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Flame of Sevenwaters (Sevenwaters #6)

by Juliet Marillier (Goodreads Author)

4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 · rating details · 1,444 ratings · 244 reviews

Maeve, daughter of Lord Sean of Sevenwaters, was badly burned as a child and carries the legacy of that fire in her crippled hands. After ten years, she’s returning home, having grown into a courageous, forthright woman with a special gift for gentling difficult animals. But while her body’s scars have healed, her spirit remains fragile, fearing the shadows of her past. Se...more

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Published November 6th 2012

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Dec 06, 2012 Carla *Jen7waters* rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-authors, cry-me-a-river, wounded-heroine, favorite-heroines, read-in-2012, favorite-books, fantasy

Before reading it:
WANT!

* * *

After reading it:

My goodness, everything is Sevenwaters and everything hurts.

I mean, the last Sevenwaters book---

… okay, maybe it’s not the last one—who knows---, but I can’t help but feel like it’s the end of the world somehow.

Without a surprise, Flame was an emotional journey for me, 20% because of Maeve, 70% because of other characters and references to previous books in the series, and 10% just because... you know... I was in possession of a brand new JM book...more

42 likes · like · see review

Jan 24, 2013 Hannah rated it 5 of 5 stars

So good. SO good. No other words. Except that I hope there will continue to be more. Really, if this series went on forever, I'll be beyond happy. Thank you, Ms. Marillier, from the bottom of my heart, for your wonderful, magical, beautiful, sweeping tales of Sevenwaters.

10 likes · like · see review

Nov 07, 2012 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contains-magic

Updated - Nov 7, 2012
Another solid book from Marillier! I enjoyed this more than the last Sevenwaters book featuring Sibeal. It didn't quite capture all the magic of some of the earlier books, but I still found myself enchanted with the Sevenwaters clan and eagerly staying up late to drink in the latest saga.

I liked Maeve, as we've heard brief asides from her since book 3 but never really knew how she fared. I enjoyed her relationship with Finbar, and did not see (view spoiler)...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Paige rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Can't wait for this to come out November 6th!

Update- Wow, what a whirlwind ending to the Sevenwaters series! Loved this story, although I predicted too much for there to be much surprise at the end. I still had doubts about my guesses though, so it wasn't COMPLETELY predictable. I loved the dogs and the time spent in the Otherworld. I feel like I got to know the Fair Folk better than ever. I really enjoyed the descriptions of their halls and appearances. Mark Maeve down as another strong, brave...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Karen Brooks rated it 5 of 5 stars

