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Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Loyalties are tested and truth must be distinguished from dangerous lies in the gritty second book of the Bridei Chronicles (after 2005's The Dark Mirror), set in a land resembling early Scotland. Hoping to gain the support of nearby chieftain Alpin of Briar Wood in the fight against the invading Dalriada, King Bridei of the Priteni sends an offer and a bride: Ana, a fosterling "hostage" from the distant Light Isles raised in his court. Bridei's personal bodyguard and spy, Faolan, accompanies Ana on the arduous journey, saving her life and struggling to control his growing feelings for her. When problems arise at Alpin's rude court, Ana secretly finds solace with Alpin's mysterious brother, Drustan, long believed to be insane, who has been imprisoned for the murder of Alpin's first wife. Skilled world-building and characterization set Marillier's historical fantasy at the head of the pack. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"Marillier excels at breathing life into the past."--Booklist on The Dark Mirror
"A fascinating evocation of life in Pictish England and an emotional roller coaster of a story.--Interzone on The Dark Mirror
"A fascinating evocation of life in Pictish England and an emotional roller coaster of a story.--Interzone on The Dark Mirror
"An engrossing, beautifully written work of historical fiction."--Booklist on Wolfskin
"A rich tapestry of love and loss, family loyalty and personal sacrifice." --Publisher Weekly (starred) on Child of the Prophecy
"The author's keen understanding of Celtic paganism and early Irish Christianity adds texture to a rich and vibrant novel."--Library Journal on Daughter of the Forest
"A rich tapestry of love and loss, family loyalty and personal sacrifice." --Publisher Weekly (starred) on Child of the Prophecy
"The author's keen understanding of Celtic paganism and early Irish Christianity adds texture to a rich and vibrant novel."--Library Journal on Daughter of the Forest
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
left a little wanting warning small spoilers inside the text,
By
This review is from: Blade of Fortriu: Book Two of The Bridei Chronicles (Hardcover)
I think that my complaints regarding this book are more related to my own tastes more than anything to do with the writing but here goes. I found this book a little annoying, the main character Faolan is a cool character with lot's to like he is capable and divorced from his feelings an all work kinda guy. But he has that wounded heart "I want to make him love again" persona. He of course falls for the main girl Ana and thus their love is doomed from the start as she is arranged to be married to someone that will give the king Bridei a military advantage if they become allies.So from moment one you really have the sense that his love is hopeless and despite the desire I felt for them to get together improbable. Ana is for me the least likeable of all of Juliet Marillier's female leads. Firstly she falls for the brother of the man she is arranged to be married to (named Drustan)from the moment that she see's him but you can't help but get the feeling that it is his superficial beauty she is attracted to as she mentions it several times. The man that she has fallen for is also quite annoying what with the fact that he uses birds to spy on her all the time (even while she is changing ??? and she likes it) and allows his friend to die because he is too cowardly to reveal his powers. He seemed childlike more than manly and not in a good fresh faced way more in a confused and unhelpful way. ana seems to be largely oblivious of his many flaws and Drustan almost lets them die before he reveals himself , Faolan is cooler in so many ways that you can't help but not respect Ana for not taking to him and for falling for Drustan, again their love seems very superficial. But largely my discontent lies in the fact that the book makes you want them to be together in the beginning but the love turns out to be onesided (romantically at least)and Faolan frustratingly watching the other two characters in love while he is lovelorn (book makes you feel super bad for him). Even though I know their is another book which is centered on him and his real love interest I feel like why then did I have to read about these other two annoying characters, why did you make me care about them together and then never make it happen. I know that Ana made him feel again (oh she was so delicate and fragile la la la la)which paves the way for him to go home again but I could have skipped that part to be honest. I love Juliet Marillier and I love her books but this one just didn't make the grade for me.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.2 out of 5 stars (31 customer reviews) 11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
i hate to do it...,
By char1077 - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Blade of Fortriu: Book Two of The Bridei Chronicles (Hardcover)
I, too, have fallen victim to Marillier's brilliant first trilogy. While I tried very hard to love this book and the first book in the Bridei Chronicles neither book has done it for me like Daughter of the Forest, etc. did. There's just no living up to it.There is no doubt in my mind that Marillier is a fantastic writer and storyteller however, I'm not sure what genre she is trying to join. With this series she is reaching towards romance and I hate to say it, but sometimes Ana's blind devotion to a man she literally does not even know is just plain silly. Ana is a vastly annoying character, for some reason I just had a lot of problems with her. She seemed to me prudish, prim and stuck up. I also had a very hard time with the love story between her and Drustan. So, I'm expected to believe she falls deeply and passionately in love with a man she sees for five seconds in the woods? It seems to me that Ms. Marillier has forsaken the slow, careful and beautiful storytelling of the Sevenwaters Trilogy for a formulaic, trite and conventional. I do like the way she handled the villain, Alipn. It was clear from the moment his character appeared that he was going to be the bad guy, there was no doubt about it but Marillier did manage to preserve some of his background and make you wonder what exactly his backstory was whereas with other villains, Lord Richard in Daughter of