Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

When people ask me what my favorite book is, I unfailingly respond with The Great Gatsby. That's a bit of a fib though. Gatsby is my favorite classic, but Daughter of the Forest is my true, snuggle-up-and-get-lost-in favorite. This little, unassuming fantasy novel that I never hear anyone talk about has wedged itself into my heart and managed to stay there since I first read it in the ninth grade. I've lost count of how many times I've read this book in total, but I haven't read it lately. The last time I picked it up was 2012.

Naturally, when I decided to reread some of my old favorite novels this year for my Then vs. Now Challenge, this book was at the top of my list. I recently picked up The Harp of Kings, Marillier's latest novel, and I was interested to both compare the two, and to see if Daughter of the Forest still holds the same appeal for me at this stage of my life.

The plot is loosely based on a fairy tale called "The Six Swans." It follows a young Irish girl named Sorcha, who must complete an arduous task to save her brothers from a witch's enchantment. Her quest is a long and painful one that will take years to complete, and she must remain completely silent until it is finished. Her path eventually leads her all the way to England, where she falls in love with one of her family's enemies and things become even more complicated. To say more would spoil the sweetness of the story, so you will have to read it for yourself if you want to know more.

The novel is set in medieval Ireland, and a rich background of Celtic mythology and magic is woven throughout the plot. Marillier does an excellent job creating a vivid and mysterious world for her characters. Everything, from the descriptions of the wooded landscape to the stories the characters tell each other, live and breathe Ireland. The setting is well-developed enough to give the reader pangs of real sorrow when Sorcha is forced to leave it for a time. This is clearly a time period and culture that Marillier knows well, and the way she describes the fictional tuath of Sevenwaters makes the place feel real and important. As a reader, I generally find the parts of novels that describe the setting to be a bit boring, but I was entranced by it here. The universe of the story feels solid and spiritual. One is truly whisked away to a different time and place while reading this.

The pace of the story is deliberately slow. This is meant to be a long adventure; Sorcha's quest to restore her brothers to their human forms will take her years to complete, and the speed of the text matches the magnitude of her task. The story feels like years have passed within it, but not in a dull, plodding way. Nothing feels unnecessary or boring here, just suitably epic. While some readers may dislike the slow burn of the plot, I enjoy getting lost in the story. Nothing is rushed, and everything is beautifully developed. Daughter of the Forest takes its time, and the result is an uncommonly beautiful story.

When I was a teenager, I was all about the romance of the book. While I still believe that Daughter of the Forest is one of the most perfect love stories I have ever read, I have come to appreciate the strength and independence of Sorcha just as much. She is the kind of character I would want to know in real life. She is brave and kind, clever and loyal. She is strong of heart, but has her moments of fear and weakness too. I have seen a few reviewers on Goodreads comment negatively on her forced silence throughout the novel, saying that it makes her weak. On the contrary, I believe that her ability to persist in her task and make herself understood throughout the story in spite of the loss of her voice makes her strong. Sorcha must find other ways to communicate and keep going against incredible odds, and hearing the story from her quiet perspective is a real pleasure. As a quiet person myself, I enjoy reading about a quiet character. Not every fantasy heroine has to be a spitfire.

This is book one of the Sevenwaters Trilogy. I have read all three, as well as the additional three novels Marillier set in this universe. All of them are readable, and most are very good, but Daughter of the Forest is by far my favorite. I know that I will continue to return to it again and again in future years, as it's most definitely still a special favorite. I know that it's impossible for me to review this novel with any sense of objectivity. I read it at the perfect time in my life and I doubt that I will ever change my mind about it. Even so, I'm quite relieved that reading it again confirmed these feelings. It still holds up, and I very much enjoyed revisiting this old friend. As far as favorite books go, Daughter of the Forest may not be as impressive-sounding as The Great Gatsby, but it sure is just as satisfying.


Challenge Tally
Then vs. Now: 1/27

Total Books Read in 2020: 2