Line #66 Literature/TheSevenwatersTrilogy


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sevenwaters_books.png]]
2	''The Sevenwaters Trilogy'' is a series of HistoricalFantasy novels written by Creator/JulietMarillier. [[TrilogyCreep It is still commonly referred to as a trilogy, despite having more than three books]], because the first books actually form a trilogy. The rest of the books are sequels.
3
4	The books are set in a fictional version of 9th century Ireland and focus on the Sevenwaters family, the lords and custodians of a mystical forest. The books are written in first person from the perspective of young female protagonists and emphasize romance and family relationships.
5
6	The original three books skipped a generation between each book, with the overarching political story dealing with a feud between Sevenwaters and a British family, Northwoods, over the control of a group of mystical islands. While Marillier did not originally intend to write any further books in the series, they proved to be so popular that she eventually agreed to return to Sevenwaters for another three books. The later books begin shortly after the ending of the original trilogy, and are shorter and lighter in tone.
7
8	Books in the series include:
9
10	* ''Literature/DaughterOfTheForest''
11	* ''Literature/SonOfTheShadows''
12	* ''Literature/ChildOfTheProphecy''
13	* ''Literature/HeirToSevenwaters''
14	* ''Literature/SeerOfSevenwaters''
15	* ''Flame of Sevenwaters''
16	----
17	!!This series provides examples of:
18
19	* AbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder: Eilis marries another lord after Liam goes missing, but it’s am arranged marriage against her will. Subverted similarly with [[spoiler: Elaine and Simon; Elaine is to marry Red after Simon’s disappearance, but never stops loving Simon. It’s implied they will eventually marry after Simon returns and Red breaks their betrothal]].
20	* AmbitionIsEvil: Eamonn spent the majority of the trilogy trying to achieve power and influence, just like his father (even though he never knew him). [[spoiler: He redeems himself later by saving Fainne’s life.]]
21	* AerithAndBob: All the names are period-appropriate, but it may seem strange to modern readers who aren’t familiar with Irish names like Sorcha, Niamh, Finbar, or Diarmid beside English ones like Ben, Richard, John, or Anne.
22	* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Liadan chooses Bran (aka The Painted Man) the leader of a group of outlaws over the seemingly steady [[GirlNextDoor Guy Next Door]] Eamonn.
23	* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Simon feels like he lives in his brother’s shadow and his accomplishments are overlooked by everyone, but in his absence it is pretty clear that everyone at Harrowfield admires and loves him, and his supposedly AloofBigBrother risked his life and the security of his lands to try and find him when he went missing.
24	* AndYourLittleDogToo: Richard (and others) threaten Sorcha by going after her dog
25	* ArcNumber: Seven.
26	* ArrangedMarriage: Niamh and Fionn in ''Son of the Shadows''. [[spoiler: It doesn't work out.]]
27	* BabiesEverAfter: This trope comes into effect with most of the protagonists and their love interests. Sorcha is pregnant with Niamh by the end of ''Daughter of the Forest'', and a vision she is given shows that there will be more to come. Liadan conceives Johnny early on in ''Son of the Shadows'' and gives birth later in the novel, and in ''Child of the Prophecy'' it is said that she and Bran had four sons in total after they earned their happy ending. Clodagh and Cathal have twins at the end of ''Seer of Sevenwaters'', and Sibeal and Felix are said to have had a baby girl. In fact, the only protagonist who is not with child or does not have a child in their happy ending is Maeve, but considering the historical setting of the series and the marriage she is making, it can be expected that she ''will'' have children at some point soon.
28	* BatmanGambit: The evil plot of ''Heir to Sevenwaters''.
29	* BattleAmongstTheFlames: In ''Child of the Prophecy''. During the final battle Fianne conjures RingOfFire to separate Johnny and his opponent from the rest of the crowd, to avoid collateral damage.
30	** In ''Heir to Sevenwaters'', Mac Dara pushes Clodagh into the river, then conjures a RingOfFire to keep her from coming back.
31	* BecauseDestinySaysSo: Johnny's motivation (and his friends' and family's) throughout the third book: he has to win the battle and save the islands because he's the [[ChosenOne child of the prophecy]]. (Or is he?) Also the excuse for much meddling by [[TheFairFolk the Fair Folk]] throughout the series.
