Customer Reviews

Son of the Shadows (Sevenwaters Trilogy)

5 star:		(63)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Since my childhood, I have always loved a good fairy tale and Juliet Marillier's Celtic-themed Sevenwaters trilogy is a real winner - for both teens and adults alike. "Son of the Shadows," book two in the series after "Daughter of the Forest," is every bit as good as book one. A second generation of the Sevenwaters family is introduced here and many familiar folks from the first book have roles to play also. The characters are wonderful. They change and grow so much throughout the novels, that it is easy to care about and empathize with them. And the magic is...well, simply magical.

Sorcha, the "Daughter of the Forest," married her beloved British husband Hugh of Harrowfield, who gave up his ancestral home to move to Erin and live with his wife at Sevenwaters. Together they became stewards of the enormous estate which, with its magical forest and strong ties to the old, druidic faith, prosper under their care. They have been blessed with three children: Niamh, who is as beautiful as she is willful; Sean, strong and capable like his father; and Sean's twin, Liadan, who, like her mother, is a gifted healer and seer.

Liadan's birth was not foreseen by the fairy folk, the Tuatha de Danaan, who so frequently intervene in the lives of this family. It is they who are determined to preserve the old ways through those of the Sevenwaters line. Neither Liadan's mother nor the magical beings who populate the age-old forests of Sevenwaters had counted on Sean, (whose birth was predicted as part of a prophecy), having a twin sister. This lack of foresight gave Liadan the power to change things previously ordained - to defy prophesy. But Liadan does not want power nor does she want a position of leadership in the clan. She is shy, and prefers the art and lore of healing to the more common pleasures of girls her age. Yet, it is Liadan who is finds herself thrust into the midst of the enemy, and taken away from the family that has loved and sheltered her. She is carried off to heal a dying outlaw, a mercenary in the band of the notorious and feared "Painted Man."

This is a beautiful tale of familial devotion, self-sacrifice, steadfastness, adventure, travel - and above all, of love that must be strong enough to defy all odds - with a hero who is worthy of the exceptional young woman Liadan is. Although the plot and subplots are very strong this novel is definitely character driven. And, as noted before, Ms. Marillier develops her cast of characters and gives them great depth. As with all fairy tales, there is magic at work here, just the right amount to awe but not to disturb reality too much or take away from the characters' independence and ability to choose.

Although "Son of the Shadows" can be read and enjoyed without reading the first book, I strongly recommend reading "Daughter Of The Forest" before picking-up this terrific novel. ENJOY!
JANA

I stumbled along Marillier's book Daughter of the Forest when a friend that I swap books with gave it to me. I was somewhat skeptical at first but when I picked it up I couldn't put it down. I bought Son of the Shadows the day it came out and spent a sleepless night finishing it. I am an avid Science Fiction and Fantasy reader and I can honestly say there have been very few authors who have been able to lure me so completely into the characters world. I can not think of a better compliment to give Marillier than to say her character developments remind me of Orson Scott Card's. She makes you understand why people are the way they are and to sympathize. Son of the Shadows in a continuation of the Seven Waters Trilogy and tells the story of Liadan, the daughter of Sorcha and Hugh (who were the main characters of Daughter of the Forest). While not as fantasy driven as Daughter of the Forest it still keeps hold the fairy tale basis established in the first book. Marillier's is so good at pulling you into her story that every pain and joy she writes becomes your own, not allowing you to see it as just a story. It is an excellent compliment to Daughter of the Forest which has quickly become one of my favorites and I would recommend it to anyone who appreciates a well thought out and well written story .

After reading Daughter of the Forest, I was eagerly awaiting Son of the Shadows, and I was not disappointed the main story is of Liadan, Sorcha's youngest daughter and it is full of mystical folk law tales and adventure. If you enjoyed Daughter of the Forest then Son of the Shadows is a must read.

Our beloved characters from Daughter of the Forest are all grown up and past the dark time that came so close to destroying them all. But the threat is not yet vanquished...it has simply set it's sights on the next generation at Sevenwaters...

Niamth- The eldest daughter of Sorcha and Lord Hugh. Her forbidden romance with a young druid with mysterious connections to her family will split her family down the middle and will take her down an unforeseen road that will change the future of Sevenwaters itself.

Sean- The eldest son of Sorcha and Hugh and the heir to Sevenwaters. His exalted position may cost him all he holds dear...including the woman he loves.

Liaden- The youngest child of Sorcha and Hugh. She is the dutiful daughter of Sevenwaters and the very image of Sorcha. Liaden too has found her calling in healing and herblore. But her skills soon bring her to the attention of a band of ruthless mercenaries who have been plaguing the countryside. Her connection to The Painted Man and his band could be Sevenwaters deliverance...or doom.

This book is a romantic and intense adventure that proves to be a worthy sequal. If you liked Daughter of the Forest, this is definately worth a read...it's just as good.

