Rating: 
Summary: Not Worthy
Review: I loved "Daughter of the Forest". I also loved "Son of the Shadow" the second time I read it. I'm afraid I didn't care for "Child of the Prophecy" at all. First of all I thought the story was being told from the wrong point of view. I thought it should be told from Johnny's point of view not Fianne's. I didn't care much for Fianne's father back in book 2 and I don't care too much for his daughter in book 3. It isn't her fault but I don't like that her father is her mother's uncle. I guess that means Fianne's mother is also Fianne's first cousin. The story is a little predictable. You know Fianne will choose Good over Evil in the end. This is the type of story I intensely dislike. That's the type of story where a person with evil intentions pretends to be the friend of the "good characters" and secretly works toward their downfall. I don't care much for "good" main characters that are cold-blooded killers. How many people does she murder, three?
Rating: 
Summary: Entrancing Series!
Review: I picked these books up never having heard of Juliet Marillier before, but thought the books looked interesting. This series was spell-binding....I couldn't put them down. I finished them all within a week. I have since recommended them on to several friends, all of who had the same experience. In fact, one of them has even bought the books herself. I highly recommend them if you have any interest in celtic lore and magic. One of the best reads I have had!
Rating:
Summary: The Ending Has Finally Come!!!
Review: Woo hoo! i made it! to the end of the sevenwaters saga. it was like living with these characters for the past few months, and it was great! I loved how none of the previous characters were left out of this novel, every one was mentioned, even from book one. It really tied it all together. I thought the plot was slow moving at first, but it was the suspense that really got me entrnced in the end! I thought all the new characters (though not many) were great, and a great love story as always! Really a triumphant ending to the best trilogy i have read in a long time!
Excellent author, excellent writing, great characters, and a REALLY really good plot and idea for the whole thing! EXCELLENT! if you haven't read it yet, get with the program and c'mon! its great! guaranteed to fall in love with it!
Rating: 
Summary: A tad boring...
Review: Like many other readers, I felt this book was a let down. I absolultely loved the first book and the second book wasn't all too bad, but this one left me not caring whether or not the protagonist succeeded in the end. It was too predictable and cliche.
Rating:
Summary: Read it anyway...
Review: I read Daughter of the Forest, and Son of the Shadows, in two blurred, completely absorbed, addicted-to-reading-the-book, days. When I saw that there was a third book, I didn't even think twice about buying it, the others were so good. However... I have to agree with other reviews, because Child of the Prophecy was a bit of a let-down. I had a hard time sympathizing with Fainne sometimes, and found myself rolling my eyes every time Darragh entered a scene, because I already knew what was going to happen. Fainne tells Darragh to go away, as cruelly as possible, while inwardly in deep angst. Darragh just takes it, proving himself even *more* goodhearted, faithful, etc. Over and over again. And yet... I would have to recommend this book anyway. There are some scenes which just swept me into them, and you get to see a lot more of certain characters from previous books. (I always wanted to know what happened to Niamh and Ciaran, and even though I felt heart-broken when I *did* find out, it still made me happy.) You get to see what happens to the Islands, and meet the Fomhoire. The Lady Oonagh appears frequently, and is quite as evil as ever. It's not up to the standards of the other two books, but Child of the Prophecy is still definitely worth a read.
Rating: 
Summary: Well, make it 2.5
Review: "Daughter of the Forest" was outstanding. I didn't think "Son of the Shadows" could possibly top it and actually avoided reading it for a while. When I finally did, it left me breathless. The first two titles in this series were completely spellbinding, riveting, and unforgettable, blending a perfect fantasy realm with impeccably developed characters and just enough romance to keep even the most diehard romantic (me) satisfied. I guess that's why I went into "Child of the Prophecy" with such high hopes. After all, after such incredibly appealing prequels, what else could one expect? I'm afraid I must say that I found "Child of the Prophecy" to be something of a letdown. After the brilliant, strong characters of Sorcha, Liadan, Red, and Bran, I found Fainne and Darragh, and even the Lady Oonagh herself most disappointingly unrounded, static characters. They simply lack the leaping-off-the-page vitality of Marillier's earlier characters. The plot itself, as it progressed, held me interested enough, mostly to see how Fainne would fare in this final showdown with the sorceress who has plagued the family of Sevenwaters for so long. I suppose being based in Irish legend, the ending of the book was suitable, yet I found it highly unsatisfying. While it kept me intrigued to go on, the plot seemed to drag its way through, taking forever to come to a conclusion. Fainne's plight to defy her grandmother eventually became even a little tiresome as it went on. It was more of a read-because-you-want-to-see-what-happens book than a read-because-it's-so-outstandingly-good book like the others. Thinking back on it (it's been a while) I can't say I was exactly upset with the ending, but I just didn't feel...complete. It did a nice job of tying the three books together and bringing a close to the series, but really...although it took me by surprise and almost made me cry (and would have if I'd been half as riveted by the plot and connected to the characters as I was with the other two books), I was disappointed. The book seemed to be getting good towards the end, in the chapters leading up the final scene, but the end was almost irritating in its unfairness (call me childish, but really, having to live in a tower forever after is just too much) and I was a little annoyed by Fainne's complacency in accepting her fate. It seems to me that if Liadan or Sorcha had been the Child of Prophecy, and this fate had come to them, they would have fought it in some way. Still, for any fan of the first two novels in the series, I recommend this one, since (a) you obviously want to know what happens, and (b) the plot itself is easy to absorb yourself in and suspenseful enough to keep you reading. I'm no expert on literature, Irish legends, or fantasy epics, but simply as a reader, I found it acceptable but not on a par with the first two. After their outstanding characters and plots, this one just didn't hit me quite as hard.