32	* BigBrotherWorship: Sorcha to all her brothers, but especially Finbar, and Conor as the story progresses.
33	%%* BittersweetEnding
34	* BloodKnight: Colum, who spends all his time fighting with his neighbors to take his mind off his dead wife. Cormack, who is eager for battle, and hotheaded Diarmid has shades of it too.
35	* BurnTheWitch: Richard's favorite pastime.
36	* CanineCompanion: Linn was first Cormack's Loyal Animal Companion, and then Sorcha's after Cormack was turned into a swan. After she ends up at Harrowfield, Sorcha takes on Alys, previously [[spoiler: Simon's]] loyal dog.
37	** The chieftains of Erin (most notably Colum, Liam, Sean and Cruinn) seem to own a pair of large hunting guard dogs which follow them wherever they go. Bran [[spoiler: when he is Lord of Harrowfield]] is seen to also own two dogs.
38	* TheCaretaker: Sorcha, first to Simon then to her brothers.
39	** In ''Son of the Shadows'' after Liadan discovers that Niamh is being abused by her husband she takes steps to free Niamh from him and make sure of her safety and well-being. Niamh is so broken that she cannot look after herself properly, so Liadan has to.
40	* CharacterDeath: Plenty during the course of the series. A lot of previous-generation characters end up dying in future books, either from old age or illness, or from something else entirely.
41	* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: An unfortunate complication that comes with the name [[spoiler:Eamonn]].
42	%%* TheClan
43	* CycleOfRevenge: The feud between Sevenwaters and Northwoods
44	* DeadGuyJunior: Niamh, Cormack, Eilis and Finbar are recurring names, and these are just the ones born after their namesakes are dead.
45	* DealWithTheDevil: Clodagh offers to spend a night with Mac Dara just so she can gain access to Cathal’s room, knowing that she might have to make good on her promise if she doesn’t escape.
46	* DeathOfTheHypotenuse: [[spoiler:Mac Dara's murder of Aidan]] in ''Heir to Sevenwaters''.
47	** In ''Son Of The Shadows'' [[spoiler:Dog admits to having feelings for Liadan who gently rebuffs him and falls for Bran instead. Dog is slain in battle almost immediately thereafter, preventing his feelings from becoming an issue.]]
48	* TheDeterminator: Liadan. Despite constantly being told by the Fair Folk and Conor that she cannot have both her lover and her son in her life, she never listens to them and makes her own choices which eventually lead her to a future with both Bran and Johnny in it.
49	** Also Gull, during the escape from Sidhe Dubh in Son of the Shadows.
50	** Sorcha, due to her unwillingness to give up her quest to break her brothers' curse, even when threatened with death.
51	** Clodagh can be counted as well as she refuses to give up on Cathal when he is trapped in the Otherworld and risks her life to rescue him from Mac Dara.
52	* DontYouDarePityMe: Red says this almost word-for-word.
53	* ElementalPowers: Sibeal manipulates fire and Cathal manipulates water.
54	* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Sexual tension between main characters is almost always obvious to the observers before the participants.
55	* EvilMatriarch: Oonagh.
56	* EvilUncle: Red's Uncle Richard.
57	* TheFairFolk: Often as patrons rather then enemies but they are scary and incomprehensible. And they do have the normal amiable habits of kidnapping mortals and returning them years later.
58	* FeministFantasy
59	* FieryRedhead: Averted with Eilis Redbeard, Red and Ciaran, but played straight with Oonagh, Fainne, Sorcha's daughter Niamh, Clodagh and her twin Deirdre, Maeve, and the younger Eilis.
60	* FightingIrish: Sorcha's father, who pours his heart and soul into "campaigning" against their neighbors to fill the void left by the death of his wife. Most of Sorcha's older brothers, to one degree or another; justified in that they live in a medieval setting when nobles would all learn to capably defend themselves, and they have an on-again off-again war with their neighbors and the Britons. Her family ends up in danger quite a lot.
61	* FinalBattle: In ''Child of the Prophecy''.
