Dreamer's Pool (Blackthorn & Grim Book 1)

What if you were slated to die but someone gave you a chance to live? The bargain…give up your quest vengeance/justice for seven years and help people. Do this and they will save you now from death tomorrow. Help anyone who asks, go to a different land and set up a life as a healer. Do this and you live, break your word and you are right back in prison and one step closer to death.“The day before you died was the longest, slowest day ever. It gave you more time than you could possibly want to contemplate all the things you’d got wrong, the chances you’d missed, the errors you’d made. It was long enough to convince the most hopeful person that there was no point in anything.”You might think this an easy choice, but when the need for justice and vengeance for the wrongs committed not just against you but those you love is so high it is hard to think of anything else. Blackthorn might have made the deal but it is a hard one to keep and it is even harder to be among people after all her time in the dark cruel prison of her enemy“Part of me has turned wild, and another part’s turned dark as endless night, and I’m not going to change back just because someone says I must.”Dreamers Pool is told in three PoVs. Blackthorn who has a tragic past and has had more taken from her than many could survive is a bit harsh and curt to those around her. She doesn’t really know how to be among people anymore but must learn and quickly or time will be added to her already long sentence of service.Grim is a broken man who sometimes seems half crazy. He is a bit of a gentle giant and finds himself the protector of Blackthorn even if she doesn’t really want one. They seem to make an unlikely pair but they spent a year across from one another in a hell hole and seen each other through in their own way. So were Blackthorn goes, Grim follows. I adore Grim! He has a past himself, but he understands people in a way most don’t and for some reason he has made it his mission to protect not only Blackthorn but others that are weak and defenseless.Together Grim and Blackthorn go to a new place, that seems a bit magical and has a touch the Fae in it, to set up a life and while there is no romance happening between them, I’m hopeful that is a temporary thing and eventually the friendship they have builds into something more.The mystery of this story is like an old tale and happening mainly in the third PoV of the prince. He has written letters to his potential fiancé for a while hoping to build a bond as he sillily hopes for a marriage not just of convenience but of love.“Letters tell the truths a person will not speak. They contain the deepest of feelings, the wisest of stories. Letters are powerful. They contain messages of hope, love, change.”Certain that she is the one for him the plans for marriage progress and she comes to his land. But when she arrives the girl in front of him seems nothing like the woman from the letters. The prince is confused but hopes that it just the journey that her tired. But as time goes on he is more convinced that something strange has happened and the Prince asks Blackthorn and Grim to look into his bride to be since he is sure something is off and he must find out soon or he will be married to this woman who is not at all like the one he fell in love with through letters.I love the way this is a slow rolling story with small things divvied out over time. It is definitely character driven as we get to know Blackthorn and Grim better. My favorite thing in this was their building strange friendship and how well they take care of each other. The mystery was interesting and not overly magical. I like that there are old magics and tales in this that give the world more depth and make me think of it as a fairytale land, not quite of the Disney variety but also not quite as harsh as Grim’s Fairytales either.I look forward to more stories of Blackthorn and Grim.

The world of Blackthorn and Grim is fascinating, compelling, and quite satisfying. Yes, there are anachronistic elements in place, but they are, to me, necessary for my willing immersion in the pre-medieval world of the stories. My poor 20th/21st century heart, long battered from exposure to the injustices prevalent throughout our world, has been bolstered and strengthened by my immersion in this narrative.I listened to this three-book series first, then purchased book 1, Dreamer’s Pool, at a discount through BookBub. when it comes down to it, my best reading experience is via my eyes processing, and my brain interpreting, an author’s work. In the case of Blackthorn and Grim, I am very satisfied with both the reading and the listening experiences.