Rating:
Summary: THE best book i've read this year.
Review: This is by far the best fantasy work I have read this year. Juilette Marillier weaves a tapestry of life,love and loss so real it become impossible to put this book down. I would recommend the triology to everyone. All of the heroines are strong,self-sacrificing admirable characters, not the withering ninnys you might see portrayed by a less imaginative author. This book, along with it's compainion novels, is the best new fantasy out there today. This is one set of books that will be read over and over being borrowed from friend to friend, becoming a favoite to all that read them.
Rating:
Summary: Average Concluding Novel
Review: I loved the first two books of this series. I read them and couldn't wait to read the last. Unfortunately, the third book lacks the beauty of the first two. It's obvious what the difficult choice that the main character Fainne has to make of whether to be good or bad is never really doubted in anyone's mind except the character herself's own. The love story isn't as well developed as the first two and the evil soceress is reminiscent of an wicked stepmother in a Disney cartoon. I was sadly let down by this book. "Daughter of the Forest" was enchantingly intricate as it weaved the story of an old fairy tale into an early Christian Ireland. The second novel, "The Son of the Shadows," lost a bit of the magical presence that was so mainlined in "Daughter," but it made up for that with a beautiful love story. "Child of Prophecy" takes a different route, and one that I admittedly had hoped for otherwise, by making the main character not a strong and sure woman or one who is determined and good, but a girl with faults and untapped power. It's a good read, but not Marillier's best. Despite my moderate disappointment with this story, I'm looking forward to her new series that will be coming out later this year. Marillier is a good writer and I hope her successes continue.
Rating:
Summary: Avid Reader left dissatisfied
Review: I bought the first book of the trilogy rather hard headedly, based only on the beautiful cover art. However immediately I was engrossed fully in this rich re-telling of the Grimm's fairy-tale the 'Six Swans'. Much to my pleasure the second book in the trilogy beautifully and seamlessly expanded upon the first. So there was no question when I ran out as soon as I could to purchase the third and last book.
I was hesitant at first even to read 'Child of the Prophecy', I didn't want to end the trilogy but I opened the book and once again finished it within 48 hours of the purchase. I finished it last night and was thoroughly disappointed with this book. While Marillier warrants honorable mention for the book; her words often poetic and beautiful, this book no exception. Unfortunately I found Fainne extremely annoying and under-developed, almost ignorant. I could not stand Fainne's relationship to the Sevenwaters family. I also found Laidan to become cold and not the female protagonist of the previous installment.
In short while this book was still a rare and beautiful read, in comparison to the first book it seems extremely inept. The characters are under developed, the recurring characters have an unwarranted change in personality, and the final resolution to the trilogy left me very dissatisfied; it dragged on and became very cliche.
But despite my apparent disatisfaction, I should perhaps get over myself, and I would recommend the trilogy as a whole. Maybe it comes down to the fact that I just could not get over Darragh's codependency and Fainne's twisted foot. I do look forward immensly to her new series 'The Ilse's of Light' beginning with 'Wolfskin'. Hopefully this will aid the metallic taste left in my mouth by 'Child of the Prophecy'.
Rating:
Summary: The best
Review: CHILD OF THE PROPHECY is the incredible final chapter in the brilliant Sevenwaters Trilogy. I'd never heard of this Juliet Marillier, and chances are you hadn't either, but it won't be long before everyone with an interest in fantasy, historical fantasy, or celtic-themed fiction (or just good fiction in general) knows her name and her amazing talent. This last installment tells the story of Fainne, daughter of the outcast sorcerer Ciaran, and kin to the folk of Sevenwaters, who were the focus of the first two books. Fianne is also the granddaughter of the Lady Oonagh, the sorceress who tried to destroy Sevenwaters and was thwarted only by the courage of Fianne's other grandmother, Sorcha. Raised by her father and briefly but painfully schooled by her grandmother, Fainne has a momentous choice to make that is more difficult than it sounds, and will decide the destiny Sevenwaters, Ireland, and ultimately our earth herself. I had a very difficult time putting this book down to get on with my daily life, so that's a hazard to reading it. Another is that this one, as much as the other two, packs an emotional punch that can be incredibly painful. Sure, the ending is happy (well, what did you expect?), but there are (at least) two sides to everything, and Fainne's tale is fraught with heartache and sorrow and terrible pain. It's a tale to match the old celtic legends, and reading it is so much more than just an afternoon diversion.
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