What can I say? Oh. Wow. Talk about conjuring mixed emotions in the reader. I feel like either donning black and keening or dancing wildly through the room. I want to do the former because Flame of Sevenwaters is, I believe, the final book in this sublime series, and kick my heels up because it was so exquisitely beautiful.
This novel tells the story of Maeve, one of Lord Sean’s daughters who, in an earlier novel, Child of the Prophecy, was badly disfigured as the consequence of a fire ten years...more What can I say? Oh. Wow. Talk about conjuring mixed emotions in the reader. I feel like either donning black and keening or dancing wildly through the room. I want to do the former because Flame of Sevenwaters is, I believe, the final book in this sublime series, and kick my heels up because it was so exquisitely beautiful.
This novel tells the story of Maeve, one of Lord Sean’s daughters who, in an earlier novel, Child of the Prophecy, was badly disfigured as the consequence of a fire ten years ago. Sent to live with her aunt and uncle to recover, she learns to accept her physical limitations. Cruelly twisted and maimed, Maeve’s hands are all but useless, but she proves her worth to the household in other ways, mainly by working with animals. Maeve has an uncanny knack of being able to calm and reassure even the most fractious of beasts. What Maeve appears to be unaware of is that her talent can also work with the humans who come into her sphere.
When her uncle asks her to accompany a spirited, lovely and flighty horse, Swift, to Sevenwaters, Maeve reluctantly agrees, knowing her homecoming with be as much an emotional journey as it’s physical. In many ways, Swift’s nature functions as a mirror for Maeve’s and, in the horse’s doubts and transformation, Maeve’s is partially echoed.
Arriving back at Sevenwaters after such a long absence, she’s much changed. Forthright, loyal, brave and kind, Maeve’s mother particularly doesn’t know how to respond to the daughter she loves but whom she doesn’t understand. While her father appears to cope better, it’s really her young brother, Finbar, who seems to grasp Maeve’s needs and be able to read what she cannot articulate. Appearing at times stubborn and selfish and torn with self-doubt, Maeve’s struggles to be herself and live by her rules is also made clear.
Finding Sevenwaters on the brink of war, mostly brought about by the machinations of the lord of the Otherworld, Mac Dara, Maeve is at a loss to know how she can help. But other forces know how she can and they enlist her and her brother’s aid to resolve a dispute for power that’s long been brewing and for which Lord Sean’s family and his allies have been paying the price. But the cost of this power struggle between the fey is yet to be reckoned and not even Maeve may be prepared for the sacrifice that will be asked of her and those she loves.
I cannot begin to tell you how beautifully Marillier conjures this world and the people within it. Her prose is as lilting and haunting as the forest that encircles Sevenwaters. Her descriptions so evocative that you are transported into the stillness of the nemetons, the eerie Otherness of Mac Dara’s realm and the homeliness and memory-haunted halls of the castle.
Like all the novels in this series, there are tales within tales, stories that bind, reveal and conceal, and this novel is no exception. From the mouths of seers and seers in training come fables that function as thinly disguised lessons in life, relationships, love and choices as well as the future. Even the title of the book is a description, noun and verb. “Flame” is a role that can be fitted to more than a couple of the characters as they “flame” brightly at times. Indeed, the word ‘flame’ itself contains within it positive and negative attributes that evoke notions of destruction, cleansing, death, transformation and rebirth all at once. There is also the idea of power, steadiness, warmth and passion.
I really don’t want to give too much away, but there are two more points I’d like to make. In this novel particularly, Marillier does a simply lovely job of making her animals wonderful, steadfast and real characters. I adored the animals. Like the humans, I championed them, came to know and love them and wept copiously when they were in peril or worse.
This leads me to the other point. I cried almost non-stop throughout the final quarter of the book, pausing only to blow my nose, wipe my eyes (so I could continue reading) and absorb this magical novel. I admit, I was a compete sook, a wet-rag of emotion as I wept tears of sadness, joy, heartache and triumph. I went from sheer horror to exhilaration and was taken on such an emotional journey, all of which reminded me that, like Ciaran and the other seers who have featured throughout the series, I was in the hands of a master storyteller, someone who cares deeply about their tale and those who read it.
This was an experience I won’t fast forget and nor do I want to. But I do want to thank Juliet Marillier for creating such a beautiful world, populated by incredibly complex dark and light beings.
Parting is such sweet sorrow.
(less)

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Nov 12, 2012 Emma rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, ireland, historical-fantasy, 1-star-and-a-half

I can't tell you how much I've loved the original Sevenwaters trilogy, all of which are still among my favorite books. For that reason I've read most of Marillier's other works, which range from good to mediocre. Seer of Sevenwaters was disappointing, but I hoped it was an outlier: after all, Seer is a middle book and Marillier wrote it during cancer treatment. And I'd been hoping for years for a book about Maeve. As it turns out, Flame is a lot like Seer.

In Flame of Sevenwaters, Maeve--the sist...more I can't tell you how much I've loved the original Sevenwaters trilogy, all of which are still among my favorite books. For that reason I've read most of Marillier's other works, which range from good to mediocre. Seer of Sevenwaters was disappointing, but I hoped it was an outlier: after all, Seer is a middle book and Marillier wrote it during cancer treatment. And I'd been hoping for years for a book about Maeve. As it turns out, Flame is a lot like Seer.

In Flame of Sevenwaters, Maeve--the sister injured in the fire in Child of the Prophecy--returns home after ten years with her aunt and uncle. The first half of the book focuses on Maeve's homecoming, her discomfort in her parents' household and her bonding with a pair of stray dogs. In the second half Maeve journeys into the Otherworld, and we get the conclusion to the Mac Dara plotline begun in Heir to Sevenwaters.

