Thursday, February 5, 2009

Heir To Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier

I have posted on this blog before about my love for Juliet Marillier, so you can't be surprised by the fact that I loved this book. It was not my favorite of her books, but it was still a very enjoyable read.
Heir To Sevenwaters is another book in Marillier's Sevenwaters series (originally a trilogy). These were the first books I read by her, and I just adored them. Marillier is a fantastic storyteller when it comes to traditional folklore. The Sevenwaters series takes place in Ireland, and has a lot of aspects of traditional Celtic mythology. This book takes place a few years after the events of Child of the Prophecy. The main character is Clodagh, daughter of Lord Sean of Sevenwaters (for readers of the series, Sean is Liadan's twin brother). Sean's wife is pregnant with a much-desired baby boy, although everyone fears for her health, as she is past the age for being able to carry a child without complications. The baby is born with no complications, and everything is looking as though it may be okay, until the baby is kidnapped and a changling is left in his place. However, only Clodagh can see the changling - everyone else thinks she's losing it. She takes it upon herself to rescue her baby brother from the Fair Folk who she knows have taken him, while her father searches in a more human way. Although she does not have any of the special abilities that mark some of her family (except for being able to communicate mind-to-mind with her twin), she finds that her love and the courage of her heart are all she needs to complete her quest.
Reading about the Sevenwaters family again was so much fun. This book could probably be read without having read the others, though, as Clodagh sort of fills you in on the important family history. Of course this one had a romance, all of Marillier's books do, although this one was not as flawless as her others. She definitely sets the story up for a sequel, more so than I remember the other Sevenwaters books doing. Maybe it will be another trilogy? For fantasy lovers, these books are very highly recommended, and I would recommend them to anyone who enjoys great storytelling or a good romance.

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