This series is loosely connected (I won’t say how) to Juliet Marillier’s ongoing Warrior Bards series. Dreamer’s Pool is the first in a trilogy featuring two unique characters named Blackthorn and Grim. When we meet them, they are prisoners rotting in a dungeon together. We learn that Blackthorn was wrongfully imprisoned and in a twist of fate she meets Conmael, a mysterious fey being, who offers her freedom in exchange for seven years’ worth of offering aid to anyone who asks for it. What follows is a winding journey to the kingdom of Dalriada, where mysteries unfold and magic quietly thrives.Dreamer’s Pool is a slow read. It’s meandering but immersive and exceptionally strong in its characters. Blackthorn and Grim alternate POV chapters with Oran, the prince of Dalriada, who seeks Blackthorn’s help with a strange and possibly uncanny dilemma. Oran’s chapters hold all the intrigue. He’s also an idealist and reading his chapters fall in line with the fairy tale-like quality. Blackthorn and Grim’s chapters, on the other hand, are like reality checks. They both have endured significant trauma, both during and before their respective imprisonments. We learn Blackthorn’s history; we have yet to know Grim’s. The difference in narrators makes for an interesting contrast, an entertaining balance. I also enjoyed Blackthorn in the role of reluctant detective and Grim the dependable sidekick. They have a solid chemistry and relationship that is no less intriguing for being secondary to the plot.Part of Blackthorn’s characterization is that she is an outspoken advocate for abused women and seeing their abusers brought to justice. This is a major theme that Marillier visits time over time in her novels. Here, she is on fire. Blackthorn is an incredible female character and Grim is a true and staunch ally for feminism. Broken characters are another Marillier specialty and both main characters are extremely well-drawn, their experiences starkly presented, their PTSD unapologetically visceral. [CW for PTSD, suicidal impulses, mentioned abuse/rape, kidnapping].I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy mature fantasy and slow-paced novels. I’m looking forward to starting the next book, Tower of Thorns, for a new mystery as well as the ultra-slow burn romance.

This is the third time I’ve read the series and it is my favorite! Love the stories love the writing fantastic! Just the one explicit part maybe was a little too descriptive for me but other than that, wonderful!!

I’ve long been a fan of New Zealand-born author Juliet Marillier. I read the first book in her Sevenwaters series, Daughter of the Forest, many years ago and have followed each new release ever since. For those who aren’t familiar with her work, Marillier writes what’s usually classed as historical fantasy. She situates her stories predominantly in pre-Christian Ireland where the Pagan tradition still holds sway, a land where druids walk half-wild on the margins of society and the fey folk play cat-like with mortal lives.Dreamer’s Pool begins a brand new series called Blackthorn & Grim, starring the titular characters and set again in Ireland in roughly the same time period (we’re never actually given a date). My Ace Roc hardback features some stunning artwork, but don’t be fooled into thinking the ethereal woman on the cover is Blackthorn. Unlike Marillier’s previous heroines, we meet Blackthorn at her lowest point: filthy, lice-ridden, abused, awaiting trial in prison.For anyone familiar with Marillier’s style, this is a significant departure. Previous heroines were younger, fresher, virgin and still under the auspices of their parents. As Dreamer’s Pool unfolds, we learn that Blackthorn once had a husband, child and a calling, but lost everything to a corrupt chieftain named Mathuin. To say she wants revenge would be an understatement. It is all she lives for, all she craves and it warps her reason to the point of irrationality.The story begins when she’s offered a reprieve from the noose by a fey man, who demands she reclaim her healer’s skills and pledge to serve the people of a faraway region for seven years. Only when those years have passed will she be allowed to pursue her revenge. Blackthorn reluctantly accepts and so begins the first of her adventures, accompanied by a fellow inmate named Grim. The duo and their complex, platonic relationship pleasingly evoke a modern detective narrative without undermining the historical setting.In another departure from her norm, Marillier employs three distinct points of view: Blackthorn, Grim and Prince Oran, who is both instigator and beneficiary of the duo’s investigative services. Oran has a problem: his promised bride, with whom he’s been exchanging letters, does not turn out to be anything like the woman he imagined. Although she looks like her picture, the resemblance ends there. Her personality is different, she doesn’t seem to be able to read and her devoted little dog, of whom she’d written so fondly, suddenly, inexplicably, hates her.Oran’s trusted manservant believes his prince’s response is born of naivety. But Blackthorn comes to see – reluctant as she is to involve herself with anyone else’s affairs – that there is more to this than meets the eye.Between them, these three characters handle the plot with the deftness of a master storyteller. Marillier is top of her game and there isn’t one wasted word or scene. Although some of these scenes depict little more than a council reaching a verdict on who will pay recompense for dead sheep, or the prince listening to the domestic talk of his subjects, the uncluttered prose ensures that the pace never falters. Indeed it’s quiet scenes such as these that bolster the story’s authenticity. From food to labour to class structure and correct social address, the setting is beautifully rendered. There’s a sense of local politics and underlying historical movement to all Marillier’s novels and the events in Dreamer’s Pool are set against a greater backdrop of conflict.This is a good place to start if you’re new to Marillier. Blackthorn is refreshingly sharp-tongued and intolerant. She’s suffered injustices at the hands of men, which makes her distrustful of every one she meets. It takes her a long time to accept that Oran is the antithesis of Mathuin and her gradual re-evaluation of him embodies a fascinating character development.Grim remains the most enigmatic of the three protagonists. While we eventually learn the secrets of Blackthorn’s past, Grim’s is not revealed, and it’s hinted more than once that his past is very dark indeed. The puzzle of Grim is one of the many reasons I’ll be picking up the next book in the series. Despite both Blackthorn and Grim ending up miles from where they began, both literally and figuratively, you get the impression that they have a long way still to go. The world that tore their lives apart is the same one that’s helping them to rebuild and both characters must learn again to live in it. Human hypocrisy and ignorance exist alongside human integrity and trust, a complex combination that Blackthorn and Grim are taxed with handling.Dreamer’s Pool is a deft integration of magic, the hardships of rural life and courtly intrigue. It’s for anyone who desires a potent, earthy sense of place and a multi-layered narrative told through characters with distinct and fascinating personalities. There is much of the fairy tale about it and the resolution of the mystery is suitably magical, as well as dark. Marillier’s world is not a pretty one. It’s hard, cold and unjust. But it’s also real and immediate and will keep you reading long past your bedtime.

