Child of the Prophecy (The Sevenwaters Trilogy, Book 3)

by Juliet Marillier

Book Overview

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... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0765345013
• Release Date: June 2003
• Publisher: Tor Books
• Length: 608 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 1.3" x 4.2"

Customer Reviews

Sent the wrong binding

My review has nothing to do with the book. I love this series. I ordered the hardcover and was sent the Library binding instead. Do not order books from here unless you don't care if you actually receive what you order.

The best romance ever

I've read many reviews saying that the Child of the Prophecy isn't as good as the first two books. Although I believe the second book of the trilogy is my favorite I think this book deserves its own praise. Child of the Prophecy is different from the first two books of the series. You get a very different heroine from Sorcha and Liadan. Fiadan's path is not so clear and you're not even sure at the beginning of the book who's side she's on, good or evil. I think Marillier is one of the most skilled writers at bringing romance to life and I have a hard time deciding whether she did a better job in Son of Shadows or Child of the Prophecy. In either case this is a masterful romance, and so much more besides. Fiadan has to deal with difficult choices of write and wrong that occur repeatedly through the story and I think it's interesting to have a heroine who commits some truly monstrous acts but who you relate to and like all the same. Also if you don't fall in love with Darragh you have a heart of ice. The only problem with the book had was a bit of trouble in the ending which is to be understood considering this is the conclusion of the entire trilogy. This book is a must read as well as the rest of the Sevenwaters Trilogy.

Strong Conclusion To An Extraordinary Trilogy- A Great Read!

"Child of the Prophecy" is the concluding book in Juliet Marillier's extraordinary Sevenwaters trilogy, and perhaps the most powerful of all three novels. I think this is partly so because Fainne, daughter of the renegade druid Ciaran and Niamh, the Sevenwaters daughter who was lost to the clan long ago, is the strongest of Marillier's heroines. This in no way diminishes the strength of Sorcha and Liadan, nor the roles these remarkable women played in the trilogy's first two books.Fainne was brought up in almost total solitude after her mother's death. She and her father lived alone in the Honeycomb, a network of caves on the Kerry coast. It was, at best, an austere and lonely existence, especially for a child. Ciaran schooled her unceasingly in Druid craft and lore and Fainne didn't really want more out of life than to please her father - and pleasing him meant becoming proficient in all he taught. Ciaran, a great Druid priest, had little time for his daughter, other than to pass on his knowledge. He spent most of his life continuing to learn the ancient ways. This story is set in a period when magic is fading and Christianity is fast becoming the dominant religion of Erin and Britain. The Old Ones are being driven to the Western Realms, beyond the reach of mankind. The ancient groves and forests are being destroyed and without them the true knowledge of the land will disappear. The prophecies say there is a way to prevent the total disappearance of this priceless lore...and that salvation lies within the Sevenwaters clan. It is to this end that Ciaran works to pass his knowledge to his daughter.The wicked sorceress Oonagh is Fainne's grandmother. She emerged from the shadows in book one, "Daughter of the Forest," to exert her evil ways and plan the destruction of all the Sevenwaters clan had worked for. Ciaran saw the necessity to leave his child for a time under Oonagh's tutelage. With her grandmother, Fainne would learn magic that she had never known or imagined before, and she would learn terrible fear as well.Fainne is such a complex character. Her heritage is one of extreme darkness and of light - of both good and evil. The best of generations of the Sevenwaters clan runs in her blood, as does the evil of Oonagh. In order for the prophecy to succeed, Fainne must overcome her dual nature and prevail against her grandmother's power, while protecting those she loves.Many characters from the previous books are present here: Conor the Druid, swan-winged Finbar, Liadan and her family, and vengeful Eamonn. So are the Fair Folk, (Tuatha de Danaan), and Old Ones. They await the Prophecy's end which will decide their own fate. All depends on Fainne's actions.Ms. Marillier develops her cast of characters and gives them great depth. As with all fairy tales, there is magic at work here, just the right amount to awe but not to disturb reality too much or take away from the characters' independence and ability to choose. Although "Child of the Prophecy"

