The Safe-Keeper's Secret

Not perfect. It's an almost perfect little community, in an almost perfect vaguely medieval kingdom, with almost perfect little people... but I get the impression that if the herbalists or other 'witch' types don't approve of you, you're sol.

But there is a lot of joy here. And some diversity of perspectives and ambitions. And some wisdom. I have loved many other books by Shinn and will finish this trilogy. In fact, I read this now because years ago I read one of the others and I've been wanting to read the whole trilogy together ever since.

I don't know which of you, my goodreads friends & followers, to recommend this to. The only comparison I can make is this: when some ppl have described some of the books by Jo Walton, I got the show more impression they'd be something like what this turned out to be. I prefer this to what those turned out to be, however.

I know, this is a lousy review, not helpful. If you're wondering whether to add it, ask... I can probably guide those of you I know as individuals, or those of you who can tell me what makes you consider/ hesitate to add this.
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Second read, forgot about the above review. Here's today's review:

It's not possible to fairly review these three books separately. Theoretically they can stand-alone, and in the past I've read them separately, but this week I read all three in order and it's a much richer experience.

And so this review is for all three. Readers very sensitive to spoilers may not want to click through, but any spoilers are mild and therefore most of you go right ahead and view.


Though they stand alone, they do not wrap things up at the end. There are mentions in the second and third book of some characters in the previous, but time has passed, we do not know details, and mostly the 'ever after' is left to our imaginations.

I think the first is better than the second as it covers more time; we get to know the characters over a good portion of their lives and through some real crises. The second is almost specifically for teens, as the girls are somewhat focused on romance and other teen issues.

The third is, imo, second best. Again it covers a significant number of years. Our characters learn so much, both from happy times and from miserable ones. And yes there is misery. Might be too intense for tweens.


I think one of the reasons I like this trilogy so much is that they are, in the end, gentler reads. They acknowledge that there is darkness in the world, but the stories are more filled with joy and optimism than drama or conflict.

Also the writing is graceful, lucid, and sometimes downright beautiful.

Notes from first book:

"What made today special?" might work better than "What did you learn today?" or even "What was the best part of your day?"

In both this and the third book, the young people are asked about their wishes and dreams. When they say they are happy and don't really have any, a wise adult pronounces that they'll have more as they mature. That seems backward to my experience: as a child I had so many desires and dreams... and now I have none except to see my sons established on their own happy & healthy paths. show less

I have never read any of Sharon Shinn's young adult books before, and I was glad when this one held up to my expectations of her writing. The Safe-Keeper's Secret isn't filled with action and adventure -- there are a few ongoing mysteries throughout the novel, but most would consider this a slow book. However, I read more for the characters than the plot, so I really liked this story.

As always, Shinn has created a brilliant world. It's seems much the same as England in the 1100's, except magic exists and there are certain people who do odd jobs. There are Safe-Keepers who are obligated to listen to people's secrets and keep them, Truth-Tellers who always tell the truth no matter what, and one Dream-Maker, whose mere presence may make a show more person's deepest wishes come true. I thought this was a unique spin on things and really enjoyed learning about these different jobs and the people who perform them.

Most of all, however, I loved the characters. This book is mainly about life and the relationships that we form throughout our lifetimes. I got to know Damiana, Reed, Fiona, and all the others as if they were my own family and was interested in what they were doing and what their dreams were, even if the action was simple. Also, with Fiona's mother and aunt being Safe-Keepers, and then becoming a Safe-Keeper herself, there is a good bit of intrigue woven in.

Halfway through (if even that far), I figured out what was going to come about at the end, but figuring out the mystery wasn't really the point of the novel, I think. Rather, it's about Fiona coming to terms with who she is as an individual, what she wants to do with her life. This is a lovely story about the meaning of love and family. I highly recommend it.

Also posted on Purple People Readers. show less

This is a YA fantasy wherein some people have specially-designed skills to keep the world in balance. People can share secrets with “safe keepers” who will not tell, and thus, the story of Reed and Fiona begins with their births days apart—one is the Safe-Keeper’s natural child and one is her adopted child. I guessed early on which was which, but there was some fun along the way. I like Shinn’s writing (and thanks to Ronincats for recommending her works), but this is not one of her better plot lines. A part of a series, I hope the rest are better stories and can pull this one along.

Highly recommended for anyone who loves mythic fiction and fairy tales. Like many books in this genre, this was marketed as YA, but is really a book for all ages - at no point did I feel that it was 'juvenile' in any way, although it does have a definite 'coming-of-age' theme.

Set in a rural (English? Medieval?) village, it posits a world where each village has a Safe-Keeper and a Truth-Teller, and somewhere, in the world, there is a Dream-Maker.
Fiona's mother is a Safe-Keeper - a person whom everyone entrusts with their secrets, who is bound never to tell them, no matter what - and Fiona desires nothing more than to follow in her footsteps. However, the local Truth-Teller - a person who is similarly honor-bound to say nothing but the show more truth, and to tell even the hard and difficult truths - tells her that such is not her destiny.

Beautifully written and emotionally satisfying, the novel follows Fiona and her family through hard times and hard decisions.

There are two sequels to this book, but this works as a stand-alone novel, complete in itself. show less

I liked The Safe-Keeper's Secret well enough. It is about two children, Fiona and Reed (although the story focuses on Fiona) who are brought up by the Safe-Keeper (someone who keeps the secrets of others), neither of whom know the full extent of their parentage. It is about inheritance, destiny and family, about finding one's place in the world. It's rather domestic, somehow, focused on a small group of people, but I like that. There were secrets and mysteries I didn't expected - perhaps because I was distracted by the mysteries I could already see. And it wins an award for moving me to tears.

A beautifully warm and well-written light fantasy for all ages to enjoy with a twist worthy of an M. Night Shyamalan film ('Sixth Sense' and 'Unbreakable'). My only complaint would be that I would have liked the ending to have been extended to when Fiona finally comes home to Reed, I guess I'll just have to imagine it.

When the Safe-Keeper of the village dies, the two children she has raised must struggle to find our where their place in the world lies and what secrets their mother kept even from them. Even though I could see the twists coming in advance it was still nicely unfurled. It had a kind of delicate touch to it.