Child of the Prophecy

Sevenwaters, Book 3

By: Juliet Marillier

Narrated by: Heather O'Neill

Magic is fading... and the ways of Man are driving the Old Ones to the West, beyond the ken of humankind. The ancient groves are being destroyed, and if nothing is done, Ireland will lose its essential mystic core. The prophecies of long ago have foretold a way to prevent this horror, and it is the Sevenwaters clan that the spirits of Eire look to for salvation. They are a family bound into the lifeblood of the land, and their promise to preserve the magic has been the cause of great joy to them... as well as great sorrow.

It is up to Fianne, daughter of Niamh, the lost sister of Sevenwaters, to solve the riddles of power. A shy child of a reclusive sorcerer, she finds that her way is hard: She is the granddaughter of the wicked sorceress Oonagh, who has emerged from the shadows and seeks to destroy all that Sevenwaters has striven for. Oonagh will use Fianne most cruelly to accomplish her ends, and stops at nothing to see her will done. Will Fianne be strong enough to battle this evil and save those she has come to love?

©2002 Juliet Marillier (P)2013 Audible Inc.

Sevenwaters Book 3 doesn't disappoint!

Marillier continues with another Sevenwaters' success. This fantasy-filled story is a wonderful sequel to this series. I've enjoyed reading about the many characters and how their intricate lives mix together. The plot is well thought out and is consistent with the previous books in the series. I'm enjoying this author's writing, as well as the narrator's rendition of it, and look forward to read the next. Well done!

Well-crafted, Well Performed, Small Volume Errors

Well performed by the narrator and thoroughly enjoyable! There were some volume struggles in this one which I didn't encounter in the first two of the series, as though there were parts that were re-recorded and weren't properly adjusted to the volume of the rest of the narrative. The story was also well crafted. While the other two novels in the series were highly focused on oral storytelling, this one was more focused on the druidic faith itself and seemed to contain a subtle critique of Christianity, the faith that historically followed the passing away of Celtic belief structures. I was captivated by Faine. Her story line is heartwrenching, transfixing, and inspiring. My only critique of the story itself is that towards the end the author's message seems to overpower the plot line. Moments felt somewhat preachy. However, on the whole I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and the narrator's performance.

Child of the Prophecy

The series is addicting. Action packed and moves well. Great narrator! I thought I would stop and intersperse with other books but it is not happening. The books keep your attention.

Complex and satisfying installment to the series

I wondered what I was getting into with this book because several reviews said it was dark, sad, and the main character was not someone they liked. Since, I'm into the series, though, of course I bought it.

While it's true that this story is very different from the first two in the series which had female characters who were strong, pure and good, I found this story and heroine to be very rich and intriguing. She was in ways, more complex than the other heroines.

I'll try to explain without giving any spoilers, which is hard. This character struggles with the good and the bad in herself, but a lot of that is laid on her by exterior forces, history, etc. I found this to be a story about finding your true self and finding what you value. The story has consequences, but I didn't think it was sad.

There are a lot of story lines from the previous books that come to resolutions in satisfying ways. Not always "happy" but there was a balance and development that felt right. (Again, hard to elaborate without spoilers!)

I quite liked the narrator. It's unfortunate that the production quality had frequent bits where the quality was inferior, but it wasn't so bad that it ruined the story.

I found this to be a very satisfying installment to this series.

Bittersweet but still a lovely tale

A fitting conclusion to the original trilogy. I loved it as I did the two before it.

sooo dark a story...

i must admit i am barely through half of this book. with the first two books i could not wait for the next, this one i'm not so sure about. i'm apprehensive about the dark, unsettling feeling i get as i listen.
i do not care for books that have so intensely manipulative main characters, that use their own dark evilness as the force behind their desire. there is not enough 'good' in this book so far to out way the unease that grips me as i listen. although i keep listening in hopes that the light will soon overcome the darkness.
regardless of how well written or how talented the author, i do not want books that leave me unsettled in my spirit. there is enough of that in the world without intentionally taking it in through fiction.
there are things about this book that disturb me, though you do get glimpses of hope, and almost certainly you think you know that in the end 'right' will surpass 'wrong', and all will be well at the end.
now, about what i've read so far...i can't believe after the first two books, that the main female character, although young, is so naive to the point of stupid. infact, i feel angry at the author for making her this way. and the way no one tells anybody else what is going on, always to the detriment of family and loved ones is beyond belief! i hate 'stupid' ! so many secrets, so many lies and deceptions. with such history of how this does not work for them, you'd think they'd learn by now.
i can't believe the author doesn't smarten up her characters a little. the story would be so much better if those with 'powers' were to communicate or use these powers to get where they're going with a little more intelligence. what's the point of having abilities when you don't use them as needed? it would make the story so much better.
i will eventually finish this book in hopes that it gets better, but will say this is the worst book in the series so far.
once again there is too much left out from the second book to this one. just as in the first to the second, there are many years left out. i wanted those years!! i still want those years.
i will say that the narrator is very good, and i enjoy listening to her. i just wish the author had done as good a job writing this book as the narrator did telling it.

Wonderful, except for..

Would you listen to Child of the Prophecy again? Why?

I'd listen to the whoel series again, I think. Can't say for sure, since I'm only half way through. :)

What does Heather O'Neill bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Love her accent and her wide range of emotion in her voice. However, I do not like the way she pronounces names of characters from the first two books. Not saying she mus-pronounces them 9I would not know, to be honest), but nevertheless there's a distinct difference and it's annoying.

Any additional comments?

I wish, oh how I wish the readers of audio book series would be properly educated on how to pronounce names, places, etc.. ESPECIALLY if they come into a series at a later point in time. It is SO frustrating to have to get used to new pronunciations every time the reader changes. Why is that such an issue?!

great story, average sound quality

wonderful story but the sound quality was really off sometimes - the narrator's voice would get really loud and muffled midway through sentences, like it was really poorly edited. this was very jarring and distracting and took away from the experience of the story.

Lovely ending & didn’t notice severe audio issues

I was so excited to learn that this book was not the actual end to the series, even though it is the end of the trilogy. Lovely to have so many loose ends tied up and to follow characters throughout their whole lives, and the lives of their children!

In terms of the audio issues others mentioned, I hadn’t noticed so much but I always listen via speakerphone, not headphones so I don’t think things were as jarring for me.

volume control needed

changing narrators from book to book is annoying but the volume changes in this (3rd) book was particularly annoying