Heart's Blood
National bestselling author Juliet Marillier revisits the classic fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast in this “engaging Gaelic fantasy romance staring two fascinating reluctant souls”(Genre Go Round Reviews).
Whistling Tor is a place of secrets, a mysterious, wooded hill housing the crumbling fortress belonging to Anluan—a chieftain whose name is spoken throughout the region in tones of revulsion and bitterness. A curse lies over Anluan’s family and his people, and the woods themselves hold a perilous force whose every whisper threatens doom.
Then the young scribe Caitrin appears in Anluan’s garden, admiring the rare plant known as heart’s blood. Retained to sort through entangled family documents, Caitrin brings about unexpected changes in the household, casting a hopeful light against the despairing shadows.
But even as Caitrin brings solace to Anluan, and the promise of something more between them, he remains in thrall to the darkness surrounding Whistling Tor. To free Anluan’s burdened soul, Caitrin must unravel the web of sorcery woven by his ancestors before it claims his life—and their love...
Whistling Tor is a place of secrets, a mysterious, wooded hill housing the crumbling fortress belonging to Anluan—a chieftain whose name is spoken throughout the region in tones of revulsion and bitterness. A curse lies over Anluan’s family and his people, and the woods themselves hold a perilous force whose every whisper threatens doom.
Then the young scribe Caitrin appears in Anluan’s garden, admiring the rare plant known as heart’s blood. Retained to sort through entangled family documents, Caitrin brings about unexpected changes in the household, casting a hopeful light against the despairing shadows.
But even as Caitrin brings solace to Anluan, and the promise of something more between them, he remains in thrall to the darkness surrounding Whistling Tor. To free Anluan’s burdened soul, Caitrin must unravel the web of sorcery woven by his ancestors before it claims his life—and their love...
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Community Reviews
“When I heard that, it seemed to me that God was present even here, in this place folk call accursed. I remembered that when we go astray, he leads us home.”
I really loved this book and all I wanted to do was devour it. Unfortunately having my autoimmune flare worsen even more made it slow going with this book, but the length of time it took me to read this has nothing to do with my enjoyment of the book and solely on life circumstances. The older writing style I found to be beautiful. I love writing that has a poetic flare to it, and I felt this one fit that mold perfectly. The story itself is a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast that is set in Ireland during the time the Normans are beginning to take over the land. This is honestly the most beautiful retelling I have read to date. I’m a sucker for books like these that take me back to my childhood days and the sweet memories made watching these favorite fairy tales. This version took a darker turn than what I’m used to, but something about that captured my heart and I found so many pieces of beauty even in the darker, more tragic moments. It built a strength and hope in the characters, along with an undeterred love that only could have come from great suffering and sorrow. The magic, the fantasy, the slow burn romance, the mystery, the ability to hope and believe again… it was all there, and so much more. I can absolutely say I recommend this book, and will be exploring more by this author very soon. A solid 5 star read. ❤️
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