Wednesday means it’s time to write about the books I have been reading in the previous week. I finished Juliet Marillier’s Sevenwaters series, reading the last two books. Here they are…
Seer of Sevenwaters and Flame of Sevenwaters are books five and six of the series and the latter rounds off the tale with a satisfying ending.
This is the blurb for Seer of Sevenwaters!
“Sibeal has always known that she is destined for a spiritual life, and is committed to it with all her heart. The only thing left for her to do before she enters the nemetons is to spend the summer visiting her sisters, Muirrin and Clodagh, on the northern island of Inis Eala.
But Sibeal has barely set foot on the island before a freak storm out at sea sinks a ship before her eyes. In spite of frantic efforts, only three survivors are fished alive from the water, and one of them, a man Sibeal names Ardal, clings to life by the merest thread.
Sibeal befriends Ardal as he begins to regain his health. But it becomes clear there is something unusual about the three shipwrecked strangers. Why won’t the beautiful Svala speak? And what is it that the gravely ill Ardal can’t remember – or won’t tell?
When a visiting warrior is found dead at the bottom of a cliff, and an attempt is made on Ardal’s life, Sibeal finds herself a pawn in a deadly game. The truth will be far more astonishing than she could ever have believed – and the consequences for Sibeal are unimaginable.”
Although not quite as good as the first three books in the series, I still really enjoyed reading this one. Once again, Marillier’s writing of character and setting is excellent and the magical elements are also well done. The plot engaged me right until the end, although there were slow sections. Definitely a worthy addition to a great series.
I went straight on to read the last book in the series: Flame of Sevenwaters. Here is the blurb…
“When Maeve, twenty year old daughter of Lord Sean of Sevenwaters, accompanies a skittish horse back to Erin, she must confront her demons. For Maeve carries the legacy of a childhood fire in her crippled hands. She has lived with her aunt in Britain for ten years, developing a special gift for gentling difficult animals.
Maeve arrives home to find Sevenwaters in turmoil. The forest surrounding her father’s keep also has uncanny inhabitants, including a community of Fair Folk. Now the fey prince Mac Dara has become desperate to see his only son return to the Otherworld to rule after him. To force Sean’s hand, Mac Dara has made innocent travellers on the Sevenwaters border disappear, and now their bodies are appearing one by one in bizarre circumstances. Mac Dara’s malign activities must be stopped. But how? What human army can defeat a force with magic at its fingertips?
Maeve’s gift with animals earns her respect at Sevenwaters. She bonds with her enigmatic small brother, Finbar, his druid tutor Luachan, and two stray dogs. When Maeve discovers the body of one of the missing men, she and Finbar are drawn into a journey where the stakes are high: they may bring about the end of Mac Dara’s reign, or suffer a hideous death. For Maeve, success may lead to a future she has not dared to believe possible.”
I think that this is the weakest of all the books in the series. The main character is unappealing and the response to her disabilities is very unlikely given the apparent historical period of the book. The ending rather too neatly finishes the whole series with a quite ridiculous romantic turn. All of that being said, I did enjoy a lot of the book and the return of some previous characters and am glad that I finished the series. I will definitely read more by Marillier in the future.
Now I am going to move on to a completely different kind of writer, although still in the Fantasy genre. All will become clear in next week’s Reading Roundup.
Friday is here so it is time to write a new post! The designs for the Hermès Autumn/Winter 2026 scarf and shawl season are emerging online, so I thought that I would tempt you with some of them today. The weather had been extremely hot and uncomfortable in this part of the UK during the past week and this has caused me to struggle with my health. Thoughts of gorgeous scarves have helped to lift my mood!
Here are some of them…
For further information as the new season unfolds, it is worth looking at this thread on The Purse Forum.