In all fairness, this book does wrap up the dangling plot threads left by the previous two and presents a reasonable end to the story. But even by Marillier standards it takes a long time to get going, and while the action eventually picks up, the plot never grabbed me. Which is symptomatic of a larger problem: the characters. Marillier relies heavily on our previous affection for them, but in this book itself they don't come to life. They're all alike--thoughtful, sensitive, always ready to describe their emotions--leaving them a bit flat and recycled rather than real and human. With everyone working hard to anticipate and accommodate each other's feelings, there's little conflict in the first half of the book; and in the second, the Fair Folk play a large role, and are mostly villainous but otherwise have all the same behaviors and speech patterns as the humans.

Furthermore, everyone is as democratic and considerate with everyone else as if they all lived in a modern hippie commune, even though they're supposedly lords and servants in the 9th century. Their values and interactions scream 21st century, from egalitarian employer/employee-type relationships between masters and servants, to chieftains personally seeking out dependent female relatives and asking if they might speak with them, to lords and ladies with modern western views of parenthood and who are willing to forget their social position at the drop of a hat. Certainly the original trilogy is set in a medieval Ireland more mythological than realistic, and I loved it, but here the anachronisms are too jarring for me to overlook.

As for Maeve herself, she was mostly disappointing. Again, in fairness, Marillier does a good job handling Maeve's disability: it affects her but doesn't define her, and she works around it without self-pity. Simply having a disabled heroine is great. But there isn't much that does define Maeve--she's a less interesting version of previous heroines. Neither her harping about her own courage nor the way everyone calls each other brave on every other page make it so; characters' actions can speak for themselves. And the romance: I was eager to see what Marillier would do with a disabled heroine, but the love story comes out of nowhere and is immediately resolved, with none of that slow-burning tension that normally makes her romances so good.

I could go on: about the way we barely see some characters who play important roles here (Cathal for instance), the frequent, self-conscious talk about having "happy endings," Maeve's crucial choice that makes sense only because the alternative would have unfortunate implications for readers (but her decision is bizarre in her actual situation), and so forth. But here's the crux of the problem. The original books had enough danger and suffering to make the happy parts genuinely meaningful, and were never fluffy. In those books, main characters could be victims of vicious attacks, children were neglected, the heroines were often isolated and in dire situations. Flame lacks that darkness and emotional intensity, leaving it predictable and saccharine.

It saddens me to say this, but I think I'm done with Marillier. Her new books just don't have that old magic. This book has clearly pleased some readers, and if you loved Seer you'll probably love Flame, but for me it was just too much.(less)

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Jan 15, 2013 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just won a free copy of this book. I am so excited, I never win things. Cant wait to read it!

Another delightful escape to the world of Sevenwaters. A journey that I will happily take time and time again. This book is centered around Maeve, daughter of Lord Sean who was badly burned in a previous book. It is now 10 years later and she has never regained the use of her hands and has spent the last 10 years in Brittain with her aunt Liadan. She is not anxious to go home, but when trajedy strikes...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Afton Nelson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

This review will contain spoilers.

I love this author and will continue to pick up any book that she writes. She does character like no one else. She lets me get inside and understand their hopes and fears and dreams. I love it. However, in this instance, I was a little tired of Maeve's continual whining about her useless hands. It seemed to be all she ever thought about. Until she ran off after Swift/Finbar/Bear/Badger. Once she began her heroic journey, her hands became much less of an issue. I...more This review will contain spoilers.

I love this author and will continue to pick up any book that she writes. She does character like no one else. She lets me get inside and understand their hopes and fears and dreams. I love it. However, in this instance, I was a little tired of Maeve's continual whining about her useless hands. It seemed to be all she ever thought about. Until she ran off after Swift/Finbar/Bear/Badger. Once she began her heroic journey, her hands became much less of an issue. I was still aware of the useless hands, but not in a pathetic, whiny way.

I imagine this is because Maeve is put on the defense when she has to confront and live with her parents, especially her mother. Once she is on her own, she is not so painfully aware at how her way of doing things is not measuring up to her mother's expectations. Still, it was a bit much and caused me to become annoyed with Maeve.

Also, (and this is a big spoiler, so if you are still reading and don't want to have a major plot twist ruined, quit reading now) I knew who Bear and Badger were almost from the beginning. I suppose other readers might feel the same way because at one point, it's pretty obvious who they really are. However, I felt robbed of the developing love story between Maeve and Bear because the main interaction between them for 99% of the book was as girl and dog. There was no chance for her to grow in love with him, except as a person does for an animal. The one thing I love the most about Marillier's other books is the way she builds relationships on trust and sacrifice and eventually, a deep, unbreakable love. I didn't get that at all between Maeve and Bear in this story and I very much missed it.

