Juliet Marillier - Dreamer`s Pool
Reviewed by:Last year in DREAMER'S POOL we met Blackthorn and Grim, who quickly became two of my new favorite characters.They are both wonderfully horribly broken, but that mutual brokenness is what made them so compatible.As friends, as cohorts, as travel companions.Blackthorn, fueled by her implacable hatred of the man who took everything from her, quickly stole the spotlight-not only is she a healer, a position regarded with respect, she is the more forthright of the two. Reviewed by:Last year in DREAMER'S POOL we met Blackthorn and Grim, who quickly became two of my new favorite characters.They are both wonderfully horribly broken, but that mutual brokenness is what made them so compatible.As friends, as cohorts, as travel companions.Blackthorn, fueled by her implacable hatred of the man who took everything from her, quickly stole the spotlight-not only is she a healer, a position regarded with respect, she is the more forthright of the two. She may be surly and taciturn, but if something needs to be said, Blackthorn is the one to say it.Grim was the strong back for lifting heavy objects. He took odd jobs, performing manual labor for various townspeople, and when he spoke, he used as few words as possible.Obviously, there was more to him than that, but he was inarguably the Robin to Blackthorn's Batman.And he's perfectly happy there. Or as happy as a man like him is capable of being happy.This time around, Grim, still silent, still steady, burrowed so deeply into my heart that he's still there, months after I first read this book.I can't think of him without a corresponding ache.Marillier so brilliantly captured his patience, his selflessness, his calm acceptance of his perceived lack of any real usefulness, and his belief that one day-it's only a matter of time-Blackthorn will get tired of him, and send him on his way, worthless sod that he is.It hurts. Ye gods, it hurts.But it hurts the way it hurts to look at Chihuly glass in the sunlight or heathered fields in Virginia.
It hurts b/c it's so damn beautiful.In TOWER OF THORNS, Blackthorn and Grim are once more thrust into the strangeness that goes hand-in-hand with fey creatures and magic.A woman has come to court begging Prince Oran for assistance. Her land and her people are plagued by a creature in a tower. It howls in agony from sunup to sundown every single day. The tower is surrounded by a hedge of impenetrable thorns, and all attempts to get through them result in injury and death.Marillier spins her story so deftly that you wonder if you've heard it before. But no, it's not possible-you have no idea what's going to happen, and yet. It feels so familiar.B/c it is the quintessential fairytale. There are secrets and selfishness, harsh truths and consequences.
But there is also peace and forgiveness and a path out of the shadows onto a sunlit road.You only have to step out of the darkness.TOWER OF THORNS by Juliet Mariller is bloody fantastic. As much as I loved DREAMER'S POOL-and I did love it-this second installment of BLACKTHORN AND GRIM has taken up residence inside me, it's now part of me, and I will make a nuisance of myself, pushing it on everyone b/c you NEED to experience it for yourself.Tied with by Naomi Novik for my favorite book of 2015.Pre-Review:You know. This has been a ridiculously good book year. Even with the myriad disappointments, the good ones have been so bloody good that the others just sort of. Fade away.I honestly can't tell you whether I like this one or best.Same kind of dark fairy tale.
Same kind of anachronistic main character pairing. Same overwhelming beauty, but two completely different tales. GAH.Just trust me and make sure you read before this one is released in November.Full review closer to release date.My other reviews for this series. I guess I'm going to be the only one who didn't love this.
Like the first book, I started out really liking it but then it started to get on my nerves.Blackthorn. I really don't think that I like her all that much. She keeps things from people, she is too secretive, and it feels like it is a plot device to create more drama.
I don't like when characters keep secrets or important information from people close to them. She is starting to feel a little one-dimensional with her hatred of Mathuin.
II guess I'm going to be the only one who didn't love this. Like the first book, I started out really liking it but then it started to get on my nerves.Blackthorn. I really don't think that I like her all that much. She keeps things from people, she is too secretive, and it feels like it is a plot device to create more drama. I don't like when characters keep secrets or important information from people close to them.
She is starting to feel a little one-dimensional with her hatred of Mathuin. I mean, I get it. He's evil and killed your family. But she has a good life now and needs to move on. Her denial of Grim's OBVIOUS affection and love for her is kind of annoying too.