I randomly picked up The Daughter of the Forest at the book store and was intrigued, as soon as I finished it, I ran to the store to buy this one. I was delighted to find it to be even better than the first! It is so captivating and Liadan is the perfect defiant-woman character. The Son of the Shadows has just the right recipe for a great novel, with just enough fantasy elements to make believable and plenty of well-devoted romance that makes you wich you were in Ireland with the characters. Marillier is an awesome writer that can weave a perfect story that makes you laugh and cry. A must read for anyone!!!!! (...)

Juliet Marillier is a talented writer, and her approach to fantasy, so different from the usual epic fantasy, is welcome. That she bases her work on traditional Celtic myth adds richness to the tale, and the extent of her research in that area is admirable. Her debut novel, "Daughter of the Forest" was a good book, but this sequel falls short of the mark and raises significant problems with the author's approach to storytelling.

The flaws inherent in this work were also traceable in the earlier, and I have been forced to conclude that the reason "Daughter of the Forest" was good was partially because Sorcha, the heroine, was mute throughout most of it. Even with that, her flawless character and the tendency of other characters to congratulate her on her "strength" was irksome at times, but not unduly so. Here, however, Liadan is very much in capacity of her powers of speech, and that is where the problems come in. Marillier does not seem to realize that it is often the most flawed characters that are the most realistic, and that the reader is much more capable of relating to someone who experiences internal conflicts and makes mistakes, since most humans fall into that category. Liadan is flawless. This is irritating at first, and then becomes increasingly annoying as the story goes on.

For example, when Liadan is in the outlaws' camp, she always knows exactly what to say and what to do, and soon has all the outlaws worshipping her. This is regardless of the fact that she is sixteen and has never been away from home; we are still supposed to believe that her proficiency at interacting with grown, hostile men somehow makes sense. Never once does she say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing, and suffer the consequences. Somehow, she is always ready with a wise saying or lecture, and is always on the highest of moral grounds in all her arguments. To exacerbate this, most of the characters throughout the novel, at some point or another, compliment her on how wonderful she is. From beginning to end, Liadan is tirelessly perfect: always strong, always wise, and always right. To say that this is irritating would indeed be an understatement.

Then there's the romance. To say that it was predictable is something akin to saying that cheese is a dairy product. Worse yet, Bran is simply cliche and never comes to life off the page, resembling Rhett Butler but minus the sense of humor. He is, of course, perfect as well, or he would not be a fit match for Liadan: he is "the best at what he does," compassionate under the alpha male exterior (i.e. he's that combination of Sensitive Guy and Aggressive Hunk so idealized in the romance genre), and his faults are only as a result of past wrongs. And even though he and Liadan knew each other for barely any amount of time before the requisite sex scene, the reader is meant to believe that their love is all-enduring and all-powerful.

These flaws were impossible to overlook, since they concern central elements in the novel. That is not to say that the book has no redeeming qualities: as in the first book, Marillier demonstrates her capacity to weave a plot that does not consist of journeys or quests, and that originality is appreciated. The characters are not completely flat, else there would be no draw whatsoever to keep reading; and the element of suspense, though slight, is also a hook to keep the reader with it until the end.

By the end, however, suspense was more or less dead as far as I was concerned, and the climactic bits in which Liadan fully demonstrates her widely acclaimed "strength" tended to be ponderous and anti-climactic. In addition, by the end the characters had gotten on my nerves to the extent that I really didn't care what happened to them.

I consider this a pity, because I think Juliet Marillier has a lot of potential. Were I called upon to pinpoint her main weaknesses, I would say that in the future she needs to think about developing main characters who are not amazingly special, but who are actually human like most humans; someone whose pain we can feel because it is like our own. George R.R. Martin's Tyrion and Robin Hobb's FitzChivalry are characters who will haunt the fantasy hall of fame, not because of their good points but because of their poignant struggle with human frailty. Additionally, it is a pity that someone with the author's undisputed ability should be constantly reducing her novels to generic romance novels.

I will be watching this writer in the hopes of her developing a wider range in the future. I will not, however, be buying the hardcovers.

You've read the review or editor comments on what the story is about so here are the pro's and con's:

Pro - Sorcha is back in this story. Very minor part but it is cool to know she plays a role

Pro - Liadain proves to be a strong character that draws us in and keeps us interested. We cheer for her and wish her the best throughout the story

Pro - The same drama as the first book. Pleanty of issues going on to keep one interested

Pro - The same wonderful writing style from the author. Easy reading and vivid.

Pro - It doesn't suffer from most 2nd book syndroms and can hold its own as a single novel.

Con - not the same fairytale feel as the first book. This is my only gripe, but it is a liveable one

Overall: My wife and I are reading this series together and are both enjoying it. It has enough romance to keep her interested and enough plot devices to keep me interested. Overall a very good read.

