"Heart's Blood" by Juliet Marillier

Synopsis: Whistling Tor is a place of secrets and mystery. Surrounded by a wooded hill, and unknown presences, the crumbling fortress is owned by a chieftain whose name is spoken throughout the district in tones of revulsion and bitterness. A curse lies over Anluan's family and his people; those woods hold a perilous force whose every whisper threatens doom.
For young scribe Caitrin it is a safe haven. This place where nobody else is prepared to go seems exactly what she needs, for Caitrin is fleeing her own demons. As Caitrin comes to know Anluan and his home in more depth she realizes that it is only through her love and determination that the curse can be broken and Anluan and his people set free.
My review: "Heart's Blood" by Juliet Marillier is a Celtic retelling of the Beauty and the Beast tale.  I like this one better because Caitrin is not kidnapped or held against her will.  She is not forced to stay...in fact, she goes there willingly, seeking refuge from an abusive relative.  I like this adaptation because Caitrin is smart.  She can read and write in Irish and Latin in an age when that was very rare for everyone but the rich, regardless of gender.  The chieftain, Anluan, is not an actual animal, just a man deformed by disease in childhood and haunted with grief and a family curse.

I could easily relate to Caitrin and her journey from scared, cowering girl to strong, confident woman.  Learning to hope, to love, to stop listening to the negative voice in your head, and to overcome your past were lessons for the main characters that I have also had to learn.  And learning that, despite how little you may think of yourself, you make a difference in the lives of others just by being yourself.

Learning to believe in yourself is the main lesson for Anluan.  Instead of the beast running from the hordes of angry townspeople come to kill him a la the Disney version, Anluan must form an army to fend off the invading Normans.  For Caitrin, it's learning to stand up for yourself, to confront your tormentors.  Being a kind-hearted and caring person, Caitrin makes friends and makes  a difference in the lives of  the inhabitants of Whistling Tor, even though she doesn't see it herself.

Despite it being slow-paced at times, including flowery and detailed descriptions, this book was captivating and a thoroughly good read.  The characters were well-defined and believable (even the ones that aren't fully human).

Various websites have claimed this as the first in the Whistling Tor series but the author's website sets "Heart's Blood" as a lone title and it seems unlikely that it could be a series.  But I would like to read more about these characters if it turns out to be a series after all.

I read the e-book version of this but have added this title to my wishlist for purchasing.  It is a book I would like to reread.

Read on,
Paula