the Forest for instance, they were just bad and that was it. Something that got on my nerves was the jumping around in the story. This is something Marillier did in both Wolfskin and especially Foxmask. The difference between those two books and the story jumping in this book is that I actually cared about all the plot lines in the latter. In The Blade of Fortriu I found myself rolling my eyes whenever the story jumped back to Bridei and Tuala and the war but then I didn't particularly care for that story when it was in its own book either. She does handle historical detail wonderfully, that's one of the reasons I finished the book. Marillier blends fantasy and fact very well and it helps that she writes about a time about which little is known. I have high hopes for the last book in the series as Faolan was the most interesting character in this series so far. He seems to me to be the kind of hero Marillier writes best, the stoic, guarded and mysterious man who redeems himself through the love of a good woman. Hopefully in the upcoming Well of Shades, Marillier will get back to what devoted fans like myself have fallen in love with. 8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
It doesn't seem like enough...,
By shadowkat "Kat" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Blade of Fortriu (Hardcover)
I'm a Marillier addict. I own every one of her books and have read each one at least 4 or 5 times over [Son of Shadows I've read at least 10 times]. My account of Blade of Fortriu contains much of the story, so I apologize if you haven't read the book yet and I'm spoiling it for you.Anyway... Blade of Fortriu follows the story of Ana, the hostage princess that Bridei keeps in Fortriu. Bridei must use her status as a princess to marry her off to Alpin, a Caitte king. The problem is that no one knows anything of this man and sending the fragile princess off makes everyone uneasy. Not only that, but because the decision to send Ana was quick and no one knows if Alpin will reject Ana for his bride upon meeting her. Faolan is sent with her to make sure the negotiations go accurately, as he happens to be Bridei's right hand man, along with some companions. There is danger that meets them along the way- after all they are traveling in unknown territory with many enemies. Upon finally getting to Alpin's land, there is trouble with the king himself. His actions and manner border on offensive. There's no question of him wanting Ana, he makes that known, but whether she can abide him is the question. Add to that Alpin's "crazy" brother, Drustan. He has been locked up due to his unnaturalness which caused him to kill Alpin's first wife and child. However, the more Ana gets glimpses of Drustan, the more she falls in love with him. Meanwhile, Faolan has gotten himself into trouble by starting to fall in love himself. It doesn't help that Ana named him her bard, which begins to open up the past for Faolan. It's interesting how each character- Ana, Faolan, Drustan, Alpin- fights for something different. While I'd still read Marillier over any other author, I find myself a little disappointed by Blade of Fortriu. Maybe I've been spoiled by the lush detail and heart-wrenching poetry of the first trilogy. There is excitement, of course, but I didn't really get anything that stuck after the last page had been finished. Certain parts of the book were really great- Ana's realization of how she loves not one, but two men, Faolan's history, Broichan's weakness. These moments shine through with classic Marillier style but other parts of the book are more rushed or not interesting at all. Regardless of anything, read the book for yourself and write your own review. :) Happy reading. 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Breathtaking,
By Bish - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Blade of Fortriu: Book Two of The Bridei Chronicles (Hardcover)
Juliet Marillier has an amazing ability to weave the most haunting, poignant tales, and "Blade of Fortriu" is no exception. In fact, I enjoyed it even more than its predecessor. The story follows Ana of the Light Isles, who is finally deployed by Bridei as part of a strategic marriage alliance. She is accompanied by Faolan, Bridei's trusted but darkly mysterious right-hand man.The portrayal of such conflicted characters as Faolan is yet another of Marillier's strengths, and in my opinion, this one character steals the book. It's amazing to see Faolan's progression through the novel. He begins much as we left him in "The Dark Mirror": stoic, practical, elusive; but on the journey to deliver Ana to Alpin of Briar Wood, he forms a geniune respect for the royal bride and eventually comes to love her. He struggles with this newfound emotion, which is pitted against his loyalty to Bridei and his desire to complete the mission successfully. In his guise as a bard, readers begin to see more chinks in his impentrable armor, which towards the end culminates in the revelation of his shocking and moving past. The final scenes between Bridei and Faolan left me misty-eyed. This is not to say that the other characters were not fascinating in their own rights. Ana herself proves to be a strong heroine: she is intelligent, resourceful, and capable of handling herself with poise and dignity in even the toughest circumstances. Her relationship with Drustan, while it did seem rushed, was nonetheless beautifully scripted. Bridei and Tuala are more side-characters in this book, but their struggle with the knowledge of the impending war, and in Bridei's case, the inevitable loss of life, is written very sympathetically. Broichan and Tuala, as well, have a small breakthrough that was refreshing to read, and a twist towards the end that I hope will be explored more in the next book. The villain of the piece is also provided with a backstory that, although predictable, serves to add some dimemsion to the character. The plot itself is not so complicated, but that is far from a complaint. It's the story of people facing duty, people who make choices that ripple in ways they could not imagine, and people who find and fight for love. The tale is lyrically told, written in vivid detail, with several powerfully haunting scenes that I'll admit I read and re-read several times. "Blade of Fortriu" had me thoroughly entranced. It's an excellent novel, and I highly recommend it. |
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