Daughter of the Forest

Sevenwaters, Book 1

By: Juliet Marillier

Narrated by: Terry Donnelly

Length: 26 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

Lovely Sorcha is the seventh child and only daughter of Lord Colum of Sevenwaters. Bereft of a mother, she is comforted by her six brothers who love and protect her. Sorcha is the light in their lives and they are determined that she know only contentment. But Sorcha's joy is shattered when her father is bewitched by his new wife, an evil enchantress who binds her brothers with a terrible spell, a spell which only Sorcha can lift - by staying silent.

If she speaks before she completes the quest set to her by the Fair Folk and their queen, the Lady of the Forest, she will lose her brothers forever. When Sorcha is kidnapped by the enemies of Sevenwaters and taken to a foreign land, she is torn between the desire to save her beloved brothers, and a love that comes only once. Sorcha despairs that she will never able to complete her task, but the magic of the Fair Folk knows no boundaries, and love is the strongest magic of them all....

©2000 Juliet Marillier (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Beautiful narration and story!

The narration of this story is whimsical and enchanting. The actress’ voice is lovely and the voices she made for each character, especially for the main one, were perfect. I would have never been able to sit an read this book, but through the wonderful work of the narrator, I lived with story in my heart as I listened to it.

One of my absolute favorites.

I've listened to this one several times. This is one of my go-to listens when I want something engaging and wonderful. Juliet Marillier writes like no one else. She is a favorite of mine and Sorcha is one of my favorite female leads. Daughter of the Forest is my favorite kind of fantasy - a lush, far-off world, good vs. evil, heroes and villains, and quests or tasks. Sorcha is smart even though she is young. She has incredible strength even when she feels at her weakest. This story breaks my heart over and over but it also makes my heart swell with happiness.

Terry Donnelly is a wonderful narrator for this story; her accent is lovely and I love hearing her pronounce the Irish names and holidays. She is a great Sorcha, and she is exceptional when reading the villainous characters' parts.

I'd say this audiobook is probably at the top of my "favorite re-listens" list and also probably my all-time favorite Audible purchase. Absolutely worth a credit.

Enjoyed the series, not the reader!

I am currently on the 5th book of this series and I have enjoyed them all. Each book takes parts of classic fairy stories (such as The Six Swans) and combines them with Irish Folklore. The storylines in all the books are basic and formulaic (an Irish girl is set an impossible task and doesn't believe in herself but through the power of womanhood, love, family and magic she prevails) but if you like fairy tales this series is an easy listen.

My biggest complaint is the performance. I found the narrator it be extremely shrill and winy. I understand the stories are about women going through trials and tribulations but the amount of anguish the narrator attempts to convey just comes across as annoying. Numerous times I had to shut off the books and take a break because I found the narrating to be so jarring.

Quest of Love

This is my favorite series. I first read this series when I was younger and I fell in love with the Daughter of the forest these books will stick with you. They take you on a journey it's not the typical story there's relatable aspects but you get drawn into the story experiencing the happiness, sadness, and grief. Now if you want a quest for love this book is it. I highly recommend this book and series!

Gut Wrenching and Beautifully Written.

I agree with all the reviews - it is a beautifully written story, the style that is well suit for the Irish magical tales. A warm, real, romantic and gut-wrenching tale that engrossed me from start to finish, and stayed with me after the story was long over. I cried at this quote: "It matters not if you were here or there, for I see you before me every moment. I see you in the light on the water, in the swaying of the young trees in the Spring wind. I see you in the shadow of the grey oaks. I hear your voice in the cry of the owl at night. You are the blood in my vein, and the beating of my heart. You are my first waking thought and my last sight before sleeping. You are bone of my bone, and breath of my breath."

Couldn't Stop Listening

A lovely reading and a richly told story. The characters and especially the sibling relationships are beautifully crafted, as is the world in which the story takes place. The romance aspect felt a little juvenile but was nonetheless satisfying. Give it a listen.

Great story

This is an amazing take on a fairytale, and the narration is exceptional! I'll definitely check out the next book in this series.

this has been a favorite but listen at 1.25

This series is really enchanting and charming. always loved it. Great imagery, verbiage, good narator. It is a bit slow paced, and it's not always happy, it is about a difficult quest/task and an arduous journey emotionally and physically. I love the work, the story is engaging for me and I love old lore like this. Bewarned to listen to it at a faster speed. And there is a trigger for some. If reading 1 paragraph on a rape is too much, don't listen. Simple as that. Don't complain that it is the whole story. the book is not all about it.

i am addicted!

wasn't sure if i was going to be able to get into this book...only because of the cadence of the narrator. there was a long pause between thoughts, or sentences that was quite distracting through almost all of the first part. but it seems by the second part she gained her stride and the story started flowing well as it should.
now, i am sooo glad i persevered, because i LOVED this story !!! the narrators voice has such depth, and emotion that it brought the story to life. i am now ready for the second book, and excited to get more of this story under way.

Wow

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

These books are so beautiful! I was teary eyed for most of this book.

What other book might you compare Daughter of the Forest to and why?

I have no other books I know to compare this to.