Just as good as the others

I read the reviews for this book before getting it, and I was reluctant to buy it for two reasons. The first was that many people said that it wasnt as good as the others, and the second was that I had been looking forward to another book that took place at sevenwaters, and the idea of reading about some sorcerers daughter did not sound appealing to me.However, when i finally bought the book and started it, i realized I was badly mistaken. This book was just as good as her other books, and it kept me reading well into the night.Fianne is a sorcerers daugher, granddaughter of Lady OOnagh, who tried desperately to destroy the sevenwaters family years before, and product of a forbidden love between Ciaran and Niamh. In this book, we follow Fianne as she goes to Sevenwaters to join her family as Lady Oonagh watches over, trying to make Fianne finish off what she started years before. It is up to Fianne to decide the fate of many and the future, facing many trials along the way.This story was deeply touching, and many times I wished that I could smack some sense into some character or strangle another. Not many stories can induce real feelings in me, but I found myself close to tears or very happy at certain points within this book.Juliet Marillier is a great writer, and I hope to see many more books by her in the future.

The best

CHILD OF THE PROPHECY is the incredible final chapter in the brilliant Sevenwaters Trilogy. I'd never heard of this Juliet Marillier, and chances are you hadn't either, but it won't be long before everyone with an interest in fantasy, historical fantasy, or celtic-themed fiction (or just good fiction in general) knows her name and her amazing talent. This last installment tells the story of Fainne, daughter of the outcast sorcerer Ciaran, and kin to the folk of Sevenwaters, who were the focus of the first two books. Fianne is also the granddaughter of the Lady Oonagh, the sorceress who tried to destroy Sevenwaters and was thwarted only by the courage of Fianne's other grandmother, Sorcha. Raised by her father and briefly but painfully schooled by her grandmother, Fainne has a momentous choice to make that is more difficult than it sounds, and will decide the destiny Sevenwaters, Ireland, and ultimately our earth herself.I had a very difficult time putting this book down to get on with my daily life, so that's a hazard to reading it. Another is that this one, as much as the other two, packs an emotional punch that can be incredibly painful. Sure, the ending is happy (well, what did you expect?), but there are (at least) two sides to everything, and Fainne's tale is fraught with heartache and sorrow and terrible pain. It's a tale to match the old celtic legends, and reading it is so much more than just an afternoon diversion.

Awesome ending to an awesome trilogy!

I don't agree with or understand some of the opinions of this book. The intrigue and contrast in this book was amazing. Fainne was amazing.The Daughter of the Forest will always hold a special place in my heart. Sorcha, Red, Ben, John, Finbar, Conor, Lady Oonagh, Simon, Margarie...they are all such amazing characters. The plot is incredible, the feelings so true, and the terror so real. Juliet captured my heart with this book.I waited for the second book with such anticipation, and at first I was dissapointed, Liadan was so different than Sorcha. And the whole set up of the book was so much different. Liadan wasn't set to a task as Sorcha was, Liadan didn't care to marry, Liadan wasn't Sorcha. Then it hit me, if Liadan was like Sorcha, what would the fun of the book be? I read it a second time, and I fell in love. Bran is such a passionate person. Eamonn was so good at what he did. Liadan was so amazingly refreshing. Once I had read Son of the Shadow 5 million times, I couldn't wait for Child of the Prophecy.And when I got the book, I read. I didn't read like I normally did, though. Usually I sit in my bed or on my couch, I don't put the book down until I'm finished, but this was different. I was reading a trilogy and this was the third book. Once I closed the back cover, all would be over, all would be solved. So, I went to the forest by my house. I laid on my hill and read as the wind whipped though my hair. I could hear the wind rustling in the trees. As I read the book, I came to a knew understanding of mother nature, and of it's beauty. I read slowly, I cherised every chapter, every page, every word. Once I was done, I was done...sure I could read it again, but I knew what happened. For the first 2 days I read slowly; I was only about half through the book by the end of the second day. But when I started reading the third day, I couldn't stop. It was the most beautiful thing in the world. Fainne was so much different then Sorcha and Liadan in every respect. She looked different, she was raised different, and she was born different. A sorceress, bound to a certain path by ancient, evil things. The book was such a surprise. I thought I would be disappointed when I turned the final page, but Juliet must be a sorceress herself, for when I finally closed the last book in my favorite series, a great peace filled me. I don't know how to describe it. All is not well, the future definetly isn't going to be all roses and sunshine, but every thing felt right. It was beautiful. I highly recommend this book and this trilogy, if you've got any sort of magic in you, you'll love it. Good, evil, love, hate, joy, terror, smiles, tears, men of Briton, men of Erin, a complete and utter feeling of peace that is nothing other than rightness, and surprise that grip the heart and soul. Juliet can do anything.