Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier is book four of the Sevenwaters series. There were seven years between the release of this book and the previous one, Child of the Prophecy. I think that was a good choice because while I was incredibly disappointed with Child of the Prophecy, Heir to Sevenwaters was a five star read. This review will have spoilers.

Synopsis:

The chieftains of Sevenwaters have long been custodians of a vast and mysterious forest. Human and Otherworld dwellers have existed there side by side, sharing a wary trust. Until the spring when Lady Aisling of Sevenwaters finds herself expecting another child, a new heir to Sevenwaters.
Then the family’s joy turns to despair when the baby is taken from his room and something… unnatural is left in his place. To reclaim her newborn brother, Clodagh must enter the shadowy Otherworld and confront the powerful prince who rules there.

My Thoughts:

• Rating-

I am all about fantasy books with epic adventures. I love when the main character has to go off on a journey to save the ones they love, the world, etc. Each of the books in this series includes this aspect to some degree but Clodagh’s journey is the most intense.

The Otherworld has been a part of this series since book one, Daughter of the Forest, but it hadn’t been explored until this book. As the synopsis says, Clodagh has to venture into the Otherworld to save her baby brother. However, she doesn’t go alone. Her brother, Finbar, was replaced with a Changeling baby; a humanoid figure made from sticks and leaves. Nobody in the household but Clodagh can tell that the Changeling is alive. Everyone else sees just a pile of sticks while Clodagh can hear the Changeling crying. Like all babies, it needs to eat and be cared for so Clodagh temporarily adopts the baby and it goes with her on her journey.

If you’ve ever played the Sims, you’ll know what I’m talking about but the Changeling baby made me think of a PlantSim. The entire Changeling storyline was my favorite part of the book. I grew attached to the baby, who Clodagh names Becan, and while his story does have a happy ending, there were parts of it that actually made me cry. Becan wasn’t the only one traveling with Clodagh, though.

It’s not a Sevenwaters’ story without a love interest and the one in this book, Cathal, is my favorite. His entire storyline makes up the main plot so I don’t want to spoil too much of it but he’s broody, mysterious and the only other person that can see that Becan is alive. The romance is definitely more of a sub-plot but I really loved it.

I honestly loved everything about Heir to Sevenwaters. It was just as good as Daughter of the Forest and now I’m much more excited to read the last two books in the series.

Final Thoughts:

If you haven’t started this series and you’re a fantasy lover, you NEED to. It’s quickly becoming one of my all time favorites. Do you plan to read it? Thanks for reading and have a great day!