With spymaster Faolan back, Bridei is anxious to send him on a covert mission to ferret out enemy from friend. Usually cool and unaffected Faolan is not unchanged, however after his peril-fraught return to Cloud Hill, and part of that includes his personal life: confronting his dark past at home and fulfilling the promise of a now deceased friend and protector along the way. In Erin he meets Eile, a strong, distrusting young girl living in more tragic circumstances than even he knows. What he’ll find is that they both need each other equally. Meanwhile Bridei has his own problems – personal and public – to deal with at home as Derelei’s otherworldly skills grow and he seeks to replace the Light Isles royal captive with an uneasy truce with the Nameless God looming.
This series has gotten better and better with each book and The Well of Shades is no exception. Complicated Faolan has always held so much potential as a character and lives up to it here. It’s disarming to see him open up his emotional side and finally be healed from all his pent up pain. Eile, too, was so well developed and the perfect match for him. Both of their lives have been unimaginatively tough and I really felt something for them, my eyes welling up a few times. I love how they both literally rescue one another from one emotional and physically harmful situation to another. Eile is a true heroine. As with the previous books the chapters often alternate between what’s happening with Bridei and the main character. I enjoyed the variety and interconnected plot lines this format offers but still found it unavoidable to look ahead to the next Faolan/Eile chapter. Nonetheless I was continually surprised when I found each chapter, whether about Briochan, Tuala, or Bridei just as interesting as the one before, the story was so well paced. Tuala’s parentage and the complex issues surrounding it are also compelling as is Bridei’s struggle juggling both family life and kingly duties. Faolan’s much fought for happiness is deeply satisfying and the world of Fortriu and the old gods v. Christianity debate has left many interesting avenues open for another book. I can’t wait to see where Juliet Marillier takes all the characters with the myriad of promising options open to her. Serious fangirl love to Marillier. She has yet to disappoint.