62	* FlorenceNightingaleEffect: Simon falls in love with Sorcha while she's treating his injuries.
63	** Felix falls for Sibeal in the same way.
64	* ForcedTransformation: In ''Daughter of the Forest'', all of Sorcha’s brothers are turned into swans by their spiteful stepmother.
65	* ForeverWar: Every tribe against, well, every other tribe. Subverted with the Sevenwaters-Northwoods feud, as it does eventually end [[spoiler: after the events of ''Child of the Prophecy'']].
66	* FriendToAllLivingThings: Darragh, with his affinity for horses. There's also Maeve, who despite her crippled hands can calm down any skittish horse she comes into touch with, and also displays a closeness with animals in general, seen when she takes in a pair of abandoned dogs and gives them shelter and food (and even names them). She ends up caring for them deeply, and is frightened for them when they are threatened by the FairFolk near the end of ''Flame of Sevenwaters''.
67	** There's also Padriac, who has an entire barnful of animals which he has helped and healed from an injury or illness at one point or another. [[spoiler: He is heartbroken when the lady Oonagh kills all his animals out of spite, knowing that he cares for them.]] Sorcha has shades of it too, though she’s mostly good with plants and her way with animals is mostly limited to dogs.
68	* FunctionalMagic: There are several varieties, all important to the plots of each book, though it’s all very mythic and neither the characters or the reader are ever given a real explanation of how it works. Some of it in inherent to The Fair Folk, some is of the unexplained inherent gift variety (such as Sorcha, Finbar, and Conor’s telepathic powers), some seems to be learned (such as Oonagh’s powers, which seem to operate by specific rules), and some seems to be tuned to nature and the ancient priesthood (as in Conor’s fledgling {{Druidic}} abilities).
69	* GenerationalSaga: Each book in the original trilogy takes place a generation after the previous one.
70	* GenreSavvy: Sorcha's brothers use this to figure out why she can't speak. At one point, they compare their own situation to ''Literature/TheChildrenOfLir'', which the plot of the novel is actually based off of...
71	* GoodShepherd: interestingly both Pagan and Christian religious leaders often come off well. Conor, Sorcha's brother is studying to be a Druid, Father Brien is Sorcha's mentor and fellow healer and when Hugh returns after finding Sorcha in a pitiful state, some nuns care for her and give Hugh sage advice about the difficulties of dealing with a [[ShellShockedVeteran Shell Shocked rape victim]](that is only one of her problems but that is the one they recognize). When Richard tries to BurnTheWitch, a local bishop is one of the ones more skeptical of his charge.
72	* HappilyMarried: Margery and John. In the last chapter of ''Daughter of the Forest'', Sorcha and Red.
73	** All the main couples end up being this. Liadan and Bran are HappilyMarried after the events of ''Son of the Shadows'', just like Fainne and Darragh are happily wed after ''Child of the Prophecy'' (though they never have a formal handfasting). The same goes for Clodagh and Cathal, Sibeal and Felix, and Maeve and [[spoiler: Bear]].
74	* HeroicBSOD: When the siblings return to Sevenwaters, Colum is in the midst of one of these, having lost every single member of his family as well as his allies.
75	* HeroicBystander: In the final battle, both Eamonn and Finbar step in to prevent Oonagh from killing more people after watching most of the action. [[spoiler: One finds that DeathEqualsRedemption and the other is finally freed of his curse because of it.]]
76	* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Finbar, who sacrifices his own life to save Ciaran from being killed by Oonagh in the final battle for the Islands]], and arguably [[spoiler:Eamonn, who TakesABullet for Fainne in the very same battle]].
77	* HugeGuyTinyGirl: Hugh and Sorcha. Sorcha is ''tiny'' compared to Red.
78	* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: All six books use a TheXOfY style, and each trilogy has a pattern:
79	** First trilogy, "[Relation] of the [Noun]": ''Literature/DaughterOfTheForest'', ''Literature/SonOfTheShadows'', ''Literature/ChildOfTheProphecy''.
80	** Second trilogy: "[Noun] [Verb] Sevenwaters": ''Literature/HeirToSevenwaters'', ''Literature/SeerOfSevenwaters'', ''Literature/FlameOfSevenwaters''.
