The Caller By Juliet Marillier

I received this galley in consideration for an honest review.

The Caller By Juliet MarillierThe Caller by Juliet Marillier
Series: Shadowfell #3
Published by Random House on September 9, 2014
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Goodreads
four-stars

Just one year ago, Neryn had nothing but a canny skill she barely understood and a faint dream that the legendary rebel base of Shadowfell might be real. Now she is the rebels’ secret weapon, and their greatest hope for survival, in the fast-approaching ambush of King Keldec at Summerfort.

The fate of Alban itself is in her hands. But to be ready for the bloody battle that lies ahead, Neryn must first seek out two more fey Guardians to receive their tutelage. Meanwhile, her beloved, Flint, has been pushed to his breaking point as a spy in the king’s court—and is arousing suspicion in all the wrong quarters.

At stake lies freedom for the people of Alban, a life free from hiding for the Good Folk—and a chance for Flint and Neryn to finally be together.

The Caller is the last in a trilogy that I was happy to find while browsing NetGalley one day.  Juliet Marillier has may devoted fans and after reading this series, I can see why.  Neryn and Flint are star-crossed lovers, still focused on their ultimate goal to free a kingdom from tyranny, but still longing for a future together.  A lot of that burden of organizing a revolution falls on Neyrn’s shoulders, and while she bears it well, she is not some superhero of a girl.  She is able to be strong while still seeming very human and relatable.  The same can be said for Flint, who must play both sides and has to make some terrible decisions.  Neryn’s journey to find answers is not over, and at least half of the book consists of her quest to try to gain allies and find answers from the Good Folk.

The Caller was a bit more action than the other two books, as it all comes down to their battle with King Keldec.  As Flint tries to avoid being discovered, Neryn must also play a part and I spent a lot of the book reading through one eye because things got very tense.   The world building was just a strong int his book as in the others and I loved the way that the characters grew to a point where the sides that they were on in the first book seemed to melt away in this installment.   The final battle and reckoning for the King was very well done completely engrossing.   The ending was the right combination of bitter and sweet, with some friends being lost, but certainly hope for the future that was so hard-won.  I loved this quiet and richly imagined world, and while it might not be the non-stop action that many associate with YA fantasy these days, I think it’s worth appreciating for the wonderful world building and excellent story telling.

 

 

four-stars

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. Juliet was educated at the University of Otago, where she majored in music and languages, graduating BA and a B Mus (Hons). Her lifelong interest in history, folklore and mythology has had a major influence on her writing.

Kate


4 responses to “The Caller By Juliet Marillier

  1. “A quiet and richly imagined world” sounds just lovely! I keep meaning to pick up this author’s books, but I still haven’t gotten around to it yet. Partly because I have a hit or miss relationship with fantasy, but also because it seems she’s universally loved, and that always makes me nervous.

    Your saying the ending is both bitter and sweet has me intrigued, though.

    Wendy @ The Midnight Garden

  2. I read the first book in this series and loved it and I need to catch up – so glad to hear you enjoyed it! Glad to hear the resolution is satisfying and that there was a bigger does of action (though not non-stop). Lovely review!

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