Filled with the same Celtic mysticism, otherworldly creatures and concepts, and character driven drama as Daughter of the Forest and Son of the Shadows, Juliet Marillier’s Child of the Prophecy is a fantastic conclusion to the Sevenwaters trilogy. The story follows Fainne, a teenaged girl brought up as a sorcerer by her father, Ciaran, on the west coast of Ireland. Convinced Fainne is part of a prophecy to destroy the ancients, her grandmother threatens Ciaran’s health, forcing her to travel to Sevenwaters and play her part. Yet, as Fainne meets her extended family at Sevenwaters, she falls in love with the place and people, despite herself and her mission. Torn between doing what she believes is right and what her grandmother expects from her, Fainne suffers much inner turmoil right up to the unexpected and spectacular conclusion. Fainne’s inner struggle creates a very real and believable character, allowing readers to really connect with her. Even as she performs horrible acts and gets herself into situations deeper than she can cope with, readers still sense a real relatable human being underneath, hoping she will do the right thing in the end. Marillier weaves in a romance sub-story, which helps humanise Fainne even more. As with the prior books in the trilogy, Marillier textures the story with a lot of interesting Celtic mysticism through its supernatural figures, otherworldly creatures, and paranormal abilities possessed by several of the main characters. This, especially the animal states of mind, are convincingly depicted and, along with some rich world descriptions that few other fantasy writers conjure, helps to create a cohesive world readers won’t want to leave. This mysticism, character struggle, and further development of the Sevenwaters world and narrative make Child of the Prophecy a MUST READ. 4 ½ stars |
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