Synopsis:
The granddaughter of a powerful sorceress finds herself coerced into betraying her kin to bring about the downfall of Ireland.
Review:
Child of the Prophecy is the third installment in Juliet Marillier’s Sevenwaters trilogy follows the story of Fianne, granddaughter of Sorcha, who saved her brothers after they were turned into swans, and niece to Liadan, the healer who managed to thwart the pattern set by the Old Ones. It’s the weakest installment, due largely in part to the lack of nuance in crafting the characters. Lady Oonagh, the evil sorceress, is a compendium of bad guy cliches, given to lengthy exposition at dramatic moments. The characters all easily fit into “good” or “bad,” and none of them are in any danger of surprising. It’s all very on-the-nose.
Overall, with this trilogy, I enjoyed the look at historic Ireland, and I liked the way the first two books reinterpreted older stories. I don’t think I’m likely to pick up any of her other books, though.
You might not hear from me for awhile, because up next is the massive Anna Karenina. I’m busy with work and don’t have as much time for reading, so I think it might take me a week to read it.
