I really enjoyed Marillier's "Sevenwaters" series (the first book most of all) and "Wolfskin," so I was really looking forward to this series. However, I did not find this book compelling at all, especially in comparison to the masterful writing in her other works. ( )

Generally I like Juliet Marillier but this book failed to grab my interest and I found it slow and plodding. Gave up finally to move on to one of the 1000 other books I want to read. ( )

With a terser language than her Daughter of the Forest" debut novel, Marillier still brings to vibrant life a barely recorded past of Scotland. As before, the landscape is a character as vital as the human ones, and the descriptions of life in this early, early age are quite accurate. Life is neither easy nor guaranteed, and while not overtly cruel, it is not something we've come to expect in these days of central heating.

The dominant pagan religion is well thought out, including names of the different aspects of Goddess and God: Bone-Seeker, the Shining One, and an even darker name that is seldom spoken. Even the devotions of the Druid, Broichan, that he teaches to young Bridei are believable and well-grounded in an understanding of basic religious beliefs.

Especially appealing is Bridei's story and the strength of character he gains from the discipline and teaching he learns from Broichan, while still having doubts about whether he will ultimately achieve the kingship of the Picts. Aiding him throughout his young life is fosterling Tuala, who is not necessarily quite certain of her own place in the world. ( )

Marillier is a master of basing her fictitious novels around history, and has a firm grasp on some of the basic aspects of life and religion before Christianity overtook Britain.

Firstly, I enjoyed it. However..

There is much in this book, but it's central focus is on a love that cannot be, but is. And it kind of irked me. There was so much depth to play with here, but in the end I felt like I was reading a romance set in fantasy, rather than a fantasy containing romance. The ending was predictable but the struggle to get there was set at such a glacial pace! I was almost shouting at it to hurry up by the last few chapters. It's so glaringly obvious what the outcome would be, I wanted to slap the characters with their own book. The journey was just too long for a book with such a narrow scope. Sure, it played at the sides with bits and pieces to placate a fantasy reader but with no real consequence.

The world building was mediocre. If I wasn't already aware when this piece was set, I would've had no inkling as to it's time frame. If not for talk of druids, gods and chieftens, it could've been anytime before electricity was invented. I felt adrift. I wanted to see it, not just have it assumed I knew. Telling me there is a roaring hearth doesn't a picture make. I just wanted to feel the place and I didn't.

I liked the characters. But, I didn't want to do jigs for them. By the end, I was in despair that a I didn't really care about their struggles when I felt I should.

I am in two minds about reading the next in the series. I might be in the mood one day, who knows, maybe the Shining One will guide me back... ( )

This book was a little slow for me. I enjoyed Tuala's POV but seemed to lose interest when it got to Bridei's. In many instances, the book reminded me a lot of Mists of Avalon, which is probably why I stayed with it to the end. The story is different than in Mists, but they share a lot of the same types of rituals, worship, and just a general feel. The two Fae or whatever they were supposed to be, were particularly annoying and, to me, pointless to the story. Overall, it was an OK read, and I'll continue to the second in the series. ( )