81	* ImprobableInfantSurvival: Baby Johnny in ''Daughter of the Forest'' is rescued from a fire, and between books survives [[spoiler:an outlaw attack and living with a man who had no qualms about killing his own wife]]. In ''Son of the Shadows'', the guards make clear that they'd take care of baby Johnny after they [[spoiler:murdered his parents]]. And in ''Heir to Sevenwaters'', the [[BigBad villain]] actually [[spoiler:tries to kill Becan, but he's brought back to life]].
82	** This trope is subverted with Sean and Aisling's twin sons, first mentioned in ''Child of the Prophecy'', who were likely born quite premature and were said to have lived less than a day.
83	* InHarmonyWithNature: This seems to be a theme with magic practitioners, Fainne and Ciaran included.
84	* InstantMessengerPigeon: Fiacha the raven in ''Son of the Shadows''.
85	* IntelligenceEqualsIsolation: Conor is frequently consulted and is considered the most knowledgeable of the Sevenwaters folk. Ciaran is also portrayed as an extremely intelligent man. Both of them live in almost complete isolation from other people.
86	* InterspeciesRomance: Cathal is descended from the Fair Folk and the Sea People. Clodagh doesn’t seem to care.
87	** In ''Flame of Sevenwaters'', we have the romance between the human Maeve and Bear, [[spoiler: a human bewitched into the form of a dog]]. Since the entire romance goes on while Bear is a dog, this trope comes into effect.
88	* ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies: Fainne and Darragh; she refuses to even tell ''him'' that she's interested to divert the attention of her [[EvilMatriarch evil grandmother]].
89	* IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure: Oonagh uses this threat against Fainne to the point where it starts to get old. She takes it to the next level during the final battle, just to be a jerk.
90	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Bran in ''Son of the Shadows'', and Cathal in ''Heir to Sevenwaters'', though both grow noticeably less JerkAss as their relationship with their beloveds goes along.
91	* KissingCousins: [[spoiler:Simon and Elaine, who are implied to have married after the events of ''Daughter of the Forest'']].
92	* LapPillow: Darragh to Fianne.
93	* LawOfInverseFertility: In ''Son of the Shadows'', [[spoiler: Liadan gets pregnant with Bran's child during her first time having sex]], and gives birth later in the book. On the opposite side of the spectrum we have, for instance, Muirrin and her husband Evan. Both fairly young, both wanted children, but she only got pregnant as of ''Seer of Sevenwaters'', after six years of marriage.
94	* LoveHurts
95	* LoveMakesYouEvil: Eamonn.
96	* LuckySeven
97	* MagicalIncantation
98	* MalignedMixedMarriage: Everyone’s attitude towards Red and Sorcha’s marriage, since both the Irish and British think of each other as superstitious savages. The animosity and disbelief are somewhat justified since their cultures are at war with each other. Sorcha’s family eventually accepts it once they understand that their feelings for each other are genuine.
99	* ManipulativeBastard: Oonagh and Richard are both prime examples.
100	* MarriageOfConvenience: Although the setup is incredibly ''inconvenient'' for the characters, [[spoiler: Sorcha and Hugh’s]] marriage qualifies; they wed so that his family will be obligated to protect her while he is absent and unable to defend her in person. Since his family’s main objection to her is her Irish blood, this is also a variation of CitizenshipMarriage. [[spoiler: It doesn’t really work, thanks to Hugh’s EvilUncle, who just cooks up a scheme to get Sorcha framed for adultery in addition to sorcery.]]
101	** HonorableMarriageProposal becomes a DiscussedTrope when most of the household assumes [[spoiler: Hugh married Sorcha]] because he got her pregnant (though in reality they’d never slept together, and it eventually becomes obvious she’s not pregnant).
102	** Given their, at this point, unexpressed (in the bride’s case, unrealized) feelings for each other, this also qualifies as MarriageBeforeRomance.
103	* TheMedic: Sorcha
104	** Conor also steps into this role at various points, though never as prominently as Sorcha.
