Synopsis:
When Mary was 16, she may or may not have been abducted and raped by an older man, whose life was ruined by her accusations. Continue reading
The Uses of Enchantment by Heidi Julavits
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Tag Archives: Sisters
Season of the Witch by Natasha Mostert
My review is up at Blogcritics.org–here’s the first paragraph:
It’s tough to make intellectuals sexy, but Natasha Mostert, a London-based South African novelist, pulls it off in Season of the Witch, her newest novel and a tour de force of Gothic eroticism that seduces from start to finish without reprieve.
Child of the Prophecy by Juliet Marillier
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.
Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
Synopsis:
Sorcha and her six brothers have always protected each other and their home in the heart of Ireland, but when the men come under a deadly enchantment, Sorcha must complete a grueling task and endure mute exile across the sea in Britain with the hated enemies of her kin.
Review:
Daughter of the Forest is a retelling of a fairy tale made famous by Hans Christian Anderson. Sorcha’s six brothers have been turned into swans, and Sorcha commanded by the Lady of the Forest to weave shirts of stinging nettle which will return her brothers to their true form when thrown over their heads–only if Sorcha can complete her task without speaking a word or telling anyone her story in writing or sign language. Marillier is a native New Zealander living in Australia who has a great love for Celtic lore, and sets her story against the backdrop of the invasion of Ireland (Erin) by the Britons. She explores the culture clash between the country’s native paganism and the newly arrived Christianity in a way that feels natural and organic, not intended to pass judgment on either belief system (unlike in Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Mists of Avalon, which I was unable to read more than a chapter of because her hatred hurt my heart). Continue reading