There was a point when they were traveling together in the Otherworld that I wish Bear would have transformed back into a man, and that she could have gone through all the uncertainty and self-doubt and finally, trust and love. I realize now that this would not have worked with the whole story line, but Maeve falling in love with a dog just didn't do it for me.

There were a few other fun plot twists to figure out along the way, and one that I didn't figure out until the very end. I love the Sevenwaters world and the magic and lore that goes with it. A fabulous setting for sure.

p.s. I don't think I've ever read a story with so many instances of the main character going to the bathroom. Not that she went any more than a person with normal bladder control would go, it was just that it always seemed to get mentioned.(less)

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Feb 08, 2013 Karen (Book Light Graveyard) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I would say that I liked this addition to the series more than Seer of Sevenwaters (#5) and Child of the Prophecy (#3), but less than the other three. Basically, I think it falls somewhere in the middle in terms of the quality of the books in the series. It felt a little slower and less romance-centered than the other books, but the writing was gorgeous and the story, while taking quite a bit of time to unfold, was engrossing.

What really pushed this book up from a 3- to a 4-star rating for me w...more

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Dec 19, 2012 Kate Forsyth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: australian, fantasy, historical-fantasy, historical-romance, fairy-tales, romance

Yippee! As far as I’m concerned, Juliet Marillier could bring out a new book every week and I’d be happy. I (like many, many other people) particularly love her books set at Sevenwaters. This new novel is number six. Each can be read alone, but they are definitely best read in order.
The heroine of this book is Maeve, who in an earlier book was badly burned while trying to rescue her dog from a fire. She was crippled as a result, her hands twisted into stiff and useless claws. For me, this gave t...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Ainsley Louise rated it 5 of 5 stars

Beautiful as always. I had waited so long for this book, and when I finally began to read it (I had to wait until I finished the one I was already on), I immediately began to wonder which direction it would go. Juliet's Sevenwaters series has a basic formula for each story that I thought this might follow (not that formulas and structures are bad in any way, I adore them), but Flame constantly surprised me.
I fell in love with the characters, I adored Maeve- although, being different from her pe...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Emilyanne rated it 2 of 5 stars

