Seer of Sevenwaters Mass Market Paperback – September 6, 2011

I loved every minute of this book. The characters are well developed and walk off the pages. So much fun!

Sibeal, the latest druid-in-training from the Sevenwaters family, does not understand why her tutor Ciaran has sent her to the remote, warrior training island of Inis Eala for the summer. Since she turned twelve her entire life has been dedicated to learning the spiritual ways of the nemetons; in fact at sixteen she already hears the voices of the gods. Surely she is ready to take the druidic pledge of lifelong service and celibacy now. So why the delay? Surprisingly it would only take one day before what looked to be a quiet, uneventful summer spent with her married sisters Muirrin and Clodagh would turn into quite the opposite. When a ship wrecks not far from Sibeal's view on the rocky shore, she's off to help the survivors in any way she can in what will be a summer of mystery, adventure and discovery. Blond-haired, expert Norse fighter Knut and terrified, mute and beautiful Svala are an enigma in themselves, especially when Sibeal senses a third survivor - a young man barely older than herself - come in with the tide, clinging to life. When he finally comes to, Felix has no memory of his past but Sibeal knows he survived by the very will of the gods. Furthermore a runic divination tells her that both Sibeal and Felix are to be part of a future seafaring mission, but to accomplish what, she knows not. As Sibeal's singular attachment to him grows, the inner conflict between her feelings and her duty worsens. All comes to a head when she faces not only the perilous physical danger of their mission but the impossible choice between Felix and her very soul.To say that I didn't have high expectations for this book would be denial. Seer of Sevenwaters is the latest addition in one of my favorite series, written by my favorite author, and a book I've been anxiously awaiting all year long. Juliet Marillier just has some hold over me I suppose. In every book of hers I've read, the writing is consistently pure magic and the storytelling divine. Even though I've read and loved all of her other series written for adults, Sevenwaters is where it all started and takes the cake. So it was with a mixed sigh of relief, comfort, and delight that I sat down to read Seer after my copy arrived in the mail.While Marillier's later, standalone Sevenwaters novels are by nature different than the original trilogy, I was held spellbound by Seer from the beginning. The remote, stormy, and ominous setting of Inis Eala set a sublime, mysterious tone befitting any Sevenwaters book. Although it's hard not to miss the lake and forest of Sevenwaters, the focus on sea folklore was just as beautifully written as well as being new and refreshing. Perhaps more importantly deeply spiritual, intuitive Sibeal is the kind of character to whom I connected immediately. I initially attributed this to having deeply rooted spiritual beliefs and an introspective, pondering personality but the core of her internal struggles - the battle between heart and mind - is universal. The other half of the book's POV is Felix, who by himself is an interesting character. His philosophical personality is a welcome addition to Marillier's usual fighter, farmer, or merchant male protagonists. Felix complements Sibeal well as he sees past her cold exterior to a young woman with warm feelings and strong passions. The obstacles Sibeal and Felix must overcome may seem less grave than what was heaped upon Red and Sorcha or Bran and Liadan but their relationship felt just as hard-won and heartfelt nonetheless. On top of it all there's promising ground laid for an inevitable Cathal/Mac Dara showdown in future books and a glimpse of Painted Man Gull from Son of the Shadows which are sure to please. Overall Seer of Sevenwaters is a very worthy and satisfying installment to the series which continues the impossibly high standard Marillier has set for historical fantasy.

Seer of Sevenwaters follows the events of the Heir to Sevenwaters, but is about a different sister and her journey. This is another beautiful and intricate story. The author weaves of story of magic, mystery, foreshadowing, and love akin to traditional fables. This is a great book for those who enjoy reading masterful world building novels and watching details come to life from the pages.

She's done it again! What you ask? Well, just wrote one of her novels that I couldn't put down! A story full of action, love, and mythology! I even learned something about how Druids "skry" using sticks!! As you can tell, I thought the book an excellent purchase and one I highly recommend if you like Irish mythology and the fairy backgrounds!!

The author is able to develop characters, throughout the story, that are realistic and appealing. The descriptions of various sites are vivid as the characters become enmeshed in circumstances that enhance the story.

~*~*~*~Warning: Some spoilers~*~*~*~It's fair to say that Seer of Sevenwaters has a lot to live up to; its four predecessors are certainly something special, and Marillier's writing is some of the finest around. That being said, something just seemed to be missing.The constant comparisons to the other four Sevenwaters heroines makes Sibeal's story seem less than remarkable. Like Liadan, she is the torch that brings her man out of a spiritual darkness. Like Fainne, she is dedicated to a path of life that has been set out for her. Like Clodagh, she must go on a perilous journey. It's as if these character traits of the other girls came together to make a less-than-rounded-out Sibeal. Even her eventual breakthrough at the end, in which her emotions come pouring out of her, seems unreal and a little too contrived, "as something bloomed within me, a great, warm, beautiful thing made up of sunshine and moonlight and waves splashing and leaves unfurling and birds winding through a cloudless sky."The plot, too, seems a bit unremarkable. The set up is obvious, and anyone who remembers the ending of "Child of the Prophecy" or knows a bit about Irish folktales can see it coming from the moment Svala eats raw fish, doesn't talk, and doesn't like to wear clothes. In a rare move, Marillier takes moments out of Sibeal's narrative to write from the perspective as Felix; while his memory is still gone, his character is so empty that it's painful to read. When his memory comes back, personality rushes in, which is certainly well done on Marillier's part, but even still, excusing his superfluous and verbose language by making him a poet or a thinker can't excuse even the most fanciful and out-of-place metaphors the boy can come up with.Nevertheless, Chapter 9, in which the tale of the shipwreck is finally revealed, is breathless. For a story within a story, it's absolutely riveting. Still, something just didn't work here - perhaps it's time for a new generation of Sevenwaters' heroines to help make the distance between the characters more pronounced - after all, we haven't heard anything about Sorcha, the one that started it all, in a long time. (Fainne, Clodagh, and Sibeal are all cousins - now that Muirrin is pregnant and Clodagh has twins, a baby girl and baby boy, and Sibeal has had visions of her own daughter, there's at least three possible heroines for the next novel.) Marillier proved with Heart's Blood that with a new cast of characters she could knock a story out of the park - in fact, had see used one of the other Sevenwaters' girls (Maeve or Eilis) instead of Katrin (who I absolutely loved!), it would have been an incredible addition to this series.On a small note, the cover art and the family tree (with us since "Heir to Sevenwaters") is once again stunning - I would give anything if they re-released the first three in this style. Certainly not bad by any scale, but also not her best, Seer of Sevenwaters may not be the strongest addition to the series, but I am still looking forward to the next. Next time, I just hope she has a little more personality - and a few brothers would be nice.

