I did not know until after I finished this book that it was the retelling of a Grimm’s fairy tale, and I think not knowing enhanced what was already a beautiful and completely immersive reading experience.
Sorcha is the seventh child, and only daughter, of the Lord of the Sevenwaters, and she enjoys a wild, free childhood in the mysterious forests surrounding her family’s keep. Unexpected visitors upset her idyllic life and set her on a long journey to places far away from her beloved home. While away she must perform a grueling and painful task in order to save her six brothers, during which she is forbidden to utter a sound to anyone.
My one complaint about this book is that so many of the characters were either all good, or all bad, without much dimension or weakness. But I suppose that is to be expected in a fairy tale.
I really did not know what to expect from this book and I highly recommend that anyone who reads it also refrain from reading too much in advance about the plot or the fairy tale. So much of what happened in this book came completely out of the blue, which kept me enthralled and barely able to keep my eyes from skipping ahead to see what happens next. I absolutely cannot wait to read the next book in the series!