I mean, really. EVERYONE sees it but you. Talk about a slow build romance.Speaking of s-l-o-w. Nothing happens to speak of except for every 50 pages.
I mean, don't get me wrong, the writing is excellent. But too much sitting around talking about clues instead of finding them. I don't care about thatching a roof or descriptions of what the field you are in looks like. And there is also too much restating things that have already been said. ( Although now I see the first sentence in the blurb says it's 'lavishly detailed.' Oh boy, what did I expect?!
Haha Missed that.)So I started skimming at about 60%, so that means there was probably a couple hundred pages left in the book, but I just didn't care by then.:( I skipped to the end and started reading backwards and of course, what happened is pretty much what I thought would happen. Except one character ended up being the typical villain. It just seemed a bit contrived to me. Sigh.I think I want to like this series way more than I actually do because the covers are beautiful and the writing is really good. But I couldn't even get into Grim's part in this much. Things just moved too slow for me.
Plus, as I said, the type of drama portrayed in both books just doesn't really vibe well with me, apparently.But, it's a 'me, not you' thing because I'm the only one who didn't like this that I know of.I am Fantasy-Stupid™ as well as Classics-Stupid™ after all. If you like a slower-paced, but beautifully written fantasy book, and don't mind some angst and melodrama, you'll enjoy this. There was more 'fantasy' in this one than the first book, with lots more fey interaction.Buddy read at the group. “Strike hard.
Free us.”Blackthorn, a wise woman miraculously rescued from unjust prison by a fey named Conmael is bound to repay this small courtesy spending seven years of her life in service of people: she must agree to every request for help and to stay within the borders of Dalriada. The problem is that not only the most reasonable request can be burdensome if we have no say in the matter, but also Blackthorn happens to be a cantankerous and not really sociable person. The only “Strike hard. Free us.”Blackthorn, a wise woman miraculously rescued from unjust prison by a fey named Conmael is bound to repay this small courtesy spending seven years of her life in service of people: she must agree to every request for help and to stay within the borders of Dalriada. The problem is that not only the most reasonable request can be burdensome if we have no say in the matter, but also Blackthorn happens to be a cantankerous and not really sociable person. The only two living creatures she is able to withstand are her silent companion-friend, Grim, and her Dog (who is not a dog, really).
She still wishes, the Dog would be bigger and an ugly one to keep people away.It is then quite natural that a request to help comes involving a mysterious curse that features a monster in a tower shielded by thorns that must be dealt with by Midsummer Eve. A magical puzzle to be worked out and a task that only a woman can perform? Both things scream for Blackthorn. Initially, she doesn’t want to go, which is tedious because we know she will in the end. During the initial chapters I was repeatedly reprimanding Blackthorn: stop being coy.
Not that she listened to me.In addition to the main mystery plot, the two personal sub-arcs of Blackthorn and Grim are propelled forward. Additionally, the events are told in the present via the ordinary narrative and in the past via the story-telling.In general I liked this sequel to Dreamer’s Pool less than the predecessor, mainly because the whole personal vendetta of Blackthorn bores me to death especially that one can see through the scholar's ruse quite easily and you just know from the start that before Conmael's seven years is up all attempts at justice will be futile and end badly. Also Grim's personal trauma turned out to be one fat meh.
I had hopes for an interesting story behind the grim (lol) facade, but this kind of PTSD doesn't appeal to me in the slightest. Then, there is the dynamics between the two. Grim still considers looking after Blackthorn his primary job and something that keeps him moving from day to day. I just can’t help but wonder: who employed him? Did he, himself, decided to be a self-appointed guardian of his female prison-mate? This is not expanded upon, just taken for granted in a very crude manner in spite of several important emotional developments down the road and so, it vexes me even more than before.All in all, only the chapters narrated by the Lady Geileis of Bann kept me on my toes (or thumbs, as I read the e-book).
