Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't put it down!!!
Review: The way these books are written makes you feel as though you know the characters involved. You share their pain and grief as you would a close friend or family member. "Son of the Shadows" will take you through the whole gammut of emotions, love and hope, saddness and despair. There is description of VERY cruel treatment given a young woman by her evil, evil husband, so beforewarned. Liadan, the heroine, is a remarkable character; her strength and love will capture your heart. Like so many middle books in a trilogy, "Son of the Shadows" will leave many threads open, but I have no doubt they will weave into the tapestry that is the Sevenwaters Trilogy in the final book "Child of the Prophesy." Highly recommended read.
Rating:
Summary: Very Immersing
Review: This novel, the second in the Sevenwaters Trilogy, tells the tale of Sorcha's daughter, Liaden. Some believe that Liaden or one of her siblings may be the Child of the Prophecy, one who is not Irish or British but at the same time both. When her sister, Niamh, gets married to a cruel cheiftan, Liaden feels as if she never wants to get married. Then she gets lured away from her home and off into an adventure that will change her life.This book is stunningly written. Juliet Mariller makes you feel as if you knew the way of life then and there for all your life. I think this book is as good as or better than the first book in the trilogy, Daughter of the Forest.
Rating:
Summary: Wow
Review: I didnt think it was possible to make a book better than the first but i was proved wrong. The main character was the best. THis book was so great it really got me interested in celtic mythology.
Rating: 
Summary: A Portrait of Liaden--a More Idealized Sorcha
Review: In this second installment of the Sevenwaters Trilogy, Liaden, daughter of Red and Sorcha (From Daughter of the Forest) finds herself following in the footsteps of her mother. As another 'daughter of the forest', Liaden prefers her home to all else; she grows and distills her own herbal treatments to heal sympathetically as her mother before her. Like Sorcha, she too has the ability to 'see' and 'mind talk' and it comes as no surprise that the Fair Ones of the Forest will soon intervene in her peaceful existence. Amidst an atmosphere of turmoil involving the recovery of the three sacred isles from the Britons and clandestine assignations and alliances formed with mercenaries and traitorous compatriots, Liaden [a little too] admirably struggles with the task set before her by the Fair Ones in fulfilling her connection with the prophesy of a child born under the sign of the raven.
Although the story moves along at a pace similar to that of its predecessor, it lacks much of the magic of 'Daughter of the Forest'. Half-wild Finbar's confusion transforms to a pragmatic resignation as he channels his 'power' to tutor his formidable niece in the art of the mind. I liked him better as the forlorn creature helplessly staring after his swan mate and cygnets. As a main character, Liaden possesses Sorcha's strength, but we as readers do not sympathize as fully with her as we did her mother. Where Sorcha's silence elicited compassion, Liaden's too trite doggedness pushes her into the realm of cookie-cutter characterization. Instead of grinning with delight, the reader finds this exaggerated idealism causes yawns of boredom. Rather than luxuriating in the feelings conjured up in 'Daughter of the Forest', we are left with structure rather than substance--the characters here are delineated by their purpose in moving the novel towards its climax rather than their ability to engage us with a more fully fleshed out humanity.
Sadly, in 'Son of the Shadows', veterans Sorcha and Red are backburnered too quickly; the magic of their relationship is relegated to the childhood memories of the new more militant narrator. Marieller remedies this fading of their romance with a hot new intense relationship between Liaden and her chosen---one that she fuels well with so much subtle feeling I felt myself reading through this portion of the story without a sense of real time passing. However, once love is declared, Liaden fails somewhat despite what Marieller has set up as her overall strengths--she becomes too steadfast in her beliefs, she never falters, always seeming to have an inner vision as to the right path. This perfect quality prevents her from getting under your skin the way Red does in 'Daughter of the Forest'--he says little but his calmness and exactitude speaks volumes. In the most pivotal scenes between Liaden and her lover, Liaden does not seem to engage--her dialogue is forced, supposed to be funny but under the vast emotional circumstances, delivers like stale Lifetime movie parlance. Likewise, Bran could have been a great character--he is tortured, yet strong, however the mysteries of his past are derived by the reader way before Liaden's so-so climatic mind healing at the end of the novel.
