Son of the Shadows

Sevenwaters, Book 2

By: Juliet Marillier

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Length: 22 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Beautiful Sorcha is the courageous young woman who risked all to save her family from a wicked curse and whose love shattered generations of hate and bridged two cultures. It is from her sacrifice that Sorcha's brothers were brought home to their ancestral fortress Sevenwaters, and her life has known much joy. But not all the brothers were able to fully escape the spell that transformed them into swans, and it is left to Sorcha's daughter, Liadan, to help fulfill the destiny of the Sevenwaters clan. Beloved child and dutiful daughter, Liadan embarks on a journey that shows her just how hard-won was the peace that she has known all her life.

Liadan will need all of her courage to help save her family, for there are dark forces and ancient powers conspiring to destroy this family's peace - and their world. And she will need all of her strength to stand up to those she loves best, for in the finding of her own true love, Liadan's course may doom them all...or be their salvation.

©2001 Juliet Marillier (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Excellent second book

Usually I find sequels to be lacking but I think this one is done very well!

Great story and narration

This is a fantastic and engaging story, and the narrator really brings it to life. Highly recommend!

Fantastic Narration, Beautiful Story

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

Resoundingly, yes. This is a story that is better to listen to than to read (and I typically don't even enjoy audiobooks). While recovering from a concussion, I downloaded a few of my favorite books (under doctor's orders not to read). I couldn't get into others, but this narration was fantastic and I found myself totally captivated for most of the story.

At the same time, there are just a few parts that drag. Hang on through them, because the story is worth it!

What about Rosalyn Landor’s performance did you like?

I loved this narrator. She's fantastic -- I was sometimes amazed at her ability to do different voices and had to check to see whether she was the sole narrator. She was the voice of Liadan.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Oh, quite a few, but I don't want to spoil it.

Rosalyn Landor's male characters...

ugh... I couldn't stand her male characters deep intonations and gutteral noises. I really prefer Terry Donelley's voice. But Landor does a good job when she's not portraying a male character. However her speech is much slower than Donnelley's....

Overall, there were some instances where i was rolling my eyes. The fact that both girls committed the same error and were treated so sorely differently was just plain frustrating. The rest of this story wasn't quite as intense as the first book, but since we have come to know the Sevenwaters family, the story is still loveable. I can't wait to listen to the next in the series. If I read this series, I feel I might become bored. so I'm sticking with the audiobooks!

very enjoyable book to listen to on a stormy day

this was such a good book that after it was finished I bought the next 2.

Beautiful story and narration

This second book in the Sevenwaters saga was filled with deceit, honor, lies, betrayal, love, redemption and hope. It follows the story of Sorcha and Hugh's (Red's) daughter. Old stories are woven and spun into this story and a bigger picture is created.

The author is a beautiful storyteller and in the book as whole tells the tale of many characters. It is in the tales that the characters share that the story grows. It makes me wonder if the author was told these stories growing up, heard these stories while researching for her book, or created that world too.

The book would be considerably shorter without these tales told by characters who were written by the author, but there is so much depth created by them. I hope that this gives you encouragement to read or listen to the Audible version (as I did), because the voice of the narrator made the whole adventure all that more enjoyable.

A wonderful follow-up to Daughter of the Forest.

I enjoyed the story every bit as much as when I first read it many years ago.

A Compelling Second Book

I have mixed feelings about this book, but overall, I really enjoyed it. Marillier is a master of high fantasy, and this is truly an epic fantasy saga that you can lose yourself in. To some extent, though, that's my one complaint about the book. At times, it is a slow read. There are lengthy stretches of characters telling tales or taking in the scenery of the forest. It's truly a masterpiece of worldbuilding, but it can get long and slow.

I found this book best enjoyed in parts, listening to a chapter here and there and taking breaks when it started getting slow. It's not a book you can binge in a night or two. I've already got the third one, and I will absolutely be listening to it, but I'll need to take a bit of a mental reset break in between.

Regarding Rosalyn Landor as narrator, I cannot say enough how great she is. I didn't even realize this book was her until I started it, and I was downright delighted. While I'm normally not a fan of series that change narrators from book to book, this transition was fine, and it didn't distract me from the story.

I missed work because I couldn't leave this story

I could not tear myself away. this was an absorbing story and I highly recommend it. the characters are imperfect and believable.

My Comfort Book

I found this book when I was in middle school (well over 15 years ago) and I have to reread it every year. I know exactly what's going to happen and when and I was still just as emotional at every bit of the excitement and sorrow while listening. The narration was wonderful and kept me enthralled as this was the first time I've used the audiobook. I always recommend this book to everyone that wants a new read. I could go on about this story but I'm also highly prejudiced in my love for it. 🤣😍