Child of the Prophecy

The daughter of a forbidden romance, Fianne has been raised in isolation and trained in magic by her loving but remote druid-father, Ciaran, and her ruthless sorceress-grandmother, the Lady Oonagh. They send Fianne to Sweetwaters to live among relatives who had no knowledge of her existence and who may have instigated the death of her mother, their sister Niamh. Fianne has come to carry out her grandmother's long-planned vengeance on the clan--and on the Old Ones, who are the source of Ireland's mystic power. Despite her mother's death, Fianne is reluctant to harm her Sweetwaters kin. But if she lets them live, the Lady Oonagh will kill both her father and Darragh, the handsome young horse tamer who has captured Fianne's heart.

Child of the Prophecy works as a standalone novel, but readers will benefit by first reading its equally accomplished prequels, Daughter of the Forest and Son of the Shadows. --Cynthia Ward

Juliet Marillier was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, a town with strong Scottish roots. She currently lives in a rural area of Western Australia, sharing her house with a cat and a dog. A university graduate in music and languages, she has had a varied career that includes working for government agencies, opera singing, and raising four children. Juliet now writes full time. Her lifelong interest in myth, legend, folklore and traditional music is a strong influence on both style and theme in her writing. A passion for early British history, reflecting her Celtic ancestry, is evident in her choice of settings.

Juliet Marillier achieved international recognition in 1999 with the publication of her award-winning novel Daughter of the Forest. This is the first book of the Sevenwaters Trilogy, a historical fantasy set in Ireland and Britain in the ninth century, and is loosely based on the traditional fairy tale, The Six Swans. The second book in the series, Son of the Shadows, won the 2000 Aurealis Award for best fantasy novel. Child of the Prophecy completes this trilogy.

Juliet Marillier's second series is based on the first Viking voyage from Norway to Orkney, and weaves history and folklore into a saga of adventure, romance and magic. The series is made up of two novels, Wolfskin and Foxmask. Juliet is currently working on a new trilogy set in the north of Britain in the time of the Picts.

Juliet is a member of the druid order OBOD and of the Australian Greens Party, reflecting her commitment to environmental causes.