Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier

Son of the Shadows continues from the story told in Daughter of the Forest, but the protagonists shift from Sorcha and her brothers, to Sorcha's daughter, Liadan. Liadan is very like her mother, in that she is a healer and herbalist. She is different, too, in that she has the Sight.

Liadan must cope with many conflicting demands on her conscience, and it is her task to bring the conflicting forces together. Once again, Marillier writes a story of grand sweeping emotions that is at the same time homely and familiar. Up next, Child of the Prophecy.

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

Daughter of the Forest is the first book in a trilogy. It tells the story of Sorcha, who is the daughter of a clan chieftain. The general storyline will be familiar to many people, because Sorcha is the sister to six brothers who have been turned into swans by a wicked stepmother sorceress. Sorcha must keep silence while making each brother a shirt from nettles. This folktale is widely told, with slight variations. You can read more about the folktales here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Six_Swans

Besides being a retelling of that folktale, Daughter of the Forest is also a love story and a story of Druids and Christians and barbarians. It is a story about bravery of many kinds, and about kinship, loyalty, and perceptions.

I found it hard to get interested in Daughter of the Forest, at first, but within a few chapters, I was thoroughly drawn in. I immediately took up book two in the series, on finishing Daughter of the Forest. Son of the Shadows was a worthy successor.

http://www.julietmarillier.com/

Shadow of the Lords by Simon Levack

Shadow of the Lords is the second book in the Aztec Murder Mysteries. Yaotl the slave is once again the protagonist and detective. This mystery begins the morning after the mystery described in Demon of the Air. Once again, Yaotl is racing against time and hiding out from reprisals from his master, the Chief Minister. This time around, Yaotl has an especially strong motivation to solve the mystery--he is trying to protect the son he discovered in Demon of the Air.

Yaotl does much of his sleuthing among the feather artisans, and considerable information about feathered adornments of the Aztecs is imparted along with the story.

This was a worthy followup to Demon of the Air, and a breakneck read.

The Book of Shadows by James Reese c2002

Set in 19th century France, The Book of Shadows is the story of Herculine, from the day her mother dies until she becomes a young woman. Herculine's mother directs her to take refuge in a nearby convent in her dying moments. The convent takes her in, but they are not particularly kind, at least most of the nuns are not kind, treating her, rather, as a servant.

The Mother Superior of the convent is a wealthy woman, whose family has used their influence to gain her the position. Mother Marie is kind to Herculine, lending her books and giving her the task of watching over the headstrong Peronette--a niece sent to the convent by her indulgent though absent father and crazed mother.

When a prank of Peronette's goes wildly wrong, Sister Claire (who was envious of Mother Marie, thinking the position was rightly hers) accuses Peronette and Herculine of witchery, bringing down the wrath of the village folk on the convent.

All of this takes place in the opening chapters, and the vast proportion of the book is a description of Herculine's life, after real witchcraft enters in.

There are some interesting ideas and characters in The Book of Shadows, but for me it's descriptive passages are overblown and it never regains the pacing of the early chapters. All of the tension of the story is let out in the early chapters, such that the bulk of the book has little narrative drive. I see on Amazon, that there have been two sequels. I will not be seeking them out.