I liked the contrasts in her. She invited Blackthorn because she needed help but she didn't really want her to know anything about the story, therefore she didn't want Blackthorn actually helping. The tension between her outward appearance and her hidden ulterior motifs, this was what fuelled the book onward. The rest was basically a filler.I appreciated the bittersweet ending, but I have to say one thing: for all her self-professed astuteness, Blackthorn is SO dense. If you are not Merillier hardcore fandom, you can safely skip this book and proceed straight to #3 where, I hope, Blackthorn will stop being thorny and Grim will abandon his grimness.Also in the series1.3. No matter how many old stories a person knows, there is no preparation for finding yourself right in the middle of one.This can’t be truer for our main characters Blackthorn and Grim. This time they find themselves is a tale that is a little bit of a mash up of Beauty and the Beast with Sleeping Beauty with some twists and a few little people.
I like the fairytale aspect of this story, how it feels like a story within a story. But we the reader only learn small parts at a time and have to be No matter how many old stories a person knows, there is no preparation for finding yourself right in the middle of one.This can’t be truer for our main characters Blackthorn and Grim. This time they find themselves is a tale that is a little bit of a mash up of Beauty and the Beast with Sleeping Beauty with some twists and a few little people. I like the fairytale aspect of this story, how it feels like a story within a story.
But we the reader only learn small parts at a time and have to be patient to get to the ending and learn the moral and peril of the story along with Blackthorn and Grim.I have to say that I love Blackthorn and Grim together. They both have extreme trauma in their pasts and have found a friendship and balance with one another. But dare I hope that it is growing into more than friendshipI dare, oh I dare. I ship them so much and really hope that both can heal a little from the past to be able to move on with the other. But still it is good to see how they have grown together and understand the other.Grim is the best!
He is the kindest soul and just the giving way he thinks about Blackthorn is fantastic. He is always giving when it comes to her and always kind. No matter if he might be a little jealous that a man from her past has found her and they can’t spend as much time together he is happy that she is happy.“About happy endings. Folk like a story to finish well. Doesn’t matter if that’s true to life or not. Helps to hear about folk being content.
About good folk getting what they deserve. While you’re listening you can believe, for a bit, that you’re good too. Worth a happy ending.”Blackthorn again struggles with the promise made to Fey creature Conmael to help any who ask and not leave the borders of the land she is in for seven years. She still has a strong desired to see Mathuin, the man who destroyed her entire life punished and she will again struggle with the need for vengeance and the right thing to do.Some of this was dark. Grim’s feelings about his own past and the struggle he has dealing with it.
His feelings of not being enough for Blackthorn. But there is always hope and I loved how this story progressed not only the character development of Grim and Blackthorn but also the overall plot of Mathuin.This is a slow rolling story with a lot of character development and so it won’t be for everyone. There is no Disney HEA either if that is what you are looking for.
But there is a fairytale feel and it isn’t quite a Grim fairytale either. I’m happy to be in the in-between with Grim and Blackthorn yet again. After the ending I’m holding out a lot of hope that those two will find their way from this friendship to something much much deeper. Because they of course deserve a little, not a lot of happy after all that they have been through.
Tower of Thorns is a wonderful sequel to, the book that first introduced the characters of Blackthorn and Grim.Juliet Marillier has an amazing storyteller's voice, and her prose shines with the practiced ease of decades of experience. Blackthorn is as prickly and defiant as ever in this book, but her admiration and trust in her companion Grim is as strong as ever. Grim remains loyal, steadfast, and without guile, determined to help Blackthorn and keep her safe, no matter the cost Tower of Thorns is a wonderful sequel to, the book that first introduced the characters of Blackthorn and Grim.Juliet Marillier has an amazing storyteller's voice, and her prose shines with the practiced ease of decades of experience. Blackthorn is as prickly and defiant as ever in this book, but her admiration and trust in her companion Grim is as strong as ever. Grim remains loyal, steadfast, and without guile, determined to help Blackthorn and keep her safe, no matter the cost to himself.The highlight of these books for me remains the relationship between Blackthorn and Grim. This isn't a romance, but something very profound, partially shaped by past experiences, but also continually being changed as they go forward together and try to heal from old wounds.In this book Grim was able to move forward a bit from his past, but Blackthorn is still having a lot of difficulty with that.
Hopefully there will be some opportunity for Blackthorn to deal with some of her ongoing issues in the upcoming book,. It is definitely going to be interesting to see where Marillier takes things from here.I'm putting Tower of Thorns on my favourites shelf for 2016.
