Book Review
Jun. 15th, 2004 10:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariDaughter of the Forest
by Juliet Marillier
I enjoyed this book even more than I thought I would. It's set in early medieval Ireland and is a good example of what is sometimes called mythopoeic fantasy, in that it is a lot like a retelling of a myth, legend, or fairy tale even though the material is original for the most part. Admittedly, I do tend to like this kind of fantasy a lot, and this book reminded me of the work of Patricia McKillip, one of my favorite "mythopoeic" authors.
Daughter of the Forest is in fact, quite a bit like a fairy tale, complete with a wicked sorceress/stepmother figure, a terrible curse, and a nigh-on impossible task that must be completed to break the curse. There is also a nice, understated love story woven in. Of course, the book has much more complexity and depth than a standard fairy tale. For one, there is no simple "happily ever after" - the price for setting things to rights is much higher for everyone involved. The choices the characters must make are not simple or easy.
by Juliet Marillier
I enjoyed this book even more than I thought I would. It's set in early medieval Ireland and is a good example of what is sometimes called mythopoeic fantasy, in that it is a lot like a retelling of a myth, legend, or fairy tale even though the material is original for the most part. Admittedly, I do tend to like this kind of fantasy a lot, and this book reminded me of the work of Patricia McKillip, one of my favorite "mythopoeic" authors.
Daughter of the Forest is in fact, quite a bit like a fairy tale, complete with a wicked sorceress/stepmother figure, a terrible curse, and a nigh-on impossible task that must be completed to break the curse. There is also a nice, understated love story woven in. Of course, the book has much more complexity and depth than a standard fairy tale. For one, there is no simple "happily ever after" - the price for setting things to rights is much higher for everyone involved. The choices the characters must make are not simple or easy.
