#liadan

I have to admit, when I first started reading Son of the Shadows, the beginning didn’t really grab me. It was tough—I dragged it out for almost a month before picking it up again. But then, at a certain point, something completely caught my attention: realizing that the extraordinary isn’t always in grand acts.

I once even wrote that Son of the Shadows felt subtle, smaller compared to Daughter of the Forest. With what seemed like a simple “love at first sight” kind of plot. But I couldn’t have been more wrong.

What you learn in Western witchcraft is that things will happen. Regardless of your will, no matter what you try to do to stop them—they’ll happen anyway.

It was in this book that I understood Sevenwaters as the story of a prophecy already set in motion. Every tiny event builds toward that grand, bittersweet ending. And in a dense, almost desperate way, we often find ourselves stuck in one of humanity’s oldest dilemmas: does free will really exist?

Liadan is only the heroine of her own story—she did what she wanted, and in the end, she reaped the strange fruits of her journey.

It was going to be serious but Carbie had other plans.

been working on some concept art (ig?)

‘Your young lady needs a name,’ she said. ‘You can’t keep calling her “girl” as if she were a dog following your steps. Has she a name?’

‘If she has, she can’t tell us what it is,’ said John. ‘But you’re right, Sister. Every living thing needs its name.’

— Daughter of the Forest

vs.

‘When we start, you must do as I tell you straight away. It will be much easier if you give me a name to use. I will not call you Chief.’

‘Use what you will,’ he said, brows raised. ‘We have no names here, save those you have heard.’

— Son of the Shadows

John speaking about Sorcha, vs. Sorcha's daughter speaking to John's son. The heartbreaking irony of John understanding the importance of names, only for his son to end up nameless for so long. The poignancy of Liadan being the one who finally names him. And the parallels of how both characters are named after birds -- Sorcha, after a jenny wren, and Bran, after the raven.

They were a former warlord from their homeland many MANY years ago and had a long family of warlords and cruel magic users that performs spells that even make Merlin and Morgana stomach twist like rats lock in a tail.

Liadan father was one of those cruel magic users and soon warlord. However, when he died. Liadan took their father place and done many cruel act themselves. However, he was exiled and banished from their land. Which is why they are the only mooncurse trolls to ever leave their homeland of magic and ocean spells.

Liadan has to grow from what they use to be to become what they are today. While still bitter, grumpy and dark. They were more calm and even kind and more wiser then they can ever be. But sometimes even the past cane come knock on their door sometimes from nightmares and memories that pops out of no where.

Hiwever, raising Aisling in some of her young life made Liadan appropriate life much more. Seeing how innocence and silly and full off fire and sass she had. Either by stomping her ground impatiently or learning to dance.

It always bring Liadan joy.