Daughter of the Forest

I purchased the original copy of the novel as I only owned the new edition of Daughter of the Forest, and because I loved it so much, I wanted the original release. I fell in love with Juliet Marillier's story of Sorcha and her trials and tribulations. This novel is a testament to the virtues and values of strength, courage, determination and loyalty, and was a novel that helped me during an incredibly difficult period in my life. The copy I purchased seemed a bit old but completely unused, as it was described - definitely a happy customer here.

This book started out pretty slow as they author deeply introduced all of the characters and built the story up. Boy was this story heart wrenching, exciting etc. Such a wonderful story

A great fairy tale retelling. I loved everything about this book. Oh the trials of Sorcha.. so heart wrenching. This has become a favorite

I was thirteen when I first picked up this book. I read it in one day and enjoyed it immensely. In fact, I loved it so much that I immediatly checked out the rest of the trilogy and devoured those books as well. I've since then, in the year since first coming upon this fantastic novel, read the entire series many times over. They never lose their magic! As a young teenager, this books was my first time coming across a theme like rape in the books that I've read. I found the particular scene a little difficult to get through, mostly because I sympathized with Sorcha, the heroine, but overall I'd say it was tastefully done. This minor scene and subsequent mentions of love making in the next two books of the trilogy are certainly not graphic enough that I would not recommend reading the book. It's definitely a lot less graphic and done with more of a conservative approach then in the racy, sex-filled adult novels that I've stumbled across lately(and, might I add, have tossed away upon coming across the offending material). AND IN DEFENSE OF HUGH(Or Red, whatever you want to call him): Red was no less deserving of Sorcha than Simon was. In fact, I'd say he was more so. Simon has that interesting, black sheep, passionate attitude going on that most boys display in their youth. He's an, albeit attractive, mess of emotions that he's not sure how to manage, even after returning for his 81 year sojourn with the Fair Folk. Simon would never have been able to live at Sevenwaters and Sorcha would never have left her beloved forest. A marriage between them would never have worked out. Red, on the other hand, was patient but no less passionate. He had the advantage of a few years over Simon and a different sort of upbringing than his brother, making him more in control of his emotions. Even when Sorcha flinched from him time and time again, even when she wept and would not speak, even when the pain in his heart was overflowing, he was careful not to hurt her. He was careful to be calm and patient and caring in a way that Simon never could have. And, when it came down to it, he let her leave because he knew he couldn't keep her there. And then, when he knew he couldn't live without her, he gave up everything he had to meet her where she was at; to live amongst her people if she couldn't live amongst his. And, as a parting note, I'd like to point out that Red was every bit as passionate as Simon was. He told Sorcha that if he ever found the man who hurt her, he'd kill him. When Richard met Sorcha in the woods Red was angry and wanted to make sure Richard hadn't hurt her. And, when he found out what had happened to her while he was away, he was just barely prevented from killing the man who had threatened her. I'd pick Red over Simon any day.

I bought Mariller's book "Daughter of the Forest" reluctantly, when I was snowed in and desperatly needed a book to read in the hotel room. I was reluctant, because I had read a few too many new takes on old fairy tales and wasn't willing to subject myself to any more. WELL! Suprise, suprise! This woman can write! Daughter of the Forest is a book of depth, with a wonderful, mystical, adventurous and emotionally charged plot line. Sorcha, the daughter of a great Irish chief, is sister to 6 brothers, who through the curse of a villainous sorceress, are turned into swans. OK, we all know the fairy tale. But, JM puts flesh on the bones of that tale, so you can forget you're reading a cover of some stale old thing, and completely immerse yourself in something fresh and unusual. JM has a deft touch with magic, managing to present it side by side with everyday life in a completely believable manner. The very trees breathe with magic in this book, and you are swept away. Expect a very strong heroine, a fascinating journey, a not-too-idealized view of feudal life, a compelling love story, a very appealing love interest, and lots of fun. You can also expect at least one more thing....a great sequel in "Son of the Shadows." Enjoy!

It takes an extremely good book in order to coax a full five-star rating from me. However, in this case I feel that full marks are justified. So many times throughout the story I forgot the book in my hands and was able to get completely lost in the world that the author created - the mark of a true storyteller. It also remains, to date, the one book that has made me cry.Each character is fully developed, each scene is intricately described and the writing is the best I have encountered for a very long time. No emotion is left unexplored as Juliet Marillier takes the reader on a roller coaster of a journey throughout mediaeval Ireland and Britain, through the land of the faeries and the land of the mortal. The conflict between the old pagan traditions and the new Christian religion is delicately handled, as is the conflict between the Irish and the Britons.Sorcha is a strong heroine, although clearly a young woman of her time. All too often in period books, "strong heroines" are simply 21st century women, unbelievable as females who were brought up in earlier times. Marillier, however, makes sure that Sorcha is clearly a strong character without losing any of the book's authenticity.Simply stunning - I cannot recommend it highly enough.

I have been reading the reviews for Ms. Marillier's book and I am astounded by the number of people who have made criticisms about the lack of historicity and adherence to mythology. The author doesn't claim to be writing an historical work or recounting the narrative of a familiar myth; Ms. Marillier is writing a new story in which she borrows elements of history and myth in order to give her readers something new and exciting. And I think she has delivered this, with great success. I began the book with great expectations which were fulfilled and satisfied and surpassed in every way. (Actually, I lie. I was extremely disappointed when reaching the end, sometime around 5am in the morning, to discover that Lady Oonagh did not get her just desserts. I wrote to Ms. Marillier immediately and she informed me I would have to wait until the third instalment for that particular satisfaction.) I would like to congratulate Ms. Marillier on an entertaining, enthralling, imaginative and captivating novel. I am eagerly anticipating the 2nd instalment, which to my joy, I discovered is only a few weeks away now. Its been a long and agonising wait.

Congratulations, Juliet. For anyone out there who is interested in Celtic folklore, strong female characters or fabulous love stories, this is a wonderful novel to put on your "to read" list. Marillier has created Sorcha, a heroine who is strong, determined and steadfast. She suffers a great deal throughout this novel, and reading of her trials and disappointments is not for the weak of heart. I found myself crying often throughout the book, in outrage, sadness and in joy. The novel lacks some polish in its language at points, and there is little suspense, but its strengh is in the reader's strong identification with Sorcha throughout. She is condemned to silence throughout most of the book and the power of her story is such that the reader feels the need to be silent also, so as to help carry her burden. I can't wait until the next book in this series is published.