https://lynnsbooks.wordpress.com/2015/03/12/dreamers-pool-by-juliet-marillier/Look, far be it from me to tell you to read a book – but just read this book, pretty please. It was great, it was enchanting, it put a spell on me which I couldn’t break until I’d completely finished reading – literally in virtually one day!In a nutshell the story is about a woman, wrongfully imprisoned who accepts help from the most unexpected source. Blackthorn, as she will become known, is a wise woman and healer. She has been incarcerated in a miserable, filthy prison for too long, the only thing sustaining her the dreams she has of bringing down revenge on the head of the man who destroyed her life.The story gets off to an immediate start as Blackthorn finds out that she is to be murdered rather than given the opportunity to air her tale. At the same time, she receives a visitor, Conmael, a member of the fae who has an unusual proposition in which Blackthorn will give up her desire for revenge, will live a life of good far away from this place and provide help to all those who ask. In return he will save her life and see to her escape. And so a pact is made, of course, a pact with a member of the fae is not to be taken lightly. The terms between Conmael and Blackthorn will remain intact for seven years. If the terms are breached, a year will be added for every time the pact is broken.And so Blackthorn escapes into the night. Followed closely by a giant of a man, and former prisoner called Grim. The two will find themselves travelling to the land of Dalriada where their services will soon become in great demand.To be honest I don’t really want to go into the plot. It’s just a magical explosion of gripping story told almost like an adult fairytale. The writing is simply gorgeous and evocative.The story is narrated in three different voices, Blackthorn, Grim and Prince Oran. Crown Prince Oran of Dalraida has finally chosen a bride and although this is an arranged marriage the two have exchanged letters and seem to be perfectly well matched. Most believe that Prince Oran is too sensitive, he cares about nature, he’s respectful to people regardless of station or sex and he enjoys reading and poetry. And yet, in spite of the doubts of some, his little neck of the woods seems to run smoothly, his people wish to work for him and work hard to please and the villages within his remit are pleasant places to live. And then there’s Dreamer’s Wood. One of the old places, on the edges of the realm, it has a mystical feel and walking under the dark canopy usually produces a feeling of being watched. Nobody really enters the forest. The ‘others’ are believed to dwell there and none will brave the unspoken menace.Why did I love this so much. It’s difficult to pin down. I wouldn’t say I had any difficulty in second guessing certain elements of the plot and I’m sure that others would no doubt do the same. But, there are a number of different strands to the tale and more than the actual main story, which seems to have turned into a mystery that Blackthorn and Grim will become involved in trying to solve on the Prince’s behalf, there are little jaunts into side stories not to mention a number of occasions where we look back at Blackthorn’s past. I also really enjoyed the three main characters and alternating the chapters between them gave the story an added pace and a more rounded feel.Blackthorn is a great character, twisted with anger and yet the chances she has been given have already started to have a positive effect. We have Oran, the thinker – and in fact forward thinker given the way most nobles behave. And Grim. I loved this character. He’s a great hulk of a man with a quick temper that once roused is usually followed by a blinding flash of temper resulting in the use of fists – and yet he’s afraid of the dark and has developed a strong devotion to Blackthorn. Both of these characters are badly broken and yet in coming together they are forming a strange bond that is helping them to heal.On top of this we have a setting straight out of a storytime read. Castles, damsels in distress. Wicked nobles and scheming fae. What’s not to love!I really loved this book.