The prices are now so extreme that I will definitely struggle to justify purchasing any more! But, then I remember that it is my 70th birthday in November and don’t I deserve a lovely treat? 🤣😆🤣😆
Last week I returned to the world of Juliet Marillier’s Sevenwaters…
Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier
The fourth book is Heir to Sevenwaters. As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, I read the whole series a few years ago but now cannot remember the plot details, only some of the more important incidents. As I really love Marillier’s writing I thought that it would be lovely to read the whole series. Here is the blurb…
“The chieftains of Sevenwaters have long been custodians of a vast and mysterious forest, one of the last refuges of the Tuatha De Danann, the Fair Folk of ancient story. Human and Otherworld dwellers have existed there side by side, separated by a thin veil between worlds and sharing a wary trust. Until the spring when Lady Aisling of Sevenwaters finds herself expecting another child, and everything changes. With her mother pregnant, Clodagh fears the worst as Aisling is well past the safe age for childbearing. Her father, Lord Sean of Sevenwaters, faces his own difficulties as warring factions threaten his borders. When Aisling gives birth to a son—a new heir to Sevenwaters—the responsibility of caring for the infant falls to Clodagh while her mother recovers. 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 brother, Clodagh must enter the shadowy Otherworld and confront the powerful prince who rules there. Accompanied on her quest by a warrior who may prove to be more than he seems, Clodagh will have her courage tested to breaking point. The reward may be far greater than she ever dreamed…”
I really enjoyed revisiting Marillier’s world of Sevenwaters this time. Each of her books in this series centres around a female main character who is just entering the adult world. The author weaves together historical background, wonderful nature writing, family and domestic life, fairy tales and fantasy in this series. There are also elements of romance with interesting male characters. She has created a whole world based in Ireland, nearby islands and north-west England.
In this book, the story began quite slowly, but built into an exciting journey with our brave hero and heroine facing physical and magical obstacles along the way right until the end. Characters from other books in the series appear throughout the book. All in all, a satisfying read even if not quite as good as the first three books.
You can probably work out that I am currently reading the fifth book in the series! I will definitely write about it next week, all being well. So, as soon as I finish writing this post, I will return to the world of Sevenwaters!
So it’s Friday again and blog writing time! This week I have been trying to continue with my daily walks and I have managed to do them on most days. Sometimes my multiple health conditions just overwhelm me and I can’t raise enough energy to leave the house, but overall I think I am doing well. I have worn two cute 45cm Hermès scarves on my walks and I also try to dress up a bit with nice earrings. The small cross body bag that I bought last week has been a useful addition to my collection. It’s just the right size to carry my phone plus a few essentials in case I need them. So, I now have the bag, sunglasses, a hat and also a new kagool. I just hope that my legs and feet don’t fail!
Anyway, here are the two scarves. One is by Liberty of London in gorgeous shades of blue. I have forgotten the name! The other is by Hermès: Sous le Charme d’Orphée, also in blue with orange, green and purple accents.
You may be able to see the jewellery I was wearing in the first photo. Elder Son gave me these beautiful earrings and a necklace with blue crystals a few years ago. I have never worn a necklace with a scarf before, but have seen this combination online. All of the pretty blues really compliment one another, I think. Here is a close up image…
One parcel arrived this week from Dunelm with two new bedside lamps for our bedroom. One of our old ones had broken, so I searched around for new ones and showed Lovely Husband all of the lamps that I liked and we chose together. All of the cupboard door handles in the room are a kind of bronze metallic and the lamps are a very close match. The shades are in a creamy fabric. The lamps are a very simple design, but they look really nice on our bedside cabinets. Here is the image from the Dunelm website…
Hello and welcome to this week’s post. I actually was able to finish two books this time and am part way through a third. Here is the first one…
The Map of Bones by Kate Mosse
My first book of the week was The Map of Bones by Kate Mosse, #04 The Joubert Family Chronicles. This is the blurb…
Olifantshoek, Southern Africa, 1688. When the violent Cape wind blows from the south-east, they say the voices of the unquiet dead can be heard whispering through the deserted valley. Suzanne Joubert, a Huguenot refugee from war-torn France, is here to walk in her cousin’s footsteps. Louise Reydon-Joubert, the notorious she-captain and pirate commander, landed at the Cape of Good Hope more than sixty years ago, then disappeared from the record as if she had never existed. Suzanne has come to find her – to lay the stories to rest. But all is not as it seems…
Franschhoek, Southern Africa, 1862. Nearly one hundred and eighty years after Suzanne’s perilous journey, another intrepid and courageous woman of the Joubert family – Isabelle Lepard – has journeyed to the small frontier town once known as Oliftantshoek in search of her long-lost relations. A journalist and travel writer, intent on putting the women of her family back into the history books, she quickly discovers that the tragedies and crimes of the past are far from over. Isabelle faces a race against time if she is not only going to discover the truth but escape with her life…
I was really pleased when I saw this on the Library’s ebook site, having read all of the previous books in the series quite some time ago. Here is my response on Goodreads…
I was so pleased to see that this final book in the series was available. Having read the preceding books quite some time ago, I had forgotten much of the story, but this book drew everything together by the end. I loved reading the history of such wonderful, strong women set in times and countries that were so different from my own life. The characters were very well drawn and the settings gave a real sense of history and geography. I loved reading Kate Mosse’s writing and am looking forward to her next book!