the original trilogy holds a place of honor on my bookshelf and a special place in my heart and helped me through hard times. the Heir to Sevenwaters I loved as much if not more than the first 3. Seer of sevenwaters was a different pace but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I was so excited for this book-
I wish I could have enjoyed it-I really tried to but by the end I wanted to get it over with so I could start reading something else. I actually feel awful for not liking it. it lacked the reading...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Kaylie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Here was a book that I was sad to reach the end of. It was difficult to finish this book knowing that after this there would be no more Sevenwaters books. When i discovered this book series three years ago I had no idea how in love with these books I would be with all of them. "Flame of Sevenwaters" tells the story of Maeve the daughter of Sean and Aisling, whi suffered horrific burn injuries at the age of ten.
The story opens with Maeve still at Harrrowfield with Bran and Liadan. Maeve's peacefu...more Here was a book that I was sad to reach the end of. It was difficult to finish this book knowing that after this there would be no more Sevenwaters books. When i discovered this book series three years ago I had no idea how in love with these books I would be with all of them. "Flame of Sevenwaters" tells the story of Maeve the daughter of Sean and Aisling, whi suffered horrific burn injuries at the age of ten.
The story opens with Maeve still at Harrrowfield with Bran and Liadan. Maeve's peaceful life is is changed when Bran asks her to accompany a skitish horse to Sevenwaters. She is of course hesitant to do so for various reasons ehich include the fear of being judged for her scars and the fear of seeing the family she has not lived with for ten long years.
Upon arriving at Sevenwaters her family is thrilled to see her again. But the joy of her arrival is overshadowed by the dissapeaence of several men, including the sons of a powerful chieftan. Maeve eventual sets of woth her brother Finbar and his tutor/bodyguard to find out once and for all what is going on in the Forest.
Maeve's story was wonderful, especially after the realtive letdown that was Sibeal's. It returned the focus of the story to Sevenwaters and its environs rather than Inis Eala. It felt much more connected to the storyline that was introduced in "Heir to Sevenwaters" despite Cathal and especially Clodagh not having any substantial role in the book. The focus of this book returns to the threat posed by Cathal's father Mac Dara.
Like her sisters Clodagh and Sibeal before her Maeve recieves assistance from her Uncle Ciaran. Ciaran is a character who I have come to like more and more with each book that he appears in. I also become more and more sorry for him. No sooner than his life takes a turn for the better than it is all taken away from him. I feel that his fate is very similar to that of his daughter Fainne's, even if it is much more lonely than hers. This is one of the great heartbreaks of this series.
One thing in this book that is lacking is the romance. I will not spoil anything but when compared to the other books it is definately lacking a strong male lead....until the very end and even then I was honestly not really impressed by him. This may be because Marillier wrote such characters as Red, Bran, and Cathal. About the only thing that the new guy had going for him was that he was not Felix who was insufferable. This being said my enjoyment of this book was not really impacted by this defficit. Just realize that there is no heart-mealting romantic storyline such as the ones found in the previous books in the series.
The one thing that truley bothered be about the end of this series is that it was really a bit rushed. I felt like it was necessatated by the detour that Sibeal's story took from the main Mac Dara plot line. I felt like Cathal and Clodagh shoud have been more involved. I feel like there were instances in the previous two books that clearly indicated that their part in the story was nor over yet. Yet they bareky manifested in this book, Cathal's only role was to make (view spoiler) necessary. And Clodagh had no real role at all. This was very dissapointing. It is a theme in this series as a whole that Marillier shifts too far away from the heroies of her previous novels. For example she kills Sorcha off in the second book. Liadan is suffled off to Harrowfield after her book and appears only in a minor capacity afterwards, Fainne lives isolated from humanity, Clodagh is reduced to a baby machine, and Sibeal is of somwhere in a Southern Druid community. Thankfully Maeve was a strong enough character to male up for the lack of characters fro pervious installments.
Overall this was an excellent final chapter in the Sevenwaters saga. I look foward to reading it many more times. (less)

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Mar 23, 2013 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The bones of this story are great, magic mixed with everyday life and everyday issues, courage, family bonds, love, loss, and friendship. Darkness vs light, kindness vs cruelty.
I did like the characters and I enjoyed the fact that I could read this book without having read any of the previous Sevenwaters novels.
However, the narration was too slow moving for me and the excitement of the last few chapters didn't make up for what felt like a heavy read for the first 320 pages.
Also, I applauded Ma...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really loved most of the Sevenwaters books. Seer was my least favorite, until this one. We did not have alot of the detailed background info we got from the previous books, letting us know more about our beloved previous characters from books. I did love the development of Finbar, and I always love Ciaran and my other favorite, Cathal, made appearances as well. I found Maeve to be a bit off from the other strong women of Sevenwaters, and even with her past, I was unable to forgive that. I won'...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Joana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: broken-tortured-tormented-heroine, fantasy_romance, read-2013, fave-authors

This is the 6th book in the sevenwater series...

Yep, to say i was excited to read this one is putting it mildly.
Anyway, i love Juliet's books, she did became one of my top favorite authors.
And well this book was no exception, i love how i get immersed in her stories and the way i get so attached to the characters.

This is Maeve's story...
At age of ten, Maeve was severely burned in her face and hands (scene from Child of the Profecy)and was sent to Harronfield, to get help from her aunt Liadan.
T...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Belle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another amazing novel from the great Juliet Marillier. Everything I've come to expect from Juliet Marillier was there - interesting storyline, well-developed (flaws and all!) characters, plot twist, a bit of romance, amazing storytelling and writing ability. I always read these novels with a sense of not wanting to put them down, hoping that I'm not more than halfway, because that means I'm running out of the wonderful experience that is reading Juliet Marillier's work.

These novels also have an...more Another amazing novel from the great Juliet Marillier. Everything I've come to expect from Juliet Marillier was there - interesting storyline, well-developed (flaws and all!) characters, plot twist, a bit of romance, amazing storytelling and writing ability. I always read these novels with a sense of not wanting to put them down, hoping that I'm not more than halfway, because that means I'm running out of the wonderful experience that is reading Juliet Marillier's work.

