Heart’s Blood

By: Juliet Marillier

Narrated by: Ruth Urquhart

Length: 16 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's Summary

Whistling Tor is a place of secrets: a mysterious, wooded hill housing the crumbling fortress belonging to Anluan - a chieftain whose name is spoken throughout the region in tones of revulsion and bitterness. A curse lies over Anluan's family and his people, and the woods themselves hold a perilous force whose every whisper threatens doom.

Then the young scribe Caitrin appears in Anluan's garden, admiring the rare plant known as heart's blood. Retained to sort through entangled family documents, Caitrin brings about unexpected changes in the household, casting a hopeful light against the despairing shadows.

But even as Caitrin brings solace to Anluan, and the promise of something more between them, he remains in thrall to the darkness surrounding Whistling Tor. To free Anluan's burdened soul, Caitrin must unravel the web of sorcery woven by his ancestors before it claims his life - and their love....

©1972 Walter Rodney (P)2018 Tantor

Very engrossing

The narrator didn't sound whiny to me, but I did slow down the reading speed because it seemed very fast. After I did that, I had no problems with it. I've never had to do that before.
Story wise, I really enjoyed it. Villian was a little obvious, but I loved the story idea so much it didn't matter. The author always does a good job with strong female leads that don't need to tear down men to raise themselves up. This is no exception. They're realistic people facing fantastical problems.

Original Story with a Familiar Foundation

I almost don't want to compare this to beauty and the beast, as I feel it takes away from the intricate and original story Juliet Marillier has crafted. Yes, there is a similarity to beauty and the beast, but Marillier really has created her own beautifully woven account of it. I decided to listen to this after I had read a rather tragic kind of romance, in the hopes of an assured happy ending. While this did indeed give me my happy ending, it is by no means a fluffy fairy tale. I don't mean to say this in a negative sense, but more in the way that this is an adult fantasy that deals with both the triumphs and tribulations of life. In her usual fashion, Marillier blends together these opposing notions in a meaningful way. If you are looking for a love story with a solid story line that gives purpose to the romance in focus, then you will like this.

I would also say, if you are a fan of Juliet Marillier, this is worth a listen. I do prefer her book "Daughter of the Forest" to this novel. This being said, it probably depends on an individual's mood or preference. The main reason for my predilection, in simple terms, is that I felt I was able to connect with the characters in "Daughter of the Forest" more deeply than with the ones in "Heart's Blood." However, both are wonderful reads and I plan to continue reading books by this author!

As a final thought, my reason for giving the narrator a 4 instead of a 5 is that for the main character only, her voice could be a bit sharp or winy, and at times, I felt she would run-on with her sentences. This was a minor issue overall though, and with all the other voices she did a great job.

Happy Reading!

One of my Favorite Authors

I love Juliet Marillier's other books so I was so excited to listen to one I haven't read before. Unfortunately, I couldn't listen to the narrator for the whole book and I ended up reading the rest on my kindle. The main character can be negative and almost whiny at times, but the narrator was almost always whiny, except for voices of other characters.The book itself was difficult to get into, but the narration didn't help. It got hard to put down towards the end, but a slow start mixed with a narrator I don't love could've led to me giving up if I didn't already love the author.

Another great story!

Another great story by ine of my favorite authors. Juliiet Marillier has a way of taking the extraordinary and making it perfectly believable. I love her books. I have them all so far. Please don't stop writing!!

Another Marillier masterpiece

If you like fantasy that makes you feel like you are seeing a new world that is much much older than you, Juliet Marillier has the touch. Truth be told, I’ve yet to read any of her books that I didn’t love, but this one will be a special one that I re-listen to. I appreciate seeing new long blossom while in the context of people who have very real weaknesses and scars that they must overcome. This book is no pretty tale of everything going perfectly, and I love it even more because of that. The narrator, Ruth Urquhart, did a fantastic job as well. Her ability to convey emotion is quite fantastic.

Fantasy at it's best

I loved the narrator and how she adjusted her voice to designate when it was Caitryn story and when she was caught in the obsidian mirror reliving Nectan history and dark deeds.
This story caught me from the first chapter and I was enthralled until the very end.
I really enjoyed our main heroine and hero and all the surrounding cast of characters. The idea of this dark host of spirits brought back and trapped. The secrets and mystery was exciting to uncover.
I really enjoyed how the characters were flawed and were just trying to make things right or were learning to be brave.
So many emotions were brought out as I listened to the story.
Another wonderful story from a talented writer.

Good, Not what I expected, no retelling

I’ve seen reviews comparing this book to Beauty and the Beast. That comparison kept me from reading it sooner. It is not a retelling if that story. Much more unique and original. The author is one of my favorites and her stories are always well written. Her characters always have depth. If you like her other work, go ahead and purchase this. You won’t be disappointed. If you aren’t familiar with the author I encourage you to try her books if you enjoy ancient tales of quests and romance with strong and unique female leads. My only criticism of this audio book is on narration. All of the voices were well done except for the female lead which did not appeal to me personally. Not bad, or detracting, just a bit whiny.

Juliet Marillier crafts another work of art

I loved this book! I adore this writer's skill in creating such depth in her characters and not just in the central ones. Like all of her books I didn't want to put this one down. I highly recommend all of Juliet Marillier's books.

Book of my Heart

This story is so full of life and love. It touches my heart and memories of my wonderful Irish mother. I had to listen to it twice to enjoy each word. Truly a classic.

Narrator was difficult to listen to at first

I have read this book years before before listening to my it by this narrative. I love this story, it’s one of my favorite and wanted to listen to it on my way to work during October for a “Halloween” story. Ruth Urquhart was pretty annoying with her interpretation of the main character. It was hard to stick with it because of that, but as the story got on and the main character started getting her confidence back the narration of that character wasn’t as awful. I hated the accent it seemed super fake and grinds on the ears, especially the was she pronounced Tooommmassss…Thomas.

A story, that could apply to all of .

As the title suggests , it could be set in any era.
Thoroughly enjoyable. thank you.

Another great story from Juliet

Another great story, set in medieval Ireland, with plenty of mysticism and romance. A great listen!

A wonderful book!

I really enjoyed this! I’m a fan of Juliet Marillier, so was thrilled to see a new audiobook had been released. I know it was written in 1972 but in my opinion it’s one of her best ever.