The Wolf King by Lauren Palphreyman, #01 The Wolf King, was recommended by the Science Fiction and Fantasy group that I follow on Facebook, so I thought that I would give it a try. Anyway, this is the blurb…
‘I want to mark you as mine. And I can think of countless ways I would do it. Countless ill-advised, highly pleasurable ways I would do it.’
When war erupts between humans and werewolves, a princess finds herself torn between duty and desire.
On the eve of her wedding, Princess Aurora catches the eye of a powerful alpha, Callum.
Believing she’s the key to ending a brutal war, Callum kidnaps Aurora, whisking her away to the rugged lands north of the border.
There, a forbidden attraction starts to grow. Just as Aurora learns not all Wolves are bad, Callum discovers that she is in danger from those closest to him.
With monsters on both sides and a bloodthirsty war raging, will their story end in love or tragedy? And will Aurora ever get home?
Does she even want to?
So, the genre of this book is listed as Romantasy! This made me laugh, but I read it anyway. You are never too old for a bit of fantasy mixed with romance, in my view! Here is my short review…
So, let’s say that I did enjoy reading this book in the main. It began quite well with a beautiful, lonely and sad princess meeting a handsome, dangerous, hunky, kilt wearing werewolf! Then there was a lot of hot and steamy, will she, won’t she. Then we had another handsome, hunky, trouser wearing and even more dangerous werewolf. Plus more dangerous…
Anyway, after this the plot sank into rather repetitive action and reaction. Oh, and lazy writing. If we have a fantasy, sword bearing world, how would they know about adrenaline? That, and similar issues, really annoyed me, so I don’t think I will read the sequels.
But, you never know, in the future I might be pining for handsome, hunky, dangerous…
Hello friends and visitors and welcome to my blog. I have been struggling with my health this week, plus we have been doing quite a lot of family admin type stuff. Most days I have been able to go on my walks but I have been rather too distracted to think about nice outfits and lovely scarves. However, I have spent quite a lot on some new items for my wardrobe!
I am a keen follower of The Vivienne Files site where she discusses wardrobe planning. One of her ideas is that, if you find clothing or accessories in one of your colours after a long search with no luck, then you might find it best to purchase a few items in that shade at the same time. That happened to me this week! One of my favourite colours is teal and I have a twinset from Lands’ End in a lovely shade. I was browsing their site when I saw a couple of t-shirts and a dress in what they call “Baltic Teal”and these items are now hanging in my wardrobe awaiting a suitable day!
Women’s Sleeveless Cotton Slub Jersey Tiered Midi Dress
I had to laugh! The dress is listed as midi, but I am so short that it comes down almost to my ankles! Anyway, all three items look very nice and I am looking forward to wearing them.
My walks around the area have been going quite well and I have only missed one day in the last month when I was feeling quite poorly. As the weather is getting warmer and the sunshine brighter, I decided that I need to wear a hat and sunglasses when I go out and about. Unfortunately, my old sunglasses seem to have gone missing in the move and I also can’t find my hat, so I have bought some new ones. Also, I have been only taking my phone with me, which is not really a good idea. As my handbag collection consists of quite large designs, I looked for something small and suitable This is what I found…
ScreenshotScreenshotScreenshotScreenshotPom Pom London City MINI Bag French Lavender
This is the City Mini Bag in French Lavender by Pom Pom London. Their bags come in loads of gorgeous colours (this one is an available in 25!!!) and they have a huge range of straps to choose from. Anyway, I will let you know what I think of the bag and its accessories when the parcel arrives.
