Seer of Sevenwaters

Spin-off from The Sevenwaters Trilogy. Written by Juliet Marillier.

Sibeal, one of Lord Sean of Sevenwaters’ daughters, is taking the final steps before making her druid vows. To make sure that she fully understands her decision, Ciaran, her mentor, sends her to Inis Eala for a summer to be with her sisters. Shortly after her arrival, there is a shipwreck off of the coast and only three survivors are discovered. One of them, a young man who has lost his memory, catches Sibeal’s eye.

As she helps to nurse him back to health, the island becomes plagued by bad luck and nightmarish dreams. The truth is uncovered as her charge, Felix, regains his memory and shares the reason behind the storm. The two of them must undertake a perilous journey to right a terrible wrong. For Sibeal, this may prove to be one of her easier challenge, as she begins to doubt her religious decision and must soon make a choice that will break her heart.

Tropes used in Seer of Sevenwaters include:

Androcles' Lion: Sibeal befriends Svala and offers to help her when she discovers the danger of her situation. This proves to be the key in entering and exiting Svala’s island safely.
Angst? What Angst?: As soon as Sibeal finds a way to bring both halves of herself together, the world is right again.
- Vows? What vows?
Babies Ever After
Because Destiny Says So: Sibeal believes it is her destiny to become a druid because of her meetings with the Lady of the Forest as a child.
Being Personal Isn't Professional: This is Sibeal’s mindset for the majority of the book. Ciaran admits to it as well.
Can't Catch Up: Sibeal constantly talks about how much more skilled Ciaran is than her, never mind that she uses elemental magic twice (once in a place where no one else’s magic works), can communicate mentally with sea creatures and manages to alert Cathal to her presence from the opposite end of the island without moving.
- Does Sibeal realize that Ciaran’s Otherworldly? Even with years of training, ordinary people would never be able to match his skill level.
Cute and Psycho: Svala acts normal for periods of time before lashing out in a psychotic manner.
Dandere: Sibeal prefers quiet and solitude to the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Cue a random shipwreck.
Draco in Leather Pants: Everyone really likes Knut when he’s pulled from the shipwreck. He’s helpful, concerned about everyone’s welfare and even takes part in the fighting challenges on the island. It’s all a façade.
Elemental Powers: Sibeal manipulates fire and Cathal manipulates water.
Everybody Lives: Near-drowning, perilous sea journeys, murderous companions, deadly water currents and starvation be damned! We’re all gonna make it, guys!.
Everyone Can See It: Sibeal and Felix are frequently teased about the amount of time they spend together. They do each eventually have a Love Epiphany, although Sibeal’s takes a lot longer to happen than Felix’s.
Fainting Seer: Sibeal faints or feels ill if she is around extreme emotion or comes out of a trance quickly.
Gut Feeling: Sibeal is a seer, after all. She can’t help it.
Have I Mentioned I Am Gay?: Although it’s mentioned in Heir to Sevenwaters, Johnny and Gareth’s relationship is openly stated and laid out in more detail this time around.
Identity Amnesia: Felix can’t remember anything, including his own name.
In Harmony with Nature: Sibeal prefers to be surrounded by nature. She’s also good with the elements.
I Want to Be a Real Man: Felix laments that he’s not a strong or brave man like his brother. That doesn’t stop him from trying to be.
I Will Protect Her: The men on Inis Eala are very protective of their women. It doesn't matter if they've lived there a long time or are just visiting.
I Would Say If I Could Say: Felix slowly regains his memory but refrains from sharing most things in order to protect his new friends.
Karmic Death: That’s what you get for raping sea creatures, Knut.
Love Confession: Felix takes up a whole page confessing his love for Sibeal. She jams hers into one paragraph.
- His is very poetic and thought out though. She just kind of blunders through it.
- Can you blame the poor girl? It’s taken her years to become a druid. It only took one summer for her to question that vocation. She hasn’t had much practice with these things.
Not What It Looks Like: Knut and Svala’s relationship.
Rescue Romance: Sibeal and Felix take turns saving each other.
Tangled Family Tree: All you have to do is take a look at the family tree in the beginning of the book. A flow chart might not even help in this case.
- 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. Everyone Is Related here.
The Beard: Knut. He even tries to kill Felix to keep his relationship with Svala a secret.
The Dog Bites Back: Svala finally snaps back at Knut right before they reach her island.
The Fettered: Johnny. His main function on Inis Eala seems to be upholding the ideals of his band.
The Music Meister: Felix starts singing while riding on the back of a sea monster to try and keep the group calm.
The Speechless: Svala.
Useless Protagonist: Fans seem to be divided about Felix. Half of them think that he’s absolutely useless and half say that he gets better towards the end.
- It’s probably because he doesn’t do much physically like the other male protagonists have in past books. He uses his voice, whether it’s telling a story or singing to keep spirits up or debating important matters, because that’s where his strength lies. He still saves people, just not with brute force.
Unto Us a Son and Daughter Are Born