I feel like a bit of a traitor. I LOVE Juilet Marillier! The first book in the Sevenwaters series 'Daughter of the Forest' is probably my favourite book of ALL TIME! Yet, I haven't finished Blackthorn and Grim yet! HOW DARE I?!The StoryBlackthorn and Grimm are off on another adventure. Blackthorn with her promise to Conmael, is unable to deny any requests for help and of course, it gets her into some trouble. This time with a monster in a tower that she is called upon to banish.
How is she goi I feel like a bit of a traitor. I LOVE Juilet Marillier!
The first book in the Sevenwaters series 'Daughter of the Forest' is probably my favourite book of ALL TIME! Yet, I haven't finished Blackthorn and Grim yet! HOW DARE I?!The StoryBlackthorn and Grimm are off on another adventure.
Blackthorn with her promise to Conmael, is unable to deny any requests for help and of course, it gets her into some trouble. This time with a monster in a tower that she is called upon to banish. How is she going to get this done? Will she ever get revenge on her arch nemesis? And will she and Grim GET TOGETHER ALREADY!!!???My ThoughtsI really enjoyed this second instalment of the Blackthorn and Grimm series.
It was yet another awesome adventure with a lot of twists and turns.The slow burning romance is almost painful, but no entirely in a bad way. But it is just SO SLOW!There was a fair bit of character development with Grim which I really enjoyed. I also loved the Celtic fairy tale vibe to the whole thing.The writing was impeccable in usual Marillier style, if perhaps slightly predictable in some places. I enjoyed the ending, it gave us an indication of things to come in the next one which I am looking forward to.Did I enjoy the audioYes I really love this series on audio. Blackthorn and Grim's narrators are fantastic!
It is a really enjoyable listen that always goes quickly because I am always listening to it!Would I recommend Tower of Thorns?Absolutely. You won't be able to make much sense of it without reading the first one first though. But it is a fun series. REALLY hoping for more romance in the next one!I purchased Tower of Thorns at my own expense on audible.comFor more reviews check out my. Juliet Marillier and I are in a committed relationship.Okay, I lie. It's one-sided. I'm committed to her.
I have the utmost faith in her storytelling abilities and she has never once disappointed me. Sure, she did underwhelmed me with Dreamer's Pool and its plot and mystery, but I absolutely loved her characters. She didn't fail to make me care deeply for her characters and now I am strongly attached to companions Blackthorn and Grim. I love these two as friends.
(Although I wouldn't be againstJuliet Marillier and I are in a committed relationship.Okay, I lie. It's one-sided. I'm committed to her. I have the utmost faith in her storytelling abilities and she has never once disappointed me. Sure, she did underwhelmed me with Dreamer's Pool and its plot and mystery, but I absolutely loved her characters.
She didn't fail to make me care deeply for her characters and now I am strongly attached to companions Blackthorn and Grim. I love these two as friends. (Although I wouldn't be against the possibility of them being lovers.)In this second book, Tower of Thorns we learn more about Blackthorn and we finally learn about Grim's past and oh my, did my heart suffer.The Pros:Grim. That precious human being. A gentle and tortured soul who's loyal to a fault.Blackthorn. The healer No duh.
A story is not completed without a strong heroine. She's a risk takerThe friendship. These two were cell mates in prison until they were broken out by one of the Fey.
They become traveling companions, friends, and pretty much each other's rock and conscience.The Fey Their helpfulness. Their ways of giving answers without being so direct.The Cons:The mystery stopped intriguing me from the middle because as the author kept hinting at the mystery, she never bothered to reveal anything new or worth knowing and of course that dragged the story for me. I had to push myself to keep reading then I became captivated by the ending. Well, that does it. Grim really is just the best. He's loyal, steadfast, and just so pure in his feelings and actions. There's no ulterior motives there.
There's no deceit. He is just a quiet, thoughtful, observant man who is dogged in his determination to see Blackthorn safe and happy. I love him so much.
He deserves to be part of an amazing story.And as for Blackthorn.let's just say that she needs to experience some major growth in the next book. Her character just felt off. She was not cun Well, that does it. Grim really is just the best. He's loyal, steadfast, and just so pure in his feelings and actions. There's no ulterior motives there.