These novels also have an amazing ability to connect with you on a personal level. I'm sure everyone has their own particular experiences that make these readings even more meaningful. This time was more personal than most, partially due to the timing of buying the novel. I bought this book just after the anniversary of a friend's death (unfortunately in a fire), so that was pretty much at the front of my mind when I started to read. Considering the circumstances surrounding Maeve's situation, it was hard not to think about it. On a less depressing note, being a dog owner makes you really understand Maeve's love of dogs and sacrifice for the dogs she loves, as well as the confusion or disbelief on some people's faces when you talk about dogs in a certain way. I love my dog so much, and more than once I've experienced the "why do you take such care over him? He's only a dog" looks. When you have a good relationship with your dog, it makes sense.

The only thing I really missed (perhaps only with my version of the book) was the map and family tree I so love to admire. I love watching how the tree has branched out and remembering all the stories for various characters. (view spoiler)

I'm so sad to be saying goodbye to Sevenwaters again (hopefully only for a little while, though!). But I'm definitely already planning when I can re-read this one. Flame of Sevenwaters is a novel I would recommend to all those looking for a strong heroine, a bit of a romance and a great adventure. I would recommend the whole series, in fact. (less)

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Nov 19, 2012 Li Wen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites

I've read most of the books in Juliet Marillier's Sevenwaters series, and I thought it would be criminal not to write at least one review after how much I adored her books.

I have to admit that I am an absolute romantic. I LOVE love stories. When this book didn't seem to have one developing I was rather disappointed (although some kind of interest was expressed towards Luachan, it didn't seem to be developing). It is a testament to Marillier's craft that I kept on reading the book despite the see...more I've read most of the books in Juliet Marillier's Sevenwaters series, and I thought it would be criminal not to write at least one review after how much I adored her books.

I have to admit that I am an absolute romantic. I LOVE love stories. When this book didn't seem to have one developing I was rather disappointed (although some kind of interest was expressed towards Luachan, it didn't seem to be developing). It is a testament to Marillier's craft that I kept on reading the book despite the seeming lack of a love story. That said, there is a love story in the end, and I did enjoy it.

Like all the books in the Sevenwaters series, Flame of Sevenwaters features a female member of the Sevenwaters family. I especially enjoyed this book out of all the others because the heroine in this one was far from perfect - especially in appearance - and yet I still fell in love with her character.

Maeve having been burnt in a fire at Sevenwaters ten years ago, bears the scars of her ordeal on her face and hands. She cannot eat, bathe or clothe herself with her hands, but she does find ways to be self sufficient. Having scars like that, she does not ever expect to be treated normally or to find love in a man. And the reader does not expect her to either. That is what made me hesitant to read the book - like I said, I'm a romantic.

However, Marillier crafted a credible love story that left me believing that true love does indeed exist - a love that disregards outer appearance, and concerns itself with the heart of a person.

Another thing I loved about the book - and all Sevenwaters books - is that Marillier's world building is fantastic. When I read her books, I am completely drawn into the world of Sevenwaters. It is not a fairy tale world, it is not perfect. It has its share of evil and good, of happiness and sadness, and trials and triumphs. It is a REALISTIC world. (Okay fine, not as realistic as all that, but is fantasy after all.)

All of Marillier's characters are realistic too. I especially enjoyed reading the part where she describes Mac Dara's response to his son. Yes, Mac Dara is the villian, but he is also Cathal's father. And in his own unique way, he does love Cathal.

Maeve is not a perfect protagonist either. She is not always kind and benevolent, she gets snappy when tired too (which makes me feel a lot better about myself). She is not the most entertaining sister either, although she does try to make Finbar happy. Furthermore, I enjoyed seeing Maeve grow and develop throughout the story - facing her fears and over coming them, and finding a place called home in the process.

Although the ending of the story is not entirely happy, the fact that the happy ending does contain some amount of pain and sacrifice only lends credibility to the story.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I encourage everyone to read this book.(less)

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Nov 20, 2012 Katrina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, favorites, ya-lit

The Sevenwaters series is one of my all-time favorite book series. I love the fairy tale feel to each book. I've been in love with this series ever since I laid my eyes on the first book, Daughter of the Forest. If you love fantasy and strong heroines and you haven't read it yet, then you have to read it, you're missing half of your life.