I bought Son of the Shadows the day it came out and spent a sleepless night finishing it. I am an avid Science Fiction and Fantasy reader and I can honestly say there have been very few authors who have been able to lure me so completely into the character world. I can not think of a better compliment to give Marillier than to say her character developments remind me of Orson Scott Card's. She makes you understand why people are the way they are and to sympathize. Son of the Shadows in a continuation of the Seven Waters Trilogy and tells the story of Liadan, the daughter of Sorcha and Hugh (who were the main characters of Daughter of the Forest). While not as fantasy driven as Daughter of the Forest it still keeps hold the fairy tale basis established in the first book. Marillier's is so good at pulling you into her story that every pain and joy she writes becomes your own, not allowing you to see it as just a story. It is an excellent compliment to Daughter of the Forest, which has quickly become one of my favorites and I would recommend it to anyone who appreciates a well thought out and well-written story

I adored Daughter of the Forest, and since I know a lot of people consider Son of the Shadows to be the best of the Sevenwaters trilogy I was prepared to be blown away. At first I was. The heroine, Liadan, is Sorcha's youngest daughter, so from the first page it was wonderful to visit Sorcha and Red and see them as the happy couple and loving, supportive parents that they were so clearly going to become. Liadan is wonderful, and her story kicks into gear when she's kidnapped by a band of mercenaries for her healing skills. This whole section of the book completely stole my heart.

Mariller weaves elements of fairy tales into her books, and for a while I felt like I'd been transported into Neverneverland, and Liadan was Wendy among the Lost Boys - only, this time, Wendy and Peter Pan get to hook up. The Painted Man, Bran, is half-savage, damaged but infinitely competent and self-controlled. He's so easy to fall in love with and root for.

But here's the thing. I'm not the kind of person who intentionally buys books that will have me in tears over and over again (once is fine, more than that and I start to feel exploited and/or masochistic), and Son of the Shadows made me cry and cry and cry. Once Liadan goes home to Sevenwaters, she and Bran don't get to see one another very often so the fun romantic elements become less prominent. Instead, we get one heartbreak after another. A lot of people die in Son of the Shadows. A lot of people suffer terribly at the hands of others. A lot of people are really, really sad.

In Daughter of the Forest, Sorcha had a painful task and it was vividly described, but she pursued it out of love. And the love between Sorcha and Red was strongest, and most poignant, during Sorcha's darkest hours, when she needed it most. Liadan has no task, but she is surrounded by violent people. Bran is himself a very violent man who has committed many murders, and maybe just to make him look a little bit better by contrast, a lot of other male characters in the novel are also revealed as hardened killers. Son of the Shadows is a LOT bloodier than the first book, and there's a lot of collateral damage. There's a lot of torture and rape and cruelty and theft. It just got really hard for me to read, because I knew that every time I turned the page as likely as not I would encounter some new painful event that would make me cry again.

So Son of the Shadows is beautifully written, and painful as it was I could hardly put it down. But I don't think you could pay me to read it again. It's good, and I'd recommend it, but with a pretty strong caveat: if you are the type of person who cries when you read sad things, keep a box of tissues handy and don't take this book onto the subway.

A fantasy with all the crutial elements, "SON OF THE SHADOWS" is a real page turner, (sorry about the cliché, but this is the first book that has ever given me the must-read-more feeling). Juliet Marillier has a talent for writing in an intense fashion where everything and every emotion seems so real. Action, drama, romance, and magical folklore keep anyone who reads this book thoroughly entertained.

It's written in first person, which provokes an emotional attachment with the lead character, a young woman called Liadan. She greatly resembles her mother Sorcha, the daughter of the forest. Like her mother, she is a healer with the power to communicate with certain others through thought. She has visions that come to her unbidden, a power she must learn to control.

Liadan has a twin brother called Sean, whom she can speak to mind to mind, and a beautiful sister called Niamh. They live together with their family at the Sevenwaters fortress. Sean is going to inherit Sevenwaters someday and is mostly concerned with war tactics. Niamh is a lovely, vibrant young woman whose main concern is her hair. When Niamh is discovered to have a lover, she is quickly married off to an allied chieftain for reasons unknown to her or her siblings.

On her way back from seeing her sister off with her new husband, Liadan is led through a village where a woman stops her to ask if she could help heal her son. Liadan obliges and goes into the woman's cottage. While she's inside, she discovers the boy is only mildly ill when suddenly, she receives a blow to the back of her head and is knocked out (Juliet Marillier writes it with greater suspense). She wakes in the camp of the Painted Man and his band of men who are professional killers for hire.

The Painted Man is not pleased with Gull, Dog, and Snake (Three of his men) for kidnapping a 'healer girl' to help save the smith, Evan. Liadan is quick to help Evan when she discovers The Painted Man's solution to help Evan's painful, severe injury is to slit his throat. She goes head to head with him, standing up for her beliefs. Her will to heal drowns out her fears of what will become of her and whether she will ever return home to her family.

I highly recommend reading "DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST" before this one because you will have a better history of the family (and it's also an incredible page turner as well). Of The Sevenwaters Trilogy, "SON OF THE SHADOWS" was my personal favorite, but they are all three made up of such powerful and mysterious characters that they are inredibly enjoyable to read.