title: Daughter of the Forest (The Sevenwaters Trilogy, Book 1)
author:  Juliet Marillier 
description: At the heart of this surprisingly accomplished first novel, first book of the Sevenwaters trilogy, is a retelling of an ancient Celtic legend. Marillier's story, however, is much more than a slightly disguised fairy tale. Young Sorcha is the seventh child and only daughter of Irish Lord Colum of Sevenwaters, a domain well protected from invading Saxons and Britons by dense forest where, legend says, fey Deirdre, the Lady of the Forest, walks the woodland paths at night. Colum is first and foremost a warrior, bent on maintaining his lands against all outsiders. Not all of his sons are so bound to the old ways, and that family friction leads to outright disobedience when Sorcha and her brother Finbar help a Briton captive escape from Colum's dungeon. Soon after, Colum brings home a new wife who ensorcels everyone she can't otherwise manipulate. By her spell Sorcha's brothers are cursed to become swans. Only Sorcha, hiding deep in the forest, can break the spell by painfully weaving shirts of starwort nettle--but then Sorcha is captured by Britons and taken away across the sea. Determined to break the curse despite her captivity, Sorcha continues to work, little expecting that ultimately she will have to chose between saving her brothers and protecting the Briton lord who has defended her throughout her trials. Marillier's writing is deft and heartfelt, bypassing the usual bombast of fantasy fireworks for a rich, magical story of loyalty and love. <i>--Charlene Brusso</i>
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  **Table of Contents**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [
  
  
  _
  
  
  
  
  
  _Title Page_
  
  
  
  
  
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  [
  
  
  _
  
  
  
  
  
  _Copyright Page_
  
  
  
  
  
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  [
  
  
  _
  
  
  
  
  
  _Dedication_
  
  
  
  
  
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  [
  
  
  _
  
  
  
  
  
  _Acknowledgements_
  
  
  
  
  
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  [
  
  
  
  
  
  _CHAPTER 1_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  _CHAPTER 2_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  _CHAPTER 3_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  _CHAPTER 4_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  _CHAPTER 5_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  _CHAPTER 6_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  _CHAPTER 7_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  _CHAPTER 8_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  _CHAPTER 9_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  _CHAPTER 10_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  _CHAPTER 11_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  _CHAPTER 12_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  _CHAPTER 13_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  _CHAPTER 14_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  _CHAPTER 15_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  _CHAPTER 16_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [
  
  
  
  
  
  _CHAPTER 17_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [
  
  
  _
  
  
  
  
  
  _ABOUT THE AUTHOR_
  
  
  
  
  
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  _Also by Juliet Marillier_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  THE SEVENWATERS TRILOGY  
  
  
    
  
  
  Daughter of the Forest  
  
  
    
  
  
  Son