)

First off, let me say that I am a huge Marillier fan. Her two latest books (released in America) cannot be compared to her beloved Sevenwaters Trilogy because the two are very different. It can't be guaranteed that if you loved Daughter of the Forest you will loved these books and I must say, after I read Wolfskin, I was inclined to agreed with you. That book lacked what Sevenwaters had and Foxmask comes very close to but it is a neccesary for all who loved Marillier's first trilogy. I wasn't all that impressed with Wolkfskin but I loved Foxmask.

Foxmask is different. The quality of writing that so entranced me with Daughter of the Forest was somewhat lacking in Wolkfskin but is back with full-force in Foxmask. It's filmic, fun and puts you right there, caring for the characters and wishing you were there.

The character development is great. Somerled has developed into one of the best characters Marillier has ever created. He went from being dastardly, malicious and, let's face it, intriguing in Wolfskin to and outstanding, self-aware man who suffers regret and has indeed found redemption through love of his son. Creidhe is cut from the same cloth as Sorcha, especially by the end. She is realized, mature, selfless and loving and definetly a character worth exploring in (hopefully) another book to turn this into a trilogy. Thorvald was a weak point. He rarely had me caring what happened to him but that's the point, I guess.

True, there are times (very few) when you wish things would speed up or stop jumping back in time but I couldn't put the book down.

In the end I was satisfied and in a dream-like state like after a great Thanksgiving meal. There is a sense that things worked out just as they should, even if I personally would have liked it another way. I recommend this book, especially if you were disappointed with Wolfskin, it does get better, I promise.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For two days I escaped reality when reading WOLFSKIN and this book. Such a joy; so much fun!, February 14, 2009

By 

Marci Twain (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Foxmask: Children of the Light Isles, Book Two (Paperback)

I loved it. Couldn't put it down. Actually I checked out the author's other book in the series (Wolfskin) from the library a few days ago and devoured that book in a day. I already owned "Foxmask" since I had bought it at the Dallas airport (but never read it) on a trip to Texas in 2006. I was on such a high after reading "Wolfskin" that I simply had to dig in and finally read "Foxmask." I wasn't disappointed.

I tried finding online a plot summary for the book before I got too involved. I couldn't find one. So I had to read the book kind of blindly. That was kind of easy since the author drops loads of hints in the book so the reader can pretty much figure out what is going to happen before it does. For example, the conversation the hermit had with Creidhe and it was clear she had identified who Thorvald's father was.

This book was definitely well research and planned. It all fit together. Although I found parts of it a little slow, I think that was because I was more interested in Creidhe's tale rather than Thorvald's tale. The book really is two tales interrelated, and a wonderful follow-on to THE TALE presented in "Wolfskin."

I think I would have liked the book better if Creidhe has been able to read and write. And I think I would have liked the book better if there had been at least one more glimpse of how Foxmask has ultimately fit into the culture (tribe) he has been produced to serve. But maybe that will be handled in the next book in the series if there is one. I also hope the next book will explain how Creidhe and her hubby fit back into society. 5 stars!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great winter fantasy read, January 15, 2007

By 

Terry B "fantasy reader" (SF Bay Area, California) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Foxmask (Children of the Light Isles series) (Paperback)

Like many people, I enjoy curling up next to the fire with a good book in the winter time. The weather has been more than cooperative this year with colder than usual temps. My chosen reading material was very engaging as well.

This is a great continuation of Wolfskin, the story of Eyvind and the lovely Nessa focusing on the adventure and life lesson of their daughter, Creidhe. Feeling compelled, Creidhe stows away on a boat with her childhood friends, Thorvald and Sam, who set off to find Thorvald's long lost (and maybe lost for the best) father, the banished Somerled.

What they find when they reach the Lost Isles is that nothing and no one is as they seem. The characters are drawn in a way that makes you care about them. They each have good qualities and bad, like real people. Watching the three young people grow and reach a better understanding of the world is a great way to pass the winter weather. There is just the right touch of mysterious magic combined with a good amount of real humans struggling to use the same skills we all have.

I look forward to the next installment in this series.