There's no deceit. He is just a quiet, thoughtful, observant man who is dogged in his determination to see Blackthorn safe and happy. I love him so much. He deserves to be part of an amazing story.And as for Blackthorn.let's just say that she needs to experience some major growth in the next book.
Her character just felt off. She was not cunning or sly or clever, just slow-witted and bitter and quick to lash out. She's become tiresome to read with her angsty inner monolgue and obsession with Mathuin and her revenge.The writing is lovely, of course, and I really like the atmosphere that's created in each of these tales. But somehow it still felt lacking and a little clumsy. Everything was too straightforward.
The bad guy was, of course, the bad guy. The story Geileis told throughout was at first intriguing but then nothing unexpected really happened. And the curse.
I hate curses because they never live up to my expectations. I wanted that last line to be astounding in its cleverness but instead it was lackluster and predictable.Aside from Grim and his backstory, I wasn't moved the way I'd hoped to be.
I just expected more. I wanted to be swept away by the beauty and tragedy that encompasses a fairytale but instead I ended up with my feet still firmly planted on the ground.So excited to be starting this with my MacHalo lovelies. Bring on the Grim! I didn't like Tower of Thorns as much as I liked The Dreamer's Pool.
I think it suffered a little bit from middle book syndrome, but it was still good. Some of the disconnect I felt I think came from the fact that I was listening to the audio version of the book (we listened to it in the car on our road trip) and I had a hard time keeping my mind on it a few times. I thought the story dragged in the middle a little bit and I got tired of both Blackthorn and Grim lamenting the past so 3.5 stars.
I didn't like Tower of Thorns as much as I liked The Dreamer's Pool. I think it suffered a little bit from middle book syndrome, but it was still good. Some of the disconnect I felt I think came from the fact that I was listening to the audio version of the book (we listened to it in the car on our road trip) and I had a hard time keeping my mind on it a few times.
I thought the story dragged in the middle a little bit and I got tired of both Blackthorn and Grim lamenting the past so much.Although she softened up eventually in the last book, Blackthorn is still very consumed with wanting revenge and what happened in the past that she can't see what's right in front of her; and Grim is still really into the self-loathing over something that wasn't within his control. We do get to find out what that something is and quite a bit more about Grim's past which made me very happy.
I love these two characters and I want to see some real moving forward in the next book.Overall the book was enjoyable if a bit predictable. I will be reading the next book, but I think I would rather actually read it instead of listening to the audio version. I receive this ARC from Pan Macmillan Australia via NG in return for an honest review.Ahhhhhh this book was good!! So freaking good!! 5/5 stars!!!!!!!!!Julier Marrilier you are magic and can do no wrong! How do you write one book after another that i absolutely love time and time again!? You are the reason for my obsession in all things Celtic!I love this book and i think anyone with great tastes in historical fantasy would find this sublime!okay, okay, I'll try to keep my love-fest to a mini I receive this ARC from Pan Macmillan Australia via NG in return for an honest review.Ahhhhhh this book was good!!
So freaking good!! 5/5 stars!!!!!!!!!Julier Marrilier you are magic and can do no wrong! How do you write one book after another that i absolutely love time and time again!? You are the reason for my obsession in all things Celtic!I love this book and i think anyone with great tastes in historical fantasy would find this sublime!okay, okay, I'll try to keep my love-fest to a minimum, try.Let's talk about the plot.' .with her gaze on that distant window, she began the nightly ritual. 'Let me tell you a story.'
This is an absolutely gorgeous story, impeccably written by an author I had enjoyed in the past and had somehow forgotten about.Two companions who escaped cruel captivity in the dungeons of an bad lord, Grim and Blackthorn have been settled in a town in Dalriada waiting for a vow to end before Blackthorn at least, is free to seek revenge upon the lord. They are drawn into helping a noblewoman put an end to a monster in a tower on her land, whose daily screaming is devastating the district, but s This is an absolutely gorgeous story, impeccably written by an author I had enjoyed in the past and had somehow forgotten about.Two companions who escaped cruel captivity in the dungeons of an bad lord, Grim and Blackthorn have been settled in a town in Dalriada waiting for a vow to end before Blackthorn at least, is free to seek revenge upon the lord. They are drawn into helping a noblewoman put an end to a monster in a tower on her land, whose daily screaming is devastating the district, but something is not right with the noblewoman and her request.This book is fantasy, there is magic, curses and the fey are a significant portion of the plot. However, it is written as magical realism, with the setting (as I slowly came to realise) in Eire, around the tenth century.
