Daughter of the Forest (Sevenwaters Trilogy, Book 1) by Juliet Marillier
It's hard to believe this is Juliet Marillier's first book, so well is it written, and so powerfully affecting.
DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST is a skillful, beautiful, heartbreaking retelling of
the Celtic myth of the sons transformed into swans by their evil
stepmother...and yet it is so much more. Narrated by Sorcha, the young sister of
the six transformed brothers, this is as much a story of deadly ambition,
battling peoples, and ruthless politics as it is an enchanted hero-tale in the
Celtic tradtion, touched with supernatural wonder. It is equally as much a love
song for the sacredness of the earth and a witness to the power and strength of
family bonds and love without condition. I cried again and again, I held my
breath, and sometimes I smiled. This one isn't just another knock-off of the
"Celtic Craze." This story is magic.