Wishing you a very Happy Weekend!
Love and best wishes,
Anne
💜💜💜💜💜
P.S. See what I did there? Purple 💜s to match the 💜 handbag!
It’s Wednesday, so it’s time for a Reading Roundup! This week I am writing about two works by one of my favourite authors, Lois McMaster Bujold…
Penric’s Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold
The first was a short story: Penric’s Demon the first book in the Penric and Desdemona series. Bujold has written a whole lot of novellas in her Penric and Desdemona series which are a spin off from the wonderful World of the Five Gods series, which I have written about on here before. This is the blurb…
“On his way to his betrothal, young Lord Penric comes upon a riding accident with an elderly lady on the ground, her maidservant and guardsmen distraught. As he approaches to help, he discovers that the lady is a Temple divine, servant to the five gods of this world. Her avowed god is The Bastard, “master of all disasters out of season”, and with her dying breath she bequeaths her mysterious powers to Penric. From that moment on, Penric’s life is irreversibly changed, and his life is in danger from those who envy or fear him.”
I really enjoyed this novella as a break from much longer reads and will probably dip into more books in this series from time to time. There was an absorbing plot and the reveal of the character of Desdemona made my laugh!
The second book of the week was one of Bujold’s earliest publications, I believe…
The Spirit Ring by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Sprit Ring is a stand alone fantasy novel, published in the 1990s. Here is the very short blurb…
“Set in an alternate Renaissance Italy where the church regulates magic and licenses magicians, young Fiametta must learn and control the powers of magic to rescue her murdered father’s soul and combat evil sorcerers.”
This was an enjoyable stand alone fantasy set in medieval Italy with added magic. There were some interesting shocks and surprises in the plot which kept me engaged. The two main characters were well written and the whole story was nicely rounded off at the end. Not one of Bujold’s best books, but still well worth reading.
Welcome to my blog dear friends and visitors. I have been struggling with my mental health this week, so the post has fairly random stuff!
I have been able to continue with my daily walks around my local area. On many days I have been able to break through the twenty minute barrier, which is great. This week I have walked on a similar route every day because it takes me past a house covered in the most beautiful wisteria. You can even see it tumbling over the walls of the back garden. It really lifts my spirits to see it!
As a family, we have been talking to local services to begin to explore what help might be available to all of us living in our home. The three of us all have multiple physical and mental issues and conditions and we want to be able to plan for the future with some degree of confidence. We are only at the beginning of the process, so will have to see what happens.
My counselling sessions have now come to an end but I am being referred for a higher level of support. Unfortunately there is quite a long waiting list, but I am prepared for this. Eventually I may go back to a counsellor that I used to see some years ago, but I think I will use the NHS first. I am hanging on to the hope that something will eventually help me with my mental health!
I do have one image from my walks this week. On most days it was too warm to wear a scarf, but this smaller 70cm size was perfect on one day. My clothing was all in navy blue: jacket, t-shirt, linen trousers and shoes. The scarf was Hermès Tea Time…
Outfit of the day 05/05/26 with Hermès Tea Time
And here is the image of the whole scarf…
Hermès Tea Time by Hermès (70cm)
As it is Spring time, I thought it would be nice to treat myself to a couple of new clothing items. OK, my wardrobes are quite full, but it is nice to have something different occasionally. One item has arrived…
Sloane Cotton Broderie Blouse by Hobbs
This Sloane Cotton Broderie Blouse by Hobbs is an expensive treat, but I’m very happy with it and it looks so pretty with my white or navy linen skirts or trousers. Now I need to work up the courage to actually go into town wearing such a nice outfit. I really hope that I can eventually persuade Lovely Husband to join me!
I hope that some other new things arrive before next week’s post. If they do, I will write about them then. I have taken some advice from The Vivienne Files website – more will be revealed about that next week!
Happy Weekend!
Love and best wishes,
Anne
💕💗💖💗💕
P.S. If you wish to read more about this cute Hermès scarf, here is my Scarf of the Moment post: Hermès Tea Time
Welcome to this week’s Reading Roundup. I saved three books from a wonderful series for today’s post. I read the first book many years ago and then found that the author, Juliet Marillier, had written more since then and so I read the rest of the series. A few weeks ago, I decided to revisit the books and re-re-read them! Since I had the stroke in 2019, I find that my memories of the past’s really enjoyable reads are very patchy, so I could only remember the bare bones of the plot of the first book. The other two felt like brand new experiences!