It is magical in a more significant way however, the characters, the intertwined plots, the beautiful writing all take you on a reading voyage of exploration in the best way possible, as only the most magical of novels can do.The two main characters, who are slowly revealed through the story, layer by layer, are both recovering not only from their captivity but from scarring events prior to captivity. We learn to know them better through the story, step by step and the more you know the better you like them. The secondary characters are also very well told and defined, there is a deep sympathy in the authors writing style, so that even if you cannot like or agree with a character you can still understand them.
A rare skill.The plots are multiple, as well as the slow revelation of the main plot a secondary one weaves in and that second plot completely slants and justifies the first. This book deserves to be read without spoilers, so I'll write no more about them. But, SO well done! And at no point did it matter that I had not read the first in the series, though of course now I need to go off on a find-and-read mission to discover it.Thank you very much Lynn, for giving me this book. It can boomerang back to you if you like. Celtic magical fantasy read with highly atmospheric writing and setting.There were 3 POVs - the older healer h was observant, capable but unlikeable - with a very violent yelling and breaking(other people's) things temper. She was rash, bulldozing over others, mean to people who only wished her well, thoughtless and wore blinders lots of times.
She had a healthy case of self-hate going on. The H was sympathetic but he was self-effacing and after a point it got tiring hearing him putting himself Celtic magical fantasy read with highly atmospheric writing and setting.There were 3 POVs - the older healer h was observant, capable but unlikeable - with a very violent yelling and breaking(other people's) things temper. She was rash, bulldozing over others, mean to people who only wished her well, thoughtless and wore blinders lots of times. She had a healthy case of self-hate going on.
The H was sympathetic but he was self-effacing and after a point it got tiring hearing him putting himself down for the nth time. Geleis's character POV was added to increase the suspense and the overall bittersweetness, it contributed to the texture of the book.The plot was rather unique and very suspenseful - although there were a LOT of plot holes - but it was a good attempt by the author!!If I continue with this series it would be only for Grim - didn't particularly care about anyone else, all of them a lot of miserable/selfish people:((Overall 3.5 stars. Juliet Marillier’s books are an enchanting mix of romance, mystery and historical fantasy. Tower of Thorns is the second in her new series ‘Blackthorn & Grim’ which tells the story of the damaged and disillusioned healer Blackthorn and her faithful companion Grim.
Both have been badly hurt and betrayed in the past, and they carry the scars deep inside them. In this episode of the series, the two friends are asked to help a noblewoman who has a strange and uncanny problem – a creature has tak Juliet Marillier’s books are an enchanting mix of romance, mystery and historical fantasy. Tower of Thorns is the second in her new series ‘Blackthorn & Grim’ which tells the story of the damaged and disillusioned healer Blackthorn and her faithful companion Grim.
Both have been badly hurt and betrayed in the past, and they carry the scars deep inside them. In this episode of the series, the two friends are asked to help a noblewoman who has a strange and uncanny problem – a creature has taken up residence in an old tower and howls all day, driving the people of the land mad. Bound by the fey to help anyone who asks, Blackthorn has no choice but to do what she can – even though the task will tax her to the limits of her strength.
Juliet Marillier - Dreamer`s Pool And Spa
As always, Juliet Marillier’s prose is luminous, and the story both powerful and poignant. The books in this series can be read and enjoyed on their own, but I’d recommend beginning with Book 1: Dreamer’s Pool. I had such a hard time getting into this one, which is never the case usually when I read this author. I don't know what was going on. The only character I liked all the way through was Grim.
He's definitely my favourite. Blackthorn started to wear on me and another character I just couldn't stand and I felt like I was slogging through her chapters.I don't know if it was the plot that really took forever to get going, or if it was just me and I wasn't into it. I don't know, but I struggled with I had such a hard time getting into this one, which is never the case usually when I read this author. I don't know what was going on.