Flame of Sevenwaters is the sixth book in the series. The heroine is Maeve, Lord Sean's daughter. She lost use of her fingers when she tried to save her dog fro...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Lisa - (Aussie Girl) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: folk-fantasy, read-in-2013

Juliet Marillier is a master storyteller extraordinaire, her folk fantasy tales are filled with messages of love, strength of character and compassion. In Flame of Sevenwaters we return to her Sevenwaters world set in Celtic Ireland a place steeped in magic and the Otherworld of the Fae. Maeve, the fourth daughter of Sevenwaters who was burnt terribly as a child returns after spending the previous ten years healing at Harrowfield, the British estate of her Aunt Liadan and Uncle Bran, previous br...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Oracleofdoom rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This was so much better than Seer of Sevenwaters. Maeve as a point-of-view character was immediately sympathetic, though flawed. She was very complex. She had a great deal of pride combined with a lack of self-confidence. She came in with the belief that she would never marry, due to her disfiguring injuries that she'd suffered as a child. She insisted in this belief despite the fact that it became apparent that none of the other characters shared it. It was the sort of belief that spoke heavily...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Char rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: an-epic-tale, fantasy, magic-in-the-air, other-characters-exist, series-worth-reading, sevenwaters-saga, spinster-heroine, less-than-perfect-heroine-or-hero

It's a given that if Juliet Marillier writes a Sevenwaters book, that I will be reading it. I was so excited when she decided to continue the Sevenwaters trilogy with Sean's daughters, and, for the most part, these books have complemented the original trilogy quite nicely. I haven't really gotten to writing my reviews for the others in this saga, but I will.

This story recounts the adventure of Maeve, the daughter who had been burned by Fainne in Child of the Prophecy. This is set ten years after...more It's a given that if Juliet Marillier writes a Sevenwaters book, that I will be reading it. I was so excited when she decided to continue the Sevenwaters trilogy with Sean's daughters, and, for the most part, these books have complemented the original trilogy quite nicely. I haven't really gotten to writing my reviews for the others in this saga, but I will.

This story recounts the adventure of Maeve, the daughter who had been burned by Fainne in Child of the Prophecy. This is set ten years after that tragic incident and deals with a very mature Maeve who has learned to "accept" her lot in life. This is a mindset easier stuck to when not living where the tragedy took place as she has spent the past decade with her Aunt Liadan and Uncle Bran at Harrowfield.

These last three books of the Sevenwaters Saga have been set during the time of conflict against Mac Dara, a Dark Prince of the Otherworld. Maeve's fate, it seems, is tied up in this ongoing fight along with that of Finbar, her young brother.

Juliet deals well with letting the reader get to know Maeve and the indomitable strength she has formed from overcoming her inability to use her hands as well as revealing the vulnerability inherent with this. I really connected with her, something I was unable to do with Sibeal in the last book. Maeve's inner struggle in being back at Sevenwaters and her reactions along with that of her family's to her return is believable and interesting to read.

I wondered who Juliet would have as the romantic interest for Maeve, for I knew that must be part of the story, and something I look forward to as the strong love Juliet writes of is so nice to read in this day and age.

However, I thought that for a while it would be that of (view spoiler)

Overall, the entire tale of Sevenwaters once again reached a satisfactory conclusion, with Juliet touching upon the lives of previous characters which always feels like visiting old friends.

(view spoiler)(less)

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Nov 13, 2012 Rachel Antzak rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, epic-fantasy, romance

I did love this book, not as well as the first three books. The familiar characters and the familiar world were like sliping into a comfortable blanket.

