Child of the Prophecy

Sevenwaters, Book 3

By: Juliet Marillier

Narrated by: Heather O'Neill

Magic is fading... and the ways of Man are driving the Old Ones to the West, beyond the ken of humankind. The ancient groves are being destroyed, and if nothing is done, Ireland will lose its essential mystic core. The prophecies of long ago have foretold a way to prevent this horror, and it is the Sevenwaters clan that the spirits of Eire look to for salvation. They are a family bound into the lifeblood of the land, and their promise to preserve the magic has been the cause of great joy to them... as well as great sorrow.

It is up to Fianne, daughter of Niamh, the lost sister of Sevenwaters, to solve the riddles of power. A shy child of a reclusive sorcerer, she finds that her way is hard: She is the granddaughter of the wicked sorceress Oonagh, who has emerged from the shadows and seeks to destroy all that Sevenwaters has striven for. Oonagh will use Fianne most cruelly to accomplish her ends, and stops at nothing to see her will done. Will Fianne be strong enough to battle this evil and save those she has come to love?

©2002 Juliet Marillier (P)2013 Audible Inc.

Sevenwaters Book 3 doesn't disappoint!

Marillier continues with another Sevenwaters' success. This fantasy-filled story is a wonderful sequel to this series. I've enjoyed reading about the many characters and how their intricate lives mix together. The plot is well thought out and is consistent with the previous books in the series. I'm enjoying this author's writing, as well as the narrator's rendition of it, and look forward to read the next. Well done!

Well-crafted, Well Performed, Small Volume Errors

Well performed by the narrator and thoroughly enjoyable! There were some volume struggles in this one which I didn't encounter in the first two of the series, as though there were parts that were re-recorded and weren't properly adjusted to the volume of the rest of the narrative. The story was also well crafted. While the other two novels in the series were highly focused on oral storytelling, this one was more focused on the druidic faith itself and seemed to contain a subtle critique of Christianity, the faith that historically followed the passing away of Celtic belief structures. I was captivated by Faine. Her story line is heartwrenching, transfixing, and inspiring. My only critique of the story itself is that towards the end the author's message seems to overpower the plot line. Moments felt somewhat preachy. However, on the whole I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and the narrator's performance.

Child of the Prophecy

The series is addicting. Action packed and moves well. Great narrator! I thought I would stop and intersperse with other books but it is not happening. The books keep your attention.

Complex and satisfying installment to the series

I wondered what I was getting into with this book because several reviews said it was dark, sad, and the main character was not someone they liked. Since, I'm into the series, though, of course I bought it.

While it's true that this story is very different from the first two in the series which had female characters who were strong, pure and good, I found this story and heroine to be very rich and intriguing. She was in ways, more complex than the other heroines.

I'll try to explain without giving any spoilers, which is hard. This character struggles with the good and the bad in herself, but a lot of that is laid on her by exterior forces, history, etc. I found this to be a story about finding your true self and finding what you value. The story has consequences, but I didn't think it was sad.

There are a lot of story lines from the previous books that come to resolutions in satisfying ways. Not always "happy" but there was a balance and development that felt right. (Again, hard to elaborate without spoilers!)

I quite liked the narrator. It's unfortunate that the production quality had frequent bits where the quality was inferior, but it wasn't so bad that it ruined the story.

I found this to be a very satisfying installment to this series.

Bittersweet but still a lovely tale

A fitting conclusion to the original trilogy. I loved it as I did the two before it.