O livro veio impresso ao contrário, imagens cortadas e coladas ao contrário, péssima qualidade.

Sibeal has known since she was a child that she would be a druid. She has heard the voices of the gods, and she has certain talents that strongly suggest that the druid path is the one she would walk for the rest of her life. And so she has dedicated herself to study of the lore and all that the life of a druid entails, under the tutelage of Ciarian. But before she makes her final vows, Sibeal is sent to Inis Eala, the warrior colony begun by Bran, her Aunt Liadan's husband, and led by Johnny, her cousin, for the summer. Ciarian has some concerns about her, and has decided that a summer amongst her family here, away from Sevenwaters, will be good for her.Not long after Sibeal arrives, there is a freak storm, and a Norse ship is wrecked on the reef. All aboard perish, save a crewman named Knut and his mute wife, Svala. And one more: Sibeal finds him on the shore and rescues him from the waves herself. But this young man, when he wakes, has no memory. Sibeal names him Ardal, meaning "great courage", and slowly they begin to piece together his life. But as his memory returns, Ardal discovers he's hiding a secret, one that could mean his death.I've loved Juliet Marillier's Sevenwaters books since <i>Daughter of the Forest</i>. I was a little disappointed in how much more romantic (as in romance novels) they've become over the last few books--the adventure seems to be taking second place to matchmaking--but <i>Seer of Sevenwaters</i> is still an enjoyable, immersive book. I particularly like the character of Sibeal, despite her name (it's the Irish version of Sibyl, which of course means "seer"), a young woman determined to take a different path from that of her sisters, into a life of contemplation and learning. The way she deals with the choice forced upon her in the end, however, is disappointing, and she has to be given a solution, rather than working one out for herself.

Bonne continuité des aventures de la famille de sevenwaters. On retrouve sibeal une autre des filles de lord sean. L'histoire se trouve dans la suite de heir of sevenwaters tout en apportant quelques nouveautés. Du juliet marillier, rien à dire de plus!

I love the sevenwaters this next Novel Seer of Sevenwaters did not disappoint. Grabbed me from the very start of the book full of adventure and pulls you in to world of mystery you do feel like your in the otherworldly Realm. Loved also visiting some of the older gang from the painted men like Gul and Spider. I also loved the little addition or the flutter of a wing from Finbar.

Ich hab den 5. Teil der "Sevenwaters"-Saga von Juliet Marillier mit ebenso viel Begeisterung gelesen wie die vier Vorgänger. Im 5. Teil, der mal nicht in Sevenwaters, sondern auf der "Schwaneninsel" Inis Eala spielt, ist Sibeal, die fünfte Tochter von Lord Sean von Sevenwaters die Erzählerin. Sie besucht für einen Sommer die "Schwaneninsel" Inis Eala. Dort wird sie Zeugin, wie ein Schiff vor der Insel kentert und untergeht. Nur wenige überleben die Katastrophe - unter ihnen Felix, in den Sibeal sich verliebt, obwohl sie sich dies zunächst nicht eingestehen will, weil sie glaubt, damit ihre Bestimmung zu verraten - ist es ihr doch von Kindheit an bestimmt, Druidin zu werden. Doch im Laufe der Geschichte erfährt Sibeal, dass es durchaus möglich ist, ihre Liebe und ihre Bestimmung zu verbinden - so wie ihr Mentor und Onkel Ciarán es getan hat. Sie geht mit Felix nach Kerry, um dort in einer Druidengemeinschaft zu leben - und Felix kann bei ihr bleiben.Das Buch ist gewohnt spannend und fesselnd geschrieben - das Einzige, was ich vermisst habe, waren die Tuatha De Danann bzw. die Interaktion mit Mac Dara und auch der Wald von Sevenwaters - ein Setting, in dem die anderen vier Bücher angesiedelt sind. Und trotzdem: Die Tatsache, dass bekannte Charaktere vorhanden sind, mildert das etwas ab. Sibeal ist ein faszinierender Charakter - geheimnisvoll, mystisch und magisch. Wer die "Sevenwaters"-Saga liebt, sollte dieses Buch unbedingt in seinem Regal haben.