This is the story of Maeve the child who in a previous book is burned badly. She has had to deal with the knowledge that she will never have the use of her hands again and we pick up on this story when she is a woman. She has been raised by her Aunt Liadan and uncle Bran. From them she learns how to be brave or at least how to appear brave. I li...more

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Nov 22, 2012 TheBookSmugglers rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-of-2012, fantasy-awesomeness, favorites, romantic-fantasy

Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers

Maeve, the fourth daughter of Lord Sean and Lady Aisling of Sevenwaters, has lived apart from her immediate family for ten years. As a child Maeve fell victim to a terrible fire, scarring her face and body and costing her the use of her hands. For ten years since, Maeve has lived with her Aunt Liadan and Uncle Bran in Britain - sent away by her parents at first in the hopes that Liadan would be able to find a salve or poultice that could help Maeve heal a...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Helena Magalhães rated it 5 of 5 stars

With the exception of the initial trilogy, this is the best book in the Sevewaters series. I don’t know how or why, but the story of Maeve and her little brother Finbar (the baby who was kidnapped by MacDara in Heir to Sevenwaters) feels more real than the ones before. To me, the previous two books were more of an introduction to this Sevenwaters generation, and now I can fully understand the bonds between the family members. Everything comes together and the stories of Sorcha, Liadan and Niamh...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Jenel C rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction

Juliet Marillier is one of my favorite authors, and I really enjoyed this book. One of the things I loved was reading about a character who has a significant disability without it being the entire focus of the book. The main character is by far the best part of this book and she carries the story even when the plot at times felt, literally, like road we'd already traveled in Heir to Sevenwaters. One of the other things I love about the most recent books of the Sevenwaters series is that they ser...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Gabby K rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: juliet-marillier

Okay. Finished the book a few days ago, and am trying to not go all fan-girlly on my first review... but I may not be able to help it.

When I began the book and realized that the story would not be taking place on Innis Eala (for some reason, I thought it would because of Muirrin and Clodagh being there). The entire book made me feel melancholy about the entire series and I had a hard time not tearing up throughout. To me, Juliet Marillier took a step back in Seer of Sevenwaters, but I feel that...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Nicole Iman marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Another Sevenwaters book??? I'm so excited!

I remember the exact day I picked up the first book. I was just browsing the shelves of Barnes & Noble (cos that's what I do for fun) and I saw the cover and recognized the illustrator. Now, I've read several books by different authors who had used the same illustrator and I loved them all, so naturally I had to try this one. They say never to judge a book by it's cover, but thank god I did because I was instantly hooked. Juliet Marillier creates th...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Katherine rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Sevenwaters books follow a particular formula. A female, first-person narrator from the family of Sevenwaters, a mythical holding in, oh, I'd say about 9th-century Ireland, overcomes personal challenges to grow into womanhood. Along the way, she invariably meets a more or less attractive male with issues, which she has to help him overcome. In the end, of course, they fall in love.

Juliet Marillier has come a long way from the first of these books, Daughter of the Forest, in which she retold...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fiction

I enjoyed this book more than the previous in the series, though not as much as the original trilogy. Maeve is an overly headstrong character, but well-meaning and likeable; the whole tone of the book revolves this trait, which Marillier rendered superbly. And I do always enjoy stories that involve animals.

[semi-spoiler below]

I was afraid the book would have a happy ending, with everything working out perfectly. Instead, the plot was bittersweet, leaving potential healing for a future unwritten...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Admirers of Julie...: Final Thoughts	6	27	Mar 28, 2013 10:43pm
Admirers of Julie...: Chapter 2	3	13	Mar 11, 2013 09:02pm
Admirers of Julie...: Chapter 1	2	13	Jan 04, 2013 06:57am
Admirers of Julie...: Flame of Sevenwaters	11	42	Nov 28, 2012 08:02pm
Admirers of Julie...: Flame of Sevenwaters Group Read	5	19	Nov 23, 2012 07:43pm
Admirers of Julie...: Chapter 17	1	10	Nov 23, 2012 07:35pm

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About Juliet Marillier

Juliet Marillier was born July 27, 1948 in Dunedin, New Zealand and grew up surrounded by Celtic music and stories. Her own Celtic-Gaelic roots inspired her to write her first series, the Sevenwaters Trilogy. Marillier was educated at the University of Otago, where she majored in music and languages, graduating BA and a B Mus (Hons). She has said in an interview that this academic training strengt...more

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Daughter of the Forest (Sevenwaters, #1)

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“A fine man", observed my sister, pouring mead for the two of us. "Well trained.” — 5 people liked it

“As for me, I had found love, and that was a gift worth suffering for.” — 5 people liked it

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Flame of Sevenwaters (Sevenwaters #6)

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