Anyway, here are the books…
Sevenwaters series #01, #02, & #03 by Juliet Marillier
Here are the blurbs for each book…
First we have Daughter of the Forest:
“A magnificent saga set in the Celtic twilight of 10th century Ireland, when myth was law and magic was a power of nature, brilliantly brought to life: the legendary story of an evil stepmother opposed by a seventh child.
A wicked woman, an evil curse, and a love that must triumph over impossible odds
Set in the Celtic twilight of ancient Ireland, when myth was law and magic a force of nature, this is the tale of Sorcha, seventh child of a seventh son, the forbidding Lord Colum, and of her six beloved brothers.
The keep at Sevenwaters is a remote, strange, quiet place, guarded by silent men who slip through the woodlands clothed in grey, and keep their weapons sharp. For there are invaders outside the forest; raiders from across the seas, Britons and Vikings bent on destruction. But now there is also an invader inside the keep: the Lady Oonagh, a sorceress as fair as day, but with a heart as black as night. Oonagh captivates Lord Colum with her sensual wiles; but she cannot enchant the wary Sorcha. Frustrated in her attempts to destroy the family, Oonagh binds the brothers with a spell that only Sorcha can lift. If she fails, they will die.
Then the raiders come, and Sorcha is taken captive. Soon she will find herself torn between her duty to break the curse, and a growing, forbidden love for the warlord who is her captor.”
The second book is Son of the Shadows:
“The forests of Sevenwaters have cast their spell over Sorcha’s daughter Liadan, who, like her mother, has inherited the talent to heal and to see into the spirit world. The forest spirits warn Liadan that she must remain for ever at Sevenwaters if the sacred isles are to be won back from the Britons who took them by force. For the Lord and Lady of the forest spirits have seen in Liadan’s future a doomed romance, death; a child; and a terrible choice to be made.
Liadan is taken captive by the Painted Man, who is revealed to be a man quite unlike his legend. Liadan is drawn to him, despite the ancient prophesy of doom, but can she reclaim her life and defy the spirits, or will a curse fall upon Sevenwaters because of her forbidden love? Will the fight for the sacred isles end in tragedy? History and fantasy, myth and magic, legend and love come together in this magical story.”
And the third book, Child of the Prophecy…
“Raised in an isolated cove on the beautiful Kerry coast, Fainne’s childhood is a lonely one. But her beloved father, the exiled son of Sevenwaters, teaches her all he knows of the magical arts, and every summer she looks forward to the arrival of her one friend, the gypsy boy, Darragh. Soon, though, her world will be changed for ever when her grandmother, the renowned and feared sorceress Oonagh, enters her life.
Oonagh tells Fainne that she carries the blood of a cursed line of sorcerers and outcasts, and then she burdens her with a terrible task. She sends her to the fortress of Sevenwaters, to the family Fainne has never known, to use whatever powers she can to thwart a prophecy that is near fulfilment. The Fair Folk in alliance with Sevenwaters will win back the sacred isles unless Fainne kills the child the prophecy talks of. Tormented by evil dreams, Fainne knows she has the power to do this…
Child of the Prophecy is a powerful and haunting conclusion to the Sevenwaters trilogy.”
Unfortunately, I am struggling with my mental health today and don’t feel capable of writing even a very basic review. So, I will just say that the first two books are, in my view, better than the third. The main characters are really engaging and interesting, whereas Fainne in the third book is quite disagreeable and annoying! In all three books Marillier’s scene setting and her writing of nature is wonderful and I may revisit the rest of the series soon because of this.
I am now going to take a break from the magical world of Sevenwaters. No decisions have been made about the length of that break!
Former professional school librarian, now retired through chronic illness. Trying to keep cheerful by reading, drinking lots of tea, blogging my new life, and my love of bling!
The Librain
The Librain......retired 
Dear Lauren, thank you again for commenting! I enjoyed my walks last week, but we are struggling with a heatwave…