105	** Liadan is also an active healer, having had her mother as a mentor and major influence. In ''Son of the Shadows'' she attempts to heal a member of Bran's band who has lost use of his arm, but [[spoiler: he dies anyway]].
106	* MoreThanMindControl
107	* MuggingTheMonster: Several outlaws gang-rape Sorcha. They of course pick just the day when her brothers are in human form. Her brothers of course are all trained by the war leader of an Irish clan chief. Guess what happens when they find out.
108	* MultigenerationalHousehold: This is almost a Sevenwaters staple. In later books, Conor and Ciaran’s visits mean that three generations are under the same roof at the same time.
109	* NatureHero: Sorcha is a downplayed version of this. She likes playing in the forest but isn't a recluse as such; the long time she spent living in the forest alone was for a specific purpose and she returns to humanity when that is complete.
110	* NeverFoundTheBody: Simon, who was held captive by the Fair Folk for three years.
111	* NeverSuicide: [[spoiler:Niamh, who was actually murdered by Oonagh]] in ''Child of the Prophecy'' and [[spoiler:Firinne, who was killed by Mac Dara]] in ''Heir to Sevenwaters''.
112	* NobleSavage: The Irish are a subversion. They may be more InHarmonyWithNature but they are still as savage as they are noble.
113	* NotBrainwashed: Oonagh likes to try this.
114	* OneWomanWail: Foreshadowed multiple times throughout the trilogy. Irish women have apparently mastered the SkywardScream.
115	* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Red. His real name, Hugh, is only used by his mother.
116	** Bran, the Painted Man. No one calls him by his birth name, which is 'Johnny', not even Liadan, his wife. To his men, he is known as 'the Chief'; to the general public, he is known as the Painted Man, or Bran of Harrowfield (or just simply Bran). In ''Son of the Shadows'' Bran even states that it had been so long since he'd heard his birth name that he'd almost forgotten what it was.
117	%%* Oireland: Averted.
118	* ParentalAbandonment: In ''Daughter of the Forest'', Lord Colum's wife is dead and he allows the [[OldRetainer household staff]] to bring up his children. Disappeared parents are the reason for Bran's [[DarkAndTroubledPast dark past]] and Cathal's angst. Also happens with Ciaran, although he was probably better off that way...
119	* ParentalMarriageVeto: Since the books are set in the Middle Ages, this one is always a hurdle. Actually exercised by Richard when Elaine wants to marry Simon, and by Niamh's whole family when she wants to marry Ciaran.
120	* PerfectlyArrangedMarriage: Liam and Eilis, though Liam disappears under the swan enchantment before they can actually be married.
121	** Illan and Deirdre's marriage in ''Heir to Sevenwaters''.
122	* PleaseDontLeaveMe: Since he's a [[StoicWoobie "tough guy"]], Bran says it without the "please."
123	* ThePowerofLove
124	* ThePowerOfTrust: This is basically the theme of Sorcha and Red's relationship arc.
125	** It's played the same way in Liadan and Bran's relationship arc.
126	* PrivateMilitaryContractors: Bran & Co.
127	* PsychicLink: Sorcha and Finbar can have telepathic conversations with each other and sometimes read one another’s thoughts and emotions. Later, [[spoiler: Conor]] reveals that he shares in the link, though he rarely tunes into it unless he feels it is absolutely necessary.
128	* RapeAsDrama: Sorcha is raped about a year and a half into her task (so mind you, she’s barely fourteen), and it is portrayed as being very brutal and having lasting effects on her psyche, including her ability to interact with men—even her brothers, whom she adores and trusts totally. It’s never completely behind her, even once she forms a loving and intimate relationship with Red at the end.
129	** It's not graphically shown, but when Liadan goes into Niamh's mind in Sidhe Dubh, she sees memories of Fionn raping Niamh through MaritalRapeLicense.
130	* RelativeError: Sorcha meets up with Conor outside Harrowfield on one of the nights her brothers are human; they are caught embracing by Richard, who (since she is married to Red at this point) [[MistakenForCheating instantly accuses Sorcha of adultery]] and uses this as an excuse to get rid of her. This being Richard, it’s hard to know whether he legitimately thought Conor was Sorcha’s secret lover—he graphically exaggerated the story of their embrace to falsehood when he accused her—but he definitely did not have any reason to think he was her enchanted, long-lost brother and didn’t hesitate to take advantage of the situation.