Nevertheless, 'Son of the Shadows' continues in the misty narrative realm set up in 'Daughter of the Forest'. It is well worth the read, in spite of its faults. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I feel that Marieller's strength lies in her ability to explore the romantic chemistry between two unlike characters. Some of her scenes are forged with great subtlty and deserve to be read over and over again; others are simply rushed and need less obvious hints to their outcome.
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Summary: even better!
Review: The book was a great sequel to Daughter of the forest.
It still left you hanging in the end, i hope for triumphant returns in the last book. Different characters introduced which i really liked. Old characters brought back to help! Really great!
Rating:
Summary: The Story Continues With a New Generation
Review: Our beloved characters from Daughter of the Forest are all grown up and past the dark time that came so close to destroying them all. But the threat is not yet vanquished...it has simply set it's sights on the next generation at Sevenwaters... Niamth- The eldest daughter of Sorcha and Lord Hugh. Her forbidden romance with a young druid with mysterious connections to her family will split her family down the middle and will take her down an unforeseen road that will change the future of Sevenwaters itself. Sean- The eldest son of Sorcha and Hugh and the heir to Sevenwaters. His exalted position may cost him all he holds dear...including the woman he loves. Liaden- The youngest child of Sorcha and Hugh. She is the dutiful daughter of Sevenwaters and the very image of Sorcha. Liaden too has found her calling in healing and herblore. But her skills soon bring her to the attention of a band of ruthless mercenaries who have been plaguing the countryside. Her connection to The Painted Man and his band could be Sevenwaters deliverance...or doom. This book is a romantic and intense adventure that proves to be a worthy sequal. If you liked Daughter of the Forest, this is definately worth a read...it's just as good.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful and wonderful
Review: Juliet Marillier surely will be noted as one of the great storytellers in this genre. Her complex tales and deep characters are a joy to read. I anxiously await the opportunity to read the next in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Great addition to the series
Review: SON OF THE SHADOWS is just as good as DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST, and don't let anyone tell you different. Readers have said the heroine feels less alive and human than Sorcha (from the first book), but I think it's obvious she's just as much of both, though her personality is very different. Since she is Sorcha's daughter -- and, of her children, the most like Sorcha -- this contrast creates a lot of interest. I wouldn't want Juliet Marillier to have identical heroines; where's the human reality component in that? Readers have also said that the book was not as gripping, but that's not true either. Rather, in DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST, the emotional power of the story centered on loss, helplessness, and fear, giving the book the power to inspire instant (sometimes constant) tears. SON OF THE SHADOWS is just as emotionally powerful, but it focuses on themes of love and loyalty. You won't cry as much with this one, but it certainly doesn't fall short of the first book's excellence.
Rating: 
Summary: The Story Continues
Review: While I enjoyed this a miniscule amount less than "Daughter of the Forest," Marillier was able to successfully continue the Sevenwaters Triology by writing yet another captivating and mystically enthralling story. What I admired about the first novel was it's relation to the traditional Irish fairy tale, but this didn't follow that theme, which I respect in one sense. In another sense, it also took away from the "unique interpretation" value that was present in the first novel. Still, I liked the strength of the characters in this novel, and the romantic development between the main characters was touching, if a touch unbelievable. If you've read the first novel in this triology, I recommend continuing the saga, and while I have yet to read "Child of Prophecy," I'm eagerly anticipating the chance to do so.
Rating:
Summary: WONDERFUL BOOK! 4 1/2 out of 5!
Review: I couldn't put in four and a half but that's how I'd rate it. It's just as good as the first book, Daughter of the Forest. I thought that I wouldn't enjoy it as much but when I started reading it I couldn't put it down. What I like about the books is that Mariller puts in good characters, enought twists to make it interesting, romance but not too much to make it too gushy and she does it with a good FEMALE TOUCH.
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