This was not merely Juliet Marillier back on form, this was the author comfortable at the height of her powers. Blackthorn is older than most of Marillier's heroine's and Grim is just as unlikely a counterpoint (although their relationship is one of friendship rather than that of lovers). This made a refreshing change, not merely from this author but in the genre itself. Usually the 'crone' figure (although Blackthorn is only approximately mid to late thirties) is a side dish; a creature who dresses up in the regalia of Fate and directs certain mystical aspects but does not have agency in her own right. This has been nicely turned on its head here, and through Blackthorn we observe the Romance between the young lovers from the outside.It still contains Marillier staples; old tales, transformation, redemption, strong minded women, men of all stripes (vicious, brutal, gentle, thinking, practical, strong and vulnerable), fantasy and historical setting. It just fits together so much better than some of the more recent of the author's offerings - Seer of Sevenwaters or The Shadowfell trilogy for example. And Blackthorn is a great MC, tough as old boots, seething with fury and bitterness, snappish and sharp tongued but also kind, compassionate and competent. I really liked Grim - I felt as if 'Dog' from 'Son of Shadows' had been given something of a second chance in Grim. Oran is a likeable enough character, no milksop although not exactly to my taste. As for Flidais, well I won't add any spoilers but it was great to see this paragon of noble virtue from the outside...eventually...The story itself is seemingly simple; Blackthorn has been running her mouth in the wrong places leading to summary imprisonment pending trial. On finding she is to be executed with out a trial at all, Blackthorn is offered a choice by one of the fey (playing his own game as fey do) go to Winterfalls and help anyone who asks, or stay and die. Not much of a choice really. Escaping with Grim thanks to fey interference, the pair find themselves embroiled in a mystery that questions the true nature of truth and lies, fear and courage, revenge and redemption. There is also a passionately feminist voice in there, without there being any preachiness, about women standing up for better treatment, men and women according everyone respect and most importantly of all, of women not minimising another woman's suffering, or telling glib lies about men and their actions - which in turn make it so much harder for woman who are misused to be heard and believe. Women who may not have the power to rescue themselves. Men are not monsters, as Blackthorn comes to realise. Anger and bitterness can blind you. Women and men should all be supporting each other, as friends, partners and neighbours. Laudable goals.I liked Blackthorn's caustic voice. I found the three first person POVs to be done well, I always knew who was talking as each voice was distinctive. The book came to a satisfying conclusion, whilst leaving me wanting the next instalment in the trilogy to find out what happens next. Deftly, skilfully done. I highly recommend this.

I am a big fan of Juliet Marillier. I have read everything, the whole Sevenwaters Collection, the Bridei Chronicles, etc. She is a wonderful writer with this book as an exception.Dreamer's Pool is a boring, long, slow book. She makes it too easy to feel sympathy towards 'the good guys' and hate for 'the baddies'. This not only creates very two dimensional characters, it also destroys any tension or curiosity for them. Blackthorn is a particular boring one sided character who always gets described as 'strong' or 'filling the room with her presence' whilst none of this comes across when not pointed out. The end of the story is revealed fairly soon and the story unnessecarily drags on till it finally happens. I would'nt recommend this book.Juliet Marillier captivated me with the Sevenwaters series. I highly recommend those books.

It's decades since I read any Juliet Marillier. Pre kindle days. I'm into crime fiction these days. I'd forgotten how magical her fantasy is. I fancied a change from crime, spotted this and bought it. It's a beautiful beginning to a trilogy. I'll be reading more in the future.