REVIEW: CHILD OF THE PROPHECY BY JULIET MARILLIER

Published by Tor, 2002. Paperback, 555 pgs.

As the third book in a trilogy, this will be an abbreviated review to prevent any spoilers. Here are my first two Goodreads reviews (pre-blog days) of the first and second book in Sevenwaters Trilogy.
Daughter of the Forest (Sevenwaters #1)
Son of the Shadows (Sevenwaters #2)

After some quick Wikipedia-ing to refresh the ol' mind on characters and important relationships, I dived into Child of the Prophecy. We open on Fianne, who is learning the art of glamour and disguise from her Father, the druid Ciaran. They live in the seaside town of Kerry in the "Honeycombs". Each book has dealt with different generations of the same family, and a progressive loss of magic within the realm. Prophecies must be fulfilled to prevent the old way of life from slipping away and ensure the future of Sevenwaters. Classic good versus evil stuff.

I really loved how Marillier re-introduced a few important characters from the previous books. I especially appreciated that Janis the cook spans the entire trilogy. While not a main character, she hears and sees everything and provides guidance behind the scenes. Like your trusty hairdresser or bank teller, other common professions that deal with hearing people's confessions.

This book dealt with the Druid lifestyle...which is something I wouldn't be completely adverse to. The appreciation for seclusion, forests, an introspective nature, along with the ability to possess a bit of magical ability, wouldn't be too shabby. However, I would miss having some modern amenities such as a Keurig and computer.

The major drawback to this book was the heavy-handed sense of duty stuff. While Fainne must make a difficult choice, the back and forth between whether she will use her abilities for good or evil was exhausting. She is certainly under extreme stress through the incessant blackmail of her Grandmother, but at some point a choice must be made. Fainne possesses the "wisdom of the druid, the craft of the sorcerer, and the blood of four races." So she's pretty important. Another beautiful line from the author: "Raised in discipline, in the endurance of hardship and the knowledge of the lore. Raised in love of solitude and trained in the craft of magic." 

Contrary to my Goodreads rating of the first book as five stars and the second as four stars, I would have to re-evaluate here and say that after completing the books I preferred the second, Son of the Shadows, overall. Liadan was the most decisive and strongest female character (in my humble opinion of course!). She still had flaws and hardships, but I found more empathy with her story because she took more action and didn't stew on one decision. Also, the pacing was better and the plot more intricate . I love the Irish setting and history of Sevenwaters, so I would still highly recommend this series.