I was ecstatic to get my hands on this book since both the recently discovered Sevenwaters trilogy and its author Juliet Marillier have quickly become favorites of mine. Though much different than the previous three books, Heir to Sevenwaters will not disappoint fanatics like myself and may even attract new fans.
While only three years have passed since Erin’s victory in the great war of the Islands, there is unrest in the Sevenwaters household and a sketchy future for the keep. Aisling, chieftain Sean’s wife, is pregnant again in her late child-bearing years. The alliance of Sevenwaters with the southern tribes is uneasy at best; any small affront could send the chieftains into war. At home the life of Sean’s third daughter Clodagh is not untouched by her ailing mother and the political unrest. Her cousin and heir to Sevenwaters Johnny and a band of his Painted Men have come from Inis Eala to keep watch and aid in negotiations. Of Johnny’s warriors Clodagh is happy to see Aidan again while feeling quite the opposite to meet his vexing friend Cathal. The last thing she needs is to be criticized and threatened when she is struggling with the stress of managing the household and her fear for her mother’s life. Slowly however Clodagh’s heart begins to thaw as Cathal offers her both unexpected kindnesses and thoughtful warnings. But no sooner is the long-awaited son finally born into the family posing the problem of the heir before he’s snatched away on Clodagh’s watch. This unfortunate event compounded by Cathal’s sudden and timely disappearance when Clodagh was the last person to see him put her actions into question. She’ll realize quickly that only she can rescue her brother before he’s trapped forever in the world of the Fair Folk.
I enjoyed this fourth trip into the land of Sevenwaters immensely, if a little less so than the first three. It was considerably different than the original trilogy, and I felt it at times. Afterall it has been six years since Child of the Prophecy was published. The writing was smooth and sharp but immediately and noticeably less rich. The story is also more of a standalone novel and less epic. Whereas the overall story arc of reclaiming the Islands seemed equal to the individual quest of each main character in the trilogy, the political subplot played a smaller role in this book. Consequently it was significantly shorter in length, and I’d come to relish the accustomed 600+ pages. This did allow room for more romance than usual, which was unexpectedly welcome, as well as providing the perfect set-up for Sevenwaters politics in future books. Supposedly (I’d never noticed before) it’s not uncommon for Marillier’s endings to be drawn-out, though for their usual length it’s appropriate. But there was a moment after the main plot point ended where it did feel drawn-out and slightly anti-climatic. It passed quickly, however, and I loved the open-ended conclusion which remained, since two(!) more books for the series have been contracted.
That said, many of the changes were for the best and this book stands out from the rest of the series in a positive way. I loved Clodagh, Cathal, and glimpsing more of the Otherworld (the Old Ones and the Fair Folk). In our world of gender role reversal the surprisingly atypical homemaker Clodagh worked as a heroine and was quite refreshing. Clodagh had more fears (or voiced them more often) than Sorcha or Liadan but always found the courage when it mattered. The rescuing going on between she and Cathal was not one-sided, which I found realistic and no less empowering. At the same time I liked Aidan too and he was always at the back of my mind, which was a new position for me to have while reading a Sevenwaters book. My pity for him however was sometimes distracting. For how much I immediately liked Aidan I loathed Cathal just as much as Clodagh at first. I should’ve seen it coming but Cathal’s character turned out to be an unexpected treat. Overall, Heir to Sevenwaters caught me off guard in it’s dissimilarities from the original trilogy but was the perfect transitional book for the series.
