Review - Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier (Tor)

Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier

Published by Tor

Paperback – 560 pages

Published November 2010

Review copy given by Pan Macmillan

Whistling Tor is a place of secrets, a mysterious, wooded hill housing the crumbling fortress of a chieftain whose name is spoken throughout the district in tones of revulsion and bitterness. A curse lies over Anluan’s family and his people; those woods hold a perilous force whose every whisper threatens doom.

For young scribe Caitrin it is a safe haven. This place where nobody else is prepared to go seems exactly what she needs, for Caitrin is fleeing her own demons. As Caitrin comes to know Anluan and his home in more depth she realizes that it is only through her love and determination that the curse can be broken and Anluan and his people set free.

Marillier's Celtic setting is beautifully crafted. Set in Ireland at the time of the Norman conquest of Britain (early 1100's), she excels at giving the reader a sense of life for this culture. Sadly, with the vast majority of the novel spent at the castle in Whistling Tor, we don't get nearly enough of this world and culture within it. As a variation of the classic Beauty and the Beast story, this is to be expected, though I would definitely like to see a more expansive setting from Marillier (something I'd hopefully be able to get from her other historical fiction novels).

Caitrin is an excellent character because she defies both female stereotypes in fantasy fiction of 'damsel in distress' and 'strong heroine'. Instead, Caitrin is a gifted scribe who has been beaten and mistreated by her kin, and who learns to gain her courage through her time at Whistling Tor. Her lack of self confidence and her fear is gradually replaced by a hardened resolve that makes her transformation into a strong, confident woman all the more believable. The character of Rioghan is also very well written, as are many of the more prominent characters that make up 'The Host'. Rioghan is a tormented spirit that is racked with guilt over a decision he once made as a royal military advisor, and this guilt (coupled with ancient nefarious sorcery) has forced him to become part of a host of similar spirits that haunt Whistling Tor. His determination to do right by Anluan, Whistling Tor's lord, shows his struggle for penance for his earlier mistakes. 

These are the strongest characters of the story, whereas many of the others many of the other retainers at Whistling Tor seem one dimensional, put into place to fill out of the cast of this retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

Possibly because Heart's Blood a well known fairy tale as the basis for its story, the plot held little surprises. At the end of the first third of the novel, the reader more or less knows the main antagonist and their intentions, which was a bit of a let down at the 'big reveal' at the end. Also, the romance between Caitrin and Anluan seemed forced and unbelievable. There wasn't much to build the romance beyond "that's just the way it's supposed to happen" and it detracted from the overall pacing of the story, which is a shame since the romance is meant to be the crux of the story.

In short, Heart's Blood a rather predictable retelling of an old fairytale with a really good supernatural element. The story is set in a brilliantly well written world and with an excellent protagonist, though the romance is underdeveloped and awkward. Given that this romance is the main element of the story, however, it falls short of the mark overall.