Authors Similar To Juliet Marillier
The only character I liked all the way through was Grim. He's definitely my favourite. Blackthorn started to wear on me and another character I just couldn't stand and I felt like I was slogging through her chapters.I don't know if it was the plot that really took forever to get going, or if it was just me and I wasn't into it. I don't know, but I struggled with this one.The last 50-70 pages however for me was when it got really interesting and the plot line moved forward at a much quicker pace. That was the point that I couldn't put the book down.I will definitely read the next one because I liked the first one a lot, and I like Grim. I do like Blackthorn too, and I hope that in the next book I don't find her so wearing.
You'll probably find this hard to believe, but Dreamer's Pool was my first Juliet Marillier novel. And despite how many reviews I read that said this series was boring and not as wonderful as her other books, I still wanted to give it a chance. Blackthorn's plight intrigued me when I read the summary, and it was even more captivating once I began listening to the audiobook. How she often fought with herself and her thirst for vengeance.
How she learned to care and be brave again after her ordeal You'll probably find this hard to believe, but Dreamer's Pool was my first Juliet Marillier novel. And despite how many reviews I read that said this series was boring and not as wonderful as her other books, I still wanted to give it a chance. Blackthorn's plight intrigued me when I read the summary, and it was even more captivating once I began listening to the audiobook.
How she often fought with herself and her thirst for vengeance. How she learned to care and be brave again after her ordeal.
But most of all, I appreciated just how clever and calculating Blackthorn was, especially in the face of betrayal and loss. I haven't picked up the third book in the series yet, but I fully intend to. And then I want to read all of Marillier's backlist to see what all the fuss is about, especially considering how much I enjoyed her lesser liked works.
4.5 starsMy review at The Book Nympho:I always think I don’t really like regular fantasy since it’s more like a historical fantasy rather than urban fantasy, but now reading these Ace Roc books I find I love it, some of it. I read somewhere recently about the genre being timeless and that is true enough.
It doesn’t have the changing technology issues of urban fantasy or futuristic science fiction.But to get to the point, this book and its predecessor, Drea 4.5 starsMy review at The Book Nympho:I always think I don’t really like regular fantasy since it’s more like a historical fantasy rather than urban fantasy, but now reading these Ace Roc books I find I love it, some of it. I read somewhere recently about the genre being timeless and that is true enough. It doesn’t have the changing technology issues of urban fantasy or futuristic science fiction.But to get to the point, this book and its predecessor, Dreamer’s Pool, are interesting, wonderful, well-written books. The main characters, Blackthorn, and Grim have their strengths and their horrid pasts they are hiding. Yet they can still be kind and supportive to others.These are thought – provoking books, not the romantic books with humor I favor for comfort reads. Tower of Thorns kept me engaged anyway. I was happy Blackthorn found an old friend.
I enjoyed the comfort it gave her, but I didn’t like him.The one note I will make here, without giving away the story, is what a pack of liars! Nobody seems to tell the truth – even the “good” guys! Of course, it is in the name of what is best for everyone.Snorts. This is a different situation from the first book. There are those who actually work hard and sacrifice for the greater good; and those who only care about themselves no matter how it affects others. Such is life. Juliet Marillier was born in Dunedin, New Zealand and grew up surrounded by Celtic music and stories.
![Dreamer`s Dreamer`s](https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1451846111ra/17612585.gif)
Her own Celtic-Gaelic roots inspired her to write her first series, the Sevenwaters Trilogy. Juliet was educated at the University of Otago, where she majored in music and languages, graduating BA and Bachelor of Music (Hons). Her lifelong interest in history, folklore and mythology has had a majo Juliet Marillier was born in Dunedin, New Zealand and grew up surrounded by Celtic music and stories. Her own Celtic-Gaelic roots inspired her to write her first series, the Sevenwaters Trilogy.
Juliet was educated at the University of Otago, where she majored in music and languages, graduating BA and Bachelor of Music (Hons). Her lifelong interest in history, folklore and mythology has had a major influence on her writing.Juliet is the author of twenty-one historical fantasy novels for adults and young adults, as well as a book of short fiction. Juliet's novels and short stories have won many awards.Juliet lives in a 110 year old cottage in a riverside suburb of Perth, Western Australia. When not writing, she tends to her small pack of rescue dogs. She also has four adult children and eight grandchildren. Juliet is a member of the druid order OBOD (the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids.).