131	* SelfMadeOrphan: [[spoiler:Bran]]. Okay, he wasn't related to the [[AbusiveParents abusive adoptive father]], but coming from a seven-year-old this is still disturbing.
132	* SelkiesAndWereseals: [[spoiler: Darragh]] is turned into a selkie by the Fae. It's implied in ''Flame of Sevenwaters'' that his children have inherited this trait from him and swim with him to the shore of Erin whenever they are in selkie form.
133	* {{Shapeshifting}}: Both Fainne and Oonagh are masters of this. Fainne in particular is a master of the FullBodyDisguise, from altering her appearance to changing herself into animals.
134	* SheCleansUpNicely: Margery makes Sorcha a rich blue gown as a thank-you for delivering her baby. Upon walking in on Sorcha trying it on, Ben wolf-whistles her, and Red actually stops mid-sentence to stare.
135	%%* SnakeOilSalesman: The Master
136	* StockholmSyndrome: Liadan falls in love with the leader of the mercenaries who kidnap her. The reverse is also true, with apparently the entire crew experiencing LimaSyndrome.
137	* TheStoic: Conor, in comparison with his other siblings. He tends more towards Tranquil Fury than outright temper, and almost always plays the voice of reason when things get heated. Red also fits neatly under this trope, to the extent that the one time he does lose his temper, it’s an OOC moment that is very telling.
138	** Stoicism is diametrically opposed to Sorcha’s natural personality, but due to her curse, she is forced into behavior that makes her look like this—not crying, laughing, defending herself, et cetera, making her a Stoic Woobie given the extreme circumstances she endures.
139	* TheStoryteller: Sorcha in ''Daughter of the Forest''. Liadan in ''Son of the Shadows''. Clodagh is also considered reasonably good at tale-telling-- her well-thought-out ending to Wolf-boy's story earns her the respect of old Willow, who is made of this trope.
140	* TangledFamilyTree: All you have to do is take a look at the family tree in the beginning of ''Seer of Sevenwaters''. A flow chart might not even help in this case.
141	** It’s even more tangled when you consider Evan and Cathal, one of whom has a black father and the other who has an Otherworld father. EveryoneIsRelated here.
142	* TokenMinority: Gull.
143	* TomboyPrincess: Sorcha prefers running around in the forest and playing with her brothers to being dressed up like a doll by Oonagh.
144	* TookALevelInBadass: Clodagh starts off as a normal child, interested in household duties and taking care of her family. She then journeys to the Otherworld, bargains with a multitude of powerful and magical creatures, saves her brother, then goes back to the Otherworld to save Cathal. The two of them then proceed to trick Mac Dara, the king of tricks and lies. Twice.
145	* TwinTelepathy: Liadan and Sean, Clodagh and Deirdre.
146	* TheUnpronounceable: Fainne's name is pronounced "Fawn-ya"
147	** Pretty much all the names, save for Briton names, are hard to pronounce. Likely owing to their Gaelic and Celtic roots, which has sounds and pronunciations not traditionally found in English.
148	* TrilogyCreep
149	* TrueCompanions: Red, Ben, and John. Sorcha and her brothers as well, with a few rough patches.
150	* VainSorceress: Oonagh.
151	* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Oonagh and Fainne have this power
152	* WholePlotReference: The first book is very heavily based off the ancient Irish fairy tale ''Literature/TheChildrenOfLir''. It's also known in versions by Creator/TheBrothersGrimm and Creator/HansChristianAndersen.
153	* WickedStepmother: The Lady Oonagh.
154	* WordsCanBreakMyBones
155	* YouCantFightFate: Toyed with; Finbar has terrible, hopeless visions of the future and is convinced they will come true; Sorcha insists he may be wrong. Since it’s only the first book of the series, the final results of his visions are not yet clear but at least some of Finbar’s specific interpretations (like Sorcha failing in her Impossible Task) turn out to be incorrect.

Context Literature / TheSevenwatersTrilogy